Part-time Instructor of Anthropology
NKU Anthropology Alumni Association President
 Research Interests
Cultural anthropology; North American Indians (especially Blackfoot); contemporary Native Americans and Christianity; ethnicity; Appalachia; cultural and social geography; communication and speech.
Current Research
My M.A. research focused on a group of evangelical Native Americans expressing their Native identity through a theological practice described as critical contextualization. The ethnographic data I collected show that elements of contextualized ministry, such as wearing Native regalia during church services, using indigenous instruments for worship, and employing other forms of Native expression in the services, facilitate and maintain their ethnic identity as indigenous peoples. In pursuit of my research interests, I have worked with such groups as the Blackfeet Indians of Montana, various Native groups in Alaska and Oklahoma, and the Poarch Creek Indians of Alabama.
I am currently pursuing my doctoral research on the Blackfoot reservation in Browning, Montana.
I also am currently working a book that will include a collection of miraculous healings among Appalachian people. My family roots run deep in Appalachia, and it is with great excitement that I will able to share these stories that have been handed down in my family.
 Academic Degrees
- M.A. Northern Kentucky University
- B.S. Northern Kentucky University
- B.A. Northern Kentucky University
Courses
- ANT 230 North American Indians
- ANT 231 Modern American Indians
Accolades
- 2005-06 Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities, NKU.
- 2003 Outstanding Student in Geography, NKU.
- 2002-03 Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, Community Christian Academy.
Selected Publications
Associated Websites
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