Academics > Colleges/Schools and Departments > College of Humanities and Fine Arts > English and Philosophy > Faculty

Faculty

Can you peg the face of an adventurer?

Amid their quests for knowledge, our Department of English and Philosophy faculty have picked up a few stories of their own. They come from the United States, China, Korea and Ireland. They have volunteered for the Peace Corps and earned Fulbright Scholarships. They have collected beached marine animal carcasses, dug graves, repaired pool tables, delivered hair styling products, worked on off-shore oil rigs, painted dorm rooms, made chocolate bunnies. One was the first person to walk into Disney World in 2009. One grew up next door to the Gambino family. Yet another hitchhiked 8,000 miles on $125—in 1971. And yet another played the bagpipes at Jerry Garcia’s funeral.

Together, our faculty members form an eclectic department that offers diverse courses and opportunities for a variety of research projects. You could help a professor find the grave of a long-forgotten poet, help improve grading processes for high school teachers, count how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, explore the relationships between performance and Shakespeare’s plays, tutor international children in local schools, and learn about new ways of cosmopolitan thinking.

At the core of the search for knowledge is passion: for words, stories, ideas. Our faculty members are ready to share their expertise with you, and to set you on the path to your own adventures.

Meet our faculty.

FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

Yet again in 2013, many of our department’s faculty members have been recognized for accomplishments and milestones. Here is a glimpse ...

M. Sue Sroda

Dr. M. Sue Sroda (above) received the Sandra Flynn Outstanding Service to International Students Award.

Dr. Juyoung Song (below) and Dr. M. Sue Sroda received CISR regional research grants.

Juyoung Song

Awards of tenure and promotion to associate professor went to Dr. Rory Goggins, Dr. Tim Johns and Dr. Paul Walker.

Dr. Barbara Cobb, Dr. Cynthia Gayman and Dr. Latricia Trites earned promotions to full professor.

Rusty Jones

Dr. Rusty Jones (above) won the CHFA Award for Teaching Excellence.

Dr. Josh Adair won the CHFA Award for Service Excellence.

The CHFA Award for Creative and Scholarly Activity and the MSU Outstanding Research Award went to Dr. Paul Walker.

Congratulations to Dr. Peter Murphy, who has achieved 15 years of service.

And … our wonderful Marcia Johnson retires after 15 years of service. Marcie, we wish you many great and new adventures.

Marcie Johnson

	Ted Brown Dean, College of Humanities and Fine Arts Professor of English PhD, The Claremont Graduate School MA, The Claremont Graduate School BA, The University of Redlands Areas of Expertise: Renaissance Studies, English Education Telephone: 270.809.6937 Office: Faculty Hall 100

	Staci Stone Department Chair Associate Professor of English PhD, University of South Carolina MA, University of South Carolina BA, University of Alabama Areas of Expertise: Humanities, Women's Literature, Women's Studies, Film Studies Telephone: 270.809.4717 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-09

	Josh Adair Assistant Professor of English Coordinator, MSU Reading Experience Coordinator, Gender and Diversity Studies PhD, Northern Illinois University MA, Western Illinois University BA, Blackburn College Areas of Expertise: Modern and Contemporary British Literature, Gender Studies Telephone: 270.809.4540 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-14

	Mike Arneson Adjunct Faculty MA (TESOL), Murray State University BS, Murray State University Areas of Expertise: TESOL, Professional Writing Telephone: 270.809.6300 Office: Faculty Hall 7A-1

	Squire Babcock Associate Professor of English MFA, University of Massachusetts at Amherst BA, University of Massachusetts at Amherst Areas of Expertise: Creative Writing, Modern and Contemporary Literature, Folklore Telephone: 270.809.4730 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-16

	Deborah Bell Lecturer Co-director, Purchase Area Writing Project Co-coordinator, English Education MA, Murray State University BA, Murray State University Areas of Expertise: English Education, Composition, Writing Instruction Telephone: 270.809.4725 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-07

	Kevin Binfield Professor of English Coordinator, Graduate Studies PhD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln MA, University of Nebraska-Lincoln BA, Nebraska Wesleyan University Areas of Expertise: British Romanticism, 18th- and 19th-Century British Women's Literature, Laboring-Class Writing, Textual Scholarship Telephone: 270.809.4541 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-05

	Tim Carter Adjunct Faculty MFA, Murray State University MA, Murray State University BA, University of Tennessee at Martin BS, University of Tennessee at Martin Areas of Expertise: Creative Writing, Rhetoric and Composition, Humanities, American Short Story, Southern Literature Telephone: 270.809.2406 Office: Faculty Hall 7A-4

	Alicia Carthell Senior Lecturer MTSC, Miami University (Ohio) BA, Miami University (Ohio) Areas of Expertise: Linguistics and Technical Communication, Cultural Competence for Technical Communication, Rhetoric Telephone: 270.809.4720 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-02

	Gina Claywell Professor of English PhD, University of Tennessee MA, University of Tennessee BA, Western Kentucky University Areas of Expertise: Rhetoric and Composition, Early American Literature, Nineteenth-Century British Literature Telephone: 270.809.4729 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-06

Dr. Cobb holds a giant compass.	Barbara Mather Cobb Professor of English Coordinator, Liberal Arts Program PhD, Rutgers MA, Rutgers BA, Wellesley Areas of Expertise: 16th- and 17th-Century British Literature, Continental Renaissance Literature Telephone: 270.809.4538 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-15

	Judy Bush Crofton Lecturer MA, Auburn University BA, Auburn University Areas of Expertise: English Composition, Humanities, American Feminist Literature Telephone: 270.809.4724 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-09

	Dean Davenport Adjunct Faculty PhD, Baylor University JD, Texas Tech University MA, Baylor University BS, Georgetown College Areas of Expertise: Ethics, Business Ethics, Logic, History of Philosophy

	Laura Dawkins Professor of English PhD, Indiana University MA, University of Kentucky Graduate Certificate, Oxford University BA, University of Louisville Areas of Expertise: American Literature, Modernism, Race Studies, Gender Studies Telephone: 270.809.3418 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-08

	Warren Edminster Professor of English Director, University Honors Program PhD, Baylor University MA, Clemson University BA, Baylor University Areas of Expertise: Medieval Literature, Professional and Technical Writing Telephone: 270.809.5274 Office: Lowry 304-A

	Cynthia Gayman Professor of Philosophy Coordinator, Philosophy Program PhD, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Areas of Expertise: Twentieth-Century European Philosophy, American Pragmatism, Feminism Telephone: 270.809.2396 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-11

	Rory Goggins Associate Professor of Philosophy PhD, University of Pennsylvania BA, Montclair State University Areas of Expertise: History of Ancient Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion Telephone: 270.809.4549 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-19

	Marilyn Harris Lecturer PhD studies, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale MA, Murray State University BA, Beloit College Areas of Expertise: Rhetoric and Composition, Modern Minority Fiction, Eighteenth-Century British Literature, Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century American Literature Telephone: 270.809.4731 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-05

	Roy Helton Associate Professor of English Coordinator, Humanities Program Areas of Expertise: Victorian Literature, Composition, Advanced Expository Writing Telephone: 270.809.4716 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-13

	Christopher Hildebrand Adjunct Faculty Areas of Expertise: Composition, Humanities Telephone: 270.809.4726 Office: Faculty Hall 7A-05

	Ron Hopper Adjunct Faculty MA Ed., Murray State University BS, Murray State University Telephone: 270.809.2406 Office: Faculty Hall 7A-4

	Dong Isbister ESL Instructor Institute for International Studies Ph.D., Ohio State University M.A., Michigan State University M.A., Lanzhou University Areas of Expertise: Composition, Film Studies, Gender and Diversity Studies, Women of Color Writers Telephone: 270.809.3263 Office: Woods Hall 120

	Carrie Jerrell Assistant Professor of English Associate Director, MFA Program in Creative Writing Coordinator, Undergraduate Creative Writing PhD, Texas Tech University MA, Johns Hopkins University BS, University of Evansville Areas of Expertise: Creative Writing: Poetry, Creative Writing: Nonfiction, Modern & Contemporary Poetry Telephone: 270.809.4723 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-04

	Timothy Johns Associate Professor of English Coordinator, Jesse Stuart Fellowship PhD, SUNY Stony Brook Areas of Expertise: World Literature and Cinema, South African Writing, Post-colonial Studies Telephone: 270.809.4722 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-06

	William "Rusty" Jones Assistant Professor of English Chair, Murray Shakespeare Festival PhD, University of California, Santa Cruz MA, University of California, Santa Cruz BA, Occidental College Areas of Expertise: Shakespeare, English Renaissance Poetry and Drama, Renaissance and Restoration Satire Telephone: 270.809.2397 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-01

	Bernard Lewis Adjunct Faculty MA, Murray State University BA, University of North Carolina at Charlotte Areas of Expertise: Composition, Humanities Telephone: 270.809.4726 Office: Faculty Hall 7A-05

	Cara Mathis Lecturer MA, Murray State University BS, Murray State University Certificate, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), San Diego State University Areas of Expertise: Western Humanities, Composition, Research, Writing Across the Disciplines Telephone: 270.809.4539 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-15

	Sally J. McIntosh Lecturer MA, Murray State University BS, Murray State University Areas of Expertise: Composition and Rhetoric Telephone: 270.809.4728 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-20

	William W. Miller Adjunct Faculty Areas of Expertise: Composition and Creative Writing Telephone: 270.809.4846 Office: Faculty Hall 7A-06

	Michael Morgan Professor of English Co-coordinator: English Education Areas of Expertise: English Education, TESOL Telephone: 270.809.4536 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-18

	Peter Murphy Professor of English Director, University Studies Program PhD, University of Buffalo MA, University of Buffalo MA, University of Toronto BA, State University of New York at Potsdam Areas of Expertise: 19th- and 20th-Century American Literature, Gender Studies and Feminism, Radical Political Philosophy Telephone: 270.809.7064 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-12

	Ann Neelon Professor of English Director, MFA Program in Creative Writing Wallace Stegner Fellow, Stanford University MFA, University of Massachusetts BA, Holy Cross College Areas of Expertise: Poetry and Poetics, Contemporary World Literature Telephone: 270.809.4713 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-17

	Danielle Nielsen Assistant Professor of English PhD, Case Western Reserve University MA, Case Western Reserve University BA, Nebraska Wesleyan University Areas of Expertise: Rhetoric and Composition, Professional and Technical Communication, Victorian and 20th-Century British Literature, Literature of the Empire, Gender and Language, Print Culture and New Media Telephone: 270.809.2407 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-5

	Jeff Osborne Associate Professor of English Director, Racer Writing Center PhD, University of Kentucky MA, Radford University BA, Radford University Areas of Expertise: Early American Literature, Humanities Telephone: 270.809.4544 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-11

Photo courtesy of Jon Erickson, Vanderbilt University	Pamela Johnson Parker Adjunct Faculty MFA, Murray State University MA, Murray State University BA, Murray State University Areas of Expertise: Creative Writing, Contemporary American Poetry, Forms of Fiction, Ekphrasis and Literary Pictoralism Telephone: 270.809.2401 Office: Faculty Hall 7A

	Dale Ray Phillips Assistant Professor MFA, University of Arkansas Areas of Expertise: Creative Writing, Humanities, Rhetoric and Composition Telephone: 270.809.4710 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-13

	Helen Roulston Associate Professor of English MA, University of Maryland BA, University of Maryland Areas of Expertise: Film and Literature, History of Cinema, English Composition and Research Telephone: 270.809.4712 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-10

	Debra Smothers Adjunct Faculty MA, University of Great Falls MA, Murray State University BA, Murray State University Professional Certification, Secondary Teacher Areas of Expertise: English Composition, TESOL

	Juyoung Song Assistant Professor of English PhD, The Ohio State University Areas of Expertise: Sociolinguistics, Second Language Teacher Education Telephone: 270.809.2409 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-03

	M. Sue Sroda Associate Professor of English Director, TESOL Programs PhD, University of South Carolina MA, University of South Carolina BA, Nazareth College of Rochester Areas of Expertise: TESOL, Linguistics, ESL/EFL Teacher Training Telephone: 270.809.4715 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-04

	Latricia Trites Professor of English PhD, Northern Arizona University MA, Texas Tech University BA, Texas Tech University Areas of Expertise: Reading and Writing Instruction and Assessment, ESL/EFL Teacher Training, Applied Linguistics Telephone: 270.809.4721 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-07

	Adam Valentine Adjunct Faculty MFA Studies, Murray State University MA Studies, Murray State University BA, Murray State University Areas of Expertise: Composition, Humanities Telephone: 270.809.6300 Office: Faculty Hall 7A-1

	Paul Walker Associate Professor of English Co-director, Purchase Area Writing Project Coordinator, First-Year Composition PhD, Arizona State University MA, Northern Arizona University BA, Brigham Young University Areas of Expertise: Professional and Technical Writing, Rhetoric, New Media Telephone: 270.809.4533 Office: Faculty Hall 7C-20

	Saihua Xia Assistant Professor of English PhD, State University of New York at Albany MS, State University of New York at Albany MA, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing BA, Hunan Normal University, China Areas of Expertise: ESL/EFL Teacher Training, SLA, Pragmatics, Cognitive Approaches to Second Language Learning Telephone: 270.809.4548 Office: Faculty Hall 7B-16