Main Office
Department of EnglishAdministration Building, Room 222 Tacoma, WA 98447 | 253-535-7698 |
| engl@plu.edu |
Faculty

James Albrecht
Associate Professor of English & Chair of English Department
Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1995
| 253-535-7698 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 222-D |
| albrecjm@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Amherst College, 1985
- M.A., Rutgers University, 1989
- Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1995
Areas of Emphasis:
- American Literature
- Pragmatism

Rick Barot
Assistant Professor of English
M.F.A., Iowa Writers' Workshop, 1998
| 253-535-7318 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 222-I |
| barotrp@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Wesleyan University, 1992
- M.F.A., Iowa Writers' Workshop, 1998
Areas of Emphasis:
- Creative Writing
- Poetry
- Ethnic Literature
- Gay/Lesbian Literature

Charles Bergman
Professor of English
Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1977
| 253-535-7490 | Personal Web site |
| bergman@plu.edu | Office Location Eastvold, 230-A |
Education:
- B.A., Economics, University of Washington, 1969
- B.A., English, University of Washington, 1970
- M.A., University of Minnesota, 1973
- Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1977
Areas of Emphasis:
- Environmental Writing
- Environmental Literature
- Freelance Writing
- Shakespeare

Callista Brown
Associate Professor of English
Ph.D., Purdue University, 1991
| 253-535-7806 | Office Location Blomquist House, Rm #11 |
| carltosb@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Mount Holyoke College, 1971
- M.A., Butler University, 1982
- Ph.D., Purdue University, 1991
Areas of Emphasis:
- Composition
- Rhetorical Theory
- Literacy

Thomas Campbell
Professor of English
Ph.D., University of Oregon, 1981
| 253-535-7226 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 227-D |
| campbetj@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.S., University of Oregon, 1968
- M.A., Portland State University, 1976
- Ph.D., University of Oregon, 1981
Areas of Emphasis:
- British Literature
- Bloomsbury Group and Literary Modernism
- Personal Writing
- Romanticism
- AIDS Literature

Sharon Jansen
Professor of English
Ph.D., University of Washington, 1980
| 253-535-7227 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 220-H |
| jansensl@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., California Lutheran University, 1972
- M.A., University of Washington, 1973
- Ph.D., University of Washington, 1980
Areas of Emphasis:
- Medieval and Renaissance Literature
- Women's Literature

Rona Kaufman
Associate Professor of English
Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2002
| 253-535-7295 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 222-G |
| kaufman@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Penn State University, 1992
- M.A., University of Maine, 1994
- Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2002
Areas of Emphasis:
- Composition
- Rhetoric and Writing
- Literacy
- Pedagogy
- English Language

Matthew Levy
Assistant Professor of English, Director of Writing Center, Director of Faculty Development for First-Year Experience Program
Ph.D., Rhetoric, University of Texas at Arlington, 2005
| 253-535-7230 | Office Location Blomquist House, B2 |
| levy@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., English, Guilford College, 1993
- M.A., English, University of Texas at Arlington, 1997
- Ph.D., Rhetoric, University of Texas at Arlington, 2005
Areas of Emphasis:
- Rhetoric
- Composition
- Critical Theory

Alison Mandaville
Visiting Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Literature, University of Washington
| 538-5670 | Office Location Administration Building, 220-A |
Biography:
Alison Mandaville's poems have appeared in journals including Knock, Seattle Review, and Jeopardy. She is currently completing a prestigious Fulbright scholarship in Azerbaijan, and returns to PLU (having taught for us in 2004-05).
Education:
- Ph.D., Literature, University of Washington
- M.F.A., Creative Writing, University of Washington
Areas of Emphasis:
- Multi-ethnic and women's literatures.
- Comics / Graphic novels

Lisa Marcus
Associate Professor of English
Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1995
| 253-535-7312 | Office Location Administration Building, 227-G |
| marcusls@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1986
- M.A., Rutgers University, 1989
- Ph.D., Rutgers University, 1995
Areas of Emphasis:
- American and Ethnic Literature
- Women's Literature
- Feminist Theory
- Cultural Studies

Dennis Martin
Professor of English
Ph.D., University of California - Los Angeles, 1973
| 253-535-7217 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 227-C |
| martindm@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.S., Edinboro State College, 1964
- M.A., Purdue University, 1966
- Ph.D., University of California - Los Angeles, 1973
Areas of Emphasis:
- American and Contemporary Literature

Nathalie op de Beeck
Associate Professor of English
Ph.D., Cultural and Critical Studies, University of Pittsburgh, 2003
| 253-535-8773 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 227-K |
| opdebena@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.S., English/Art, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1990
- M.A., Literature, University of Pittsburgh, 1998
- Ph.D., Cultural and Critical Studies, University of Pittsburgh, 2003
Areas of Emphasis:
- cultural and critical studies
- children's literature and culture
- graphic narrative and visual studies
- gender issues
- ecocriticism

Solveig Robinson
Associate Professor of English, DIrector of the Publishing & Printing Arts Program
Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1994
| 253-535-7241 | Personal Web site |
| solveig.robinson@plu.edu | Office Location Blomquist House, Rm #9 |
Education:
- B.A., Gustavus Adolphus College, 1983
- M.A., University of Chicago, 1987
- Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1994
Areas of Emphasis:
- Publishing Studies
- Editing
- Victorian Literature
- Writing
- Criticism

David Seal
Professor of English
Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1977
| 253-535-7316 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 227-E |
| sealdo@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., St. Olaf College, 1968
- A.M., University of Chicago, 1969
- Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1977
Areas of Emphasis:
- Psychological Criticism
- Narrative Writing

Jason Skipper
Assistant Professor of English
Ph.D., Western Michigan University, 2005
| 253-535-7238 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 222-H |
| jason.skipper@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., University of North Texas, 1999
- M.A., Miami University at Oxford-Ohio, 2001
- Ph.D., Western Michigan University, 2005
Areas of Emphasis:
- Creative Writing
- Fiction

Jessica Spring
English Instructor, Elliot Press Manager
M.F.A., Columbia College Center for Book & Paper Arts, 2002
| 253-535-5778 | Office Location Blomquist House, Rm #3 |
| springjl@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Macalester College, 1985
- M.F.A., Columbia College Center for Book & Paper Arts, 2002
Areas of Emphasis:
- Book Arts and History of the Book

Barbara Temple-Thurston
Professor of English
Ph.D., Southern Illinois University, 1985
| 253-535-8747 | Office Location Blomquist House, Rm #7 |
| templeba@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., University of Witwatersrand-Johannesburg, 1971
- MS.Ed., Southern Illinois University, 1979
- Ph.D., Southern Illinois University, 1985
Areas of Emphasis:
- Post-Colonial Literature
- Caribbean Literature
- African Literature

Jennifer Smith
Visiting Assistant Professor
Ph.D., English, Western Michigan University, 2006
| 253-538-5665 | Office Location Harstad Hall, 113 |
| jennifer.smith@plu.edu |
Education:
- Ph.D., English, Western Michigan University, 2006
- M.A., English, Miami University, 2001
- B.A., English, Franklin College, 1998
Areas of Emphasis:
- Modern & Contemporary British Literature
- LGBTQ Studies
- Women's Literature
- Popular Culture