Profiles of the Harlaxton Faculty, Fall Term, 2007

The Harlaxton-Based, “British” Faculty

Dr Edward Bujak         
British Studies and History

With his degrees and teaching experience from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, Dr Bujak came to Harlaxton in 2001. In addition to our undergraduate programme in British Studies - which he has chaired since 2004 - he teaches courses on British, European, and international history as well as the two world wars. In 2006, he received the Outstanding Teacher Award of the University of Evansville. His research interests include the great estate system in England, the Victorian land reform movement, and landownership in the British Empire. His related monograph, England’s Rural Realms: Landownership and the Agricultural Revolution, is due to be published by I. B. Tauris in 2007.

Dr David Green           
British Studies

Dr Green is a graduate of the universities of Exeter (BA) and Nottingham (MA, PhD). Before coming to Harlaxton in 2007 he lived in England, Scotland and Ireland, lecturing at the universities of Sheffield, St Andrews and Trinity College, Dublin. His current research interests lie in later medieval British, Irish and European history including kingship, Plantagenet colonialism and concepts of national identity. He has published the following books: The Black Prince (Tempus, 2001); The Battle of Poitiers, 1356 (Tempus, 2002); Edward the Black Prince: Power in Medieval Europe (Longman, 2007). He is currently working on a volume on The Hundred Years War for Yale University Press.

Dr Gordon Kingsley           
British Studies and Principal of Harlaxton College

In a long academic career, Dr Kingsley has been professor of literature and religion at Tulane University, Mississippi College, the University of Louisville, and William Jewell College, all in the United States. At the latter school he also served as academic dean and, for thirteen years, as president. In a study funded by the Exxon Foundation, he was adjudged among the top 5% of America’s 'most effective university leaders'. He holds degrees from Mississippi College (BA), the University of Missouri (MA), and the New Orleans Theological Seminary (BD, ThD), where his research was conducted jointly at Tulane University. He holds honorary doctorates from Mercer University (LittD), Seinan Gakuin University, Japan (DHum), and the University of Evansville (LHD). Though he describes the college presidency as a 'shortcut to illiteracy', he has managed to produce three books and some 100 articles, monographs, and reviews, chiefly in popular religious subjects.

Dr James Owen           
British Studies

Dr Owen received his PhD in History and his MPhil in European Studies from Girton College, University of Cambridge and his BA in History and Politics from the University of Nottingham. Before joining Harlaxton in 2007, he lived in the United States, teaching World History and Modern British History at Greensboro College, North Carolina. His research interests include British party political organization in the nineteenth century and he has a forthcoming article on this subject appearing in Parliamentary History. Funded by the British Academy, Dr Owen’s most recent research project has focused on parallels between ‘caucus’ politics in Britain and North America.

Dr Helen Snow           
British Studies and English Literature

After undergraduate work at Southampton University and her MA and PhD from the Shakespeare Institute of the University of Birmingham in Stratford-upon-Avon, Dr Snow first came to Harlaxton in the early 1990s, taking an active part in the creation and early evolution of the British Studies course as well as teaching Shakespeare and other literature, drama, and creative writing courses. After switching to the Open University for some years, both teaching and advising there, she returned to Harlaxton in 2004 and now combines working at the OU with teaching and advising on British Studies here. Her publications and research interests deal with Shakespeare in performance, gender in Shakespeare, and pedagogy and methodology in higher education, particularly in the field of study abroad (cf. also our conferences).

The Discipline-Specific British Faculty

Professor Sally Brown, MA (University of Northumbria)

With a BA (Hons) and an MA in Fine Art (sculpture) from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle upon Tyne, Professor Brown worked for twenty years as a professional sculptor, completing public commissions; a research project in West Africa as a Winston Churchill Fellow (1990); and a residency with the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra. During this time she moonlighted as a musician, singing and playing with a variety of blues and jazz outfits in the North-East of England. In the nineties, Sally chose music over sculpture to tour the UK and Europe with her own swing band, playing both fiddle and double bass as well as singing. Then followed two years at the School of Music at Newcastle upon Tyne, where she was ‘Student of the Year’, studying voice, viola, violin and piano, and touring with the College Choir.

Since moving to the East Midlands in 1995, Sally has founded seven flourishing non-traditional choirs, including the National Trust Out of Silence choir (researching and creating music which tells lost stories from the region’s heritage), and Choir Invisible, a 90-member, non-auditioned soul-gospel group which reached the finals of the UK’s most prestigious choral contest, the BBC Radio 3 Choir Of the Year Competition, and most recently performed for Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Both these choirs rehearse at Harlaxton Manor, where Professor Brown leads the Harlaxton Collegiate Choir.

Professor Brown now combines choir work with writing, winning the Orange Prize for Short Fiction in 2000 and currently completing a first novel.

Professor Jennifer Laing, BA (Hons) (University of Liverpool)

Author of five books and co-author of twelve others on archaeology, history, and ancient art (especially Roman, Celtic, and Anglo-Saxon), Professor Laing is an experienced lecturer and field archaeologist. Her sole-authored books include A Basic Guide to Archaeology, Warriors of the Dark Ages, Art and Society in Roman Britain, The Greek and Roman Gods, and Finding Roman Britain. With her husband Lloyd Laing, she has co-authored books also on Celtic Britain and Ireland, the Picts and Scots, Britain’s European heritage, and the origins of Britain.

Professor Laing has been a Research Fellow and Tutor at the University of Liverpool. At Harlaxton this term, she teaches an archaeology course in British Pre-History from ca. 10,000 bc to 43 ad.

Professor Cliff Pettifor, PhD (Nottingham Trent University)

Professor Pettifor has taught Politics at Harlaxton College for a quarter century, while sharing an appointment with The Open University and carrying forward research and management duties as Director of the Performance Indicator Project. Prior to his academic career he was a successful businessman. A raconteur, wit, and superb teacher, Professor Pettifor offers British Politics during the current term.

Professor Ian Welsh, MBA (Nottingham Business School)

In addition to his comprehensive duties as Business Manager for Harlaxton College, Professor Welsh teaches a highly popular introductory course in Marketing. He has been at Harlaxton for 16 years, after beginning his career in data processing management and progressing to the financial directorship of a Midlands based retail group.

The American-Based, “Visiting” Faculty

Professor Nancy Anderson, PhD (The OhioStateUniversity)
Texas Woman's University

Nancy Anderson is an Associate Professor and University Trainer for Reading Recovery Teacher Leaders in the Department of Reading at Texas Woman's University.  She received her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University specializing in the relationship between language and thinking related to professional learning and children's literacy development.    

At Texas Woman's University, Dr. Anderson works extensively with doctoral students, teaches in the graduate and undergraduate programs, and provides professional development for teacher leaders in Reading Recovery sites across the United States.   Her scholarship includes national keynote presentations, journal articles, book chapters and a forthcoming book in August of 2008 entitled Connecting Assessment to Literacy instruction: A Framework for Actively Engaging Literacy Learners.

Dr. Anderson's professional passion is working with children at risk of literacy failure, and she can often be found in schools teaching children and coaching teachers.

Professor Mike Carson, PhD (The Ohio State University)
University of Evansville

Mike Carson has a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, specializing in Renaissance literature; an M.A. from Miami of Ohio; and a B.A. from the University of Evansville.  He has taught at UE since 1969, was a faculty member at Harlaxton in the University's first year at the Manor 1971-72, and is returning this year for the fifth time.  He teaches a wide range of literature and creative writing courses, from Early English Writers through the 17th Century, to Shakespeare, and Poetry Writing.  He has been chair of the English Department and held the Melvin M. Peterson Chair of Literature.  He is currently completing a manuscript of original poetry.

He is accompanied by his wife, Maggie, who is retired and is his fellow grandparent-in-arms.  While in UK they hope to do much hiking and as many bicycling excursions as time and the weather permit, and attend all of the available performances of Shakespeare's plays.

Professor Michael J. Cullen, Ph.D. (Case Western Reserve University)
University of Evansville

Michael Cullen is a professor and the chair of the Department of Biology at the University of Evansville (UE).  Following his doctoral training in cell biology and developmental neurobiology, he joined the staff at the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda Maryland.  After several years at the NIH, he and his family moved to Southern California.  He joined the faculty at UE in 1996 following 18 years on the faculty of the University of Southern California (USC) School of Medicine.  He has done funded research and published major research articles in the areas of nervous system development and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Cullen has taught a wide range of biomedical courses, particularly in the areas of cell biology, embryology, and neuroscience; he taught at Harlaxton in the fall of 2003.  His spouse and best friend, Ruth, will join him at Harlaxton during the semester.  She is a registered nurse and a certified nurse practitioner.  Currently she works for the Middle Grade Reading Network, a program funded by the Lilly Foundation.

Professor Rodd Freitag, PhD (University of Texas at Austin)
University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire

Rodd Freitag is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he has been for the past eleven years.  He teaches a variety of courses on American government and politics and has particular research interest in state politics and policy.  At Harlaxton he will be teaching American National Government, Political Parties and Elections, and Congress and the Presidency.  Freitag has been chair of his department for the past six years.  He taught for five years at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford before joining the faculty at UW-Eau Claire.  Freitag holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in Government and a BA from MinnesotaStateUniversity, Mankato, in History and Political Science.  For fun he likes to run, play basketball, and read British mysteries.

Rodd is joined at Harlaxton by his wife, Stephanie Turner, and sons Joseph (age 10) and Thomas (age 8).  The boys will be attending the HarlaxtonVillageSchool.  Steph and the boys enjoy playing soccer and exploring nature.

Professor Woodrow Hood, PhD (University of Missouri-Columbia)
Catawba College

Woody has been the Chair of the Theatre Arts Department at Catawba College since 2002.  His primary teaching responsibilities include Advanced Directing, Playwriting, Asian Studies, and Dramatic Literature. He has also directed theatre professionally and academically for over 20 years, mostly recently directing Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing at The Parkway Playhouse in North Carolina.  He is also a published author (books and journals) and critic.

His best friend, collaborator, and spouse, Cindy Gendrich, will join him at Harlaxton during the semester.   Cindy is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

Professor Kevin McCarthy, PhD (St. Louis University)
Baker University

Kevin McCarthy has earned three degrees from Saint Louis University: a BA in Mathematics and Spanish, an MBA with an international business concentration, and a Ph.D. with decision sciences as his major area in business administration. While an undergraduate, he spent an academic year in Madrid, Spain and continues to advocate for the importance of an international dimension to university education. Most recently, he led a group of sixteen business students to China in January 2008.

He has served as the Business and Economics department chair at Baker and has been a chapter adviser and board member with Delta Mu Delta, a business honorary. Relative to specialized business accreditation, he has served in a number of leadership roles with the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).  He also serves as the Faculty Fellow for the Kansas Alpha chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He will be on sabbatical leave from Baker University during Spring 2009 and previously taught at Harlaxton College in Spring 2003.

He will be accompanied by his wife, Donna, during the Fall 2008 semester.

Professor Kelli J. Schutte, PhD (MichiganStateUniversity))
William Jewell College

Kelli J. Schutte is Assistant Professor of Management, Human Resources and Organizational Behavior at WilliamJewellCollege. Her dissertation considered Organizational Culture from a Human Resource perspective with a focus on work/life initiative effectiveness. She has been a contributor to numerous publications including the Sloan Work/Family encyclopedia, Christian Higher Education, Cooperative Education and Internship Journal and the Human Resource Planning Society Journal. Kelli has also been a regular presenter at work/life and applied learning conferences. She is also an active consultant in the area of organizational culture, policy development and employment law.

Her research interests are in work/life culture, policy development, employment law and experiential education. She is actively involved with the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) group on campus as a faculty mentor. Kelli has particularly enjoyed working with students on projects involving micro-enterprise, global economics, and sponsoring student presentations within the community and at national conferences.

She is joined at Harlaxton by her daughter Abigail.  Husband Kevin, a pastor, and son Jeremy will be visiting.

Professor Jerry W. Thomason, PhD (University of Missouri-Columbia))
Hannibal-LaGrange College

Holding the BS and MA from Austin Peay State University and PhD from the University of Missouri, Dr. Thomason has been with Hannibal-LaGrange College for twenty-eight years.  He has taught in the English, Speech Communications, and Theatre departments.  He also served as director of estate planning for four years.

His primary academic focus has been in Mark Twain studies and drama.  He provided four articles for the Mark Twain Encyclopedia and published Twain’s only successful play, “Colonel Sellers,” in the Missouri Review in 1995.  He directed a revival of the play in 2003 after a stage absence of 106 years.

Prior to joining the faculty at HLG, Dr. Thomason was a pastor for eighteen years.

He is joined at Harlaxton College by his wife Darla.

Professor Mark Valenzuela, PhD (Cornell University)
University of Evansville

Mark Valenzuela is Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Evansville where he has taught since 1999.  Dr. Mark, as he is known by his students, received his PhD and MS degrees in structural engineering from Cornell University in beautiful (but cold) Ithaca, New York.  For his undergraduate degree he stuck to his roots in the South (can’t y’all tell by his accent?) and attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, for his Bachelors of Engineering degree in civil and environmental engineering.  At UE Dr. Mark teaches classes in structural engineering, construction materials, surveying, and transportation engineering.  He was awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award in 2003.  He is advisor to the concrete canoe team (yes, it does float!) and serves as the university’s grand marshal at academic functions.  Dr. Mark’s research interests are in engineering education, nondestructive testing of concrete, historic structures, and human-computer interaction.  He has published in journals and proceedings of the American Concrete Institute, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society for Engineering Education.  He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Indiana.

This is Dr. Mark’s second tour of duty at Harlaxton.  He will teach Engineering Mechanics, Calculus III, and a course for non-engineers about structures and materials.  Outside of the classroom he enjoys music, musicals and choral singing (he’s even been known to conduct!).  He likes to cook because he likes to eat and then he has to go work out at the gym.  He has two cats, Mrs. Katzenjammer (they’re not on a first name basis yet) and her daughter, Skinker Katzenjammer. 

Professor John Westlie, PhD (Yale University)
William Jewell College

John Westlie is returning to the classroom after serving as Vice President for Academic Affairs at William Jewell College, where he was first appointed as a faculty member in 1985.  His degrees are from New College of Florida, the University of Minnesota, and Yale University, where he completed a Ph.D. in French.  At Harlaxton he will be teaching a version of a new course developed for the core curriculum at William Jewell, “Epics of Heaven and Hell,” a study of the Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost with an emphasis on how writers of the past integrated their faith and the scientific paradigm of their time.  He is engaged in a research project on Jean Giono, a French novelist (1895-1970), and the nouveau roman, a literary movement of the 1960s which Giono disdained but which his work in many ways anticipates.  Westlie’s interests include chess, gardening and pencil drawing.

His wife Margaret, a native of Canada, is a former nurse and now an author who writes fiction based on the stories of her family, direct descendants of the Selkirk Settlers who emigrated from the Isle of Skye to Prince Edward Island in 1803.  She is also a violinist and painter, as well as an accomplished pencil portraitist.

Professor Angela Wooton, MS (University of Evansville))
University of Evansville

Angie Wooton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing, at the University of Evansville.  She also works as a Family Nurse Practitioner for Deaconess Family Medicine.  Her favorite areas of practice are cardiology and family medicine.

Angie earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Southern Indiana, a Master of Science Degree in Adult Health and Nursing Administration at the University of Evansville, and a Post-Master Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner at the University of Southern Indiana. She is currently a doctoral student at the University of Hawai’i.

Angie is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and is active in numerous nursing organizations.  She serves as the advisor for the Student Nurse Association Professionals (SNAP) at the University of Evansville.

Angie’s primary area of research interest is social engagement, physical activity, aging, and health promotion in older adults.  She is currently working on a qualitative research project involving physical activity in older adults.  She spent the summer working on the application for a research grant at the John A. Hartford Foundation to fund Gerontological research and education at the University of Evansville. When not working on projects for the University of Hawai’i or the University of Evansville, Angie can be found running on the wooded trails of Audubon State Park or spending time with her grandchildren.