Hello everyone!
I always am curious about the paths people have taken such that their paths cross with others at one particular point in time but not another. Let me tell you a bit about my path—how I have come to the place where I have encountered you this semester.
I’m a native San Diegan. My family lived in Del Mar, the Balboa Park area, and finally Bonita (when it was country, not suburbia). I attended Francis W. Parker School and Hilltop High School. Then I went to the University of Washington (Seattle) for my bachelor’s degree, the University of Oregon (Eugene) for the master’s, and the University of Wisconsin for the doctorate. (Madison remains my favorite town.)
During my time in Madison I had two interesting professional experiences. One was as a volunteer at a worker’s collective, The Center for Conflict Resolution. We consulted with nonprofit and educational groups about managing interpersonal and organizational conflicts. The other was as an “internal consultant” and “communication trainer” at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, an enormous tertiary care, research, and teaching hospital. There I saw the importance of high-quality communicative behavior not only between staff and patients, but among staff themselves.
I taught at CSU-Fresno for four years, and then at Penn State’s University Park campus. After the death of my husband I returned to the San Diego area in 2004, where I took up part time work at SDSU and at Grossmont College. My family is in El Cajon, Alpine, and Fallbrook (as well as in Colorado). Although I have no children, I treasure nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and now great-grands!
I read voraciously in a wide range of areas, from murder mysteries to theology. I enjoy jigsaw puzzles if they are mountain scenery. I still listen to classic rock and am delighted when I see a student wearing a T-shirt of the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, or (best of all) Pink Floyd. I also appreciate classical music and some, but not all, of contemporary praise music. I garden when I have time and really should exercise more than I do.
As the semester progresses, you’ll hear more about my specific professional interests. If there is some other information you’d like to know, please let me know and I’ll consider adding it!
--scj
