After six years of working in social media marketing, I earned my Ph.D. from the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communcations at the University of Kansas.

I became fascinated by social media content creators and their careers in my agency and in-house marketing roles. How do creators’ audiences trust them? How are they able to build such loyal followings? How do they really feel about sharing their personal lives on the internet?

Those questions brought me to graduate school. My research interests have since evolved to primarily focusing on religious social media creators, but my broad interest in the content creator lifestyle still remains.

In addition to my Ph.D. in Journalism & Mass Communications, I earned a graduate certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from KU in May 2024. My research heavily relies on feminist theories and concepts—especially the harmful implications that social media can place on women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ folks.

Upon graduation, I became the Postdoctoral Researcher and Research Coordinator at the KU Center for Digital Inclusion. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, among other funders, and teaches technology skills to justice-impacted women, specifically women who are currently incarcerated or have been recently released from jail or prison in Kansas and Missouri. The skills are aimed at assisting the women with digital literacy and professional development skills.

When I’m not researching, I enjoy spending time with my husband, sons Eli and Mace, and pets. I am also an avid viewer of reality TV, and my favorites are “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” “The Bachelor” franchise, and any Netflix dating show.