Stephen Cohen is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Penn State University, with affiliations spanning English, Health Humanities, and the Writing Program. He serves as Program Coordinator for the First Year Seminar, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to writing and communication. Teaching Interests: Writing instruction for diverse audiences Business writing Web-based writing Health humanities Research Focus: His work integrates disability studies , rhetorics of health and medicine , multi-modal communication , and narrative theory , addressing how writing practices intersect with human experiences and digital mediums. Contact: Email: uuc91@psu.edu | Office: Sutherland | Phone: Microsoft Teams Calling
Dr. Deniz Alca is an Assistant Professor at Karabük University with dual appointments in the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, International Relations Department and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Health Management. She also serves as Deputy Director of Institute and Department Head at Karabük University, demonstrating significant administrative leadership alongside her academic work. Her educational background includes a PhD in Political Science and Public Administration from Ankara University (2004-2012), an MSc in Political Science from Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University (2002-2004), and a BA in Public Administration from Abant İzzet Baysal University (1996-2002). Dr. Alca's research primarily focuses on Refugee Studies, International Security, and International Politics. Her recent work examines biopolitics through Foucault and Agamben's frameworks, Turkey's position in European security architecture, and the socio-political-economic dimensions of Syrian refugees in Turkey. Her publication record shows increasing productivity since 2019, with significant output in both journal articles and book chapters addressing contemporary security challenges and migration issues. Her academic contributions include supervision of three master's students, leadership of multiple research projects including 'Uluslararası Siyasetin Tarihsel Yüzü: İmparatorluklar, Devletler ve Diplomasi' (2025-2026), and extensive teaching across political science, international relations, and health management disciplines. Dr. Alca has established herself as a productive scholar in Turkish academia with a growing international profile, particularly in the fields of refugee studies and international security.
Jeanetta Mohlke-Hill serves as a Professor at Eastern Kentucky University, contributing to academic discourse through innovative research at the intersection of rhetoric, composition, and critical theory. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical pedagogical applications across multiple scholarly domains. Her educational foundation includes: Ph.D. from Michigan State University M.A. from Bowling Green State University B.A. from the University of Toledo Dr. Mohlke-Hill's research program centers on material and ecological rhetorics , where she investigates how environmental systems shape writing practices, and multimodal composing , exploring non-traditional expression forms. Her commitment to feminist, queer, and disability studies informs a robust approach to culturally responsive pedagogy that challenges normative educational structures. This interdisciplinary work manifests in publications examining writing center ecologies, feminist craft theory, and spatial mapping as pedagogical tools, revealing consistent patterns of connecting embodied experience with environmental consciousness in composition studies. Her recent publication trajectory demonstrates sustained scholarly productivity with peer-reviewed articles in specialized composition journals. While specific grant details aren't provided, her active 2023-2025 publication record in venues like The Peer Review and The Journal of Multimodal Rhetorics indicates ongoing research engagement and scholarly influence within writing studies communities. Dr. Mohlke-Hill's academic practice emphasizes experiential learning through material and ecological approaches, creating pathways for students to engage with writing as a situated, embodied practice connected to broader environmental and social systems. Her work provides critical frameworks for understanding composition within contemporary ecological challenges and social justice imperatives.
Dr. Alex J. Moffett-Bateau is an Associate Professor of Political Science at John Jay College, City University of New York (CUNY), with a research focus on Black feminist political science and extra-systemic politics. They hold a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago and a BA in Political Science and African American Studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Moffett-Bateau now resides in New York City and maintains an active presence in both academic and public discourse. Dr. Moffett-Bateau's research centers on redefining what counts as political, particularly examining how Black women living below the poverty line engage politically within constrained environments. Their work explores how spatial and governmental realities impact political imagination and citizenship development, arguing that violent, isolated environments function to limit democratic participation. They teach courses including Race and Politics, Race and the Law, Gender and the Law, Introduction to Qualitative Methods, and Senior Research Course. Dr. Moffett-Bateau's scholarly output reveals consistent focus on Black women's political experiences, with their 2024 book Redefining the Political: Black Women Living Below the Poverty Line in Chicago, Black Feminism, and the Politics of Everyday Life winning the 2025 Anna Julia Cooper Outstanding Publication award. Their research spans multiple disciplines including political science, gender studies, urban studies, and critical race theory, with particular attention to how race, class, gender, and geography intersect to create structural vulnerability. 2025 Anna Julia Cooper Outstanding Publication award 2024 Book Publication Award from John Jay College 2024 Rodney Higgins Best Faculty Paper Award 2023-2024 BRES Research Faculty Fellowship 2021 Institute for Civically Engaged Research Multiple CUNY Research Awards (2015-2020) As a political knowledge worker focused on Black feminist, abolitionist, and disability justice political education, Dr. Moffett-Bateau actively engages with media outlets including The Guardian, Urban Affairs Forum, and various podcasts and television appearances. Their work intentionally uses accessible language to help communities understand how politics relates to everyday life, emphasizing that imagination combined with politics can enable transformative socio-political engagement toward justice and wellbeing.
Jennifer V Ebbeler is an Associate Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, where she specializes in Latin literature and Late Antique studies. She earned her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2001. Her research examines the intersection of literary traditions and cultural history during the Roman Empire's transition period. Research Focus: Dr. Ebbeler's work centers on Latin textual traditions with particular emphasis on: Epistolary practices in Greco-Roman antiquity The literary legacy of St. Augustine and his contemporaries Evolution of Latin prose forms Cultural exchange in Roman Africa Vergil's pastoral works and their reception Publications: Her scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on Late Antique literary culture, with recurring examination of epistolary conventions, religious identity politics, and textual interpretation methodologies across six major publications since 2003. Recent work continues exploring pastoral motifs and documentary traditions. Teaching: She offers diverse courses including: Pagans and Christians in the Later Roman Empire Advanced Latin readings (Cicero, Augustine, Ovid) Seminar on Cultures of the Book Writing-intensive courses on disability studies and antiquity
Kara Shultz is a Professor in the Department of Communication Studies, Media and Journalism at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with over 30 years of higher education experience. She returned to full-time teaching after serving as Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education and previously chaired the Communication Studies department during 2008-2014 and 2017-2018. Her teaching portfolio includes public speaking, social influence, event planning, and community leadership courses. Education background: Ph.D. in Human Communication, University of Denver (1991) M.A., University of Northern Colorado (1988) B.A., University of Northern Colorado (1986) As a first-generation college graduate and applied communication scholar, Dr. Shultz specializes in developing communicative processes that foster shared understanding across competing perspectives in organizational and community contexts. Her research prominently features rhetoric of persons with disabilities, food communication studies, and collaborative action frameworks, with publications spanning academic journals and edited volumes. She co-edited the undergraduate textbook Introduction to Communication: Translating Scholarship into Meaningful Practice (2012), currently undergoing revision for 2023. Dr. Shultz has secured significant research funding through National Endowment for the Humanities grants and participated in the Kettering Institute Centers of Public Deliberation program. Her administrative contributions include implementing early alert systems, developing first-year experience programs, and transitioning developmental courses to co-requisite support models to enhance student success.
Calli Micale serves as Assistant Professor of Theology and Ethics and Director of the MDiv Program at Palmer Theological Seminary, Eastern University, joining the faculty in 2023 after completing her PhD at Yale University. Education: PhD, Yale University Research Focus: Dr. Micale investigates the ethical implications of theological discourse for human life through historical Christian thought and rhetorical analysis of bodily perceptions in Western societies. Her work centers disability theology as a lens for examining Protestant traditions, with specific emphasis on how intellectual disability narratives reshape understandings of grace and sensation. Current research integrates gender, disability, and racial justice frameworks to critique theological constructions of health and embodiment. Academic Leadership: As MDiv Program Director, she trains faith leaders through curricula connecting theological resources to social justice action. Her teaching methodology moves students beyond conceptual learning to transform intellectual and spiritual perspectives for real-world impact, informed by her 10+ years of ELCA preaching experience and ordination candidacy.
Ármann Jakobsson is a Professor of Medieval Icelandic Literature at the University of Iceland, affiliated with the Icelandic and Comparative Cultural Studies department. With a substantial academic presence on platforms like Academia.edu (over 7,400 followers), he has established himself as a leading scholar in medieval Nordic studies. His research spans multiple interconnected fields, with primary specializations in Medieval Literature, Cultural Studies, and Folklore. He has developed significant expertise in Disability Studies as applied to medieval contexts and studies of marginalized identities in historical settings. His work often examines the boundaries between the human and supernatural in medieval Icelandic narratives. Prof. Jakobsson's publications demonstrate a strong focus on paranormal encounters in medieval Iceland, as evidenced by his co-edited volume 'Paranormal Encounters in Iceland 1150-1400' (2020) and his monograph 'The Troll Inside You: Paranormal Activity in the Medieval North' (2017). His scholarly output shows consistent engagement with medieval Icelandic sagas, legendary narratives, and their cultural implications. His recent publications reveal several key research trends: a methodological interest in disability studies within medieval contexts, continued exploration of supernatural elements in saga literature, examination of legal traditions in medieval Icelandic society, and analysis of historical memory particularly regarding Viking Age figures. His work frequently challenges established interpretations like 'saga realism' while offering new frameworks for understanding medieval Icelandic literature. His academic profile demonstrates sustained scholarly productivity with publications spanning from 2018 to 2025, including contributions to major reference works like The Literary Encyclopedia and edited volumes from prestigious academic presses.
Audrey Duru is an Associate Professor of Modern Literature at the University of Picardie-Jules Verne, affiliated with the Faculty of Letters and the TRAME research unit (UR UPJV 4284). Her academic trajectory includes: Former student at École Normale Supérieure Lettres et Sciences Humaines PhD in Literature and Arts from Université Lyon 2 Lumière Accreditation to Direct Research (HDR) from Sorbonne University Recipient of the Thiers Foundation scholarship Her research explores French Renaissance literature through three primary lenses: Lyrical poetics examines spiritual poetry (16th-early 17th centuries), focusing on religious verse, biblical paraphrases, and mystical traditions. Authorship studies investigate post-Ronsard literary practices, editorial strategies, and book usage. Literarization analyzes humanist writing through marginal perspectives including disability representation and female authorship. Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on sensory history and disability studies, particularly deafness/blindness in Renaissance literature. Her 2025 works in Revue du Nord examine deaf experiences through Ronsard and Du Bellay, while earlier articles analyze poetic adaptations of biblical texts and female editorial practices. Honors include the Thiers Foundation Scholarship. She actively organizes academic events including the 2023 conference 'Deaf Experiences from Saint-Jean d'Amiens' and directs collaborative publications on Franc-Comtois humanists. At TRAME research unit, she contributes to interdisciplinary studies of textual transmission and historical memory. Her current projects include editing volumes on the Pautrard family of humanists and sensory experiences in early modern France.
Richard Last serves as Associate Professor in Cultural Studies and Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at Trent University since 2017, following a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at York University (2015-2017). His academic journey spans interdisciplinary training in religious studies and ancient history across three major Canadian institutions. His educational foundation includes: BA in Religion (York University) MA in Ancient History (McMaster University) PhD in Religious Studies (University of Toronto) Last's research pioneers intersections between ancient religious practices, social structures, and contemporary political theory. He investigates non-normative speech phenomena (demon possession, magical formulas, disfluency) within Roman imperial contexts while analyzing voluntary associations' social capital. His distinctive approach bridges classical philology with modern political discourse through the 'preternatural in the United States' research stream, revealing enduring patterns in how societies negotiate supernatural claims. Analysis of his 11 recent publications (2020-2025) shows concentrated output in religious studies (7 articles), epigraphy (5), and social history of antiquity (9), with increasing methodological sophistication in combining textual and material evidence. Key journals include Harvard Theological Review and Journal of Biblical Literature, reflecting disciplinary leadership. His principal recognition includes: Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015-2017) Last currently directs an SSHRC Insight Development Grant project on non-normative speech while co-authoring the fourth volume of Greco-Roman Associations . His collaborative network spans York University (Harland), University of Toronto (Kloppenborg), and international scholars through multi-author volumes. Though student supervision details aren't public, his active research program suggests graduate mentorship in cultural studies and ancient history. Embedded in Trent's academic community through Lady Eaton College, Last contributes to cultural studies without a formal laboratory structure, instead collaborating through research centers focused on Mediterranean antiquity and early Christianity.
Fr. Eric Wagner, CR, PhD, serves as Assistant Professor for Old and New Testaments at Aquinas Institute of Theology. A priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection and proud alumnus of Aquinas' MDiv/MA program, he bridges academic scholarship with religious vocation at this Dominican institution. His educational journey includes: PhD, The Catholic University of America MPhil, The Catholic University of America MDiv/MA, Aquinas Institute of Theology BA, Washington University in St. Louis Wagner's research centers on Hebrew Bible narrative with distinctive focus on character representation, Catholic Biblical interpretation methodologies, and Ancient Near East contextual studies. His work innovatively applies disability studies to Isaiah's servant songs and mythological frameworks to biblical language analysis, revealing new dimensions in prophetic literature. With architectural training influencing his spatial analysis of mountain rhetoric in sixth-century BCE texts, he bridges humanities and social sciences in biblical scholarship. Recent publications demonstrate clear interdisciplinary trends: Wagner consistently integrates disability theory, emotion studies, and mythological frameworks with traditional biblical criticism. His 2023-2025 works show progressive movement from character analysis in Jonah toward embodied theology in Isaiah and linguistic innovation in Hebrew Bible interpretation, establishing him as a rising voice in narrative-focused biblical studies. As Assistant Professor, Wagner teaches core courses including Bible Interpretation, Johannine Literature, Pauline Literature, and Prophets. His mentorship extends to graduate students in theology programs, informed by his dual perspective as scholar and ordained priest. Collaborative projects with international scholars reflect his engagement with global biblical studies discourse, particularly through the 'Bible in Its Traditions' series. Wagner's affiliation with the Dominican tradition at Aquinas Institute shapes his theological approach, emphasizing the integration of faith and reason. His work exemplifies the institute's mission of 'Study in the Dominican Tradition,' contributing to theological education through rigorous scholarship grounded in Catholic intellectual heritage while maintaining academic openness to interdisciplinary methodologies.
Vasile Stanescu serves as Associate Professor and Chair in the Department of Communication Studies at Mercer University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He additionally holds a faculty appointment in Women and Gender Studies. His academic leadership extends to directing Mercer's nationally recognized speech and debate program. Dr. Stanescu earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University and completed both his M.A. and B.A. at the University of Texas at Dallas. His scholarly trajectory has been dedicated to critical examinations of animal-human relations within contemporary society. Stanescu's research centers on critical animal studies, with particular focus on the rhetoric surrounding meat consumption, animal agriculture, and climate change. He critically examines concepts like 'humane meat,' locavorism, and dietary racism, challenging mainstream narratives about sustainable food systems. His work consistently explores intersections between animal rights, social justice movements, and environmental concerns, arguing that consumerist approaches to animal liberation are fundamentally inadequate. Analysis of Stanescu's publication history reveals a consistent trajectory examining how rhetoric shapes public understanding of animal agriculture. His work increasingly addresses intersections between animal rights and other social justice movements, with recent publications exploring connections between prison abolition and animal liberation, dietary racism and white supremacy, and the limitations of consumer-based approaches to social change. Culture & Animals Foundation recognition Minding Animals International recognition The Institute for Critical Animal Studies recognition The Andrew Mellon Foundation recognition Institutul Cultural Român (Institute for Romanian Culture) recognition As co-founder of the North American Association for Critical Animal Studies (NAACAS) and co-senior editor of the Critical Animal Studies book series published by Rodopi/Brill, Stanescu has helped shape the field of critical animal studies. His work has been translated into German, Slovenian, Romanian, and Japanese, demonstrating international scholarly impact. He serves as faculty advisor for Mercer's speech and debate program, which has received multiple national awards. Stanescu's academic work operates at the intersection of several research communities, connecting critical animal studies with environmental communication, food systems analysis, and social justice movements. His scholarship consistently challenges anthropocentric frameworks while exploring connections between various forms of oppression.
Tracy A. Stephens serves as Assistant Professor of English and General Education in the English & Writing Studies Department (College of Arts & Sciences) at Queens University of Charlotte. Teaching at Queens since Fall 2017, she instructs first-year writing courses (QEN 101, QEN 102), the Honors Gateway Seminar (HNR 110), and literature classes. Her QEN 101 and HNR 110 courses emphasize civic and global mindedness through rhetoric as tools for solving global problems, while QEN 102 focuses on health information literacy. She also teaches disability literature and African American literature courses exploring marginalized genres including sci-fi, fantasy, and hip hop. Her educational qualifications include: Ph.D. in English from Northern Illinois University M.A. in English from Grand Valley State University B.A. in English from Grand Valley State University Dr. Stephens' research centers on postcolonial studies in American literature, critically analyzing US imperialism, neocolonialism, and racial capitalism in works by Black and indigenous writers. She concurrently investigates disability studies (informed by her vision impairment) and horror studies (drawing from lifelong engagement with horror films and Stephen King's works), with teaching practices prioritizing accessibility through flexible scaffolding and transparent expectations. While deeply committed to student mentorship in undergraduate writing and literature courses, the available information does not specify formal graduate student advising relationships or externally funded research grants.
Joe Loehr serves as Associate Professor of Mass Media Communication and Composition and Literature at Pennsylvania College of Technology since 2009, continuing his academic tenure that began in 1993. He concurrently holds an Adjunct Instructor position at The Pennsylvania State University's School of Continuing Education. His educational foundation includes: Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy (double major) from University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (1974) Master of Arts in English from University of Maine at Orono (1977) with thesis on Ezra Pound criticism 60 credit hours of post-Master's coursework in Speech Communication and Workforce Education at Penn State (1996–present) Loehr's academic focus integrates Mass Media Communication with Composition and Rhetoric, evidenced by his teaching of Technical and Professional Communication, Advanced Technical Communication, and Principles of Advertising. His interdisciplinary approach bridges Literary Criticism with practical media studies through courses like Introduction to Cinema and Fundamentals of Speech, while maintaining philosophical depth via Ethics and Introduction to Philosophy instruction. He maintains active professional engagement through K-12 special education certifications for learning/behavioral disabilities and 7-12 English certification. As advisor to Pennsylvania College of Technology's Beta Epsilon Upsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society, he demonstrates commitment to academic excellence beyond classroom instruction.
Vanessa Marie Campagna serves as Associate Professor and Chair of Theatre and Associate Dean of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment at Monmouth College. She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Theatre and the Office of Academic Affairs, where she coordinates the Theatre Education degree, directs faculty development initiatives, and oversees institutional accreditation. Her research employs queer, feminist, disability, and critical race theories to analyze LGBTQ+ representation in American theatre and television, with recent extensions into gerontology and spirituality. She investigates mediated identities through New Historicist methodologies, focusing on rhetorical impacts of performance in social contexts. Publications demonstrate interdisciplinary engagement across theatre, media, and cultural studies, with recurring themes of queer representation in historical/modern contexts. Recent works explore intersections of sexuality/aging and utopian frameworks in drama. Robert A. Schanke Fellow for Emerging Scholars (2016) Joan A. Gundersen '68 Award for junior faculty research (2017) American Book Fest Award for Best Book in LGBT Non-fiction (2018, chapter contributor) She coordinates Monmouth College's theatre programs and partners with community organizations including the Buchanan Center for the Arts and Warren County United Way for arts enrichment initiatives. As co-chair of the Mid-America Theatre Conference’s Playwriting Symposium, she supports scholarly discourse in dramatic arts.
