I am a Professor of Criminal Justice at MCC and hold an MA in Anthropology and a PhD in Philosophy with a concentration in Integral Studies. I took a graduate course in Medicolegal Death Investigation at St. Louis University.

I studied forensic art with Betty Pat. Gatliff and Karen T. Taylor at the Scottsdale Artists School, the University of Oklahoma at Norman and the Firehouse Art School in Norman and have made facial reconstructions for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner and for law enforcement agencies. My work has helped to identify unknown deceased persons, which has led to identification of suspects.

Highlights of my career have been working as a corporate licensed private investigator, a Texas Parks and Wildlife park ranger, a museum market analyst, and a teacher. I taught sociology as an adjunct from 1998-2003 for Tarrant County College while teaching anthropology from 2001-2010 as an adjunct at the University of Texas at Arlington. In fall 2009, I began teaching anthropology, criminal justice and forensic science at MCC.

My brief teaching philosophy can be summarized as follows.

"We are usually convinced more easily by reasons we have found ourselves than by those which have occurred to others." –Blaise Pascal

An important aspect of cognitive process is to use logic and critical thinking to reach an experiential synthesis of educational influences, including teachers, textbooks, additional reading, films, play, experimentation, day to day interactions, friends and family, and life events.

As a teacher, I consider myself to be a facilitator of that process. Metaphorically and physically, I present the right “tools for the job” to my students and encourage them to develop effective methods of using those tools. I can give them the benefit of my knowledge, but know that if they do not understand immediately, they will develop understanding and ability as they practice. I love to teach and enjoy working with students.