WCU English Faculty & Staff Directory

WCU English Faculty / Staff Directory

	Dr. Mary Adams
	227-3921
	madams@wcu.edu
	Associate Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Creative & Technical Writing; British Literature; Poetry
Brief bio:	Dr. Adams received a BA from Smith College, an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and a PhD from the University of Houston. Her book of poems, Epistles from the Planet Photosynthesis (see Amazon.com),was published by University Press of Florida.
Homepage:	http://www.maryadams.net

	Dr. Elizabeth Addison
	227-3269
	addison@email.wcu.edu
	Associate Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	American literature, composition
Brief bio:	Elizabeth Addison received her A.B. degree (Latin for B.A.) from Transylvania (Latin for "across the woods," because it was the first college west of the Alleghenies) and her M.A. from the University of Tennessee. Her doctorate at Duke University took her deep into Emerson studies, from which she emerges from time to time.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~addison

	Dr. Jim Addison
	227-3929
	jaddison@email.wcu.edu
	Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Freshman and sophomore literature; Fairy Tale Literature; Graduate courses (Twentieth Century Genre; Golden Age of Children's Literature)
Brief bio:	Dr. Addison regularly teaches and publishes in the area of fairy tales and children's literature, and he has strong interests in such diverse subjects as James Joyce and classical rhetoric. He has attended four NEH Summer Seminars, and these have been springboards for much of his research interest. Dr. Addison holds the B.A. and M.A. from Clemson University and the Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is married to Dr. Elizabeth Addison, and they have four children. Dr. Addison serves as Director of Graduate Studies in English.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~jaddison

	Elisabeth Aiken
	227-3937

	Lecturer
	Part-time
Classes:	Freshman English
Brief bio:	BA Degree in English, James Madison University, 1997; MA in English, Western Carolina University, 2000.
Homepage:	http://


	Mr. Rick Boyer
	227-3923
	boyer@email.wcu.edu
	Associate Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Freshman and sophomore literature, Fiction, Nonfiction, Writing for Careers
Brief bio:	Rick Boyer graduated with a major in English from Denison University in Granville, Ohio. He studied with Kurt Vonnegut at the University of Iowa, where he received his MFA. His publications include "The Bad Boy's Book"--an essay on Huck Finn in the North Carolina Newsletter; The Man Who Whispered and other books in his Doc Adams adventure series; A Sherlockian Quartet (which includes the suspense classic The Giant Rat of Sumatra);and the best-selling Places Rated almanac. Boyer has appeared on The Today Show, PM Magazine, The David Susskind Show, NBC's 20/20, and many others.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~boyer

	Dr. James Byer
	227-3270
	jbyer@wcu.edu
	Associate Professor
	Full-time, Fall only
Classes:	19th-20th Century British Literature, Commonwealth Literature
Brief bio:	A former department head, Dr. Byer earned a BS in Mathmatics--University of Chicago, 1963; an MA in English--Duke University, 1964; and a PhD in Modern British Literature--Duke University, 1971. His research interests include Cormac McCarthy, American Nature Writing, and Contemporary Indian Literature.
Homepage:

	Dr. Catherine Carter
	227-3267
	ccarter@wcu.edu
	Visiting Instructor
	Full-time
Classes:	Modern Poetry, American Survey II, Major American Writers, Business Writing, Biblical and Classical Literature, Short Story, Environmental Literature, Composition I, Composition II
Brief bio:	Catherine Carter received her Ph.D. and her M.A. from the University of Delaware, and her B.A. from St. Mary's College of Maryland. She has published and presented work on business communications, Edgar Allan Poe, Ellis Peters, May Sarton, Gloria Anzaldua, environmental literature, and contemporary films. Her poetry is published in numerous magazines and journals. She is originally from Maryland.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~ccarter/


	Ms. Katherine Cipriano
	227-3965
	cipriano@wcu.edu
	Lecturer
	Part-time
Classes:	English Composition I and II; American Literature
Brief bio:	Ms. Cipriano has an MA from Western Carolina University, eleven years of teaching experience, three kids (ages 9,7,and 6), a husband, and a dog.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~cipriano

	Dr. Mae Miller Claxton
	227-3920
	amiller@wcu.edu
	Visiting Assistant Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Freshman composition, sophomore literature, upper level American literature surveys
Brief bio:	Mae Miller Claxton received her AB from the University of Georgia, her MA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her PhD from the University of North Carolina. Her research interests are in Southern literature and Eudora Welty in particular. She has also published articles about teaching literature with technology.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~amiller

	Dr. Annette Debo
	227-3919
	adebo@wcu.edu
	Assistant Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Modern Fiction, Interpretation of Literature, Major American Authors, First-Year Seminar in Literature
Brief bio:	Dr. Debo received her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1998. She has published on H.D., Paul Robeson, Gloria Naylor, and Emily Dickinson in Quarterly Review of Film and Video, CLA Journal, and College Literature. Her primary teaching and research interests are in critical theory, modernism, African American Literature, and Women's Literature.
Homepage:	http://

	Mrs. Nancy DeSain
	227-3268
	desainn@email.wcu.edu
	Administrative Personnel
	Full-time
Brief bio:	Nancy Desain oversees all activity related to schedules, orders, technology, training, personnel, events, and administration in a department of more than 50 faculty and staff.
Homepage:	http://

	Dr. R. Steve Eberly
	227-3933
	eberly@email.wcu.edu
	Associate Professor
	Full-time, Fall only
Classes:	First-Year Writing II, Major American Writers, History of the English Language
Brief bio:	Dr. Eberly received his BA in English (minor in French) from the University of Texas and his MA and PhD from the University of Michigan. He has co-published several chapbooks of poetry and web resources for Appalachian writers, as well as occasional poems for children. He enjoys traveling, especially in England, Ireland, and France, as well as the US Southwest. He is planning to teach English at Yunnan University in southern China in 2005-2006. At Western Carolina University, he teaches graduate courses in Irish and British literature, especially the poetry of W. B. Yeats, and a variety of non-European pieces, including some historically interesting pieces of Nigerian, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese literature. After 31 years of university work, he is now in "phased retirement," teaching only in the fall term.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~eberly

	Dr. Harold Farwell
	227-3270
	farwell@email.wcu.edu
	Professor
	Part-time, Spring only
Classes:	In the past, everything; this spring: English 203, 204, graduate seminar
Brief bio:	Dr. Farwell has taught at Western since 1970. His specialty is American Lit. with an emphasis on Melville. He is completing a book On versions of the story of Madam Butterfly. He is also interested in dialects and the dialect of the Smoky Mts.in particular. He has held two Senior Fulbright appointments: to the Philippines and to Indonesia, and is a Fellow of the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Homepage:	http://

	Dr. Mary (Mimi) Fenton
	227-3934
	mfenton@wcu.edu
	Associate Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Milton, 17th Century Literature, British Lit I, Western Lit survey,Freshman Seminar, Freshman Comp.
Brief bio:	Dr. Fenton earned a Ph.D.from the University of Kentucky (1990), and a B.A. and M.A.from the University of Wyoming. She has published many articles on John Milton and other 17th century writers.
Homepage:	http://

	Dr. Brian W. Gastle
	227-3928
	bgastle@wcu.edu
	Assistant Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Medieval and Early British Literature; Professional Writing; Film
Brief bio:	Dr. Gastle received his B.A. from SUNY Buffalo, and his Ph.D. from the University of Delaware. His research focuses upon mercantile rhetoric in late medieval English texts. Currently, Dr. Gastle serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies in English Literature.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~bgastle

	Ms. Leah K. Hampton
	227-3272
	pludger@yahoo.com
	Lecturer
	Full-time
Classes:	Composition and Literature
Brief bio:	Ms. Hampton has a BA in History from SIU-Carbondale and an MA in English from WCU. Before moving to Cullowhee, she spent five years traveling the world as a freelance writer.
Homepage:	http://

	Mr. Brian Henderson
	227-3273
	bhendrson@wcu.edu
	Lecturer
	Part-time
Classes:	Freshman and sophomore composition and literature
Brief bio:	Brian Henderson earned a BA in English with a minor in Creative Writing from Francis Marion University, 1993, and an MA in English Western Carolina University, 1999. His haiku have appeared in Frogpond, Modern Haiku, Acorn, Raw Nervz Haiku, Still, Paper Wasp, Black Bear Review, Bottle Rockets, Haiku Headlines, and others.
Homepage:	http://

	Dr. Marsha Lee Holmes
	227-3930
	holmes@wcu.edu
	Assistant Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Composition I and II, Fundamentals of Teaching Composition (graduate seminar), Foundation Composition, Writing for Careers, Major American Writers
Brief bio:	Dr. Marsha Lee Holmes specializes in rhetoric and composition studies. Her scholarship often involves pacifism or pedagogy or both--for instance, in articles recently published by English Journal and Virginia English Bulletin. In Spring 2000, she received the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award.
Homepage:	http://paws.wcu.edu/holmes

	Ms. Elizabeth Ann Kelly
	227-3974
	ekelly@wcu.edu
	Lecturer
	Part-time
Classes:	First Year Composition
Brief bio:	Elizabeth Kelly received her BA in English and Music from Piedmont College in 1996 and her MA in English from Western Carolina University in the summer of 2001. Ms. Kelly completed a Master's thesis on Joan Didion.
Homepage:	http://

	Ms. Margie Kiser
	227-3932
	mkiser@wcu.edu
	Lecturer
	Part-time
Classes:	Composition & Major American Writers
Brief bio:	BA from UNCA; MA from WCU. Interested in American literature, particularly 19th century
Homepage:	http://

	Mrs. Jennifer McGaha
	227-3271

	Lecturer
	Part-time
Classes:	Freshman Composition
Brief bio:	Mrs. McGaha received a BA in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and a MA in English from WCU.
Homepage:	http://

	Dr. Joseph A. Meigs
	227-3968
	meigs@email.wcu.edu
	Professor
	Part-time
Classes:	Freshman Honors, Film as Lit., Shakespeare, Intro. to Lit. Crit.
Brief bio:	Dr. Meigs received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Florida. He joined the faculty at WCU in 1970. His research has focused upon film and Renaissance courtesy literature. He has written a novel called Tenure Track.
Homepage:	http://www.josephmeigs.com

	Dr. Gayle H. Miller
	227-3936
	gmiller@email.wcu.edu
	Associate Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Freshman Seminar;ENGL 101,02, 201,03,04;Literature and Gender; Native American Literature; Chaucer; English 251 and 252; Graduate Courses in Chaucer, Medieval Literature, Special Topics.
Brief bio:	Dr. Gayle Miller received her BA from the University of Maine and her MA and PhD from the University of Georgia. She began her teaching career at WCU in 1989 as Director of Composition and Medievalist. Dr. Miller has also served as Acting Head of the English Dept and as Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences. She has been named Hunter Scholar, has received two NEH summer seminar grants, has been for several years a finalist for the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award as well as for the Board of Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2000-2001, Dr. Miller received the Board of Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~gmiller/

	Dr. J. Karl Nicholas
	227-3922
	nicholas@wcu.edu
	Professor
	Full-time, Spring only
Classes:	Undergraduate and Graduate courses in literature and linguistics
Brief bio:	Karl Nicholas received his BA from University of Mississippi, 1961; MA from Old Dominion University, 1968, and PhD from University of Southern California, 1971. His research interests include English Syntax, Appalachian Dialects, and Transformational Grammar. He has published Writing and Revising, Models for Effective Writing (With J.R. Nicholl), Effective Argument (With J.R. Nicholl), and Smoky Mountain Voices (With Harold Farwell)
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~nicholas

	Dr. James R. Nicholl
	227-3922
	jnicholl@email.wcu.edu
	Professor
	Part-time, Fall only
Classes:	Engl 102H, Engl 190, Engl 431 (Shakespeare), Engl 618 (Bibliography and Methods of Research)
Brief bio:	A native Texan, Dr. Nicholl holds an MA and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. At WCU since 1970, he has served as Director of Freshman English and as Department Head. He has published Models for Effective Writing (with J. Karl Nicholas) and Effective Argument (with J. Karl Nicholas). His research interests include irony in Shakespearean drama, Walt Whitman and the American West, and the range cattle industry (cowboys and ranching).
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~jnicholl/

	Dr. Terry Nienhuis
	227-3926
	nienhuis@wcu.edu
	Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Composition, Drama, Film, 18th Century
Brief bio:	Dr. Terry Nienhuis received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and came to WCU in 1972. In addition to his life as a teacher of English, Dr. Nienhuis is also a film and stage actor who has appeared in 15 film roles and over 40 stage roles.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~nienhuis/

	Dr. Brian Railsback
	227-3976
	brailsba@email.wcu.edu
	Associate Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	American Literature and Professional Writing
Brief bio:	Dr. Brian Railsback earned his AA (Liberal Arts)from Ventura College; BS (Journalism) from California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo; MA (Creative Writing) and PhD (American Literature) from Ohio University. He was founding dean of The Honors College at WCU, and has published a book (Parallel Expeditions: Charles Darwin and the Art of John Steinbeck, University of Idaho Press), numerous book chapters, and has given invited presentations on John Steinbeck in Japan, Mexico, and the US. Presently he is co-editor of A John Steinbeck Encyclopedia (Greenwood Press, 2002).
Homepage:	http://

	Mr. Wayne Robbins
	227-3918
	wrobbins@email.wcu.edu
	Lecturer
	Part-time
Classes:	English 203, 102, 101
Brief bio:	M.A. East Carolina University B.A. Appalachian State University
Homepage:	http://

	Dr. Sandra M. Saunders
	227-3927
	saunders@email.wcu.edu
	Visiting Assistant Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Freshman and sophomore literature, Modern British Survey, Major British Writers
Brief bio:	Dr. Saunders received the B.A. from Western Carolina University in 1979, the M.A. from Wake Forest University in 1981, and the Ph.D. from Florida State University in 1995. Her specialty is Nineteenth-Century British Literature with a concentration in Romanticism, and her research interests include Byron, vampires, and Frankenstein.
Homepage:	http://www3.wcu.edu/~saunders

	Dr. Newton Smith
	227-3966
	smithn@wcu.edu
	Associate Professor
	Full-time
Classes:	Appalachian Literature, Introduction to Professional Writing, Authoring Multimedia, Screenwriting, Technical Writing, Grants Proposals and Reports, Senior Seminar, The Beats, and others.
Brief bio:	Newton Smith received his Ph.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill. His dissertation, "The Origin of the Black Mountain Poets," was one the first studies of this group and two chapters of it were published shortly after its approval. He edited the reissue of Jesse Stuart's novel, Mr. Gallion's School and has published chapters on Jacques Maritain' Esthetics, on teaching technical writing in an upcoming collection and numerous entries in encyclopedias. He has published poetry widely and edited poetry books and magazines.
Homepage:	http://wcuvax1.wcu.edu/~smithn or http://www25.brinkster.com/newtsmith/

	Ms. Rachel York-Bridgers
	227-3938
	ybridgers@email.wcu.edu
	Lecturer
	Part-time
Classes:	Composition and Literature
Brief bio:	Ms. Rachel York-Bridgers earned a B.A. from Concordia University and an MA in English from Western Carolina University. She has taught composition and creative writing at Southwestern Community College, LA Pierce College, and Loretto College School. She holds a Bilingual Certificate and an Award of Excellence in French Studies.
Homepage:	http://