Writing Studies Program Faculty

Cynthia Bair Van Dam Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Cindy Bair Van Dam is a compositionist who joined the Department of Literature faculty in 1995. In addition to teaching in the Writing Studies Program, from 2015-2022 Cindy served as the Chair of the

  cbair@american.edu

  (202) 885-2983

Bruce Berger Adjunct Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

MFA in Creative Writing, American University, May 2018. Certificate of Outstanding Academic Achievement 2018.

  berger@american.edu

Arielle Bernstein Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Arielle Bernstein is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Literature at American University, where she also co-directs the MA in Literature, Culture, and Technology. She is a writer and cultural cri

  arielle@american.edu

Andrew Bertaina Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Andrew Bertaina is the author of the short story collection One Person Away From You (2021), which won the Moon City Short Fiction Award, and the forthcoming essay collection, The Body is a Temporary

  bertaina@american.edu

  (202) 885-6784

Danielle Bryant Adjunct Instructor CAS - Literature

Rae Bryant is the author of the short story collection, The Indefinite State of Imaginary Morals (Patasola Press). Her stories, essays, and poetry have appeared in print and online at The Paris Review

  db3765a@american.edu

  (202) 885-2938

Mike Cabot Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

A native of the State of New Mexico, Mike Cabot earned his MA from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. Before coming to AU in 2011, Mike taught courses in college writing, literature, and techn

  cabot@american.edu

  (202) 885-6524

Amanda Choutka Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Amanda Choutka holds a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from American University and a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Dickinson College. She is working on a novel. Amanda Choutka's teaching and r

  choutka@american.edu

Edward Comstock Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Edward Comstock holds a PhD from American University's School of Education, Teaching, and Health, as well as an MA in Literature. At the intersection of rhetoric, writing studies, educational psycholo

  ecomst@american.edu

  (202) 885-2975

Charles Cox Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Chuck Cox joined AU’s faculty in 1998, as part of the Writing Studies Program, where he teaches the full range of first-year writing courses. His writing seminars typically use pop culture to explore

  ccox@american.edu

  (202) 885-2909

Angela Dadak International Student Coordinator CAS | Literature

In her position with American University's Writing Studies Program, Angela Dadak primarily works with English-as-an-Additional-Language students, both international and domestic, adjusting to US acade

  adadak@american.edu

  (202) 885-2915

Laura Ewing Professorial Lecturer CAS - Literature

Laura Ewing's research focuses on technical communication, intercultural communication, and rhetoric & technology. Before coming to AU, Laura spent five years in Japan, writing and consulting with int

  ewing@american.edu

Caimeen Garrett Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Caimeen Garrett has an MFA in Fiction from Syracuse University, and a PhD in Creative Writing from Florida State University. Her academic interests include crime writing, the Lindbergh kidnapping, epi

  cgarrett@american.edu

  (202) 885-3796

Neisha-Anne Green Senior Director, Academic Support UEAS | Student Disability Support

Academic Interests: Social Justice Pedagogy, Writing Center Theory and Practice, Writing Center Tutor EducationWhat began as volunteer work has blossomed into passion for Neisha-Anne. Outside of her g

  ngreen@american.edu

  (202) 885-6574

Edward Helfers Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Edward Helfers joined the Literature Department in 2015. His courses help students use the tools of rhetoric to engage in debates over ownership—of property, of culture, and of ideas. Research interes

  ehelfers@american.edu

  (202) 885-2796

Chelsea Horne Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Dr. Chelsea L. Horne's areas of research encompass communication, digital culture, information integrity, privacy, internet governance, AI policy, and cultural and performance studies. Recent work has

  horne@american.edu

  (202) 885-2825

Kelly Joyner Director, Writing Studies Program CAS | Literature

Patrick Kelly Joyner began teaching at American University in 2000. His writing courses have thematic links to history, linguistics, psychology, and film. He has presented at the Conference on College

  pjoyner@american.edu

  (202) 885-2980

Kelsey Kerr Adjunct Professorial Lecturer

Kelsey Ann Kerr holds an M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Maryland. She earned her bachelor's in studio art and English - creative writing from Denison University. She has received scholarships

  kkerr@american.edu

George Koors Adjunct Instructor University Library

George received his Masters in English from Truman State University in 2014 and his MLIS from The Catholic University of America in 2017. In 2015, he published his first novel Always the Wanderer. He

  gkoors@american.edu

  (202) 885-3241

Mary Markakis Adjunct Professorial Lecturer

Mary Markakis earned a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from Syracuse University, an M.A. in Literature from George Mason University, and an MFA in Writing from George Mason University. She’s

  markakis@american.edu

Jocelyn McCarthy Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Jocelyn McCarthy teaches in the Writing Studies Program, and writes fiction and nonfiction. She received her BA in English from Cornell University and her MFA in Creative Writing from American Univers

  jocelyn.mccarthy@american.edu

  (202) 885-8942

Glenn Moomau Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Glenn Moomau is the author of Ted Nugent Condominium: From Boston to Austin with the Glenmont Popes (AP Press, 2001). His fiction, essays, and reviews have appeared in storySouth, Memoir Journal, Art

  gmoomau@american.edu

  (202) 885-2924

Stina Oakes Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Kristina Kasik Oakes earned her MA from Boston College and her BA from the University of New Hampshire. Prior to teaching at AU she taught high school English in Central Virginia and writing at Centra

  oakes@american.edu

  (202) 885-6364

Trisha Reichler Adjunct Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Trisha Reichler joined the College Writing faculty in 2003. Her primary areas of interest are post-modernist literature and the writings of emerging, intersectional resistance movements.

  treich@american.edu

  (202) 885-2910

Melissa Scholes Young Professor CAS | Literature

Melissa Scholes Young is the author of the award-winning novels Flood and The Hive. She received the Shelf Unbound Best Book Award in 2021 and the Next Generation Indie Book Award in 2023. She’s publi

  msyoung@american.edu

  (202) 885-6523

Mary Switalski Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Mary Switalski began teaching at AU in 2007 while completing her MFA. She earned her BA in English Literature with a Creative Writing Subconcentration from the University of Michigan. She has also tau

  switalsk@american.edu

  (202) 885-3638

Adam Tamashasky Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Adam has been with the College Writing Program since 2004. He graduated from the University of Dayton in 1999 with a BA in English, then came to AU's MFA Program. His poetry recently appeared in the a

  tamashas@american.edu

  (202) 885-8933

Alison Thomas Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Alison Thomas has taught at AU since 2005, and has offered courses in the Department of Literature and in the American Studies Program. Her research focuses on information literacy and the teaching of

  athomas@american.edu

  (202) 885-8945

Sarah Trembath Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Sarah Trembath is an editor, writer, and educator. She has been teaching since 1998 and joined the AU faculty in 2014. Her written work has appeared in Radical Teacher, the Santa Fe Writer’s Project Q

  trembath@american.edu

  (202) 885-1456

Kate Wilson Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Kate Wilson double-majored in music and English at Stanford University and holds an MA in Medieval Studies and PhD in English from The Catholic University of America. Her research interests include me

  kwilson@american.edu

  (202) 885-2979

Lacey Wootton Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer CAS | Literature

Lacey Wootton has taught in the Writing Studies Program since 1999. She holds a PhD in Writing and Rhetoric from George Mason University and an MA in Literature from AU. Prior to her time at AU, she e

  lwoott@american.edu

  (202) 885-2982