As an Association Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences, I advise Transfer students. I encourage students to visit my office to discuss their transition to UVA, intellectual curiosities, short- and long-term academic plans, and strategies for balancing coursework with life responsibilities. Above all, I wish for my students to be academically successful and to take advantage of the many resources available to them at UVA.
My research interests are in Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Biology and Environmental Philosophy. I think a lot about the concepts of nature and human nature: How do the biological sciences help us understand ourselves and our relation to the rest of the natural world? I also think a lot about beliefs: What are we doing when we ascribe beliefs to ourselves and others? What are legitimate ways of forming beliefs? How should people navigate perceived conflicts between their religious beliefs and the consensus of the scientific community?
Wise students visit an academic dean to obtain accurate information and to seek advice. Visits may include a discussion about course selection, choices of majors and minors, study abroad, internship and undergraduate research opportunities, graduate and professional school interests. I encourage students to visit my office to seek information and ask for advice regarding anything on their minds that they wish to give voice to.
As an Association Dean, I advise and assist students as they progress through their academic careers in the College. In my role as Director of Student Academic Support, I coordinate academic support and services for students and teach a range of courses on life and study skills. I also serve as Director of Summer Programs which involves oversight of the Transition and Rainey Academic Programs.
As the dean for the Echols and Humphreys Associations for over eleven years, I have enjoyed working with College students to meet their academic advising needs. U.Va. students come from a wonderfully diverse set of backgrounds, but all are bright, inquisitive, and responsible.
As an Association Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, I advise and assist students in their curriculum planning, academic goals, and career aspirations.
As an Association Dean, I advise Echols Scholars about academic plans, career goals, and any other questions about life at U.Va. and beyond. I also serve as Assistant Director of the Echols Scholars program, working together with the Director and the Echols Council to plan academic and community programming.
I currently serve as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs in the College and as the Academic Dean for students in the sports of football, men and women's basketball, and men and women's squash. In addition, I teach archaeology classes in the Department of Anthropology and have completed two forums for the College (Human Impact on the Environment and Humans, Nature and Evolution).
Welcome! While serving as one of the College’s Association Deans, I also teach courses on Central Asia through our Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures. And where is Central Asia? That region now includes Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Xinjiang and Afghanistan. These were the old stomping grounds of Timur (Tamerlane) and Genghis Khan.
I continue to enjoy meeting with students and their families. Please don’t hesitate to contact me when you have any questions.
