University of Tulsa

Faculty Member, Education

Assistant Professor

School of Urban Education

About

I am a member of the University of Tulsa’s School of Urban Education, where I teach graduate and undergraduate courses on the foundations of education, philosophy of education, the history of educational thought and teaching for social justice. I also teach a course on Ancient Greece through TU’s Honors Program.

Prior to arriving at TU, I earned my Ph.D. in the Philosophy and Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University (awarded in 2008), and two degrees in Philosophy from the University of Toronto (Hon. B.A. 2001 and M.A. 2002).

I am interested in the history of educational philosophy, especially in the debates about education in the Socratic dialogues. Thinking about the history of educational philosophy has led me to two projects in which I reflect on the contemporary state of affairs in education. The first is a book with the working title "The Love and the Labor of Learning: The Positive Side of Negative Experiences in Education." I attempt to revive a tradition in progressive education that considers what kind of educational distress is valuable in learning. Contemporary educational thinking, I argue, tacitly maintains that educational distress is an obstacle to learning, rather than a potential catalyst for it.

The second project revisits the ancient question of the kind of education necessary for citizenship. I have been thinking about this question specifically in relation to the contribution of faith-based schools to cultivating citizens. I am editing a book on the subject with Graham McDonough (University of Victoria) and Nadeem Memon (Project Director of the Islamic Teacher Education Program at RAZI Education) entitled "Discipline, Devotion and Dissent: Perspectives on Jewish, Catholic, and Islamic education in Canada" (forthcoming, Wilfrid Laurier University Press).

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