Not long into the process of creating this website I had the sneaking suspicion that I was setting myself up for failure. Not in the clichè and self-indulgent, “how can a personal website really capture who I am?” kind of way, but because I was attempting to represent myself in terms of three distinct facets of my identity: as a researcher, as an educator, and as an activist.

And sure enough, I failed.  I couldn’t separate my work as an activist from my work as a teacher or researcher, or my research from my teaching, and it felt like the more I tugged on the different strings the more entangled they became.   I take pride in this failure, however, because it affirms that my work is shaped by a desire for social change.  I (try to) facilitate dialogues where they are absent, give voice to agents of change, and build more equitable communities.

My love of writing and ability to communicate across various audiences make all of this possible.

And before anyone gets the impression that I think too highly of myself, I should mention that I am that goofy and clumsy person that makes other people in a group feel like they can be themselves, because whatever they do or say, “it really can’t be worse than Lizzie.”

My Educational Background:

Ph.D., English                      University of California, Santa Barbara, Sept. 2017
M.A., English                       University of California, Santa Barbara, June 2012
B.A., English                        University of California, Davis, June 2008
B.S., Biology                        University of California, Davis, June 2008

Peace Corps                         Panama, 2008-2010