”Meet the AACRAO Staff" is an occasional Connect feature. It’s one way for members to get to know some of the folks hard at work in the AACRAO office. Another way? Come see us in D.C. – we’ll roll out the welcome mat for you!
What did you do before you joined the AACRAO IES team?
My first major job was for a PBS/NPR station in Northeastern Pennsylvania, WVIA, where I worked on fundraising. Then I moved to Chicago, and then Philly, where I was an editor for an SEO company. I moved back to Chicago for a while, and then moved to D.C.
What do you do in your day to day?
When the evaluators are finished writing up student evaluations, they come to me and I edit them for formatting, grammar and consistency with AACRAO EDGE before they are sent to the institution or the applicant.
What are your plans for the summer?
For the Fourth of July, I'll be going up to Northeast Pennsylvania to see my family. Later this summer, I'll be making my yearly trip to Chicago for the Pitchfork Music Festival.
What do you like doing in your free time?
I play a bunch of instruments -- guitar, banjo, ukelele, mandolin, basically anything with strings. On an average evening, you'll probably find me at a bar or restaurant somewhere along H Street, which is a burgeoning epicenter of food and drinks in D.C.
I also spend a lot of time with Dante, who is an exceptional 19-year-old mini poodle. He may not have the best vision anymore, but he still has a lot of heart.
What's something that not many people might know about you?
I don't know, I'm an open book, more or less. I grew up on a Christmas tree farm until I was 13. At the time, I was very embarrassed to be living on a Christmas tree farm but now I pine for farm life.
What is your favorite thing about working with AACRAO IES?
Dale has so much expertise, and there's so much to learn from him about international credentials and education systems, which is all pretty fascinating, and it's great to have access to that insight. International credential evaluations is a pretty niche industry -- everybody seems to know each other in this field. It feels cool to be part of such an esoteric society.