Position
Academic Background
Sample Courses    
Teaching Philosophy
Research & Interests   
Notable Academic Appointments & Awards
Exhibition Highlights  
Selected Scholarly Presentations

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• Assistant Professor of Photography

Academic Background    

• Indiana University, Bloomington - M.F.A. in Photography, 2004
• Richard Stockton State College of New Jersey - B.A. in Photography, 2000

Sample Courses Taught at Providence College  

• Photography I, II, III (Color Photograph), IV, V (The Camera View), VI
• Independent Study I (Special Topics in Photography)
• Photography Thesis  

Teaching Philosophy

"The bells and stones have voices but, unless they are struck, they will not sound"                                                                            
                                                                                                Chuang-Tzu

My goals as a teacher are to educate my students to develop critical thinking skills, while empowering them to use artistic tools outside the classroom environment in their own art making through visual problem solving, and an appreciation of the centrality of aesthetic expression. To achieve these goals, my highest priority is to introduce my students with exiting possibilities they have within themselves. Everyone has the capacity to experience the exhilaration that comes from making art. Once encountered, however, that momentary spark needs to be fueled to transform it into a life long devotion to a life enriched by an ability to think critically and aesthetically.  After students find their artistic goals, a teacher's guidance, nurturing and perseverance can hone that passion into a vehicle for personal expression and social change.

At all levels photography courses, I feel that it is essential to integrate technical skill with understanding of other bodies of knowledge, such as world and art history.  Addressing contemporary issues is also crucial for students' understanding of the interconnections of art making with everyday life.  In the introductory courses students are encouraged to further their explorations in the making of art.  In advanced courses, as students enhance the technical skill, more of idea based projects are introduced to support them to be artist-thinkers.

I find critiques to be one of the most rewarding, engaging high-energy activities of teaching.  Students enter, excited about their work, anxious to see the work of their peers, and generally a hint of nervousness.  I see my role in the critiques as a mediator; keeping the discussion on track and focused, encouraging the students to ask and answer the questions, soliciting responses only when the student's questions do not probe rigorously enough.  Critiques become more effective and beneficial when a diverse group of students exchanged their various ideas and perspective.  I encourage my students to view the art in critiques as works in progress.  This allows them to accept the constructive criticism not as conclusive, but as suggestive toward improvement.

Research & Interests

Photography is a doorway that leads from me to everything else.  My artistic interest is to be aware of my them both historically and conceptually.  While my camera aims outward, I seek deeper understanding of my preexistent awareness. This on-going interest is the seed for my love of image-making.  'Jea' is one of my projects naturally grew from this seed.

  'Jea: Continuing Existence Through Transformation'

Beyond the pre-conceived notion of time, everything eventually disappears. Whether or not the disappearance occurs rapidly enough for us to see, the fact that everything eventually disappears is unchangingly and endlessly true.  However, the existence of all things quietly remains in changing forms, as they disappear.  Scientifically, my body will eventually become a handful of soil. The soil potentially will become a nutritious element for plants and microbes.  The plants and microbes potentially will become nutritious elements for many other life forms.  This cycle also happens on a conceptual level as my--or anybody's--presence influences through varied forms of interaction.  My work describes the continuum of existence through the transformation of matter by describing a relationship a bowl filled with various materials and a related environment.

The work resides in a performative realm. The images are photographic relics, captured as the participant enacts a prescribed ceremony. Influenced by Taoism and Buddhism, the interaction of ritual performances, matter, and location describes the act of transformation.  The long exposures ensure both the suspension of sequenced movement and the disappearance of other elements.

Notable Academic Appointments and Awards

• Portfolio Reviewer, Society for Photographic Education National Conference, 2005-present
• Assistant Professor of Photography, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana, Fall 2006 - Spring 2008
• Anne Gurman Award of Merit, Sheldon Swope Art Museum, Terre Haute, Indiana, 2004
• Promising Young Artist Award, Central Daily News, New York, New York, 2001
• AL GOLD photography Award, Pomona, New Jersey, 2000 

Exhibition Highlights

Exhibitions

• "Ping Yao International Photography Festival", Group Exhibition, Coordinated by Jameson Chen, Ping Yao, China, 2008
• "Jea", Solo Exhibition, SRO Gallery, Texas Tech University, Coordinated by Chisum Pierce, Lubbock, Texas, 2008
• "ClefWorks", Music and Video Art Festival, Live Performance of Video Work 'Existence: Within Transformation/ Accompanied by Black Angles', Montgomery, Alabama, 2007
  

Selected Scholarly Presentations and Activities

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