As a scholar, my research and writing grows out of my personal experiences in the world. Moving from suburban Detroit to rural Kansas sparked my curiosity about relations between people and place, and continues to shape my interest in landscape and spatial experience. Professional work taught me to examine and question the myriad processes of architectural production, and specific discourses and practices such as design competitions or sustainability. I have learned to look closely at built spaces—from homes to public spaces—and how they support or deny human experiences. These interests and pursuits, when framed by questions of social justice, have congealed in a focus on alternative design practices as a way of re-working social and spatial conventions.