To see my full CV, contact me.

EDUCATION
-PhD in English (Creative Writing-Poetry), University of Illinois Chicago, 2019-2024
-PhD coursework in English (Creative Writing-Poetry), SUNY Binghamton, 2018-2019
-MFA in Writing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2006
-BA in English-Creative Writing, Miami University, 1999

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Visiting Lecturer, Department of English, University of Illinois Chicago
–Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research: You, at Home (ENGL 161), Fall 2025

Visiting Lecturer, Department of English, University of South Dakota
–Introduction to Literary Analysis: Rooted in Words: Agriculture and Place in Literary Landscapes (ENGL 210), Summer 2025

Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of English, University of South Dakota
–Introduction to Literary Analysis: Rooted in Words: Agriculture and Place in Literary Landscapes (ENGL 210), Spring
–Introduction to Creative Writing (ENGL 283), Fall 2024/Spring 2025
–Introduction to Literature (ENGL 210), Fall 2024
–Creative Writing: Poetry (ENGL 478/578), Fall 2024

Instructor of Record, Department of English, University of Illinois Chicago
–Haunted People, Places, and Spaces in Film and Literature (ENGL 160), Fall 2023
–Introduction to the Writing of Poetry (ENGL 290), Spring 2023
–Introduction to the Writing of Nonfiction Prose (ENGL 292), Fall 2022
–Introduction to the Writing of Creative Nonfiction (ENGL 201), Spring 2022
–Chicago’s Wild! Public Parks and How We Interact with Them (ENGL 160), Fall 2021
–English Literature II: 1600-1900 (ENGL 242), Summer 2021
–Introduction to the Writing of Poetry (ENGL 210), Spring 2021
–Writing within Your Major (ENGL 161), Spring 2020

Teaching Assistant, Department of English, SUNY Binghamton
–American Literature to 1920 (ENG 270), TA for Elizabeth Tucker, Spring 2019
–British Literature I (ENG 227), TA for Michael Sharp, Fall 2018

Teaching Assistant; Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism; School of the Art Institute of Chicago
–Introduction to Film Analysis, TA for Patricia Erens, Spring 2006

Guest Lecturer
-Guest Lecturer on the Lyric Essay for Carrie McGath, Introduction to Creative Writing, Dept. of English, Lewis University, Fall 2021
-Guest Lecturer (three classes) on Narrative in Documentary Film for Luis Urrea, Advanced Writing of Creative Nonfiction (ENGL 492), Dept. of English, UIC, Spring 2018

EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE
-Copyeditor, Harvard Papers in Botany, Harvard University Herbaria, August 2025-Present
-Poetry Editor, Jarnal (Mason Jar Press) 2025-Present
-Staff Reader: Harpur Palate (2018-2019)
-Open Submissions Reader: Pithead Chapel (2017), Midwestern Gothic (2015-2017), Kore Press (2014-2015)
-Sole Proprietor, Contract and Freelance Writer and Editor, BookIvy Word Studio (clients include the James Franck Institute at the University of Chicago and the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley), 2013-2017
–Freelance Art Writer, (clients include Museum Institute for Teaching Science in Boston and Agora Gallery in New York), 2006-2008

ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
-Co-Director, Digital Humanities Initiative, Institute for the Humanities, UIC, July 2020-December 2021
-Center Coordinator, Theater and Performance Studies, University of Chicago, 2015-2016
-Executive Faculty Assistant, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, 2012-2013
-Graduate Program Assistant, Department of Philosophy, Northwestern University, 2011-2012
-Project Coordinator, Andes-Amazon Initiative, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 2008-2011
-Administrative Coordinator, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 2010-2011
-Faculty Assistant, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 2008-2010

PUBLICATIONS
Books
–Two Dead Thrushes: Elegy for Birdsong, Submitted for Review

Journals
-Bloodroot, Slippery Elm Literary Journal, November 2024
–Fault 1811/2011, Midway Journal, vol. 17, issue 3, July 2023
–Elegy for Birdsong: Two Dead Thrushes, Lover’s Eye Press, Issue 1, September 2021
–Fort Defiance, Lover’s Eye Press, September 2021
–Bone Child, Lover’s Eye Press, September 2021
–Ghost, HeartWood Literary Magazine, Fall 2020
–Grown Wild, HeartWood Literary Magazine, Fall 2020
-Roots, The Muses’ Gallery, Fall 2020/Winter 2021
-Witness, MidAmerica, vol. XLVI, February 2020
–Fun Punch, Anti-Heroin Chic, March 2017
–Wasteland (for Antonina Tumkovsky), The Light Ekphrastic, August 2014
–Missed, SPANK the CARP, July 2014
–Upon My 40th Spring, Green Hills Literary Lantern, June 2014
–Dear Little Me, decomP magazinE, June 2014
–Octobers, Ink: Art, Poetry, and Prose, Spring 2005

Collaborations and Anthologies
-“Roots.” The Majesty of Trees: Poets & Artists Respond Root, Trunk, & Branch, Poetry Anthology, Highland Park Poetry, 2020.
–Metal, Dennis Manarchy (photographer) and Carla Barger (writer), 2009.
–Objet d’Art, Dennis Manarchy (photographer) and Carla Barger (writer), 2007.

WORK IN COLLECTIONS
–Objet d’Art. Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Donated 2007.

READINGS AND EXHIBITIONS
-Midway Journal “Midway over Michigan,” Featured Reader, Chicago, IL 2023
-Lover’s Eye Press, Featured Reader, Rare Nest Gallery, Chicago, IL, 2023
-Poetry Salon, City Lit Books, Featured Reader, Chicago, IL, 2021
-SSML Members Reading, Featured Reader, Virtual, 2021
-The Poetry Salon, Uncharted Books, Featured Reader, Chicago, IL 2019
-Program for Writers Reading Series, UIC, Reader with Javier Zamora, Chicago, IL 2019
-Catherine Edelman Gallery, Featured Reader, Chicago, IL 2019
-Woman Made Gallery, Featured Reader, Chicago, IL 2019
-The Splat Flats Lumbart, Featured Reader, Chicago, IL, 2007
-Betty Rhymer Gallery, Artist’s Book, Chicago, IL, 2006

PUBLIC-FACING DIGITAL AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH PROJECTS
–Redacted: Suicide, Big Ag, and Ecocrisis / An Elegy for Farmers, Principal Investigator, January 2024-Present
–The Endo/Exo Writers Project: Computing Class in U.S. and U.K. Novels, 1880-1940, UIC Digital Humanities Initiative, Co-Investigators: Lennard Davis (UIC), Alexander Dunst (University of Paderborn, Germany), Hannah Huber (University of the South), Carla Barger (UIC), Travis Mandell (UIC), August 2019-Present

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
-Keynote Speaker, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, University of South Dakota and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Sioux Falls, SD, March 2, 2025
-“‘Haunted by the Ghost of an Old Forest’: Ecospectrality in the Poetry of Wendell Berry,” American Literature Association Symposium “American Poetry,” Santa Fe, NM, November 7-9, 2024 (accepted, did not present)
–Digital Humanities Panel (Moderator), Student History Conference: Perspectives in History, University of Illinois Chicago, March 9, 2024
-Selected poems from the collection “Two Dead Thrushes: Elegy for Birdsong,” Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature Annual Symposium, Michigan State University, June 1-3, 2023
-Selected poems from the collection “Home / Sick,” Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature Annual Symposium, Michigan State University, May 16-18, 2019
-“Transclass Poetry: Witness from the Liminal Space,” Writing by Degrees biannual conference, Binghamton University, SUNY, April 27, 2019

HONORS AND AWARDS
-Arts & Sciences Professional Development Grant, USD, 2025
-Anderson Center Winter Retreat, Red Wing, MN (accepted, did not attend), Winter 2025
-Student-Nominated Honored Guest, Connecting Cultures First Year Experience course, Native Student Services, USD, 2024
-Arts & Sciences Professional Development Grant, USD, 2024
-Ragdale Creative Sabbatical, Lake Forest, IL, 2024
-AWP Intro Journals Project nomination, UIC, 2020
–David Diamond Student Writing Award, Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature, 2019
-AWP Intro Journals Project nomination, SUNY Binghamton, 2018
-Wormfarm Institute Writer’s Residency, Reedsburg, WI, 2018
-Ink Jury Award Shortlist for “Octobers,” 2005
-Malcolm Sedam Creative Writing Award for Poetry, Miami University, 1994

CERTIFICATIONS
-Professional Certificate in Manuscript Editing, University of Chicago Graham School, 2015

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
-“Digital Humanities in Practice: Project Development and Digital Pedagogy” Workshop, Institute for Humanities, UIC, February 2020
-Proofreading Course, Editorial Freelancers Association, 2015
-Sponsored Projects Administration Workshop, Harvard University, September 2009
–Writing for the Arts Course, Harvard University Extension School, Fall 2010
-Comprehensive Course in Grant Proposal Writing, The Foundation Center, 2008

SERVICE AND PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
-Hellbender Gathering of Poets, August 2025-Present
-AI Working Group, First-Year Writing Program, Department of English, UIC, July 2025-Present
-Creative Writing Committee, Department of English, University of South Dakota, August 2024-May 2025
-“Surviving Your First Year of Grad School Teaching,” UIC First-Year Writing Program Orientation, University of Illinois Chicago, August, 2023
–Writing in Depth Academic Writing Retreat, Summer 2023
-Founder and Director, Digital Humanities Graduate Student Network, UIC, 2021-2022
–If, Then Computational Poetics Working Group, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2020-Present
-Peer Mentor, Department of English, UIC, 2020-2024
-Panelist, welcome day for newly admitted PhD and MA students, UIC, Spring 2021
-Diversity & Recruitment Committee, Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature, 2020-2021
-Digital Scholarship Committee, UIC, 2020-2021
-Juror, Documentary Features, Blow-Up International Film Festival, Chicago, IL 2018

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
-Sherwood Anderson Society, Vice President, 2024-Present
-American Folklore Society, 2023-Present
-Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE), 2020-Present
-Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature (SSML), 2018-Present
-Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), 2003-Present