Biography
My research focus is the theology and philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr. I primarily explore the fundamental transformation and, at times, destruction necessary to make the Beloved Community a reality. In making this argument I draw on his rootedness in the Black church and put King into conversation with feminist, Womanist, and decolonial thought. I am currently a PhD candidate at Saint Louis University in Theological Studies and an MA student in Religion at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Research Interests
- Theology of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Black Theology
- African-American Studies
- Women’s and Gender Studies
Education
(Ongoing) Ph.D. program in Christian Theology, Saint Louis University (St. Louis, MO),Graduate Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies - Expected 2023
M.A. in Theological Ethics, Saint Louis University (St. Louis, MO) - 2018
M.A. in Philosophy, University of Missouri—St. Louis (St. Louis, MO) - 2015
B.A. in Philosophy, Cum Laude, Greenville University (Greenville, IL) - 2012
Awards and Honors
Spring 2022: Thulin Prize for Excellence in the Study of Religion
Fall 2020: Qualified for “List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students” compiled by the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning
2019—2020: Culturally Responsive Teaching Fellow in the Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning
2019: Saint Louis University College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Thesis Award
2018—2019: Henry Luce Foundation: Religion and Public Life Fellow
2016: The Students’ Choice “Best Classes at GU”
Courses Taught
UNIV 301: Science and Christianity, Greenville University (Greenville, IL)
PHIL 201: Major Issues in Philosophy, Greenville University (Greenville, IL)
PHLE 120: Ethics, Kaskaskia College (Centralia, IL)
PHLE 110: Logic, Kaskaskia College (Centralia, IL)
PHLE 119: Core Values and Ethical Decision Making, Centralia Correctional Center (Centralia, IL)
Academic Service
November 2022 - present: Member of Steering Committee, Theology of Martin Luther King Jr. Unit, American Academy of Religion
Spring 2021—present: Section Chair, Undergraduate Papers, Midwest American Academy of Religion
Professional Associations
2017—present: American Academy of Religion
2017—present: Wesleyan Theological Society
2021—present: Political Theology Network
2021—present: Fellowship of Protestant Ethics
Recent Publications
“On Prophetic Rage,” Sightings, The University of Chicago Divinity School, October 21, 2021, https://divinity.uchicago.edu/sightings/articles/prophetic-rage-0.