She currently teaches courses in literacy leadership and teacher action research. Her research interests include adolescent and adult literacy, applied linguistics in education, youth culture, and culturally responsive teaching. A teacher and teacher educator, Heidi earned her MA and PhD in Language, Reading and Culture at the University of Arizona where she maintained a 4.0 GPA. She received the 2011-2012 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Associate award and was named a 2012 Erasmus Circle Scholar for exemplary scholarship and service. Heidi was instrumental in developing Tucson’s Literacy Zones and the Women’s Literacy Network (WLN), a women’s literacy and empowerment program, and writing grant proposals to fund the WLN and other Literacy Zone initiatives.