Signe brings a rare combination of legal training, historical scholarship, and classroom teaching to her work with students. She earned her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, and her Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas at Austin. Currently an Assistant Professor of Instruction at UT Austin, she teaches courses in U.S. history, constitutional law, and gender, and her research focuses on slavery, resistance, and the law. Her first book is under contract with UNC Press, and she serves as Co-Director of the Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery project at Villanova University.
Signe is especially skilled at helping students develop clear, rigorous, and compelling arguments in their writing. With experience teaching across grade levels and working closely with students in both academic and applied settings, she helps students articulate complex ideas with precision and confidence. Her approach is thoughtful, structured, and grounded in helping students truly understand and express their ideas at a high level.
She lives in Austin, Texas, where she balances her teaching, research, and writing. A lifelong educator at heart, she is passionate about those “light bulb” moments when students find clarity and ownership in their thinking. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys reality TV, college football, and has even appeared on Jeopardy!, where she had the unforgettable experience of meeting Alex Trebek.
Best match for: students applying to graduate or law school; students interested in history, law, or public policy; and writers who need help developing strong arguments, structure, and clarity in their work. She is also an excellent fit for students who are intellectually ambitious and want to engage deeply with complex ideas.