Sarah Van Dan Acker

Professor Sarah Van Dan Acker is a faculty member in the Department of English at the University of Portland, teaching English 101 to equip students with transferable writing skills applicable across all academic disciplines. As a first-generation college graduate, she brings firsthand understanding of undergraduate challenges to her pedagogy.

Her educational foundation includes undergraduate and master's studies at Portland State University with concentrations in International Studies and Japanese, complemented by a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate.

Professor Van Dan Acker's scholarly focus spans Creative Writing, TESOL, American Literature, and Composition and Rhetoric. An avid practitioner, she maintains fiction writing and journaling habits while drawing inspiration from authors like John Steinbeck (whose East of Eden she recommends), C.S. Lewis, and Maxine Hong Kingston. Her current leisure reading includes the Game of Thrones series.

Her teaching philosophy directly addresses historical miscommunications between faculty expectations and student work, developed through her experience as a teaching assistant. Office hours are held in the basement of Christie Hall, reflecting her commitment to accessible student engagement.