Author of numerous articles on public speaking and political communication, Dr. Dean is a Professor of Communication Studies and has held leadership positions on the campus Curriculum Committee for over a decade.  A Kellogg Fellow, he has delivered presentations on leadership and communication at universities in South Africa, Russia, China, Scotland, and Australia. A member of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, he has been cited twice by the student government association as “advisor of the year” and has been recognized by the university Council of Trustees for outstanding service to the campus community.

"I enjoy teaching in Honors and working with the program because I learn so much from my students and colleagues and draw creative energy from each and every one of them."  Dr. Elizabeth Nollen

Dr. Nollen teaches film criticism, literature, composition, and Honors courses at WCU, where she specializes in Gothic and women's literature, as well as film and cultural studies. She has authored numerous articles and presented papers and organized panels at many regional, national, and international conferences. Dr. Nollen has published an essay collection entitled  Family Matters in the British and American Novel (Popular Press) and is currently at work on the fourth edition of a college textbook called Mirror on America: Essays and Images from American Popular Culture (Bedford / St. Martin's).  Professor Nollen is currently an Associate Book Review Editor for the journal College Literature and continues to actively mentor both undergraduate and graduate students. 

Special Topics:  Ecological Economics and the Local Community (Spring 2008)

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with some of West Chester's best students.  The reason I enjoy working with the program is that with a little luck we will all learn a lot and make a significant, positive contribution to this community."  Dr. Thomas Andrews

Dr. Tom Andrews
313 Anderson
tandrews@wcupa.edu
Phone: (610) 436-1082

"The Honors courses I teach include a strong community service component.  I enjoy teaching in the Honors College because students rise to the challenge and come up with great ideas every time." Dr. Idna Corbett

Professor of Communication Studies
B.A., University of Maryland, M.A. Gannon University, Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University.

Special Topics  - Leadership and Relationship formation- spring 2008

Lainey Jenks studies interpersonal and relational communication with research interests in communication and visual impairment, friendship communication, and health communication. Dr. Jenks joined the faculty of West Chester University in 1992.

Dr. Elaine Jenks
515 Main Hall
ejenks@wcupa.edu
Phone:  610-436-2550

Professor & Interim Director
Learning Assistance &  Resource Center (LARC)
B.S., M.M. & M.A. West Chester University of PA,
M.A. Ed. University of Phoenix. 

Special Topics - Assessment of Student Learning*

*Leads to Level I Certification from the College Reading and Learning Association - fall 2007

Instructor, Communication Studies
B.A. & M.A. West Chester University

HON211 - Public Discourse

Professor Nyia Lacey
220 E.Rosedale Ave B
nlacey@wcupa.edu
Phone:  610-738-0475

HON352 - Political Communication - fall 2007

“I enjoy teaching Honors classes because of the quality of class discussions.  Since Honors classes are small and populated with the brightest students, they foster really great classroom interactions.  Given the quality of class discussions, I find that while my Honors students hopefully learn a great deal from me, I also learn a great deal from them. “  Dr. David Levasseur    

Dr. David LeVasseur
512 Main Hall
dlevasseur@wcupa.edu
Phone:  610-436-2450

Dr. Levasseur’s scholarly writings have appeared in a host of communication journals including The Quarterly Journal of Speech, Argumentation & Advocacy, Rhetoric & Public Affairs, and the Southern Communication Journal.  His primary research interest centers on exploring the interconnections between communication and public policy -- basically, he looks at how we as a nation talk ourselves into certain public policy choices.  He is currently working on a book for Oxford University Press titled Political Communication: The Ongoing Conversation that Shapes American Democracy.  When he is not working on research, Dr. Levasseur spends most of his time teaching either Political Communication or Communication Theory courses at West Chester University.  Outside of academics, he enjoys cooking, traveling and music (he’s a piano player). 

"The reason I enjoy teaching Honors and working with the program is because of the challenge I receive from the high quality of student-teacher interaction, the nature of  student responses, and the questions students develop. The students are motivated to learn and to serve and I enjoy the positive interaction that comes from that.”  Dr. Peter Loedel

Dr. Loedel has written or co-authored three books on the topics of German and European monetary policy and European security policy.  He has also published articles on teaching and learning approaches in Political Science.

"I have designed three brand-new seminars for HON that have taken me and the courageous Honors students on explorations of movies, mythology, music, collaborative process, and the power-politics of popular music in 20th century America. It's always an exhilarating ride, and the company of the Honors students couldn't be finer."

The music of Dr. Robert Maggio has been called "lyrical, passionate, melodic, and rhythmically charged" (American Record Guide).  Hailed as a composer of music that is “smart, vital, and inventive” (Philadelphia Inquirer).  Dr. Maggio has created a substantial body of works in nearly every genre. He has received awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Pew Fellowships in the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and Meet the Composer. Published by Theodore Presser Company.  Maggio’s music is recorded on the Albany and CRI labels.  Maggio’s orchestral music has been performed by the Boston Pops, the Atlanta Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra among many others. 

"I enjoy teaching in Honors and working with the program because I get to share my passions with a consistently wonderful mix of students."  Dr. Paul Morgan

Dr. Morgan’s campus and extensive scholarly work are devoted to exploring the historical precedents, philosophical rationale, and practical means for creating more ecologically sustainable educational institutions.  He has published articles on the life and writings of Liberty Hyde Bailey, a critical figure in the history of environmental education and ethics, and is currently focused on developing courses in environmental, outdoor, and sustainability education. Dr. Morgan is a faculty advisor for the University’s environmental organization, EARTH, and he has been involved with Community Supported Agriculture for many years.

Areas of specialization:  Aesthetics, literary theory, feminist thought

"I like teaching honors courses because most of the courses cross disciplinary boundaries and challenge students and faculty alike to examine multiple theoretical approaches from a variety of academic fields. Students come from a wide array of academic fields, all of their insights make for vivid and constructive class discussions."
Dr. Frauke Schnell

"The reason I enjoy teaching in Honors and working with the program is because the students are energetic and their projects are often very creative."  Dr. Victoria Tischio

Dr. Tischio joined the English Department at West Chester University in 1998, where she has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, including Effective Writing, Critical Writing: The Imagination, Tutoring Writing, Images of School in Film, and Critical Pedagogy.   She has also taught in both the old and new Honors Program, including serving as an Experience Learner, which involved attending classes with Honors' students and conducting interviews with those students every semester.  Currently, Prof. Tischio teaches the Senior Project course (HON490).  The diverse pool of students in Honors results in an equally diverse range of projects, including music enrichment programs for local day-care and after-school programs, to college student-senior citizen mentoring programs (like TAG), to community gardens, and educational projects in local school districts and drug/alcohol treatment centers. She directed the University Writing Center for three years and served a term as the Composition Co-Director for Curriculum Development in the English Department. She currently serves as the Faculty Coordinator for the WCU Learning Communities Project.  Dr. Tischio also has an active scholarly agenda, publishing articles on critical and feminist pedagogies in juried academic journals such as JAC: Journal of Composition Theory, Composition Studies, and WPA: Writing Program Administration, and presenting at national conferences such as CCCC: Conference on College Composition and Communications.  She is currently working on a book project that explores the value of creative and imaginative thinking within critical literacy instruction.

Assistant Professor, Biology
B.S., Virginia Commonwealth University
M.A., Hunter College, City University of New York
M.Ed., Columbia University
Ph.D., Fordham University

HON 314 – Science, Technology, and Environmental Systems
“I am proud to teach students in Honors because they are a dynamic and motivated group of young women and men with unique interests and talents. I look forward to instilling in them an ecological worldview that they can take to their careers and communities when they graduate.”

Dr. Turner is a forest ecologist who specializes in fungal and plant ecology. He conducts fungal (mushroom) and plant biodiversity field studies in the Gordon Natural Area (South Campus) and in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. His most recent publications all involve forest ecology studies related to the maintenance of ecological biodiversity and forest health.

"What I like most about teaching Honors is the opportunity to reassure my students that they have innate creativity.  Like life, creating art is not a linear process with rigid rules but an organic transformation of ideas and aesthetic responses from moment to moment. This creative process, when completed with courage and imagination, creates a satisfactory personal vision."  Donna Usher

Donna Usher received her BFA in painting and a BS in art education from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, PA. She received her MFA with Honors in ceramic sculpture from the University of Delaware. Her teaching spans over 25 years and she is currently an Associate Professor of Art at West Chester University. Professor Usher received the 1999 West Chester University Faculty Merit Award for Collaborations & Creative Endeavors with Students.   Her artwork has been exhibited in "The Museum of Cozumel, Mexico;" "Art of the State: Pennsylvania 2005," The State Museum of Harrisburg, PA;  "WCU Faculty Cultural Exchange," Beijing University, China;   "The International Ceramic Art Competition" in Faezna, Italy, "The World Triennial Exhibition for Small Ceramics" in Zagreb, Croatia, and the "The Cairo International Biennale for Ceramics" in Giza, Egypt, as well as numerous regional and national exhibitions for 30 years.  Ms. Usher's artwork is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Cozumel, the National Centre of Fine Arts in Cairo, Egypt; the Reading Public Museum, Reading Pa; the American Restaurant Association Corporate Offices, Philadelphia, PA; Verizon Corporate Offices, Philadelphia, PA; Harvey Green Library, West Chester University, West Chester, PA; Hercules Chemical Company, Wilmington, DE; Moore College and Art and Design, Philadelphia, PA, and numerous private collections.

"The reason I enjoy teaching in Honors and working with the program is because I am passionate about the course, and enjoy the various and informed perspectives that Honors students bring to the mix.  From Honors Home Ec to Gardening 101, it's been great fun."   
Dr. Joan Welch

Dr. Welch trained as an environmental scientist and bio-geographer.  She has worked with countries of Latin America on development projects at the Latin American Scholarship Program of American Universities, an independent affiliate of Harvard University.  She was the  Coordinator for the National Park Service's National Natural Landmark Program in the northeast.  Dr. Welch's research efforts focus on investigating the spatial distribution of forest resources and the processes that impact those patterns.  Her recent research includes the impact of deer browse on interior forest regeneration, and the effects of prescribed fire in woodlands to control invasive plants and promote oak regeneration. Dr. Welch has worked on research of landscape changes in the Pyrenees from 1950-2000 using aerial photography and Geographic Information Systems to evaluate change in forest, pasture, and agricultural land cover to understand the potential impact on biodiversity in that region.  She and her family practice biodynamic and organic agriculture and beekeeping.