Committee Assignments
Department of English 2026-27
Administrative Leadership 2026-27
- Chair: Nush Powell
- Associate Chair (Personnel): Matt Prior
- Associate Chair (Curriculum): Julia Himberg
- Associate Director, Curriculum & Instruction: Shauna Dranetz
- Director of Graduate Studies: Christina Saidy (Fall); Heather Maring (Spring)
- Director of Writing Programs: Roger Thompson
Program Directors
- Director of Creative Writing: Sarah Viren
- Director of English Education: Jessica Early
- Director of Film and Media Studies: Sarah Florini
- Director of Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, & TESOL: Mark James
- Director of Literature: Derek Pacheco
- Director of Writing, Rhetoric & Literacies: Mark Hannah (F26); Jake Greene (S27)
Administrative Directors/Managers
- Business Operations Manager, Sr.: Caden Gillespie
- Director of Communications: Kristen LaRue-Sandler
Appointed Posts
- Assessment Coordinator: Shauna Dranetz
- Director of Digital Technology: Bruce Matsunaga
- Director of Internships: Ruby Macksoud
- Director of Online Programs: Kathleen Hicks
- Fletcher Lecture Coordinator: Melissa Free
- Library Liaison: Jessica Early
- Outreach Coordinator: James Blasingame
- Parliamentarian: Christina Saidy
- Sigma Tau Delta (English Honors Society) Faculty Advisor: Cecilia Savala
- Staff Representatives: Courtney Horn and Jessica Lee
- TA Orientation/Professional Development: Angela Rounsaville
Elective Posts
Budget & Personnel Committee
- Aviva Dove-Viebahn (yr 1)
- David Hawkes (yr 2)
- Richard Newhauser (yr 2)
- Kris Ratcliffe (yr 1)
- Kevin Sandler (yr 2)
- Patricia Webb (yr 2)
- Matt Prior (ACP, ex officio and non suffragium)
Instructor Representatives
- Tennison Black
- Tonya Eick
- Rachel Emling
- Courtney Fowler
- Kevin Lichty
- Jeremy Meyer
- Kurt Myers
University/College Senate
- Brian Goodman (AY 26-27-AY 28-29)
- Kathleen Lamp (AY 25-26-AY 27-28)
- Tyler Peterson (AY 25-26-AY 27-28)
Writing Programs Committee
Teaching Professors
- Danielle Alfandre
- Vincent Oliveri
Instructors
- Tennison Black
- Tonya Eick
- Rachel Emling
- Courtney Fowler
- Kevin Lichty
- Jeremy Meyer
- Kurt Myers
FA
- Bina Mehta
TAs
- Emily Niska
- Sarah Scarcliff
Department Committee Membership (Appointed)
Admissions Committees for Program Areas
- Determined by Program Directors & Chair
Advisory Council
- Nush Powell (Chair)
- Shauna Dranetz (Lead UG Advisor)
- Associate Chair Curriculum: Julia Himberg
- Associate Chair Personnel: Matt Prior
- Kathleen Hicks (Dir. of Online)
- Roger Thompson (Dir. of WPs)
- Kristen Larue-Sandler (Dir of Communications)
- Bruce Matsunaga (Dir of Digital Tech)
- Christina Saidy (Dir. of GS Fall)
- Heather Maring (Dir. of GS Spring)
Awards Committee/s
- Chair: Matt Bell
- Brandi Adams
- Katie Berta
- Jonathan Bate
- Matt Bell
- Bob Bjork (spring only)
- Tonya Eick
- Neal Lester
- Devoney Looser
- Claudia Sadowski-Smith (fall only)
- Safiya Sinclair
- Ayanna Thompson
- Peter Torres
Career Faculty Committee
- Dana Tait (chair)
- Andrea Dickens (vice-chair)
- Tennison Black
- Denise Hill
- Aimee Kaapke
- Joe Lockard
- Katie McNamara
- Ruby Macksoud
- Angela Rounsaville
- Joshua Vasquez
Committee for Altruistic Research and Experience (CARE)
- Eric Forthun (chair)
- Gabriel Acevedo
- Shauna Dranetz
- Bradley Irish
- Jenny Irish
- Mitchell Jackson
- LaMonte Key
- Ellie Long
Executive / Curriculum Committee
- Julia Himberg (Associate Chair, Curriculum)
- Nush Powell (Chair)
- Sarah Viren (Director of CW)
- Jessica Early (Director of English Ed)
- Sarah Florini (Director of FMS)
- Derek Pacheco (Director of Lit)
- Shauna Dranetz (Lead Adviser)
- Mark Hannah (Director of WRL Fall)
- Jake Greene (Director of WRL Spring)
- Kathleen Hicks (Director of Online Programs)
- Matt Prior (Associate Chair, Personnel)
- Roger Thompson (Director of Writing Programs)
- Mark James (Director of Ling, Applied Ling, and TESOL)
- Christina Saidy (Director of Graduate Studies, Fall)
- Heather Maring (Director of Graduate Studies, Spring)
Elections Committee
- Paul Matsuda (chair) (spring only)
- Bruce Matsunaga
- Eduardo Ramos (spring only)
Events Committee
- Christine Holbo (chair)
- Joni Adamson (spring only)
- Aaron Baker (spring only)
- Sally Ball (fall only)
- Victoria Baugh (fall only)
- Lois Brown
- Reza Dalman
- Ruben Espinosa
- Elizabeth Horan (spring only)
- Tara Ison (spring only)
- Christian Ravela (spring only)
- Jed Samer
- Bryan Smith
Graduate Committee
- Chair: Christina Saidy (Director of Graduate Studies, Fall)
- Chair: Heather Maring (Director of Graduate Studies, Spring)
- Sarah Viren (Director of CW)
- Jessica Early (Director of English Ed)
- Sarah Florini (Director of FMS)
- Derek Pacheco (Director of Lit)
- Mark Hannah (Director of WRL Fall)
- Jake Greene (Director of WRL Spring)
- Kathleen Hicks (Director of Online Programs)
- Roger Thompson (Director of Writing Programs)
- Mark James (Director of Ling, Applied Ling, and TESOL)
- Grad Rep TBA
Operations Committee
- Ron Broglio (chair)
- Danielle Alfandre
- Lisa Barksdale-Shaw
- Lee Bebout (fall only)
- Aya Matsuda
- Mark Hannah (spring only)
Ad Hoc Committees
ENG Representatives to ENG/Humanities/EdPlus Committee
- Nush Powell (DEPT CHAIR)
- Lily Downs (ENG MA)
- Kathleen Hicks (ONLINE)
- Sarah Florini (FMS MAS)
- Heather Maring (ENG MA, Spring)
- Christina Saidy (ENG MA, Fall)
- Julia Himberg (ASSOC CHAIR)
- Mark James (LAL/MTESOL)
- Shauna Dranetz (UG)
Inclusive Excellence Committee
- Josh Coleman (fall only)
- Cedric Burrows
- Natalie Diaz
- Cora Fox
- Melissa Free
- Mariam Galarrita
- Cheryl Greene
- Jonathan Hope
- Stacey Moran
- Katie Morrissey
- Vincent Oliveri
- Shahar Shirtz
University Service
- University Promotion and Tenure Committee: Ruben Espinosa
- Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure: Richard Newhauser (2026), Joe Lockard (2026)
- Faculty Women’s Associate Executive Board: Joni Adamson, Ayanna Thompson
- Osher Lifelong Institute at ASU, Senior Fellow: Kevin Sandler
- Residency Appeal Hearing Committee: Ruby Macksoud
- University Curriculum and Academic Programs Committee (Chair): Claudia Sadowski-Smith
- University General Studies Council: Lee Bebout
- University Hearing Board: Mark Hannah, Tara Ison, Kassie Lamp
- Interdisciplinary Committee on Linguistics: Mark James, Aya Matsuda, Tyler Peterson, Matthew Prior, Shahar Shirtz, Peter Torres,
- President’s Academic Council (Members): Devoney Looser and Alberto Rios
College Service
- Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
- (Executive Director): Ayanna Thompson
- (Director): Ruben Espinosa
- (Outreach): Maddie Sayet
- (Director of Press): Jonathan Hope
- Center for Imagination in the Borderlands (Director): Natalie Diaz
- Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (Director): Lois Brown
- Dean's Academic Professional Advisory Committee (Member): Ruby Macksoud
- Humanities Institute (Director): Ron Broglio
- Piper Center (Director): Tito Rios
- Project Humanities (Founding Director): Neal Lester
Committees
- Academic Standards Committee: Patricia Webb (Fall 2024-Spring 2027)
- Committee on Quality of Instruction: Courtney Fowler (Fall 2025-Spring 2028)
- Committee on Student Affairs & Grievances (Member): Kathleen Lamp (Fall 2025-Spring 2028)
- Curriculum Committee: Derek Pacheco (Fall 2025-Spring 2028)
- Dean’s Faculty Advisory Committee (Member): Jessica Early (2024-2027)
- Dean’s Faculty Advisory Committee (CT): Laura Turchi (2025-2028)
- Desert Humanities: Ron Broglio (2018-present)
- Environmental Humanities/Global Futures Lab: Joni Adamson
- PLuS Alliance Humanities (Lead): Sir Jonathan Bate
Department Service outside of Appointed Committees in Bylaws
- CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) Certificate: Bryan Smith
- Environmental Humanities Certificate: Peter Goggin
- Graduate Critical Theory Certificate: Ron Broglio, Stacey Moran
- Graduate Linguistics Certificate: [under review]
- Interdisciplinary Health Humanities Certificate: Cora Fox
- Sigma Tau Delta advisor: Cecilia Savala
- TESOL Certificate: Mark James
- Translation Certificate: Richard Newhauser
- Writers’ Place Awards Committee: Heather Hoyt
- ELATE Graduate Student Group (Advisor): Christina Saidy
- SPARK-Ling Club (Co-Advisors): Shahar Shirtz and Tyler Peterson
On Sabbatical or Approved Leave
Approved Sabbaticals
- Joni Adamson (Fall 2026)
- Aaron Baker (Fall 2026)
- Bob Bjork (Fall 2026)
- Jake Greene (Fall 2026)
- Elizabeth Horan (Fall 2026)
- Heather Maring (Fall 2026)
- Paul Matsuda (Fall 2026)
On Approved Leave
- Sally Ball (Spring 2027)
- Victoria Baugh (Spring 2027)
- Josh Coleman (Spring 2027)
- Tara Ison (Fall 2026)
- Eduardo Ramos (Fall 2026)
- Christian Ravela (Fall 2026)