Social Sciences Department Chair, AP U.S. History, U.S. History, Criminal Justice, History In Film, and 20th Century Studies
Where do you call home?
I was born in Peoria, Illinois, and lived in south Florida and northern California during my childhood and teen years.
How long have you been teaching?
I've been teaching history - World History, Western Civilization, European History, and American History courses -- for over ten (10) years.
What is your favorite part about teaching?
As Chair of the Social Studies Department at USJ, my job is to equip my students to better understand their world and the historical forces shaping our lives today. My favorite moments are when I see students demonstrating growth in their critical-thinking and analytic skills.
What is your favorite thing about USJ?
I particularly enjoy working with the students across their sophomore, junior, and senior years at USJ. It's rewarding to see students develop their abilities from year-to-year and to assist in the process. This is one reason why I'm committed to developing interesting new electives for the Social Studies Department; my History in Film and 20th Century Studies electives allow us to continue the conversations we've begun in Government and Economics and US History or AP US History, and take them to the next level.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I taught classes at Penn State University (University Park, PA) from 2007 until 2014. My second language is German. In high school, I was an exchange student to the Russian Federation.
12/01/2020
November 2, 2020 Greetings USJ Families, Did I mention that I love baseball? As a student and teacher of American history, I appreciate it as a quintessentially American invention and activity. I really appreciate this Gerald Early quote: "There are only three things that America will be remembered...
Read More11/20/2020
The University School of Jackson announces the recent appointment of Randy Olswing to the senior leadership position of Chief Financial Officer. For the past twenty years, Mr. Olswing served as Assistant Head for Operations/Chief Financial Officer at Hutchison School, a private independent school located in Memphis, Tennessee. Before his...
Read More11/02/2020
November 2, 2020 Greetings USJ Families, Did I mention that I love baseball? As a student and teacher of American history, I appreciate it as a quintessentially American invention and activity. I really appreciate this Gerald Early quote: "There are only three things that America will be remembered...
Read More10/01/2020
The Bruin Walk For those who proudly wear the Red and Columbia Blue, this path isn’t just special but treasured. It stands as a symbol of accomplishment. Emblematic of success. This leads to an important, if not existential question: Just how is this success defined? ...
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