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Office Hours

T 11:15 AM-01:15 PM
R 11:15 AM-01:15 PM
F 11:30 AM-12:30 PM

I was born in The Netherlands where I studied journalism before I came to the United States. In this country I worked as a pre-school teacher, a special education teacher, and as a social worker. On a part-time basis, I taught courses at the School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, and at Fulton-Montgomery Community College. My professional interests are in the areas of school social work, social work with youth and families, gender identity, and qualitative research.

Degree Program University
Ph.D. University at Albany
M.S.Ed. University at Albany
M.S.W. University at Albany

My Siena Experience

My Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy rests on the belief that all of us are life-long learners and that we learn from one another, in and out of the classroom. I believe that teaching and learning should be fun and exciting and be grounded in "real world" experiences.

What I Love About Siena

I love teaching at Siena because it gives me the opportunity to pursue my interests and to support students in pursuing theirs. I appreciate the open exchange of ideas on campus, the commitment of my colleagues to quality teaching, and the emphasis on community service and on a values-based education.

My Favorite Courses to Teach

I like to teach the Introduction to Social Welfare and Social Work class (SWRK 100), because it provides a broad overview of the field and the profession and contains good information to help students decide on a career. I also like this course because it gives me an opportunity to interact with students who are pusuing majors other than social work. I enjoy teaching the the Social Work Practice Skills course (SWRK 200), because it deepens the students' understanding of their own communication style and provides a safe environment to experience "hands-on" interviewing skills. SWRK 430 (Social Work Research) is another favorite. Students are typically apprehensive when it comes to this course, so it is gratifying when they express an appreciation of research as systematic inquiry and as a way to continuously expand our intellectual horizons.Finally, I am really excited about co-teaching the introductory course in International Studies (ILST 100, starting in the fall of 2015), because it will be based on an inter-disciplinary approach and will allow an examination of social welfare issues cross-culturally and on a global scale.

My Professional Experience

Year Title Organization
2013 - 2013 Adjunct Instructor Fulton-Montgomery Community College
2013 - Now Assistant Professor Siena College
2011 - 2013 Adjunct Instructor University at Albany, School of Social Welfare
1996 - 2001 Adjunct Instructor University at Albany, School of Social Welfare
1996 - 2013 School Social Worker Capital District Beginnings
1990 - 1996 Special Education Teacher SUNY Pre-K/Capital District Beginnings
1988 - 1990 Special Education Teacher United Cerebral Palsy Association of Fulton and Montgomery Counties
1987 - 1988 Special Education Teacher Gloversville Enlarged School District
1986 - 1987 Special Education Teacher St. Catherine's Center for Children
1983 - 1985 Associate Director Human Services Planning Council

Current Research

My research interests are in the area of gender identity and gender variance, particularly in educational settings. In addition, I am interested in the study of social policy in a global contact.

Articles & Book Reviews

  • The status of transgender students in Catholic high schools
    Journal is not in list - being petitioned
    2023
  • Second Chances
    Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, vol. 23
    2018
  • Christian Social Work Education and Transgender Issues: A Faculty Survey
    Social work & Christianity, vol. 44
    2017
  • Living in the Tension In-Between -- Faculty Members Talk About Faith and Transgender Issues in Christian Social Work Programs
    Social work & Christianity, vol. 44
    2017
  • The Truth Behind Gender Ideology (Letter to the Editor)
    Social work & Christianity, vol. 44
    2017
  • A new paradigm in social work research: It's here, it's queer, get used to it!
    Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, vol. 20
    2015
  • Transgender issues and BSW programs: Exploring faculty perceptions, practices, and attitudes
    Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, vol. 20
    2015
  • He wears pink leggings almost every day, and a pink sweatshirt....How school social workers understand and respond to gender variance
    Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, vol. 32
    2014
  • I think it would be a very sensitive topic... School social work, gender variance, and the silencing of differences
    Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, vol. 24
    2014
  • Christian social work students' views on gender variance: An exploratory study
    Social work & Christianity, vol. 45
    Winter, 2018

Awards & Distinctions

  • Faculty Information Literacy Grant: Identifying Credible News Sources for a Social Policy Assignment
    Category: Teaching
    Siena College Library, 2022
  • COTFD Summer Research Fellowship
    Category: Research
    Siena College, 2018
  • DAC Summer Research Fellowship
    Category: Research
    Siena College, 2017
  • DAC Summer Research Fellowship
    Category: Research
    Siena College, 2016
  • Distinguished Dissertation Award
    Category: Research
    University at Albany, 2014

Books & Book Chapters

  • Conservative Christianity, Gender Identity, and Religious Liberty
    Palgrave Macmillan
    2020
  • An Approach to Mid-Management in Social Welfare, by Steven I. Pflanczer
    Rockefeller College Press
    1991

Presentations

  • The Status of Transgender Students in Catholic High Schools
    September, 2023
    Social Work Collaborative on Religion, Sexuality, & Gender, Zoom, Virtual
  • Research as activism
    2023
    New York State Social Work Education Association Annual Conference, Saratoga Springs, New York
  • Gender Identity, Faith, and Politics
    2022
    University of Mississippi Department of Social Work Diversity Conference, Zoom, Virtual
  • Religious Freedom, Transgender Rights, and Moral Pluralism
    2020
    North American Association of Christians in Social Work, Washington, District of Columbia
  • The Case For Teaching Social Policy Without Borders
    2020
    Global Well-Being and Social Change Conference, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • Christian Social Work Education and Transgender Issues: Values Conflict or Reconciliation?
    2018
    NYS Social Work Education Association Conference, Saratoga Springs, New York
  • An Interdisciplinary Team Approach to Teaching about Globalization, Sustainability, and Social Justice
    2016
    Millersville University Global Poverty Conference (2016), Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • Linking the Global to the Local: Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching about Sustainability and Social Justice
    2016
    New York State Social Work Education Association Annual Conference, Saratoga Springs, New York
  • Reconciling Faith and Transgender Issues in Social Work Education
    2016
    66th Annual Convention of the North American Association of Christians in Social Work, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • "Talking about gender is like talking about sex". The school social work response to gender-variant students in the classroom.
    2015
    Philadelphia Trans Health Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Heteronormativity, homonormativity, and gender variance in the classroom: Perceptions and reflections from school social workers
    2014
    Second Annual Capital District Feminist Studies Conference, Loudonville, New York
  • A survey of pediatric practices for the treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (poster)
    1999
    Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Boston, Massachusetts