Personal Statement

In my life outside the halls of York College, I try to pursue interests that widen my perspective beyond that of the academic world. Certainly, my greatest joys are my daughter Ella, who was born in December 2001, and my son Harry, born in December 2003.  Additional members of my family include my dog, Oliver, and cat, Sally (my beloved Golden Retriever Sunny recently succumbed to bone cancer). Anyone stopping by my office will surely notice my interest in dogs and animal welfare. I volunteer as a humane education speaker for the York County SPCA, and have given talks to community youth groups on the care of pets, dog bite prevention, and the humane treatment of animals. In 2001, my husband, David, and I raised a Golden Retriever puppy for The Seeing Eye, the oldest and largest organization in the United States that trains dog guides for the blind. I am proud to report that this dog, Winston, who accompanied me through the halls of York College and entertained many students, faculty, and staff with his antics, recently received his dog guide certification. He is now a working dog guide in a college environment in Texas. In the coming years, we plan to continue our involvement with the Seeing Eye as puppy raisers. I am a supporter of Golden Retriever rescue organizations and the York County SPCA. Other activities I enjoy include knitting, gardening, walking and jogging, traveling, and cooking, especially desserts.  

Since my teaching and research interest lies in German and European history, I have traveled often to Germany, and have lived in Marburg, Berlin, and Bonn to conduct research. My office décor reveals my love for the city of Berlin, a city fascinating for both its past and ever-changing present. I consider it an achievement to have survived several years living in Germany and conducting research using the often difficult German archival system. I remain indebted to the German government, which has provided me with several research grants, including a Fulbright and a German Academic Exchange Research Fellowship (DAAD) to pursue my interests and research.

My dissertation research explored the relationship between women and labor unions in East and West Germany in the period 1945-1955. I studied the ways in which male-dominated labor unions addressed the concerns of women workers in the aftermath of World War II, an era in which women's labor was badly needed. I remain interested in studying German women's involvement in the workforce, and the issues involved with women's equal treatment in the form of equal pay for equal and comparable work and equal access to training and advancement opportunities. I am currently writing an article on gender conflict in the workforce in East Germany in the 1950s and early 1960s. I am also currently involved in researching and writing a text on Women and the Two World Wars, which is a book aimed at students in European and gender history courses. Additional interests include exploring the portrayal of history through film and television, and students in my courses will find that I use film/television productions to discuss historical interpretation.

Since joining the faculty of York College in Fall 1999, I have developed a number of courses to augment the Modern European history component of the history curriculum. In addition to teaching Western Civilization I and II, I teach courses on Modern Europe (19th and 20th centuries), Women and War, Nazi Germany, and Modern Germany, 1789-present. I also teach a course on the European Union, and am faculty facilitator for York College's Model European Union delegation that participates in a European Union simulation in Washington, D.C. every November.

Please feel free to stop by my office, LS 101, to say hello, discuss mutual interests, or inquire about the courses I teach. 

[ Top ]