English

English

Department Overview

Explore with us the intellectual challenges of literary study. Immersion in American, English, and World literatures is a central component of a robust liberal arts education and cultivates skills in critical reading, effective writing, careful research, and information literacy that prepare you to be both a successful student and an engaged citizen of your community and the world.

We provide an educational foundation, with onlice courses and face-to-face, that prepares you for professional pursuits in a variety of fields including (but not limited to) writing, editing, publishing, public relations, library science, higher education, government, and the non-profit sector.

Our graduates have transferred to such prestigious schools as Columbia University, Rutgers University, The College of New Jersey, and Rider University.

Unpacking Your Potential
Are you curious about the “big ideas” that writers explore through the literary traditions of your own culture and other cultures?  Do you enjoy working with words and crafting arguments that engage with those ideas?  Our courses allow you to pursue your curiosity about the ways in which we construct our narratives about ourselves and the world around us, and to hone your skills at developing narratives of your own.

Degree Designed to Transfer to a Four-Year College

English, Associate of Arts - Expore Careers

 

Online classes are an option for many English degree requirements.  Click here to register for online summer college courses today!

Bio

Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: Ph.D.,
M.A., B.A., Rutgers University

Area of Expertise
Composition, Medieval and Early Modern British literature, Early World literature
Email
Bio

Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: Ph.D. University of Massachusetts; M.F.A., Goddard College; B.A., St. Anselm College

2014 Thom Gunn Award for Gay Poetry 2013 Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award 2008/2009 Brickhouse Books Stonewall Book Award

Author (as Charlie Bondhus) of Divining Bones (Sundress Publications, 2018), All the Heat We Could Carry (Main Street Rag, 2013), and How the Boy Might See It (Pecan Grove Press, 2009, 2nd ed. 2015 Jane's Boy Press).

Area of Expertise
Creative Writing, Poetry, Eighteenth-Century British Literature
Email
Bio

Associate Professor

Ph.D., M.A., Rutgers University; B.A., Yale University

Area of Expertise
American Literature, 20th Century; Modernism; Short Story; Freshman Composition; Developmental English
Email
Bio

Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: Ph.D., M.A., University of California; M.A., University of Illinois; B.A., Wheaton College

Area of Expertise
Composition; 20th Century American Literature; LGBT Literature; Gender & Sexuality Studies
Email
Bio

Associate Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: Ed.M., Rutgers University; Graduate Certificate in Composition Studies, Indiana University

Area of Expertise
Developmental Reading and Composition
Email
Bio

Associate Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., B.A., Kent State University

Area of Expertise
English
Email
Bio

Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: Ph.D.,
M.A., University of Delaware; B.A., Wesleyan University

Author of Dismantling the Racism Machine: A Manual and Toolbox (Routledge 2018); manages the blog with resources Divided No Longer (available at https://dividednolonger.com/); for c.v. go to https://dividednolonger.com/about/my-cv/

Area of Expertise
Composition, Race in American Literature and Popular Culture, Women in Literature, and Intro to Women and Gender Studies
Email
Bio

Assistant Professor

Academic degrees achieved: M.A., English, Western Illinois University; B.A. English, Jackson State University; A.A., Liberal Arts, Pearl River College

 

Area of Expertise
Rhetoric & Composition, Masculinity in Literature
Email
Bio

Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: Ph.D., Lehigh University; M.A., B.A., Trenton State College

Author of Toxic Masculinity, Casino Capitalism, and America’s Favorite Card Game: The Poker Mindset (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020)


Area of Expertise
Composition, Women and Gender Studies/Masculinities, Gender & Popular Culture
Email
Bio

Associate Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A.T., Western Carolina University; B.A., Rutgers University
                               

Area of Expertise
Developmental Reading and Composition; English Education. 
Email
Bio

Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: Ed.M., Rutgers University; M.A., The College of New Jersey; B.A., Brigham Young University

Area of Expertise
Composition
Email
Bio

Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., Teachers College, NY; M.A., Rutgers University;  B.A., William Smith College
 
Diversity Certificate, Cornell University Holocaust & Genocide Advisory Board, Raritan Valley Community College Big Brother Big Sister mentor Admissions volunteer, Hobart & William Smith Colleges Minority Student Careers Panel volunteer, Hobart & William Smith Colleges National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) member

Area of Expertise
War Trauma literature
Email
Bio

Instructor of English

Academic Degrees Achieved: B.A., M.A., Montclair State University
 

Area of Expertise
English Composition
Email
Bio

Associate Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., Rutgers University;
B.A., City College of New York-CUNY

Area of Expertise
Rhetoric & Composition, American Literature, Early World Literature (Pre-Renaissance), American Ethnic Literature, African American Literature & Culture
Email
Bio

Assistant Professor

Academic Degrees Achieved: Ph.D. University of Miami, M.A. University of Miami, M.A. University of Wroclaw, B.A. University of Wroclaw, B.Sc. Wroclaw University of Technology

Area of Expertise
Multi-ethnic literature of the United States
20th-century American literature
Composition
Email

Raritan Valley Community College online courses, as well as face-to-face classes, are taught by accomplished adjunct and full-time faculty.

Lucia Barbieri    lbarbier@raritanval.edu
B.S. English Education, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
M.A. English Literature, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Writing Workshop Program, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Executive Management Program, Duke University, Raleigh-Durham, NC
Leadership Management, Aspen Institute, Colorado

Karly Berezowsky    karly.berezowsky@raritanval.edu
B.A. English, B.A. Communication (with a specialized concentration in Journalism), minor in Art History from Flagler College
M.A. English Literature. and Graduate Certificate in Women's and Gender Studies, The College of New Jersey

Ellen Brain    ebrain@raritanval.edu
Masters of the Humanities and Secondary English Education, Kean University

Jessica Brent    jbrent@raritanval.edu
Ph.D. English, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.

Rebecca Campbell   Rebecca.campbell@raritanval.edu
B.A., English Literature, University of Maryland, College Park
M.A., Secondary English Education, New York University

Nancy Castello Nancy.castello@raritanval.edu
B.A., Rutgers University
M.A., Montclair State University

Denise Cimpko-Beller     DCimpko@raritanval.edu
B.A. English, Rutgers University
M.A. English, The College of New Jersey

Scot Ebner  Scot.ebner@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.L.I.T., Drew University

Anne Ehrhart    Anne.Ehrhart@raritanval.edu
B.A. English, Westminster College, Missouri
M.A.T. Secondary English, University of Louisville

Melanie Frances  Melanie.frances@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.A., College of New Jersey

Kendra Hansis     Kendra.Hansis@raritanval.edu
B.A., University of Connecticut
M.A., University of Connecticut
Ph.D. (ABD), University of Massachusetts

Alicia Harabin   Alicia.harabin@raritanval.edu

Karen Hoffman     karen.hoffman@raritanval.edu
B.S., East Stroudsburg University
M.Ed., East Stroudsburg University

Dr. Ann C. Kane    akane@raritanval.edu
A.A., Raritan Valley Community College
B.A., Kean University
M.S., Walden University
Ed.D., Walden University

Maria Kayal  Maria.kayal@raritanval.edu
B.A., English/Philosophy, University of Scranton
M.S., TESOL, City College of New York

Sabrina Mahfouz    Sabrina.Mahfouz@raritanval.edu
B.A., English/Elementary Ed, Kean University
M.A., English/Gifted Education, Columbia University

Julie Mainka   julie.mainka@raritanval.edu
B.A. English, University of Texas at San Antonio
M.A. English, Literature and Language, University of Northern Colorado 

Thomas A. Makin, Ph.D.    tmakin@raritanval.edu
Ph.D., Univ. of Pennsylvania
M.A., Univ. of Pennsylvania
B.A., Manhattan College 

Dr. Robin Mako Citarella    rmako@raritanval.edu
Ph.D., M.Phil., M.A., Drew University 
B.A., University of Dayton

Vanessa Markota  Vanessa.markota@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.A., English, Seton Hall University

Raymond Masullo Raymond.masullo@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.A., English, William Paterson University

Kellie McKinney  Kellie.mckinney@raritanval.edu
M.A., University of Denver

Nina McPherson Nina.mcpherson@raritanval.edu
B.A., Yale University

Kathalyn Messano    kmessano@raritanval.edu
B.A., in English, Fairleigh Dickinson 
M.A.T., Fairleigh Dickinson 
M.A. Education Leadership, Management and Policy, Seton Hall
Ed.D (ABD) Curriculum Leadership, Northeastern University 

Elizabeth Michels   Elizabeth.michels@raritanval.edu

Thomas E. Moomjy    tmoomjy@raritanval.edu
PhD., Candidate in American Studies (ABD), Rutgers University-Newark
B.A., M.A., English, Rutgers University

Sara Pampinto    spampint@raritanval.edu
M.A. English Language and Literature, NYU
B.A. English and Secondary Education, TCNJ

Jamie Parmese Jamie.parmese@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.A., Rutgers University

Melody Pazian Melody.pazian@raritanval.edu
M.S.,, M.S.Ed., Adol. Education English, College of Staten Island

Nina Presuto  Nina.presuto@raritanval.edu
A.A., Liberal Arts, Raritan Valley Community College
B.A., Elem. Education/English Writing, Kean University
M.A.Ed., Prof. Development Pgm., Seton Hall University

Patricia Rutledge     prutledg@raritanval.edu
B.S., M.Ed., Rutgers University

Mary Saarmann    msaarman@raritanval.edu
A.A. Humanities/Social Science, County College of Morris
B.A. English, Montclair State University
Post B.A. Teaching Certification English, Montclair State University
M.A. Speech and Theatre, Montclair State University
Post-Graduate Study in England, Shakespeare and Theatre, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Robert Sager     robert.sager@raritanval.edu
B.A., Dickinson College
M.S., St. Josephs University

Amy Sawford Amy.sawford@raritanval.edu
B.A., English, The University of Florida
M.A., English - Comparative Literature, Brooklyn College

Tracey Schuller   Tracey.schuller@raritanval.edu
B.A. English, Colgate University
M. Ed. English Education, New York University

Eric Specian   Eric.specian@raritanval.edu

Julie Stine Julie.stine@raritanval.edu
B.A., Art History, Rutgers College
M.Ed., English Education, Rutgers University

Cathline Tanis  Cathline.tanis@raritanval.edu
M.Ed., English/Language Arts, Rutgers University

Christine Taylor    christine.taylor@raritanval.edu
Master of Library and Information Science, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
M.A. English Literature, National University
B.A. English and Pan African Studies, Drew University

Myra Thomas  Myra.thomas@raritanval.edu
B.A., Vassar College
M.F.A., Fairleigh Dickinson University

Alison Ward      Alison.ward@raritanval.edu
B.S. Secondary Education in English, University of Rhode Island  
M.A. in Teaching and Learning, Nova Southeastern University  

Valerie A. Wheatley     Valerie.wheatley@raritanval.edu
B.A., William Paterson College/University
M.A., The George Washington University
Education Specialist from The George Washington University

Nota Bene, an annual online journal, provides an opportunity for students to showcase academic achievements.

Career Coach – Learn more about career opportunities.

Contact Information:
Andrew Kopka
andrew.kopka@raritanval.edu

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