English Faculty
From award-winning poets and technical writers to novelists and scholars who publish on literature from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, members of the WCU English faculty have practiced the art of writing in both professional and academic settings. They bring a wealth of scholastic, corporate, and organizational experiences to the classroom and encourage students to think critically, communicate effectively, and make the connection between their studies and their professional aspirations.
Degree & Position
Areas of Speciality
Ph.D.; Associate Professor; Department Head Postcolonial Lit; Gender Studies Mary Adams Ph.D.; Associate Professor Biblical & 17th C Lit; Creative Writing (Poetry); Professional Writing Elizabeth Addison Ph.D; Associate Professor, retired American Lit; Modern British Poetry; Asian Lit in Translation Jim Addison Ph.D.; Professor Fairy Tale; James Joyce; Southern Novel Marsha Lee Baker Ph.D.; Associate Professor Rhetoric & Composition; Peace and Nonviolence Studies Chandrika Balasubramanian Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Director of TESOL Program TESOL; Linguistics (Corpus-, Socio-, & Grammar) Michael Boatright Ph.D.; Assistant Professor English Education Moira Bradford M.A.; Lecturer Composition Margaret Bruder Ph.D.; Lecturer, Assistant Director of Writing/Rhetoric/ Critical Studies Composition; Film/Media Studies; 20th C American Lit Catherine Carter Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Director of English Education English Education; Creative Writing (Poetry); American Lit Melanie Cattrell Ph.D.; Lecturer Composition; American Studies; Literature Mae Claxton Ph.D.; Associate Professor Southern Lit; Appalachian Lit; American Lit Kendra Coker M.A.; Adjunct Rhetoric & Composition Emily Darnell M.A.; Lecturer Composition Annette Debo Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies Lit Theory; Modernism; African American Lit; Women's Lit Pam Duncan M.A.; Assistant Professor, Director of Spring Literary Festival Creative Writing (Fiction) Deidre Elliott M.F.A.; Associate Professor, Director of Professional Writing Program Creative Writing (Non-Fiction); Eco-Lit; Latino Lit Mimi Fenton Ph.D.; Professor; Interim Dean of Graduate School Milton; Early Modern British Lit Ph.D.; Professor Medieval Literature; Business/Tech Writing Jill Ghnassia Ph.D.; Professor Romantic Lit; Comparative 19th C Lit Jennifer Harris M.A.; Lecturer Composition Elizabeth Heffelfinger Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Director of Motion Picture Studies Film Studies; Post-WWII Lit & Culture; Media & Cultural Studies Beth Huber Ph.D.; Assistant Professor, Director of Writing/Rhetoric/Critical Studies Rhetorical Theory; Composition Theory; Political Rhetoric Brent Kinser Ph.D.; Associate Professor, Director of Literature Program 19th C Lit (Trans-Atlantic); Digital Humanities
Nate Kreuter Ph.D.; Assistant Professor Rhetoric & Composition Diane Martinez Ph.D.; Assistant Professor Technical Writing Rain Newcomb M.A.; Lecturer Compositon Eleanor Petrone Ph.D.; Assistant Professor TESOL Brian Railsback Ph.D.; Dean of the Honors College Steinbeck; Creative Writing (fiction); American Lit Ron Rash M.A.; Parris Distinguished Professor in Appalachian Cultural Studies Creative Writing (Fiction & Poetry) Brad Reisinger M.A.; Lecturer Composition Laura Samal Ph.D.; Lecturer Composition Sandra Saunders Ph.D.; Visiting Assistant Professor, Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies 19th C British Lit; Liberal Studies Shara Whitford M.A.; Lecturer Composition Alan Wray M.A.: Lecturer Rhetoric & Composition Administrative Staff Pam Pittman Administrative Support Associate (part time) Sherri Roper Administrative Support Associate