Mentor

Education

• Ph.D., English Literature, Case Western Reserve University

   

Teaching Philosophy

Teach so as to capture students' love of learning to reach the high road.  That high road means using the higher cognitive skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation to ask the bigger questions of so what? why is this important? what are the implications? The high road also means demanding students engage in metacognitive activities in reading, class discussion, and numerous writing assignments.

University Service

This is my tenth year at NGCSU.  I teach English in the Department of Language and Literature, and for the past two years have served as Director of Graduate Studies and External Programs.  I have directed the Writing Center, served as CEO of the Faculty Senate, served on 19 search committees, and served on various committees, including the writing across the curriculum committee, advisement, the committee on committees, faculty affairs, and the faculty development advisory council.  I am a past Distinguished Professor of Teaching and Learning.

Academic/Research  Interests

My dissertation area was a study in late Eighteenth Century Literature.  Other areas of specialty include Rhetoric and Composition Studies, ESOL Composition Theory, Linguistics, Renaissance Studies, and Jane Austin.  Current projects include Asian Studies (related to literature), composition studies (including rhetorical grammar), and interdisciplinary collaborative peer-editing.

Non-Academic Interests

Reading, writing, discussing interesting topics, and hiking.