A postcolonialist by training, I have followed my intellectual curiousity from literary to cultural studies over the 15 years since I earned my PhD from Stanford University (1993). My early research investigated the meanings of "nation" and "nationalism" for women writers from Canada and Northern Ireland. More recently, I have turned my attention to questions of university governance and administration, as well as public intellectualism. In this realm, I have edited a book on Edmonton writing (NeWest Press, 2005) and pursue creative non-fiction. I have a passion for arts of all kinds, and have helped launch "Exposure: Edmonton's Queer Arts and Culture Festival" (2007 and annually thereafter).