Interdisciplinarity best summarizes and characterizes my academic career both as a teacher and researcher.  My original field of specialization is the Enlightenment, which suits my interdisciplinary interests perfectly.  Working on Rousseau, Diderot, Montesquieu, and others of the period enables me to question what I consider to be fundamental problems, not only of eighteenth-century France, but of contemporary society as well. Recently, my research has focused on the cultural history of the blues and interrogates how historical formations shape aesthetic production.

I encourage students to explore what they are passionate about.  Scholarly work requires innovation, creativity, but also discipline and precision. I strive to help students produce the best work they are capable of producing.  I try to ask questions and offer suggestions to enable them to reach their full potential and achieve their goals.