COMM 301: Systems and Strategy
COMM 786: Data Warehousing
Q: Any childhood hobbies?
A: We went crabbing and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. It's just a Baltimore thing to do. I've always loved reading.I was a bookworm.
Q: What brought you to Virginia?
A: Growing up in Maryland, U.Va. is known as such a great school. It was one of the most popular schools to apply to as an undergrad. I loved my experience here. When I went into consulting [after graduation], I loved it, but I just felt like something was missing. I always loved helping people understand technology, translating really difficult terms into manageable concepts. So after a couple years, I went down to the University of Georgia where I got my Ph.D. To be honest, my dream was to get a Ph.D. and teach at U.Va. I thought it would take me years to get here. I thought I would have to go to a lot of different schools, wait for an opportunity and work my way here. It just so happened that when I was about to come out, a position opened. I was at the right place at the right time.
Q: What do you like most about teaching here?
A: I love the student-faculty interaction. I've experienced other places, like the University of Georgia, and it's a completely different experience. There is a distance between faculty and students that we don't have here. I was a resident faculty member over at Venable for Brown College, and so I had an opportunity to actually live with students. Since I was a student myself, I like to get involved with activities that I was involved in as a student, like the Echols Scholars Program and the Ravens.
Q: What other activities were you involved with?
A: I was on ISC. In fact, this just shows you how I've always been a technology geek. When I was here, I was on ISC as rush computer chair. I'm not even sure if they still have rush computer chairs. I actually implemented a new rush system called Compute-a-Rush. I don't even know if they're still using it, but if they are, I was the one who put it in place.
Q: What sorority were you in?
A: I was a Kappa Delta.
Q: What's the best piece of advice you would give your students?
A: The first thing is get to know your faculty members. I think most faculty are eager to learn more about their students and get to know them. It is really wise to proactively get out there and meet your faculty and get to know them as people.
Q: Any other grand pieces of advice?
A: At U.Va., there are so many things to get involved with. You're pulled in so many different directions. I think students really have to remember to slow down and smell the roses. Thinking back now, 13 years later, what I remember about my undergraduate career are the weekly happy hours my sorority sisters used to go to, to get free wings at Chi-Chi's. That's what I remember -- just the fun times, getting to know my friends, going to get coffee at the Virginian and talking about our boyfriends at one o'clock in the morning.
Q: How did you meet your husband?
A: I was here for a week as a professor, and I was asked to do a guest lecture over at the Darden School. When I got back, I got this e-mail from one of the MBA students that he was really interested in my research and wanted to know more about it. Of course, I believed him because I thought everyone was interested in my research. So we went out to lunch. He took notes and everything. I found out later he had no interest in my research, he just wanted to go out on a date. I guess that was in February.By October, we were engaged to be married.
Q: Does he teach here now?
A: No, in fact, he was an undergrad at Duke, but he was a Darden MBA. Now he works in Kansas. For three years while we were married, I commuted from Kansas and lived in Brown College. I was pregnant last year, so we moved to Virginia. Now he commutes back to Kansas.
Q: What is motherhood like?
A:It's hard to even explain. My daughter is just the joy of my life. Just watching her every week, it's something new. I just can't spend enough time with her. Her name is Haley, which is my maiden name.
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