Experience: As of 2011-12, I'm working in my 33rd year as a teacher, my 15th here at Cabrillo College.  Before that, I worked at other colleges, especially at UCSD, and taught for many years at the high school level in both Southern California and the Bay Area.  I have taught many courses in History and have also taught courses in English, Writing, Literature, and Film Study.

Education:  Ph.D. in United States History from UCSD.  Dissertation: Free Men in Theory: Race, Society, and Politics in Ross County, Ohio, 1796-1850.
M.A. in History from UCSD
B.A. in History from UC Berkeley

Approach to Teaching:  Studying history helps to teach us who we are, but also helps to explain WHY we are who we are.  I hope that my students gain an appreciation of how the past shapes our present, and also how the past did not unfold according to some script.  People made decisions that shaped past events, just as people do today.  I hope my students gain a measure of empowerment in realizing that we too have a role to play in shaping the future. 
    My survey classes expose college students to a wide range of material and I hope they emerge with a clearer sense of historical developments.  More importantly, I try to push students to improve their skills of analysis (thinking and writing) and to learn to defend academic arguments with logic and evidence.  After 32 years, I think I've kept my faith in the worthiness of these endeavors and try to communicate that enthusiasm in the classroom.  I try to have fun in the classroom, working on the theory that if I'm not bored with the lesson/class then my students will hang in there with me.

Personal:  Grew up in Phoenix, from a Catholic family with six kids. (I'm the fourth oldest, the well-adjusted one.)  Moved to CA in 1975 when/where I met Eve and we've been hanging out ever since.  We have two great, grown daughters and count our blessings every day.  Obviously, I love to read and try to keep up with current events.  In the meantime, I love to travel (see photo below), play all sorts of sports (esp. tennis, golf, frisbee, ping-pong), take walks in our beautiful forests and on our spectacular beaches, and listen to my old tunes and KPIG while working around the house...

Study Abroad:  We recently completed our second course taught in London, England.  We had such a great time that we plan to do it again.  Please email or phone if you'd like information on our plans.

Favorite Websites:

News and Current Events: NY Times, The Manchester Guardian, PBS, The International Herald Tribune, The Daily Show,
       Huffington Post,  Slate Magazine and Podcasts
Opinion: Political Cartoons, The Onion, MoveOn, Greenpeace
Travel: Rick Steves, Lonely Planet
Culture: KPIG, Internet Move Data Base