Family:

Sean, my husband, is an author. He writes political fiction with more layers of symbolism than I can possible grasp. (I was the kid in high school who didn't believe the English teachers when they said writers meant to put in symbolism.) Sean has one book published called "I-69 Does Not Stop", a novel with the I-69 highway controversy as the backdrop. It is in stock locally at BoxCar Books and Howard's Bookstore. If you're not local, you can order a copy from Amazon.

Sean has several works of short fiction available off the Unknown Arts website, and is writing a second novel of epic proportions. Unknown Arts also has an interesting political blog.

I have two sons: Ciabhan (born 1997, in the picture on the left) and Fionn (born 2001, in the picture on the right).

Career:

I am currently an assistant professor at Indiana University. Not only do I enjoy teaching and research, but I want to utilize the resources of the university in public outreach as well. My views on education are explained here, in an essay that I used to apply for, and win, a College of Engineering Mavis Memorial Scholarship for the 2000-2001 school year.

Activism:

I am commited to local activism and spend much of my time volunteering. In particular:

• I am a faculty advisor to the Women in Science Program, through the Office of Women's affairs.
• I am on the steering committee of Indiana University's Women in Computing.
• I participate in the opposition to the new-terrain I-69 highway. Besides writing letters and attending rallies and fundraisers organized by CARR and HEC, I spoke at two I-69 hearings hosted by INDOT.
• I was a member of the Women in Computer Science organization at the U of I. I was involved in trying to get family friendly facilities in the new computer Science building. In particular, we were trying to get a parents' office in the new building, which would provide a safe play area for children, minimize disruptions to other workers and help recruit the best computer scientists in the world. I spoke about the parents' office in The Illinois Labor Hour, which broadcasts on WEFT, a local radio station.
• I was a member of the Graduate Employees Organization at the U of I. I participated in the March 2000 "work-in", and spent several hours at the sit-in and rally that followed. UPDATE: The GEO was elected the graduate student union in December of 2002!!
• I spent many nights in 1996 and 1997 working on the relocation of Lincoln Mobile Home Park residents, who faced homelessness after the city of Urbana marketed the park. The owner ended up with over double the apraised value of the land, the city ended up with greatly increased tax revenues, and what did the low-income residents get? The shaft. Luckily, there are many concerned citizens in the Champaign-Urbana community who insisted on better treatement!
• In the summer of 1997, I organized a small garden club for some of the children who participate in BOAST. The goal was to expose them to outdoor experiences that they may otherwise miss (where *does* food come from?), since the low-income housing residents do not have access to land for gardens.
• During the 1996-1997 school year, I volunteered once a week at Kenwood school as a mentor to a girl named Charkeeta.
• I was the Volunteer Coordinator for BOAST (Jan-Dec 1996), a community outreach program who's mission is to help economically disadvantaged children in the Champaign area become interested in the sciences. BOAST holds a science demonstration for the children every other week. It's a great place to volunteer if you're civically minded.

Lifestyle:

I have been a vegetarian since 1991. And yes, Sean and I are raising our sons as vegetarians as well. Some relatives keep asking me if that's moral... what do you expect growing up in Indiana? (Just kidding, I LOVE Indiana!) Here are some of my favorite recipes.

Education:

I obtained a BS in Computer Science and a BA in Mathematics at Indiana University in May of 1995. I obtained my MS in Computer Science at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in May of 1999. I earned my PhD from UIUC in October of 2003.

Contact Information

Last modified: 13 April 2005