Department Overview
Explore with us the intellectual challenges of literary study. Immersion in American, English, and World literature 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 online 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.
Still not sure if English is the major for you? Watch these videos for inspiration.
Why did you become an English major at RVCC?
Degree Programs
English, Associate of Arts - Expore Careers
Online classes are an option for many English degree requirements.
Full Time Faculty
Professor
Academic Degrees Achieved: Ph.D., M.A., B.A., Rutgers University
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).
Professor
Academic Degrees Achieved: Ph.D., M.A., University of California; M.A., University of Illinois; B.A., Wheaton College
Associate Professor
Academic Degrees Achieved: Ed.M., Rutgers University; Graduate Certificate in Composition Studies, Indiana University
Associate Professor
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., B.A., Kent State University
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/
Assistant Professor
Academic degrees achieved: M.A., English, Western Illinois University; B.A. English, Jackson State University; A.A., Liberal Arts, Pearl River College
Associate Professor
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A.T., Western Carolina University; B.A., Rutgers University
Professor
Academic Degrees Achieved: Ed.M., Rutgers University; M.A., The College of New Jersey; B.A., Brigham Young University
Instructor of English
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., English, Fordham University; B.A., English, Lehman College; A.A., Liberal Arts, Bronx Community College
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
Instructor
Academic degrees achieved:
Ph.D., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
M.A., Seton Hall University
B.A., Seton Hall University
A.A., Brookdale Community College
Book: Fix-It-Fics: Challenging the Status Quo through Fan Fiction, Vernon Press, 2024
Articles: "Milcah Martha Moore and the Editorial Function," Women's Studies, 2021
"Reading Between the Silences in the Correspondence of Esther Edward Burr and Sarah Prince," Studies in Eighteenth-Century Culture, 2023
Awards: Omohundro Institute Mount Vernon Digital Collections Fellowship, 2018
Associate Professor
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., Rutgers University; B.A., City College of New York-CUNY
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
20th-century American literature
Composition
Adjunct Faculty
Raritan Valley Community College online courses, as well as face-to-face classes, are taught by accomplished adjunct and full-time faculty.
Janine Albanese janine.albanese@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.A., English Education, Montclair State University
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
Telia Bennett telia.bennett@raritanval.edu
B.A., English, Rutgers University
B.A., Psychology, Rutgers University
MBA., Marketing, Fairleigh Dickinson University
M.A., English Literature, Seton Hall University
Ed.S., Leadership, Management, and Policy, Seton Hall University
Christy Bouziotis christy.bouziotis@raritanval.edu
B.A., Literature and Language, Stockton University
B.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., English Literature, Drew University
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
Kelsey Carter kelsey.carter@raritanval.edu
A.A., Communications, Raritan Valley Community College
B.A., Communications. William Paterson University
M.A., English and Writing Studies, Kean University
Nancy Castello nancy.castello@raritanval.edu
B.A., Rutgers University
M.A., Montclair State University
Keith Chiappone keith.chiappone@raritanval.edu
B.A., Secondary Education and English, New Jersey City University
M.A., Reading, Rutgers University
Denise Cimpko-Beller DCimpko@raritanval.edu
B.A. English, Rutgers University
M.A. English, The College of New Jersey
Shaun Curran shaun.curran@raritanval.edu
A.A., English, Bunker Hill Community College
B.A., English, University of Massachusetts
M.A., English, National University
Ed.D., Education Administration Leadership, Jones International University
Tina Diamond tina.diamond@raritanval.edu
Michael Dalpe michael.dalpe@raritanval.edu
B.A., English and Secondary Education, The College of New Jersey
M.A., English, The College of New Jersey
Melanie Frances melanie.frances@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.A., College of New Jersey
Zahra Hammoud zahra.hammond@raritanval.edu
A.A., Liberal Arts, Essex County College
B.A., Political Science, Rutgers University
M.A., English, Southern New Hampshire University
Karen Hoffman karen.hoffman@raritanval.edu
B.S., East Stroudsburg University
M.Ed., East Stroudsburg University
Abdulrazak Ibrahim abdulrazak.ibrahim@raritanval.edu
A.A., Liberal Arts, Middlesex County College
B.A., English, Rutgers University
M.A., English-Language Arts Education, Rutgers 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
Carol Mahida carol.mahida@raritanval.edu
B.A., English, University of South Carolina
M.A., English Education, Teachers College-Columbia University
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
Raymond Masullo raymond.masullo@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.A., English, William Paterson University
Mark McElgunn mark.mcelgunn@raritanval.edu
B.A., English, Rutgers University
M.A., Education (English), Rutgers University
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
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
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
Amanda Riccitelli amanda.riccitelli@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.A., English, The College of New Jersey
Robert Sager robert.sager@raritanval.edu
B.A., Dickinson College
M.S., St. Josephs University
Tracey Schuller tracey.schuller@raritanval.edu
B.A. English, Colgate University
M. Ed. English Education, New York University
Divya Sood divya.sood@raritanval.edu
B.A., English, Rutgers University
M.A., English, New York University
M.F.A., Creative Writing, 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
Christopher Teixeira christopher.teixeira@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.A, Montclair State University
Bridget Tsemo bridget.tsemo@raritanval.edu
B.A., English Literature, University of Illinois
M.A., Teaching of English, University of Illinois
Ph.D., Language, Literacy, and Rhetoric, University of Illinois
William Wall william.wall@raritanval.edu
B.A., English, Seton Hall University
M.A., English and Secondary Education, Seton Hall 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
Emily Zbyszynski emily.zbyszynski@raritnval.edu
B.A., M.A., English, The College of New Jersey
Additional Details
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
