I am super humbled and honored to be recognized by ACPA-College Student Educators International as a 2017 Diamond Honoree! The Diamond Honoree program is both a recognition program and a fundraising campaign that recognizes individuals for their contributions to higher education. Two of my colleagues and mentors, Dr. Sue Sanders and Dr. Bob Bonfiglio,... Continue Reading →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqrCoyVK80I It's done. Congratulations! That dissertation you've stressed over for months... that you've labored over for years... It's finally complete. You've uploaded it to a database, or submitted it to the library, and there it sits. New knowledge. Waiting for discovery. Put on that fancy new robe and stride across the stage. After you pick... Continue Reading →
I am happy to finally make my entire final dissertation available for all to download and read. This document represents some of the first qualitative research into how traditionally aged college students use social media and its impact on their development and how they construct identities online. If you want a more detailed description, I've included the... Continue Reading →
Two weeks ago I started my first day working (albeit remotely) at the Res Ed software company, Roompact, and it was momentous in many ways for me. Not only is this my first full-time job after completing my PhD; but it is also my first job working for a private company as opposed to working... Continue Reading →
It's over! It's hard to believe the one of the final steps on my journey is complete. I want to thank everyone for all of their support throughout this process. There are far too many of you to mention individually, but I trust you know who you are and how much I appreciate you. If you'd... Continue Reading →
I came across this great SlideShare by OfficeVibe CEO, Dan Benoni, the other day. Not only does it represent impeccable slide design and narrative form, but it also provides a great message and some very tangible takeaways. The presentation is organized around the following six headings: 1. WHY knowing your purpose is crucial 2. Five powerful... Continue Reading →
Hello Friends... Do you want to contribute to a new book? After doing the #SATBT series on my blog, I was delighted with the wonderful stories shared and have received great feedback from others about how much they enjoyed reading them. It inspired me to think about collecting these into a print-on-demand paper book! The... Continue Reading →
I was recently provided a copy of James Robilotta's new book, Leading Imperfectly: The Value of Being Authentic for Leaders, Professionals, and Human Beings. James is one of my "digital friends." A person I've connected to virtually, through shared goals, a shared outlook on life, and kismet. We've barely spoken in person, but he's one... Continue Reading →
I came across this GREAT SlideShare from Wiley promoting their book by Joanne Broder Sumerson, Finish Your Dissertation, Don't Let It Finish You. Although I cannot vouch for the book itself, having not actually read it, this slick little piece of marketing material hits the nail on the head. If you or someone you love are... Continue Reading →
I was SUPER pleased to join Tony D'Angelo on The Collegiate Empowerment Show this week. We had a great conversation about my career and life path, my experience with technology growing up and how I turned that passion into the subject of my research. I hope you'll find it an interesting listen. Tony is... Continue Reading →
My good friend and filmmaker Brock Cravy posted this video of some kids and adults painting a fence in the hot Texas sun. He asked simple questions... Why are you doing this? And the results give you more than the simple question would seem to elicit. If you need a little inspiration in your day... Continue Reading →
It's been four great years, Boston, but it's time to say goodbye and move on to my next adventure. I've learned to love New England (particularly in the summer... ahem), and I thought the best way to say goodbye was through some pictures I took of this iconic city and amazing region... The iconic Fenway Park.... Continue Reading →
As my friend Keith said, "The circle completes itself." When I started traveling and interacting with JetBlue on Twitter, I never intended nor thought my journey would take me here... and yet, nevertheless, this week had me heading to JetBlue's Long Island City headquarters to present to the crew members of JetBlue. I had the opportunity to... Continue Reading →
A number of writers on the "Student Affairs Women Talk Tech" blog (Joise Ahlquist, Kristen Abell, and Jennifer Keegin) posted pictures of their desks and wrote posts describing their work space and how they personalize it and organize it for productivity. I decided to take a cue from them and share my own desk as well as... Continue Reading →
When I had the opportunity to take the big stage at a recent conference and discuss my philosophy on life, I knew I had to talk about my relationship with JetBlue! And now you can see it, too. It was titled, "My Improbable Love Affair with JetBlue, and What it Can Teach You About Loving... Continue Reading →
One useful tool I use in organizing myself and understanding my work is known as the Eisenhower Productivity Matrix. Detailed in my presentation below, it divides tasks into four quadrants with two variables: urgent and important. How do you or how might you apply these principles into your daily work?
I'm excited to take the stage once again to be presenting a PechaKucha style presentation at the 2015 National Convention of ACPA-College Student Educators International. Last year I did a more serious research-focused presentation and this year I'm going the fun and inspirational route. I'll post the video when it's available, but until then, enjoy... Continue Reading →
I am VERY excited to announce that I have accepted the position of Interim Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. FIT is an amazing world class institution with a vibrant student community in the heart of Manhattan. I am incredibly honored to be working... Continue Reading →
The first ever National Adjunct Walkout Day was this past Wednesday, a day I also happened to be teaching as an adjunct faculty member. I didn’t walk out of my class, but I did use the first few minutes of class to highlight an issue that I think is important: the benefit-less extremely low pay... Continue Reading →
When I'm working at my desk, Steve Jobs watches over me. He reminds me to keep things simple and strive for excellence. Since today he would have turned 60 years old, I wanted to share a few of the quotes from him that remind me to stay hungry and foolish.
Getting a PhD is not a decision to take lightly. Having been a full-time student for three and a half years now, I wanted to share some of the questions I think you need to ask yourself before you apply and begin in order to be set up for success. If you can successfully answer all of... Continue Reading →
Starting PhD work isn't something to be taken lightly. First, there are the logistics: Is it the right time in your career to start a PhD? Do you have the time and money to dedicate to it? What program do you chose? For what purpose? Are you seeking an executive-type program or a research-focused program?... Continue Reading →
My travel at the end of 2014 slowed down a bit, but there were still many old friends to be seen and new friends to be made. Here's to another great year... All of the pictures are clickable if you want to enlarge them. Feel free to use them as you wish (with attribution). And,... Continue Reading →
Out of a total of over 150,000 views, the following are my most visited blog posts from 2014. First up the top 5 funny posts, followed by the top 5 of my more serious content.
I have been on SlideShare since 2010 and am a big proponent of the platform. Think of it as the YouTube of presentations. This year I was designated a "Keynote Author" by SlideShare which saw the traffic to my content increase SIGNIFICANTLY. The following is a review of my most viewed presentations from 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJANw2WzfEE As many of you know, a couple of months ago I had my dissertation proposal hearing. For social science dissertations, after one completes their first three chapters, they present it to their committee for approval. The first three chapters typically include an introduction, a review of literature, and your methodology (how you intend to... Continue Reading →
At least that I know of. Yesterday, I went to a Facebook friend's profile and noticed that we no longer friends. The last interaction we had was last week in some Facebook comments regarding an article I posted on issues of race in America. It wasn't an article about Michael Brown or Eric Garner, but a post by... Continue Reading →
Hello friends and supporters! I'm running for a position on the Governing Board of ACPA-College Student Educators International. The Director of Membership Development works to retain and recruit members and advance ACPA's services and professional development efforts for members. If you're a member of ACPA, please consider voting for me. My bio/application details are below. There... Continue Reading →
Not my normal kind of post, but something fun I've been playing around with for a while. There are a number of sites out there dedicated to "Starbucks' Secret Menu" or drinks that one can make by combing syrups and ingredients in unique ways. Below you will find the recipes I have experimented with and... Continue Reading →
My travels and iPhoneography continued this summer. I went to fewer, but more interesting places for picture taking. All the pictures are clickable if you want to enlarge them. Feel free to use them as you wish (with attribution). And, as I say every time I post, I am indebted to my friends who let me... Continue Reading →
This marks my 100th post since I began blogging approximately 2 years ago and I thought it marked an excellent time to look back, share some stats and highlight some of my most popular posts. The total number of hits my blog has recorded to date: 78,891 The highest number of hits in a single... Continue Reading →
I got challenged to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge from my good ACPA friend, Melissa Jones. Challenge accepted and executed (see animated gif), but I also went a bit further. See photos below. 😉 To pay it forward, it's an ACPA-College Student Educators International THROWDOWN. I challenge the current, past and vice presidents of... Continue Reading →
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS OLD AND THE CASE IS NO LINGER AVAILABLE. SAD FACE. A LOT of people compliment my iPhone case and ask me where I got it from. Literally, I get inquiries about it almost daily. So, given the interest, I wanted to share it with you all. I'm a minimalist when... Continue Reading →
The power of digital technology allows one to impact others and make connections in sometimes unexpected ways. My “love letter” to my dissertation struck a chord with many and inspired Doreen Hettich-Atkins to write her own "divorce" letter to her dissertation. The PhD journey is intensely personal, but there are always unspoken common experiences that anyone who has... Continue Reading →
Dear Dissertation- I wanted to write a letter to you to let you know that I still love you. I feel like we’ve been drifting as of late, and I wanted to reaffirm our commitment. We’ve been courting for a long time. Three years ago, when we started flirting, I didn’t have an idea as... Continue Reading →
My extreme travels have continued into 2014 and it's time for another photo update and commentary on the amazing places I have visited, food I have eaten, and people I have met. My photo installments from 2013 are here (1st half) and here (2nd half). Nearly all of this travel saw me flying on JetBlue, of course. (You're... Continue Reading →
(Picture above from the Kaumana Caves on the Big Island of Hawaii.) Knowing of my adventures in the past year, one of my students shared a passage with me from W. H. Murray's The Scottish Himalaya Expedition from 1951. The passage reads: Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all... Continue Reading →
For Mother's Day 2014, I surprised my mom by flying home. She had no clue. Below is the video of her incredibly touching reaction when I surprised her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w0mmT852CU
This week marks the 1 year anniversary of my “travel binge.” When I began this journey, I felt a little lost and depressed. I needed a change of scenery. When I booked a flight to see my old friend Laura in Dallas last year, I didn’t expect it to turn into this. Being in a... Continue Reading →
One year of EXTREME travel complete. I went through a transformation this year and decided to use the flexible (not necessarily free) time my PhD program afforded me to see the country. I've been lucky. Met amazing people. Had great conversations and experiences. Filled my soul. Below you will find a chronological journey through my... Continue Reading →
I've been traveling a LOT so far this year. Some of these trips have been for conferences, and speaking/consultation engagements, but some of them have been just for fun. One of the great parts about being a PhD student is that I have the flexibility to work from almost anywhere in the world. Life is... Continue Reading →
I'm launching a fun little experiment I call The Clown Nose Project! It's a simple project trying to spread a little fun and joy. The basic concept is this: Seeing pictures of normal everyday people in clown noses makes me smile. Brightening someone's day makes me smile. By harnessing the power of the internet, perhaps... Continue Reading →
I decided to take a departure from my usual blog posts about presentations, social media, and student learning and development to reflect on the journey I’ve been taking for two full years now… that of a PhD student. For those of us privileged enough to undertake doctoral study full time, it presents an amazing opportunity... Continue Reading →
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