I am currently in my fourth year as a part-time Texts and Technology Ph.D. student. I also work full-time at the University of Central Florida. I am currently a Business Relationship Manager. In this role, I act as an advocate for some of the colleges and divisions within UCF, and act as a liaison between them and the central IT organization. Prior to this role, I managed IT operations at the College of Arts and Humanities in UCF for five years. Prior to that, I spent most of time with design, programming, and organizing websites and web applications for the college. Most recently, I co-presented on “Developing a New Enterprise IT Organization by Starting in the Middle” at 2017 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference.
My research interests are varied. Essentially, I would narrow it down to information science/architecture, usability, dynamism, QR Codes, Code studies, internet of things, digital/physical intersections and boundaries and its effect on self, culture, and society, extension of self through technology, hypertext, XML, the semantic Web, and content/discourse/sentiment analysis. I feel these all work together in some places more than we all realize and discovering more of the relationship among some would help provide a better framework of thinking when developing, implementing, and distributing information technologies across networks. My dissertation will focus on code and algorithms, their social and cultural influence and power as code and communication, and the ways people interact, perceive, and perform through the medium, application, or platform such code produces.
Originally from Oregon, I moved to south Florida when I was eight. I moved to Orlando in 2002 to attend the University of Central Florida, and I haven’t left. Outside work and school, I spend time reading anything, playing video games, watching movies, attempting to play piano, collecting coins, and trying new foods or places. I really enjoy the humor of Eddie Izzard. I do not keep up with much music, but I greatly appreciate Yann Tiersen. I have been lucky enough to see Eddie Izzard and Yann Tiersen live, and I would love to see them again.
My last major trip was in summer 2016. I was fortunate enough to spend three weeks in Europe, which was my first experience visiting the continent. I spent some time in England, France, Italy, and Germany. There was a few miles in Switzerland too, but that was about it. The trip was a whirlwind of amazement and adventure. I had the opportunity to meet my third-cousins who live in France, and I was able to visit the cemetery where my great-great grandparents are buried along with some other relatives in Vilette, Italy. I definitely would like to visit again.
Current (On-Repeat) Favorite Mood Songs
- Blind Pilot – “The Story I Heard”
- Brandi Carlile with Sam Smith – “Part of One”
- Rachael Yamagata – “Heavyweight”
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Modern Romance”
- Sylvan Esso – “Coffee”
Some Favorite Music Groups/Singers/Songwriters
- Billy Joel
- Blind Pilot
- Brandi Carlile
- Regina Spektor
- Sufjan Stevens
- Rachael Yamagata