I am an arts-integration and imagination researcher, educator, and writer.
My current work, as Director of the Preparing Future Faculty program at Claremont Graduate University, focuses on preparing graduate students to become excellent teacher-scholars as they prepare for careers in academia.
I research imagination as a core strength that helps us flourish in the complex contexts that define life and work today. I am especially interested in arts integration in domains traditionally not associated with the arts, such as STEM subjects, business, and, in general, most areas of higher education. I find it strange that educators in higher education often see the arts and imagination as "childish", when many innovators and entrepreneurs see play and imagination as critical thinking spaces.
I use images, stories, movement, and poetry to ignite and revive the imagination as a way to help us optimize learning and lead ourselves and others to be successful. My work includes crafting curricula that integrate the arts and active learning principles, coaching educators at all levels in effective teaching-learning methods, and building creative, leader development programs. I also enjoy communication and presentation design and training.
I work with people of all ages, starting at age 4. So far there has been no upper age limit.
Some topics that resonate with my work: arts-based research methods, arts integration (a.k.a. STEAM), children's literature, collage, complexity, complex adaptive systems, creating, embodied learning, futures-thinking, imagination, imaginative leadership, mentoring, mindfulness, multiliteracies, multiple intelligences, neuroscience, poetic knowing, postmodernity, reflective practice, storytelling, teacher education, teachers-as-leaders, technology integration.
