Faculty and Staff | Montgomery College, Maryland

English and Reading Department - Germantown Campus

Department Chair | Dept. Administrative Aides | Full-time Faculty | Part-time Faculty

Department Chair

Alejandro Leopardi

MA, National University

Department Chair

Email: alejandro.leopardi@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2004

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 128

Office Hours: By appointment only

Biography

Alejandro Leopardi has been a professor of English and literature at Montgomery College since 2012. He received his B.A. in Communication Studies and his M.A. in English. Prior to teaching, he worked in various aspects of marketing for several years. After receiving his M.A. in 2010, he worked as a freelance editor and writer while also working as a substitute teacher for K-12 in San Diego County and then in Montgomery County.

Since joining Montgomery College, Professor Leopardi participated in several faculty fellowships, including Honors Faculty Fellowship, Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship, QRiD Faculty Fellowship, and Global Classrooms Faculty Fellowship. He was a mentor for several years for the PPHI student interns, as well as having worked on the editing side of the PPHI Yearbook. Professor Leopardi has presented at different educational conferences, including several times throughout the years at the TYCA-Northeast Conference. He received the Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching for the 2021-2022 academic year. From 2018 to 2024, Professor Leopardi served as the ENGL 101/101+011 Coordinator for the Germantown English & Reading Department.

In addition to teaching and serving Montgomery College and its community, Professor Leopardi is also a writer, having published short stories and poems in several publications, including The Acentos Review and The Argyle Literary Magazine, among others. He also wrote a feature-length screenplay, We, which was produced by 14 Film of Canada; this film has won 39 awards and is available for streaming. He’s written another screenplay that is set to go into production in early 2025. Professor Leopardi continues to write and publish while also working on improving his teaching practices and strategies.

Educational Background

BA, Communication Studies, University of Maryland
MA, English, National University

Department Administrative Aides

Rashmi Dangol

Administrative Aide II

Email: rashmi.dangol@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Educational Background

A.A.S., Cybersecurity, Montgomery College

Full-time Faculty

Bryant Davis

MA, North Carolina State University

Technical writing coordinator, collegewide

Email: bryant.davis@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-7747

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 133

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Bryant Davis has been teaching technical writing and English at Montgomery College since 1992. Before then, he taught at North Carolina State University and Durham Technical Community College, both in North Carolina, for five years. In addition, he has worked as a technical writer, editor, and graphic designer.

Educational Background

BA, English Education, North Carolina State University
MA, English, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

Coordinator Duties

Collegewide distance learning technical writing coordinator

Germantown campus technical writing coordinator

Theron Coleman

PhD, Morgan State University

Email: theron.coleman@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2408

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 124

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment

Biography

Theron M. Coleman has over 16 years of experience in teaching English in Baltimore, Maryland where she currently resides. She has four years of experience in teaching Language Arts/English in Baltimore County Public Schools and 12 years of experience in teaching English/Reading at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC). Theron has also taught at the Community Colleges of Baltimore County (CCBC) and Trinity University. In addition, Theron has held the position of English Coordinator and the Associate Dean of English, Humanities, Visual and Performing Arts at BCCC. She has received her Bachelor’s of Science in English at Coppin State University and her Master’s of Arts in English at Morgan State University. She earned her Ph.D. in English from Morgan State University in 2024. Her passion is implementing new teaching strategies that engage students in the craft of writing and critical thinking. She has received awards for teaching excellence and outstanding faculty. She enjoys spending time with her 19-year-old daughter, Ryanne - Margaret and running half-marathons. Professor Coleman began her teaching career at Montgomery College in the Germantown campus English & Reading Department in January 2020.

Educational Background

Bachelor's of Science in English, Coppin State University
Master's of Arts in English, Morgan State University
PhD, English, Morgan State University

Chip Gladson

MFA, Columbia University

Email: stephen.gladson@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2026

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 152

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Stephen "Chip" Gladson teaches writing, literature, and honors courses. He is co-coordinator of the Digital Storytelling Internship and contributes to college readiness and equity, open educational resources (OER), and Humanities Days.

He received an M.F.A. in writing from Columbia University and a B.A. in English from Dickinson College and the University of East Anglia. In addition to his work at Montgomery College, he has taught writing and literature at the University of Maryland, University College, Shepherd University, and American University.

As a United States Peace Corps volunteer, he trained prospective teachers of English at the Tangalle District English Language Center in Sri Lanka and taught English for academic purposes to graduate students at Bahauddin Zakariya University in Pakistan. In addition to teaching, Professor Gladson has written a collection of short stories, an ESL textbook, and courses for a variety of public and private institutions.

Educational Background

BA, English, Dickinson College
MFA, Writing, Columbia University

Jill Kronstadt

MFA, University of Washington, Seattle

Email: Jill.Kronstadt@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-6013

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 127

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Professor Kronstadt is a member of the Faculty Advising Cadre, an ELITE Acting Faculty Associate, and an Humanities Days coordinator, Germantown.

Educational Background

BA, English, Cornell University
MFA English, Creative Writing–Fiction, University of Washington, Seattle

Kateema Lee

MFA, University of Maryland

ENGL 102 & literature coordinator, Germantown

Email: kateema.lee@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-7755

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 138

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment.

Educational Background

BA, English Language and Literature, University of Maryland
MFA, Creative Writing, University of Maryland

Coordinator Duties

Germantown campus ENGL 102 and literature coordinator

Collegewide ENGL 101 distance learning coordinator

Teresa Lew

MA, Azusa Pacific University

Email: teresa.lew@montgomerycollege.edu

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 131

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Since 2014, Professor Teresa Lew has taught a wide variety of courses at MC in ESL, English Language for Academic Purposes, English composition, developmental reading and writing, and linguistics. She has also served as an ATPA embedded coach for ENGL 102 and as the discipline specialist for embedded coaches. Prior to her work at the college, she taught elementary-aged students at international schools in Astana and Shanghai. She also worked as the Field Director for WorldTeach’s China program in Hunan province where she trained and supported volunteer English teachers to cities and villages throughout the province. Her interests include the development of curriculum for multilingual learners, the impact of translingualism in the instruction of English composition, and the ways which spiritual identity shapes learning.

Educational Background

Bachelor's of Arts, Education, Wheaton College
Master's of Arts, TESOL, Azusa Pacific University

Comfort Davis Mingot

MA, Concordia University

Email: comfort.davismingot@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 139

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Educational Background

MA, Education, Concordia University

Biography

Comfort Davis Mingot holds a Master’s degree in Education from the Concordia University in Nebraska and a graduate certificate from the America University in Washington, DC. She joined the English & Reading Department in 2019 , and Comfort loves teaching and learning. She won the Montgomery College Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching for the year 2022 -2023. She was also recognized nationally for her excellence in teaching for the year 2022-2023 by the National Institute for Staff Development (NISOD). She served on the college-wide Faculty Council for 3 years and served two of those as secretary. Her ability to listen and advocate for faculty and students got her reelected in 2023 as the Takoma Park part-time Faculty Council member and vice chair of the College-wide Faculty Council. She has served on several committees including the Montgomery College Outstanding Part- Time Faculty Excellence in Teaching and Counseling Award Selection Committee. She is a member of national as well as international educational organizations, where she reviews proposals, writes articles, plans, designs, and presents content and materials related to critical reading, writing, and research; English language acquisition; and social justices.

Yeve Montgomery

PhD, Morgan State University

Email: yeve.montgomery@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2180

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 159

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment

Biography

Yeve G. Montgomery, writer of various genres, editor, and educator, received her Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing and Publications from the University of Baltimore. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education at Towson University. Yeve has over 15 years of experience teaching high school English. Most recently, Yeve served as a frequent lecturer for English 101 and developmental reading courses at Morgan State University. She has also taught senior thesis development workshops at Morgan State University, a creative writing workshop at Beacon of Light, served as a writing tutor in the Carey School of Business at Johns Hopkins University, and served as a writing fellow at Morgan State University’s writing center. Yeve has been noted for her academic excellence and scholarship, winning the Quarles Fellowship for her research in “Using Relevant Literature to Address PTSD in the African American Community.” She is a 1999 and 2000 fellow of the Hurston Wright Writers Week. An excerpt of her screenplay, Crossroads, appears in their anthology, The Hoot and the Holler of the Owl. Her debut collection of short stories, microfiction, and creative nonfiction is titled, Set Me Free (2012). She was the 2017 and 2018 recipient of the Adele V. Holden Award for Creative Excellence. Her scholarship, practice and recognition have given her a platform to teach creative writing. She is currently completing her doctoral studies in English at Morgan State University. Professor Montgomery began her teaching career at Montgomery College in the Germantown campus English & Reading Department in August 2019.

Educational Background

Bachelor's of Arts in Professional Writing and Publications, University of Baltimore
Master's of Arts in Teaching Secondary Education, Towson University
PhD, English, Morgan State University

Joan Naake

MA, Boston College

Email: joan.naake@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-1951

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 135

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

From 1992 to the present, Joan Naake has been a full-time English professor at Montgomery College. In this role, she has been Director of the Germantown Renaissance Scholars Honors Program for over 10 years and was chair of the Germantown English Department for three years.

From 2011-2013, she was the Interim Germantown Dean of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education; in addition, from January to August 2016, Professor Naake was the Interim Provost of the Rockville campus. She was also the director of the Athenaeum Symposia speaker series from 2011-2017. Recently, she has become the director of the Montgomery College Scholarship of Excellence in Teaching program.

Professor Naake has taught a variety of composition courses and literature courses, both online and face-to-face. In 2006, Joan was awarded the Maryland Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. She was also a recipient of the Montgomery College Faculty Outstanding Service Award in 2005 and 2015, of the Women’s and Gender Studies’ “On Her Shoulders We Stand" Award in 2013, and the Global Humanities Leadership Award in 2015.

Educational Background

BA, English Literature and minor in French, Emmanuel College
MA, English Literature, Boston College
Graduate courses, Oxford University, England

Mary E. Robinson

EdD, Morgan State University

Email: mary.robinson@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2039

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 157

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Educational Background

BS, Business Administration, Barber-Scotia College
MS, Special Education, Coppin State University
EdD, Morgan State University

Katherine Smith

MFA, University of Virginia

Email: katherine.smith@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-7765

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 151

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Katherine Smith’s publications include appearances in Poetry, Cincinnati Review, Missouri Review, Ploughshares, Southern Review and many other journals. Her short fiction has appeared in Fiction International and Gargoyle. Her first book Argument by Design (Washington Writers’ Publishing House) appeared in 2003. Her second book of poems Woman Alone on the Mountain (Iris Press), appeared in 2014.

She has taught at Montgomery College, Germantown, since 2001.

Educational Background

MFA, Creative Writing–Poetry, University of Virginia

Tyrone Stanley

Ph.D., Morgan State University

Email: tyrone.stanley@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2409

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 128

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment

Biography

Dr. Tyrone Stanley is a playwright and composer whose works have been featured in multiple national and international festivals and concerts. He has held teaching positions in colleges and universities in Oklahoma, Maryland, and Washington, DC. Dr. Stanley made history at Morgan State University as the first Creative Dissertation in the English department, earning him the Ph.D in English. He received his M.A. in English/Creative Writing at the University of Central Oklahoma, and B.A. in English from North Carolina A&T State University. An accomplished musician and director, Dr. Stanley is the composer and playwright of Soul On Fire the Musical, which made a Kennedy Center debut in 2014. Soul On Fire the Musical made its Off Broadway debut in New York's June Havoc Theatre, as a main stage feature for the Midtown International Theatre Festival in 2013. His work has also been seen in the National Black Theatre Festival and the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival. Dr. Stanley is a recipient of the Central Oklahoma Playwriting Award (2009) for his 10-minute play, Distant Cousins, which also earned him the Middle-Atlantic Writers Association Award in Creative Writing. His newest musical, Real Thing, will debut in New York in the fall of 2020. A fluent performer of Italian, French, and German opera, Dr. Stanley made his New York City Opera debut as a lead tenor in Toni Morrison's Margaret Garner, the opera. He has also been seen as Andre the Viper in Fats Waller Musical Ain’t Misbehavin; Sportin’ Life in the Australia/New Zealand tour of George Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess; a feature role in an open run of NJ Performing Arts production of Your Arms Too Short To Box With God, which starred Tony Award winner Melba Moore and Cissy Houston; and a featured role in the regional premiere of Passing Strange (Guthrie, OK). He has appeared on CBS’ As the World Turns; ABC’s All My Children; HBO’s Sex & the City; and Whoopi Goldberg’s Whoopi. Dr. Stanley was recently commissioned by Long Beach Opera Company to write the libretto to two of their new operatic works for the 2020-21 season. Dr. Stanley began his teaching career at Montgomery College in the Germantown campus English & Reading Department in January 2020.

Educational Background

Bachelor's of Arts in English, North Carolina A&T State University

Master's of Arts in English, University of Central Oklahoma

Ph.D. in English, Morgan State University

Part-Time Faculty

Erin Aust

PhD, George Mason University

Email: erin.aust@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Professor Aust has been an adjunct professor at Montgomery College since 2011. She has a B.A. in English and Sociology from Washington College, an M.A. in Humanities from New York University, and a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from George Mason University. Her areas of interest and background studies range from comma rules to fantasy and science fiction to how discursive spaces engage, shape, and limit community formation.

Educational Background

BA, English and Sociology, Washington College
MA, Humanities, New York University
PhD, Cultural Studies, George Mason University

Paul Baker

MPM, University of Maryland

Email: paul.baker@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 104

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

After serving six years in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Midway, Professor Baker returned to college and studied public policy, graduating with high honors Phi Beta Kappa. After graduate school, he was awarded a Presidential Management Internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He left there to work at the White House in 1996 and has worked there since as Director of Information Management at OMB. He has taught Technical Writing and composition at Montgomery College since 2004.

Educational Background

BS, Government and Politics, University of Maryland
MPM, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland

Adele Brown

MFA, University of Maryland

Email: adele.brown@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2115

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 126

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Adele Brown is a teacher, writer, and poet with a B.A. and M.F.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is an adjunct professor at Montgomery College and University of Maryland, University College, and is an artist-in-residence with the Maryland State Arts Council.

She's a veteran host for Chevy Chase's Café Muse Poetry Reading Series and has read and participated in poetry discussions in the Washington, D.C., area. She has been published in Gargoyle, So To Speak, Wordwrights, Smartish Pace, Innisfree, Scribble, the Northern Virginia Review, and in anthologies from Wising Up Press and the Maryland Writers’ Association. Her poetry won awards from The Maryland Poetry Review and Promise magazines, and she has written a chapbook, Refracted Love, two full-length books of poetry, Freshwater Pearls and The Moon Lighting and a book of poetry writing workshops for young people, Look Ma, “Hands” on Poetry.

Educational Background

BA, English Literature, University of Maryland
MFA, English Literature and Creative Writing, University of Maryland

Stephanie Cannon

Ph.D., Liberty University

Biography

Professor Stephanie Cannon earned a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Education from the University of Maryland and is completing her Doctorate of Educational Leadership in May 2022 at Liberty University. She has taught English for Montgomery County Public Schools and for the St. Elizabeth Catholic School, and she brings expert teaching and counseling skills to the MC classroom.

Educational Background

BS, University of Maryland, College Park
MEd, focus in secondary English, University of Maryland University College
Master’s in English, Southern New Hampshire University.
Ph.D., Educational Leadership, May 2022, Liberty University

Diane Chapin

MA, George Washington University

Email: diane.chapin@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 126

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Diane Chapin spent 30-plus years in the business world prior to beginning her teaching career at Montgomery College. She was one of the first women hired into the Bell Systems' management training program and served more than 10 years in operations and corporate communications.

She was twice named Communicator of the Year by the International Association of Business Communicators. She then founded her own firm, Chapin and Associates, which served clients including Bell Atlantic, AT&T, and the U.S. General Services Administration. She also wrote a monthly column for The Economist and covered Congress for Washington Telecom Newswire. In the 1990s, she began a full-time assignment coordinating communications planning and employee measurement for Bell Atlantic. In that capacity, she worked on the merger that created Verizon Communications.

After retiring, she began teaching part-time at MC. During her years at MC, she has advised the Germantown campus newspaper, participated in two fellowships in Humanities and at the Smithsonian Institution, presented as a regional workshop, and represented adjunct faculty on the Germantown Campus Council. She has taught a variety of courses in English 101, 102, 102 Honors, World Mythology and Women's Studies.

Educational Background

BA, English, University of Miami
MA, Education, George Washington University

Christina Cocozzella

MAT, Johns Hopkins University

Email: christina.cocozzella@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 134

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Professor Cocozzella began her teaching career at Clarksburg High School and joined the Montgomery College English Department faculty as an adjunct in 2009. She maintained secondary education certification from the state of Maryland. She is Integrated English, Reading and Writing trained, serves as a Writing, Reading and Language Center tutor and as an embedded coach for ATPA, is a member of the Germantown Faculty Senate and Faculty Council. She was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award from the English and Reading department for two years 2016–2017 and 2017–2018.

Educational Background

BA, Loyola University of Chicago
MAT, Johns Hopkins University

Jacob Hibbard

Email: Jacob.Hibbard@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Ryan Jefferson

MA, American University

Email: ryan.jefferson@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 130

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Ryan Jefferson is a former MC students with a B.A. in English from Regent University and an M.A. from American University. He is excited to be back at MC on the other side of the desk. His literary interests include horror, science fiction, fantasy, and weird fiction.

Educational Background

M.A., Literature, American University
B.A., English, Regent University

Elvan Katmer

MA, Georgetown University

Email: elvan.katmer@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 104A

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Professor Katmer is a full-time TV journalist and part-time faculty at Montgomery College's English and Reading Department.
X @elvankatmer
instagram @elvankatmer

Educational Background

MA, Journalism, Georgetown University
BA, English Language Education, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey

Pauline Kelly

MEd

Email: pauline.kelly@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 123

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Professor Kelly is an award-winning novelist who also teaches Fiction Writing in the Life Long Learning Institute at Montgomery College. She is a member of several writing organizations and president of the Montgomery Chapter of Maryland Writers' Association. She has presented at conferences, libraries, book stores, Montgomery College, and several other places. She facilitates a critique group of faculty and staff at Germantown, MC.

Educational Background

BS, Speech Audiology
MEd, Special Education, Deaf Education
EDS, Special Education, Administration and Supervision, Certification in English, as well as in Reading Skills.

Colleen King

MA, Southern New Hampshire University

Email: colleen.king@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Professor King is an adjunct professor at Montgomery College. She has a B.A. in English and Journalism from UMUC and M.A. degrees in English and Creative Writing. While raising three sons, she is teaching English composition at Montgomery College. She has also worked as an Achieving the Promise Academy (ATPA) Embedded Coach and a WRL Center tutor.

Educational Background

AA, General Studies, Montgomery College
BA, English with a minor in Journalism, University of Maryland University College
MA, English & Creative Writing, Southern New Hampshire University

Megan Madramootoo

MA, Southern New Hampshire University

Email: megan.madramootoo@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 104

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Professor Megan Madramootoo teaches English at Montgomery College and has taught English at York Technical College and Southern New Hampshire University. She has also served as a writing coach with the Academic Support Center at Southern New Hampshire University.

Educational Background

BA, English Literature, University of Maryland, College Park
MA, English and Creative Writing, Southern New Hampshire University

Stephen Manangan

Email: Stephen.Manangan@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Susan Matesa

MS, McDaniel College

Email: Susan.Matesa@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Susan is an English professor who grew up near Annapolis, MD. She attended Salisbury University, where she was an athlete and a scholar. In order to further her academic career, she received her Master’s Degree in English and Secondary Education from McDaniel University.
Throughout the years, Susan taught English/Language Arts/Literature in Montgomery County, MD and Frederick County, MD. She also writes short stories and realistic fiction novels. Susan continues to tutor and coach soccer and lacrosse.

Educational Background

BA, Journalism and Political Science from Salisbury University

MS, English, Education from McDaniel College

Ahoefa Marah

EdD, Morgan State University

Email: ahoefa.marah@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 132

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Professor Ahoefa S. Marah, a proud Montgomery College alumna, is honored to serve as a lecturer at her alma mater. She earned her master's degree in project management from Morgan State University, demonstrating her commitment to higher education and academic excellence. With several years of teaching experience, she has delivered various courses, including English Composition 101 and 102, Information Science and Systems (INSS), Business Communication and Writing. Professor Marah has also contributed to academia with her book review, titled "Understanding International Students from Asia in American Universities: Learning and Living Globalization". Currently, she is pursuing her Doctor of Education degree at Morgan State University, specializing in Community College Leadership and Policy. This pursuit reflects her dedication to making a significant impact in the field of education. Furthermore, Professor Marah possesses fluency in French and a profound knowledge of French literature, enriching her ability to engage with diverse cultures and perspectives.

Educational Background

Ed.D., Educational Leadership, Morgan State University
M.A., Business Management, Morgan State University

Sally McClean

MALS, Wesleyan University

Email: sally.mcclean@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 130

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Professor McClean has taught preschool, 5th and 6th grade, 10th through 12th grade and 18 years part-time at Montgomery College for the English and Reading Department on both the Germantown and Rockville campuses. Courses include ENGL 001, 101A, 102, and Film in Literature (credit and non-credit) for 15 years. She has taught also internationally at the School of the Hague in the Netherlands.

She has been active in the collegewide Peace and Justice Studies Community since 2008. She has presented many programs in Globe Hall over the years. For the last 10 years, she has facilitated the Pick up Soccer for Peace Games on the Germantown Campus every Sept. for International Peace Day. In 2018, students from 62 countries played for peace.

Educational Background

BA, Westminster College
MALS, Wesleyan University

Nicole (Nikkee) Porcaro

MS, Harvard University

Email: nicole.porcaro@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment

Biography

Professor Porcaro graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and a concentration in Sociology. She received her Master's of Science in Education in Teaching Language and Literacy from Purdue University, graduating with high honors. She received her Master's in English from Harvard University, also graduating with high honors. She is currently earning her doctorate at Vanderbilt University. When not teaching or studying, she is an avid softball player, volleyball player, and trapeze artist and aerialist. She enjoys traveling the world and has visited seven continents and 32 countries to date. She is also a two-time Jeopardy! contestant and a winner on MLB's "The Chase" game show at the 2018 All-Star Game Home Run Derby. Professor Porcaro founded the award-winning No Anxiety Prep, an educational consulting firm, and helps students of all ages achieve admittance to high school, college, and graduate school.

Educational Background

Master's in English, Harvard University

Matthew Ratz

MEd, University of Maryland

Email: matthew.ratz@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 40-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment

Biography

Professor Matthew has taught academic and business writing at MC since 2010. He has published several essays online, and his poetry can be found in the local library system. Throughout his career, Professor Matthew has presented at academic conferences, at professional development seminars, and at spoken-word cabarets. Professor Matthew is also the Executive Director of Passion for Learning, Inc., a nonprofit focused on closing opportunity gaps for low-income students in STEM and college readiness. A recognized speaker and poet, his TEDx talk is available on YouTube and TED.com. He earned his M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction and his B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is ordained as a Rabbi by the Mesifta Adath Wolkowisk in New York.

Educational Background

MA in English, Harvard University
MEd, University of Maryland

Katherine Robinson

PhD, Texas Woman's University

Email: katherine.robinson@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 130

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Professor Robinson has been a student, bartender, bookstore manager, NANOWRIMO municipal liaison, pool shooter, and professor of rhetoric. Her areas of research range from historical rhetoric to feminist rhetoric to visual rhetoric in Northern Ireland.

Educational Background

BA, English, West Virginia University
MA, Irish Studies, Catholic University of America
PhD, Rhetoric, Texas Woman's University

Patricia Robinson

MEd, Loyola College

Email: probin42@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Educational Background

BS, Special Education, Coppin State University
MEd, Special Education, Coppin State University
MEd, Loyola College

Page Salazar

MA, Johns Hopkins University

Email: page.salazar@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Professor Page Augustus Salazar earned a Master of Arts degree in Education, specializing in English and special education, from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s degree in English, with a minor in Classical Studies, from George Washington University. He has taught English courses in a variety of schools for several years. While he teaches English composition at Montgomery College, he has also designed and taught a rich array of literature courses, including courses in American literature, the literature of war, the short story, the Bible as literature, and women in graphic novels, among others, at Gwynedd Mercy University. Additionally, Prof. Salazar has taught English at Richard Montgomery High School and the James Hubert Blake High School. He has served as an ESOL teacher with the Literacy Council of Montgomery County and is a regular volunteer with the Gaithersburg Community Soup Kitchen.

Zartasha Samson

PhD, Binghamton University

Email: zartasha.samson@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 132

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Educational Background

BA, English, The College of Saint Rose
MA, English, The College of Saint Rose
PhD, English Literature & Language, Binghamton University

Carolyn Shuttlesworth

PhD, University of Michigan

Email: Carolyn.shuttlesworth@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 104

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Dr. Shuttlesworth has been teaching English in a variety of respected schools, including Howard University, Bowie State University, Central Texas College, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania as well as MCPS and DCPS. Her dissertation focused on “Literary Collectives of the New Negro Movement and the Negritude Movement,” and she has advocated for African-American literature classes to be included in higher education curricula. Her publications, as author and editor, are many and include African American Literature, 1619-1926, Worldwide Representation: the Opportunity of Open Educational Resources, Revelations: An Anthology of Expository Essays By and About Blacks, A Proud Continuum, Eight Decades of Art at Howard University, Black History to the Future: A Musical, Speak to My Hearth: Liturgical and Sacred Dance in African American Communities of Faith, and Three Generations of African American Women Sculptors: A Study in Paradox. She has been awarded the Ford Foundation Doctoral Fellowship and the Cincinnatus Society Outstanding Senior Woman Award, among others. She deeply enjoys classroom dynamics and the opportunity to help students achieve their goals.

She seeks to transmit to her students her own love of language and literature and to have a positive impact on the learning environment.

Educational Background

Ph.D., Comparative Literature, University of Michigan
M.A., Comparative Literature, University of Michigan
B.A., Classics and English, University of Cincinnati

Erin Snyder

MFA, George Mason University

Email: erin.snyder@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 130

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Erin Snyder is a writer and an adjunct instructor with MC’s English & Reading Department while she also works as an adjunct English instructor and writing tutor with Frederick Community College. Previously, she taught fiction writing at George Mason University.

Educational Background

MFA, Creative Writing-Fiction, George Mason University
B.S., English/Creative Writing and Biology, Sweet Briar College

Holly Solano

MS, Syracuse University

Email: hsolano@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 130

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Holly Solano teaches English as well as Women’s Studies and PHED courses at MC, where she has taught for seven years. Before joining MC, she taught writing classes at the State University of New York for technical writing and computer programming majors. She served as a multimedia projects manager for a technical writing firm in the corporate sector before that, designing, writing, and producing curricula for the HVAC, auto parts, manufacturing, nursing, and children’s television programming sectors. She maintains credentials as a self-defense and sexual assault prevention instructor and teaches public classes in the larger Montgomery County community. Professor Solano is also a Paul Peck Institute and Renaissance Scholar MC alumni.

Educational Background

M.S., Instructional Design and Evaluation, Syracuse University

Laura Solano

MFA, Liberty University

Email: laura.solano@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2170

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 137

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Laura Solano is an English professor and a former linguist for the U.S. Army. During her time in the Army, she studied Thai at the Defense Language Institute. Nurturing her passion for languages, she further enhanced her linguistic skills through Middlebury College’s Spanish Immersion program.

She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, a Master of Arts in Professional Writing from Liberty University, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Oral Roberts University. She has taught a variety of courses, including college-level composition, military training programs, and introductory Thai language.
In addition to her professional pursuits, Laura has been traveling the world for as long as she can remember. Driven to deepen her understanding of humanity, she wholeheartedly embraces and champions diverse cultures and communities. Her adventures have brought her a treasure trove of experiences and stories that she frequently weaves into the classroom and her creative projects.

Educational Backgroung

BA, History, Oral Roberts University
MA, Professional Writing, Liberty University
MFA, Creative Writing, Liberty University

David Sowards

MA, American University

Email: david.sowards@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-7769

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 104A

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Dave Sowards is from Guinea, Virginia, and spent the last 15 years in the Washington, D.C. metro area. After receiving an M.A. in history in 2005, he did research for several years on his thesis subject, Julian Shakespeare Carr, assisted by an Archie K. Davis Fellowship from the North Caroliniana Society. Later, he joined the DC Teaching Fellows program and taught for three years at H.D. Woodson High School. Professor Sowards has been teaching composition courses and history for Montgomery College and University of Maryland, University College, for five years. He and his wife Rachel, the COO of Rodgers Consulting, live happily in Derwood, Md.

Educational Background

MA, History of the American South, Western Carolina University
MA, Teaching Secondary English, American University

Deborah Stuart

MS, Northwestern University

Email: deborah.stuart@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 134

Office Hours: See course syllabi and by appointment.

Biography

Professor Deborah Stuart earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, Il., and she earned a Master of Science in Educational Administration from Northwestern University. She has taught English for almost 10 years at Montgomery College. Previously, she tutored SAT/ACT preparation as well as college essays. Prior to her experience here in Maryland, she served as a high school English teacher and summer school principal in Los Gatos, California. She brings expert writing and grammar skills to the MC classroom, as well as a true passion for poetry. Overall, Deborah loves being part of the MC community.

Educational Background

BA, English, University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana
MS, School of Education, Northwestern University

Mitch Tropin

MA, Creative Non-Fiction Writing, Johns Hopkins University

Biography

For four decades, Professor Tropin was a journalist, working for a Washington-based news organization. He covered the securities markets, international taxation, and more. He started teaching in 2003, and over the next 17 years, he taught English, Journalism, Mass Communication and Speech at a number of institutions including Montgomery College, Morgan State, Loyola University Maryland, Towson University, Trinity University, University of Baltimore, Washington Adventist University and other schools. In 2017, he was named Montgomery College's Part-Time Faculty Member of the Year. Professor Tropin has co-authored three books on mass communication, professional writing, and business speaking. Besides teaching, he is very active in organized labor, serving as an officer for SEIU Local 500.

Educational Background

B.A., Journalism, University of Maryland
M.A., Creative Non-Fiction Writing, Johns Hopkins University

Sarah Rothschild

PhD

Email: sarah.rothschild@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 132

Office Hours: See course syllabi or by appointment

Biography

Professor Rothschild has been an adjunct professor at Montgomery College since 2012. Prior to coming here, she spent many years teaching English, film, and history to many people, first in Philadelphia and then in the Washington, D.C. area. Her other positions have included Director of Graduate Writing at University of Maryland, University College, Program Chair for Graduate Learning Initiatives at UMUC, and Lead Faculty of English at the Art Institute of Washington.

She has a B.A. in Comparative Literature, two M.A.s, one in English and one in history, and a Ph.D. in English. She has managed departments as small as nine faculty and as large as 150 faculty and tutors. Now she is pleased to be focused on teaching again.

Educational Background

BA, Comparative Literature
MA, History
MA, English
PhD, English

Victoria Vargas-McCloskey

PhD, The Catholic University of America

Email: Victoria.vargasmccloskey@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 104

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment

Biography

Victoria Vargas-McCloskey is an adjunct professor at Montgomery College. She has a B.A. in English from Haverford College and an M.Litt in the Novel from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Throughout her career, she has taught students about pre-college test prep, rhetoric, writing, and 19th century literature. In her free time, she loves reading 19th century literature, especially the works of George Eliot.

Educational Background

Ph.D., ABD, The Catholic University of America
M.S., Secondary Education, Dowling College
B.A., English Literature, Haverford College

Vikas Vohra

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: By appointment

Charles Washington

Email: charles.washington@montgomerycollege.edu

Phone: 240-567-2012

Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 140

Office Hours: See course syllabus and by appointment