I'm Alaskan born and raised in the interior of that vast state, and then living all over it for 47 years, 20+ of which I taught online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses in English, Education, Social Media, and various other edtech and tech topics.

I was the Director of Teaching and Learning for the University of Alaska Fairbanks eCampus, shepherding a design team and various other staff while building from 0 to 43 fully online degree programs from Associates to Master's levels. Then, when my children moved out and away, I moved to warmer climes and came back to the hands-on work I'd been missing, working with innovative faculty!

I'm a word lover. I started as a poet and poetry magazine editor, drifted into pop linguistics, and I still have a regular short radio segment on words and language that airs on Alaska Public Radio. I'm an avid crossword solver and beginning crossword constructor (aka Cruciverbalist). I also collect pencils, play chess, and am deep into tea, particularly oolongs and pu-erhs.