Whether you are planning on transferring to a four-year university or looking to bolster your communication prowess, our courses give you the critical, analytical, and creative skills that set you up for long-term success in your chosen field. We offer smaller class sizes and enhance student learning through collaboration and interactive technology. Classes in Communication, English, and Media can prepare you for success in a variety of rewarding careers in fields such as law, publishing, television, education, journalism, marketing, social media, and government.
| Matthew Gilchrist | ||||||
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| Title: | Dean of Communication, English, and Media | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5489 | |||||
| Email: | matthew.gilchrist@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 2092 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A.; University of Tennessee, Knoxville M.F.A. and Ph.D.; University of Iowa |
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| Bio: | Matt earned a Bachelor’s in English with a concentration in creative writing at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. At the University of Iowa, he earned an M.F.A. in fiction writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a PhD in Language, Literacy, and Culture. Matt’s areas of expertise are multimodal composition, writing program administration, and curriculum development. His teaching focuses on active and collaborative learning strategies, and he specializes in developing community-engaged, project-based curricula. Away from work, Matt runs, goes on bike excursions with his family, reads, and seeks out new adventures. | |||||
| Carolyn Gonzalez | ||||||
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| Title: | Associate Dean of Communication, English, and Media | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-4996 | |||||
| Email: | carolyn.gonzalez@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 2092 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A.; University of Iowa M.A.; Iowa State University |
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| Bio: | Carolyn is a passionate advocate for accessible education. She received her Bachelor’s degree with Honors in English and Medieval Studies from the University of Iowa before earning her Master’s degree in English at Iowa State University. She is currently a doctoral candidate in English Literary Studies at the University of Iowa, specializing in disability studies. As a proud first-generation student and Kirkwood graduate, Carolyn's personal journey has imbued her with a deep understanding of many of the challenges community college students face. Her pedagogical and administrative approaches are anchored in the belief that education should be both accessible and of the highest quality, ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive. In her free time, Carolyn enjoys going on new adventures with her husband and kids, seeing the world, and researching and publishing on all things medieval. | |||||
| Lisa Angelella | ||||||
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| Title: | Associate Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5988 319-398-4998 |
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| Email: | lisa.angelella@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3020 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | Ph.D.; University of Iowa | |||||
| Bio: | Lisa Angelella teaches Forms of Literature: Poetry, Composition I & II, and Creative Writing and serves as an advisor for the Cedar Valley Divide, Kirkwood’s art and literary magazine. She has Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Iowa, and has published scholarly work in Woolf Studies Annual and poems in Willow Springs, 32 Poems, and Stoneboat. She loves coming to see the world in new ways through the papers students write. | |||||
| Rachelle Biderman | ||||||
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| Title: | Assistant Professor, Speech Communications | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899, ext. 5838 | |||||
| Email: | rachelle.biderman@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3024 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Bio: | Rachelle started her educational journey at Kirkwood and later earned a B.A. and M.A. in Communication Studies at The University of Iowa. Throughout her academic career, she participated in several theatrical productions and competitive speaking events. Her research interests include gender and communication and the many intersections of communication and psychology. Outside of teaching, she loves to camp, explore, and laugh as much as possible. | |||||
| Eliot Blake | ||||||
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| Title: | Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5762 319-398-4998 |
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| Email: | eliot.blake@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3017 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A.; Georgetown University J.D.; Emory University Ph.D.; University of Iowa |
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| Bio: | Eliot Blake is a refugee from practicing law in Washington D.C. He has a B.A. in Government from Georgetown University, a J.D. from Emory University School of Law, and a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Iowa. His research interests include English Composition, First Amendment jurisprudence, and fostering student success in college. He hails from Atlanta and shares his home with his husband, teenage daughter, and extremely screamy cat. You can find him teaching comp classes or bicycling aimlessly through Johnson County. He is easily startled. | |||||
| Marci Bowden | ||||||
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| Title: | Assistant Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5831 319-398-4998 |
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| Email: | marci.bowden@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3018 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A. and M.A.; University of Northern Iowa | |||||
| Bio: | Originally from western Iowa, Marci has more recently enjoyed her experiences in the “Cedars” of eastern Iowa. She attended the University of Northern Iowa for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees, earning a B.A. in English with a focus on both Professional and Digital Writing and her M.A. in English. She teaches Composition courses and enjoys finding ways to incorporate hip-hop into the curriculum. | |||||
| Emily Brown | ||||||
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| Title: | Associate Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-3604 | |||||
| Email: | emily.brown@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3024 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A.: DePaul University; M.A.: University of Wisconsin–Madison | |||||
| Bio: | After growing up in Iowa, Emily moved to Chicago to attend DePaul University, and then moved to Wisconsin to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She returned to Iowa in 2009 to teach at Kirkwood. She lives in Iowa City and most often teaches Composition I, Integrated Composition II, and Forms of Literature: Fiction. | |||||
| Jacki Brucher Moore | ||||||
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| Title: | Professor, Communication Studies | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5313 | |||||
| Email: | jacki.bruchermoore@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 1017 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A.; Simpson College M.A.; University of Northern Iowa |
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| Bio: | Jacki teaches courses in Oral Communication and Public Speaking. She completed her undergraduate work at Simpson College and earned her M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Northern Iowa. Jacki’s interest area is language, and she primarily examines communication through the lenses of Rhetorical and Feminist theories. Outside of Kirkwood, Jacki enjoys spending time with her friends and family (including her dogs), patronizing local coffee shops, and searching for new additions to her rather extensive collection of hippos. | |||||
| Natalia Cherjovsky | ||||||
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| Title: | Associate Professor, Communication Studies | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 4249 | |||||
| Email: | natalia.cherjovsky@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 1019 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A.; Hunter College, City University of New York M.A.; Rollins College PhD, University of Central Florida |
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| Bio: | Dr. Natalia Cherjovsky teaches Fundamentals of Oral Communication, Public Speaking, Workplace Communication, College 101, and Popular Culture. She is also an advisor for Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges. She earned a BA in film and media studies from Hunter College, City University of New York, an MA in communication & technology from Rollins College, and a Ph.D. in texts & technology from the University of Central Florida. Her research interests include culture and media, gender studies, and fandom, among others. She enjoys writing, traveling, reading, going to concerts, watching movies, and playing trivia and board games. | |||||
| Sondra Gates | ||||||
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| Title: | Associate Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5840 319-398-4998 |
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| Email: | sondra.gates@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3025 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | Ph.D.; University of Michigan | |||||
| Bio: | Sondra received her Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of Michigan, with a focus on 19th century women’s novels. Her current academic interests are global learning, including virtual exchanges and study abroad; online education; and composition theory. At Kirkwood, she teaches composition, American Dreams, science fiction, film adaptation, and other literature classes. In her free time, she loves to read novels, travel, and go on leisurely runs through the country with her dog. | |||||
| Terri Long Jedlicka | ||||||
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| Title: | Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5323 319-398-4998 |
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| Email: | terri.jedlicka@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 2029 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | M.A.; University of Iowa | |||||
| Bio: | Terri is a proud alumnus of Kirkwood Community College (A.A. degree), the University of Northern Iowa (B.A. and M.A. degrees), and the University of Iowa (M.A. degree). She began at Kirkwood in 1997 working in Secondary Programs in the alternative high schools first in Washington, Iowa, then in Tiffin, Iowa. Terri came to main campus to be a part of the Learning Services Department and now the Communications, English, and Media Department. The courses she teaches include Fundamentals of Oral Communication and Workplace Communications. Terri also serves as a Reading/Writing Specialist for the TRIO Student Support Services program, which works with disadvantaged student populations. She and her husband have three children, and they reside in Solon. | |||||
| Art Khaw | ||||||
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| Title: | Professor, Communication Studies | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5825 | |||||
| Email: | art.khaw@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 2033 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | Ed.D., Liberty University | |||||
| Bio: | Art Khaw teaches Communication courses at Kirkwood Community College. His academic interests include leadership studies, organizational communication, and health communications. Art is also a Certified Training Consultant (CTC) which he received from Ball State University’s Center for Entrepreneurial Resources and the Central Indiana Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development. Art grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. He spends most of his time on the tennis courts where he competes in regional tennis tournaments and is an active member of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). | |||||
| Randy Langel | ||||||
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| Title: | Assistant Professor, Digital Media | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-7163 | |||||
| Email: | randy.langel@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 1222B Linn Hall | |||||
| Education: | A.A.; Kirkwood Community College B.A.; University of Iowa M.S.; Arizona State University |
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| Bio: | Randy obtained his A.A. in Communication Media (Kirkwood Community College), B.A. in Film and Comparative Literature (University of Iowa), and his M.S. in Graphic Information Technology (Arizona State University). Randy is an associate professor in the CEM department and teaches Digital Media courses, such as Mass Media, Video Production, Audio Production, Broadcast Writing & Performance, and News Media Convergence. He is the advisor of Kirkwood Student Productions and has a passion for visual storytelling. Randy is also interested in exploring the use of virtual reality, 360 video, and augmented reality. | |||||
| Sarah Mangold | ||||||
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| Title: | Assistant Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-7164 | |||||
| Email: | sarah.mangold@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 1222A Linn Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A.; University of Dubuque M.A.; University of Northern Iowa |
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| Bio: | Sarah Mangold earned her M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Northern Iowa and her B.A. in Speech Communication and English Literature from the University of Dubuque. Sarah worked for several Iowa newspapers before coming to Kirkwood. Currently, she advises the Communiqué, the college’s award-winning student newspaper, and teaches Media History, Media Ethics, Mass Media, News Reporting, Public Relations and Marketing, and Fundamentals of Oral Communication. | |||||
| Emily McWorthy | ||||||
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| Title: | Assistant Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-4486 | |||||
| Email: | emily.mcworthy@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 1017 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | A.A.; Highland Community College B.A. and M.A.; Northern Illinois University |
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| Bio: | Emily teaches Fundamentals of Oral Communication on main campus, at the regional centers, and online. She started at Kirkwood working in Distance Learning as an Instructional Designer and joined the faculty full time in Fall 2019. Her academic interests include online student engagement, innovative teaching practices, and OERs. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband Chance, attending her kids' sporting events, and snuggling with her cats Lily and James. | |||||
| Shelby Myers | ||||||
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| Title: | Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-887-3635 | |||||
| Email: | shelby.myers@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | Iowa City Campus room 346 | |||||
| Education: | M.A.T.; University of Iowa | |||||
| Bio: | Shelby earned her M.A.T. in English Education at the University of Iowa in 1993 and has been a learner and educator since then. Her teaching interests focus on literacy issues at all levels, particularly the aspects of reading and writing in our communities that often go unnoticed. She teaches composition and reading courses on the Iowa City Campus and also works with English language learners. She leads a service learning oral history project in Iowa City with older adults that was featured in the documentary Aging in America: The Life Stories Project. Shelby regularly leads Kirkwood study abroad trips around the world focused on service learning. In her free time, she loves participating in musical theater in the community and spending time with her family. | |||||
| Shawnacy Kiker Perez | ||||||
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| Title: | Assistant Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899, ext. 5828 | |||||
| Email: | shawnacy.kikerperez@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 2032 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A.; California State University M.F.A.; University of California |
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| Bio: | Shawnacy teaches classes in composition and literature ,including Elements of Writing, Composition 1, Composition 2, Core Writing, Integrated Composition, and Literature & Culture: American Dreams. Her academic interests include creative fiction, poetry, lyrical essays, anarchist and somatic pedagogies, and multicultural literature. She enjoys writing creatively, painting, being outdoors, travel, and encountering the unexpected. She is a collector of untranslatable words, and an eater of soups, both fine and mediocre. | |||||
| Danny Plunkett | ||||||
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| Title: | Assistant Professor, English | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5928 | |||||
| Email: | danny.plunkett@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3025 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.S.; University of Alabama M.F.A.; Georgia College & State University |
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| Bio: | Danny Plunkett earned his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University and his B.S. in Biology from the University of Alabama. He teaches Composition courses at Kirkwood’s Cedar Rapids campus and his creative interests include literary fiction, weird stories, and prose poetry. In his spare time, he writes and publishes fiction and poetry, and spends time with his wife and St. Bernard mix, Barney. | |||||
| Timothy Robbins | ||||||
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| Title: | Assistant Professor, English | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5929 | |||||
| Email: | timothy.robbins@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3023 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | M.A. and Ph.D.; University of Iowa | |||||
| Bio: | Tim Robbins teaches courses in first-year composition and literary studies at Kirkwood’s campus in Cedar Rapids. A first-generation college student, he received his Bachelor’s degree in English from the City University of New York-Hunter College before transplanting to the Midwest to earn his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Iowa. Tim’s literary research focuses on 19th-American poetry and social movements, and his teaching scholarship is in the field of Open Pedagogy, particularly around the development of Open Educational Resources (OER). Tim and his wife Jessie are delighted to return to eastern Iowa to raise their children, frequent the farmers’ markets, and cheer on the Hawkeyes! | |||||
| Catherine Schaff-Stump | ||||||
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| Title: | Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5581 319-398-4998 |
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| Email: | catherine.schaff-stump@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3018 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | M.A.; Iowa State University Ph.D.; University of Iowa |
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| Bio: | Dr. Catherine Schaff-Stump received her interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Second Language Writing from the University of Iowa and her M.A. in Business and Technical English from Iowa State University. She teaches a wide variety of subjects including literature, composition, business writing, and creative writing specializing in how different audiences effect different forms of communication. She is also an author of dark fantasy and horror. She can often be found pumping iron and power walking to counteract all the time she spends in front of a computer screen. | |||||
| Renée Schlueter | ||||||
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| Title: | Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5836 319-398-4998 |
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| Email: | renee.schlueter@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3023 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | Ph.D.; Saint Louis University | |||||
| Bio: | Dr. Renée Schlueter earned a Ph.D. in Nineteenth-Century British Literature with an emphasis in gender and culture from Saint Louis University. Her research and curricular focus on international women writers, gender and teaching, and the Grand Tour reflect this lifelong interest in global citizenship and women’s rights. Dr. Schlueter has developed a variety of face-to-face and online literature and composition courses and regularly teaches a two-week Rome Study Abroad class in Italy. As an educator, she believes that reading and traveling are immersive experiences with the power to awaken student global perspectives and help them live meaningful lives. | |||||
| Kevin Shroth | ||||||
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| Title: | Associate Professor, Speech | |||||
| Phone: | 319-887-3943 | |||||
| Email: | kevin.shroth@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 1018 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | Ph.D.; University of Iowa | |||||
| Bio: | Kevin teaches Fundamentals of Oral Communication and some humanities courses, including Popular Culture. His academic interests include popular film and television, comedy, and rhetoric. When Kevin isn’t working, he enjoys reading (primarily nonfiction) and cheering for Arsenal FC. | |||||
| Clark Skaggs | ||||||
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| Title: | Professor, Communication Studies | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5963 | |||||
| Email: | clark.skaggs@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 1018 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A.; Southwest Baptist M.A.; University of Central Missouri |
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| Bio: | Clark teaches Fundamentals of Oral Communication, Public Speaking, and Encounters in Humanities. Clark believes in keeping communication skills sharp by participating in his area of interest. He regularly appears as a speaker and actor at local arts events. | |||||
| Heather Strempke-Durgin | ||||||
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| Title: | Associate Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5988 ext. 1224 319-398-4998 |
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| Email: | heather.durgin@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3017 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Education: | B.A.; Boise State University M.A.; Oregon State University |
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| Bio: | Heather is a proud Kirkwood alum (AA). She received her B.A. in English, with a focus on literature, and her M.A. in English and American literature. She is particularly interested in how race, gender, and class interact in American literature. Heather teaches Composition I, Integrated Composition, Forms of Lit.: Fiction, Literature and Culture: American Dreams, and African-American Lit. In her free time, she loves to read, travel, hike, cook, and practice yoga. She also loves horror movies. | |||||
| Mircea Tomus | ||||||
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| Title: | Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5832 319-398-4998 |
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| Email: | mircea.tomus@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3022 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Bio: | Mircea obtained his degree in comparative literature and medieval studies from the University of Iowa in 1991. He hails from former Communist Romania and has been teaching classes in rhetoric, college writing, introduction to poetry and fiction, both in Europe and the United States. His spare time is filled with translation projects, making and playing music in his recording studio, and sailing. | |||||
| Steve Wolcott | ||||||
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| Title: | Professor | |||||
| Phone: | 319-398-5899 ext. 5841 319-398-4998 |
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| Email: | steve.wolcott@kirkwood.edu | |||||
| Office: | 3019 Cedar Hall | |||||
| Bio: | Steve Wolcott was growing up a few blocks from the Ohio’s Cuyahoga River when it famously caught fire in 1969. Despite this fiery beginning, he loves hiking and biking through river valleys. After earning two master’s degrees at Indiana University, he moved to Iowa where he’s been teaching writing and children’s literature at Kirkwood since 2010. | |||||
| Rick Anderson (Emeritus), Communication |
| Tony Arduini (Emeritus), Communication |
| Deb Bloom, English |
| Matt Bloom, English |
| Janis Bultman, English |
| Dan Carolin, English |
| Kevin Carpenter, English |
| Tess Carroll, English |
| Karen Cloyd, Communication |
| Lois Deerberg, Communication |
| Elizabeth Dickhut, English |
| Scott Ditzler, English |
| Barb Edler, English |
| Bruce Elgin, English |
| Erin Elgin, Communication |
| Tom Ernster (Emeritus) |
| Nancy Fandel, English |
| Nick Fetty, Mass Media |
| Robin Fields, English |
| Asha Galindo, English |
| Chelsie Gaspar, Communication |
| James Greenhaw, Communication |
| Sharon Grice, Communication |
| Robyn Groth, English |
| Pete Hadlandsmyth, English |
| Ali Hendrickson, Communication |
| Heather Hippler, English |
| Kasey Hullett, English |
| David Hulm (Emeritus) English |
| Scott Ketelson, Communication |
| Kate Kedley, English |
| Sue Kuennen (Emeritus), English |
| Bill Lamb, English |
| Gina Larson, English |
| Rustin Larson, English |
| Alexis Lee, English |
| John Logel, English |
| Cydney Lovell, English |
| Margaret MacInnis, English |
| Chance McWorthy, Communication |
| Beatrice Mkenda, English |
| Stacy Haynes Moore, English |
| Jennie Morton, English |
| Michael Newton, English |
| Isaac Nielson, English |
| Suzy Nkurlu, Communication |
| Kelly Parker, Communication |
| Michele Payne (Emeritus), English |
| Cara Picton, English |
| Bri Postlewait, English |
| Buzz Pounds, English |
| Katie Reed, English |
| Tonja Robins (Emeritus), English |
| Michael Springer, English |
| Karen Stock, English |
| Marianne Taylor (Emeritus), English |
| Matt Thomas, English |
| Rich Underwood (Emeritus), Communication |
| Tobias Veeder, English |
| Beth Ann Weigand, English |
| Alexus Williams, English |
| Rachel Winchel, English |