Dan Albert

Dan Albert (History Department) has joined Salem State College from London’s Science Museum, where he oversaw the land, sea, and air transport collections. Prior to expat life he taught Maritime Studies at the Sea Education Association in Woods Hole, Massachusetts as well as history at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. He studies the past, present, and future of science and technology, especially road transport and all things maritime. His publications include articles on “driving while black,” the role of race and empire in museum collecting, and is currently at work on a book about robots. Alongside a passion for big cars, Dan loves human-powered transport in all its forms.

Kate Kohler Amory

Kate Kohler Amory (Theatre and Speech Communication Department) has performed in many off-Broadway theater productions including The Life of Spiders, and Einstein’s Dreams (Culture Project), Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing (Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater). She has performed with many regional theaters including Shakespeare&Company and New England Shakespeare Festival and has written and performed numerous solo shows. She has taught in several Universities, the American Academy of Dramatic Art and Shakespeare&. She holds an MFA in Theatre: Contemporary Performance from Naropa University, a Masters from RADA/ Kings College London and Bachelors in Drama from Goldsmiths College, London. She is a certified Somatic Movement Educator.

Guillermo Avila-Saavedra

Guillermo Avila-Saavedra (Communications Department) is originally from Quito, Ecuador, where he received his B.A in Management from the Universidad Catolica in 1999. He received his M.A. in Advertising from Michigan State University in 2002 and his Ph.D. in Mass Media & Communication from Temple University in 2008. He teaches from a broad perspective, incorporating his interests in media and society, in advertising, and in popular culture. Dr. Avila-Saavedra’s main research interest is the relationship between media and identity formation. In his dissertation, The Latino Trend: Identity, Influence and Transformations in American Television, he examines the increasingly hybridized nature of American television and the possibilities of identification for American-born Latinos.

Ralph Barnes

Ralph Barnes (Psychology Department) received his Ph.D. from the Ohio State University in 2002. His degree was in cognitive psychology and his research involved such topics as auditory attention, auditory perception, and the temporal dynamics of attention. While in Maryland, he changed the focus of his research and began exploring how the public reacts to claims made by scientists and science writers. Now living in Salem, he continues to explore these issues and is currently concerned with the factors that make a science claim more or less persuasive to the general public as well as the manner in which new science claims are adopted by society.

K C Bloom

K. C. Bloom (Sport and Movement Science Department) is a new faculty member in the Sport and Movement Science department with a specialization in recreation and leisure studies. Originally from Michigan, she recently completed her doctoral work at the University of Georgia where her dissertation focused on the historical and modern development and management of two formerly-segregated state parks in Tennessee. Prior to her doctoral work, she worked as a state park planner for the Tennessee and the Florida state park systems ranging from writing management plans to planning and implementing a park entrance fee system. She looks forward to developing further her teaching style and philosophy at Salem State.

Michele C. Dávila Gonçalves

Michele C. Dávila Gonçalves (Foreign Languages) is a new Assistant Professor in the Foreign Languages Department. She has a B.A. and M.A. in Comparative Literature at the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, and a Ph.D. in Hispanic Literature at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has taught in the United States and in Brazil. Her research topics are Hispanic feminine literature, and the detective novel. She has published an academic book, several articles and poetry. Prof. Dávila loves languages and traveling around the world.

Gregory F. DeLaurier

Gregory F. DeLaurier (Political Science Department) received his M.A. and Ph.D. from Cornell University in political science, with concentrations in Chinese Politics and Political Theory. His early work focused on the influence of Maoist political thought on contemporary Western theory and practice. More recently, he has turned his attention to the fields of U.S. labor politics and the politics of the work environment, pursing both scholarly and activist concerns in these areas. He has previously taught primarily at Ithaca College and UMass Lowell, where he was also on staff working on faculty development. His writings may be viewed at his website, www.gdelaurier.com/.

Adrienne Dolberry

Adrienne Dolberry (Biology Department) completed her B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biology at Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) and her M.S. at St. John’s University (Queens, NY). Her doctoral thesis focused on the physiological and genetic changes that occur in freshwater cyanobacteria exposed to high-light stress and nutrient deprivation. Her postdoctoral training at MIT focused on developing new methods for culturing and genetically manipulating Prochlorococcus marinus, a marine cyanobacterium that is the most numerically-abundant photosynthetic cell on Earth. Her research and social interests include microbial genetics and ecology, science education initiatives, student and faculty international exchange programs, and community outreach.

Peggy Dillon

Peggy Dillon (Communications Department) earned her Ph.D. from Ohio University in Athens, OH, where her dissertation examined the mid-20th century editorial direction of The American Alpine Journal amidst a general growth in mountaineering literature and journalism. She teaches Introduction to Communications as well as courses in news writing and feature writing. Peggy is also the faculty adviser to The Salem State Log. She taught at Ohio University and at the University of Maryland University College, and has worked as a speechwriter, newspaper and magazine reporter, editor, and public charter high school teacher. Her research interests focus on adventure literature, urban education, and oral history.

Regina Flynn

Regina Flynn (English Department) writes that the teaching of writing has always been her primary teaching love and she relishes teaching freshmen as well as seniors. Her work experience and background in literature, writing, public relations, business and politics has taught her that to be a good writer you need to appreciate language and its enormous power. Some of her favorite writers include Carson McCullers, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Irving, and Willa Cather.  Mark Doty, Sylvia Plath, Lynda Hull, and Billy Collins have influenced her poetry. Creative non-fiction writers on her book shelves include Jon Krakauer, Bill Bryson, Hunter Thompson, and Jane Bronx. Regina Flynn will be teaching the professional writing program of the English department.

Mary Gormley

Mary Gormley (English Department) received her B.A. in English from Boston College, her M.A. from Villanova University, and her Ph.D. in English/Rhetoric and Composition from the University of Rhode Island.  She has been teaching first-year composition as well as upper-level writing courses for almost fifteen years. She has also taught a variety of literature and women’s studies courses.  Her professional interests include community service-learning and civic literacy, spatial rhetorics and cultural geography, travel writing, critical pedagogy, multiculturalism, and gender studies.

Marcia Hostetter

Marcia Hostetter (Psychology) has been an active part-time faculty member at Salem State College since 1994. She received her B.S. degree from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay and her M.S. from Wright State University.  Before coming to Salem State, Marcia was program director of human services at Lasell College in Newton, MA. Her current research interests include the psychology of art and creativity, focusing on the development of drawing in childhood and creativity in later adulthood. In addition to her teaching, she coordinates the prestigious Wilhelmina Denning Jackson Art Scholarships.

Jennifer Jackman

Jennifer Jackman (Political Science) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and teaches American politics, policy, and law. Having worked for the Feminist Majority Foundation, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, and the Humane Society of the United States, her background includes advocacy and scholarship in the areas of women’s rights and animal protection. Her primary interests are animals in public policy, women’s political participation, and curriculum development in the field of animal studies. She has taught at Westfield State College and at Duquesne University and received her Ph.D. from Brandeis University.

Michael Jaros

Michael Jaros (English Department) received his Ph.D. in Drama and Theatre from the University of California, San Diego in June of 2008, where he also worked as a dramaturg in the professional theatre training program as well as at the San Diego Repertory Theatre. His research focuses on 20th century Irish culture in performance, and he is the author of several articles on the subject. He also holds a M.Phil. from Trinity College, Dublin in Irish Theatre and Film, and an M.A. in Theatre History from the University of Texas at Austin.

Erik Jensen

Erik Jensen (History Department) received his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University, studying the history of ancient Greece and Rome. His research on the archaeological evidence of Roman contact with northern European societies has taken him to museums and dig sites across the continent. Before coming to Salem State College, he spent a year teaching classical mythology at Montclair State University in New Jersey. In private life, Erik is an avid gamer and amateur chef and has also written prize-winning fantasy fiction.

Julie Kiernan

Julie Kiernan (Theatre and Speech Communication Department) is pleased to return to her alma mater. A 1996 graduate of Salem State College, she went on to receive her master of fine arts degree in theatre at the University of California – Irvine. Immediately following graduate school, Julie acted professionally in Los Angeles. Prior to returning to the east coast she worked at Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, CA. She is glad to be back in Massachusetts, where she lives in Marblehead with her husband and 18-month-old son.

Severin Kitanov

Severin Kitanov (Philosophy Department) was born in Varna, Bulgaria. He received his M.A. and Doctorate of Theology from the University of Helsinki, Finland. He has worked as a visiting scholar at Emory University, Atlanta, and at Boston University. His interests comprise the reception of ancient philosophical ideas in the medieval university, paleography, and the critical editing of scholastic philosophical and theological texts. Severin’s publications include the dissertation Beatific Enjoyment in Scholastic Theology and Philosophy: 1240-1335, several articles, and a book chapter on different aspects of medieval theological and philosophical speculation. Dr. Kitanov also loves opera, jazz piano, and rock music.

Benjamin Levin

Benjamin Levin (Computer Science Department) was educated at the Moscow Institute of Computers and Electronics, where he earned both a B.S. and an M.S. in Computer Science with a specialization in mathematics, pattern recognition, computer software and hardware. He has worked as an engineer, a system architect, a project leader, and project manager at companies such as Digital Equipment, Compaq, and Hewlett-Packard. He has more than 40 years of computer engineering specializing in software development in the areas of networking, operating systems, and distributed file systems/networked storage.

Michael Mulnix

Michael Mulnix (Philosophy Department) received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Iowa in 2005. He has published articles on patient interests and medical paternalism, and on utilitarian defenses of individual liberty. He is more broadly concerned with the nature and value of individual liberty and equality, ethical theory in general as well as philosophy of language.

Annalyssa Gypsy Murphy

Annalyssa Gypsy Murphy (formerly Helgeland) (Interdisciplinary Studies Department) is a mixed ethnicity (Cherokee, Blackfeet, Scottish and Irish) woman born in Chicago in the early 1970’s. After 25 years living in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota she headed East to pursue her Ph.D. She has an A.A. from Century College, a B.A. and an M.A. from Hamline University, all in Minnesota, and a Ph.D. from Clark University in Massachusetts. A truly interdisciplinary scholar, she has been a visiting professor of Ethnic Studies, Political Science, Women’s Studies, and Sociology at several colleges and universities. Currently she is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies working on crafting a portion of her dissertation for publication. She lives in Swampscott with her husband and two fantastic daughters.

Kenneth Reeds

Kenneth Reeds (Foreign Languages Department) is a New England native who comes to Salem State College via the University of Oregon (B.A., 2000), New York University in Madrid (M.A., 2003), and UCL, University of London (Ph.D., 2008). His research interests focus on the field of Comparative Literature with special attention given to twentieth-century Latin America. He is a person who dislikes the act of traveling (particularly in airplanes) but is passionate about exploring the world. After close to a decade outside of the United States, he is excited to be back and looks forward to the new experiences Salem has to offer and what he can give in return.

Emily Bretherick Rowland

Emily Bretherick Rowland (Chemistry and Physics Department) was born in Florence, Alabama. She grew up on a farm with her parents Danny and Patricia Bretherick and her older brother Josh Bretherick. She loves animals and has always had several dogs, horses, rabbits, ducks, and numerous other pets. Emily  graduated from Rogers High School in 1999 and attended the University of North Alabama where she majored in chemistry. In her third year at UNA, she met her husband-to-be, Gerald Rowland, who was also majoring in chemistry. After graduating magna cum laude with a B.S. in chemistry, Emily started graduate school at the University of Mississippi where she joined Professor Jon Antilla’s research group. Dr. Antilla then moved to the University of South Florida where Emily earned her Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 2008. Her research interests are in the area of the development of new enantioselective reaction methodology.

Vanessa Ruget

Vanessa Ruget (Political Science Department) is originally from France  and has taught political science at the University of Bordeaux, the American University in Kyrgyzstan (Central Asia), several Massachusetts colleges, and in Mitrovica (Kosovo). Her current field of research is migration and citizenship with a focus on Kyrgyzstan. She has also published on several other issues including epistemology, civic education, and political culture. At Salem State College, she will be teaching courses in the field of comparative politics.

Chris Schoen

Chris Schoen (Sport and Movement Science Department) is a proud native of Williamstown, MA. He comes to Salem State College from the University of Montana where he taught educational psychology and exercise science classes. His area of expertise is sport/performance psychology and applied consulting in the field. He earned his Ph.D. in sport psychology from the University of Utah in 2007. Chris’s activities and hobbies include mountain biking, running, golf, and watching a variety of televised sports. In addition, Chris avidly follows national politics, especially as it relates to environmental, energy, and health issues.

Amy Smith

Amy Smith (Theatre and Speech Communication Department) earned her Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University. A communication scholar, she has presented her research at state, regional, and national conferences such as those sponsored by the Western States Communication Association and the National Communication Association. In the classroom, Amy believes in utilizing critical pedagogy to facilitate learning. Her ultimate goal is to teach students the pathways of communication, while also introducing critical thinking skills to begin to question norms otherwise taken for granted. In addition to critical pedagogy, Amy’s research interests are varied and include issues of diversity in organizational environments, gender communication, and family communication.

Beifang Yi

Beifang Yi (Computer Science Department) got his Ph.D. from University of Nevada, Reno in 2006. His research interests are in Computer Graphics, Human-Computer Interactions (HCI), Software (User-Interface) Design, and Computer Vision and Image Processing. He developed a working platform of Sign Language Interfacing System for his Ph.D. project (http://www.beifang.info/sEditor/). Between 2006 and 2008 he taught Computer and Information Sciences courses at SUNY, Fredonia. Before he came to America in 2000, he was a computer/software engineer for fourteen years. In his spare time, he reads books on cognitive science (psychology, philosophy of mind and language), linguistics, and Chinese/English classics.

Stephenie Young

Stephenie Young (English Department) received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the English Department at Salem State College, where she teaches World Literature, the literature of the Americas, women’s fiction, and Eastern European literature. Her teaching and research also extend to areas including the visual arts, post-1945 Eastern European memoir and film, human rights discourse, ethics, and questions of justice and transition in post-dictatorial nation-states. She is currently completing two book projects. The first is a manuscript with the working title “Narrative Interruptions: Latin American Women’s Testimony in the Late Twentieth Century.” The book examines problems associated with memory and history in the works of contemporary Argentine, Chilean, and Mexican women writers and photographers. The other project is a co-edited book in progress, Transnationalism and Resistance: Experience and Experiment in Contemporary Women’s Writing.

Charles Stevenson

Charles Stevenson (Computer Science) completed  his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at  Purdue University in 1986 and joined General Motors Research Laboratories where he developed sensors and software for collision warning systems. He then worked for Delco Electronics, IBM, and the MIT Lincoln Laboratory before joining the Computer Science Department at Salem State College as a temporary faculty member in 2007. He is returning on a permanent basis this Fall.  He has a Masters of Sacred Theology degree from Yale University Divinity School.