English Faculty & Staff

Associate Professor
B.A. University of California, Davis
M.A. University of California, Santa Barbara

Prior to managing the largest department on campus with the best faculty and staff a chair can ask for, I initiated the Student Equity Plan and Guided Pathways for the college, led the Basic Skills and Student Success committees, and participated in everything from curriculum to accreditation to accommodations. And yet my greatest joy is still in the classroom, where I have taught composition, creative writing and literature courses for over twenty years. As a comparatist specializing in philology, psychoanalysis and existentialism, I look for a multicultural approach to literary analysis (whether it be deconstructing film noir or doing a postmodern take on a children’s story), all the while introducing students to a wide spectrum of critical tools to strengthen their own understanding of the world. Our purpose is to help you achieve your academic pursuits and express your worthwhile views in the strongest way possible. So if you have any questions or need any advice in English, ESL, linguistics and/or creative writing, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are only successful if you’re successful.

Email: @email
Office: JH 301-A

Associate Professor
B.A. Claremont McKenna College
M.A. University of California, Santa Barbara
Ph.D. University of California, Santa Barbara

I teach writing and critical thinking courses (28, 101, 102, 103), and several literary survey courses (200s).

I have three main goals.

First, I equip students with writing skills applicable to all study paths. My sections will prepare all majors to succeed in future classes.

Second, through abundant advising and in-class activities, I will teach you to use writing to tackle real-world challenges (like applications & exam writing).

Third, my classes study literary themes we can see in our real-world cultural experiences. My past classes have discussed technological dystopias, modern consumerism, dictatorship and oppressive governance, the American dream, monsters and horror icons, challenging American stereotypes, STEM & Science writing, and others.

I look forward to meeting you and hope you will discover a love of research in my courses!

Email: @email
Office: JH 302-F

Associate Professor
B.A. University of Louisiana at Monroe
M.A. University of Louisiana at Monroe

I started teaching at LACC in the fall of 2013, and I have taught several levels in English but in recent years have taught mostly English 101 and 103. I have also taught English 215 and 216 which focus on the works of William Shakespeare.

With the readings I teach in my English 101 and English 103 classes, I introduce subject matters surrounding the issues of race, gender, and identity, which also fall into my own writing outside of the classroom. Aside from teaching, I enjoy writing. My blog, Pakistani Southern Belle, focuses on my life and the intersectionality of being a woman of color, an American “southern belle” with Pakistani roots. I share details growing up in a small southern town, being raised by immigrant parents, and I also write about my life today living in Los Angeles. My blog is currently in television development with Story Mill Entertainment based in Columbus, GA.

I really enjoy working with my diverse student population here at LACC. Not only do I love helping and teaching my students how to improve in their own writing, but I also find myself leaving each semester more inspired and better for having met the students who enter and exit my classroom.

Email: @email
Office: JH 301-G

Associate Professor
B.A. Chico State University
M.A. Chico State University
Ph.D. University of California, Riverside

I started teaching full time at Los Angeles City College in 2016. I teach all of the composition courses, including English 101Z and English 104, and I like to help students who don't consider themselves experts in English. My main goal in these courses is to make sure that students make it to the end of class and pass.

I also teach American Literature and Science Fiction and Fantasy. My teaching and education focus on dystopian literature, literature about the city, popular culture, science fiction, and postmodern fiction.

I'm originally from Northern California, but I've been in Los Angeles since 2011. I love watching cult movies at the Egyptian or the Aero, and if there's a concert with an 80s band in town, I'll probably be there.

Email: @email
Office: JH 301-H

Associate Professor
B.A. University of California, Los Angeles
M.F.A. California Institute of the Arts

I graduated from an LAUSD high school in 1989 and went to UC Santa Cruz, but I dropped out at 20 when I was participating in an Education Abroad Program. I traveled and worked for a few years and started at UCLA when I was 23. That's when I really began reading. I got my M.F.A. at 28 and worked in Hollywood, then Japan, and then I landed at LACC in 2004. I'm a poet, novelist, and publisher, and I'm the faculty advisor to the ASG Martial Arts Club. Currently, I'm also serving as the director of the Ralph Bunche Scholars Program (Honors at LACC).

Email: @email
Office: JH 301-C

Associate Professor
B.A. California State University, San Marcos
M.A. California State University, San Marcos

During my time in high school, I struggled to find engagement and passion for school. Even subjects I enjoyed in my personal life failed to captivate me within the classroom. It wasn't until my time at Grossmont College that my perspective on education changed. I was fortunate to have some incredible professors who helped reignite my love for learning. Their guidance led me to switch my major and find a clear academic pathway. Inspired by the impact my professors had on me, I chose to teach at a community college with the aspiration of making a positive difference in the lives of my students. My goal is to help you discover the joy of learning and guide you toward realizing your full potential.

On a more personal note, my family is a huge part of my life. I am a proud parent of two wonderful children and am blessed to share my life with my wife, Brandi. My girls are named Ruby, after my grandmother, and Remi. They are a constant source of inspiration and motivation for me.

Email: @email
Office: JH 301-F

Assistant Professor
B.A. Worcester State University
M.F.A. Emerson College

I have taught at this beautiful college for, well, let's say, a long time. A graduate of Emerson College in Boston, I received my MFA after transferring to the Emerson Los Angeles campus. I love to teach all my classes here at LACC, but my specialty is creative writing and modern British and American literature. My main goal in all my courses is to instill confidence and curiosity in young writers as we get to the finish line together. 

Email: @email
Office: JH 302-F

Associate Professor
B.A. University of California, Berkeley
M.A. University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D. University of California, Riverside

Email: @email
Office: JH 302-B

Associate Professor
B.A. University of California, Irvine
M.A. University of Southern California
Ph.D. University of Southern California

I grew up in the northern part of San Diego County (San Marcos). From there, I attended the University of California, Irvine, where I completed my BAs in English and Political Science. I then attended the University of Southern California, where I completed my MA and PhD degrees in English. My doctoral dissertation explores the link between racial comedy and law.

I began teaching at community colleges in 2000 by working in the Writing Center at Pasadena City College.  A few years later, I landed my job here at LACC in 2005, and I have been here ever since.  In my time here, I've served in various capacities: department vice chair, Hiring Prioritization Committee Co-Chair (2020-22), and EPPIC (Educational Policies and Program Integrity Committee) Chair (2021-23). My favorite courses to teach are the American Literature surveys.

Email: @email
Office: JH 301-D

Assistant Professor
B.A. University of California, Los Angeles
M.A. Loyola Marymount University

I am a first-generation college graduate and proud alum of LACC.  

I spent my adolescence reading and collecting comic books (mainly Spiderman), and now I love to read and collect fiction, poetry, graphic novels, and essays in the form of paperback books.

My interests and specialties are composition, creative writing (short stories / hybrid fiction), and American literature (17th-c., 19th-c., and 20th-c.). 

My main goal in all my classes is to help students become skillful, confident, and passionate readers and writers. 

Email: @email
Office: JH 302

Associate Professor
B.A. University of California, Los Angeles
M.A. California State University, Los Angeles
M.A. California State University, Northridge

I know how important education can be. My undergraduate years very much shaped me into the person I am today: those formative years still influence the way I think, the way I interact with the world, and the way I navigate the teaching profession.

I design my classes (English 101, 102, 103, 200-level literature classes, and creative writing classes) to be reflective of the English discipline and its value. However, my main goal is to encourage–indeed, to push–students to be active participants in their own educational journeys.

Success in my classes involves a lot of consistent effort, but I hope it is effort that prepares students to take on the greater challenges they will face in academics and in life.

I hope that time in my classes proves to be a useful and valuable stopping point on each student’s road to becoming a lifelong learner.

Email: @email
Office: JH 301-F

Professor
B.A. University of California, Los Angeles
M.A. University of Southern California
Ph.D. University of Southern California

Born in Switzerland in 1960, my first immigration experience brought me to Los Angeles, California, in 1976. After graduating from UCLA, I spent a ‘gap year’ with friends from Guadalajara, Mexico, whom I met in my first California ESL class. This second migration experience crystallized in a five-part poem called “Europe, Too, Came from Somewhere Else” and helped me find my calling as a teacher. I returned to Los Angeles, studied linguistics, and fell in love with teaching at LACC with my first ESL 6A class way back in 1989. I have applied what I learned ever since as both an educator and a researcher, and still love the work. In addition to researching and teaching, I also love to read international literature, speculative fiction, and poems from many lands, and am exploring online possibilities for creatives.  

Email: @email
Office: JH 301-B

Professor
B.A. University of California, Irvine
M.F.A. The California Institute of the Arts
M.A. University of California, Irvine

I have been teaching at LACC since 2007 and only love this place more. I received my BA and MA in English from UC: Irvine and my MFA in Creative Writing from CalArts.  I love to teach just about every level, and since I’m a big geek, I tend to use books that I loved reading when I was a student as well as newer books that cross my path. I truly enjoy teaching creative writing, and have published three major works since being at LACC. You can find my non-work stuff at djrthelostboy.com

Email: @email
Office: JH 301

Assistant Professor
B.A. California State University, Northridge
M.A. California State University, Northridge

I’ve taught at several campuses in Los Angeles (CSUN, L.A. Mission, and College of the Canyons), and I’m happy to make my permanent home here at LACC.

Besides teaching, I also write. I've worked on novels, screenplays, short stories, record reviews, and even some poetry. I also like camping and surfing and playing video games.

As a teacher my goal is to connect composition, critical thinking, and textual analysis to your identity and interests. If you’ve been afraid of reading or writing in the past, take one of my classes!  

Email: @email
Office: JH 302-E

Associate Professor
B.A. University of Southern California
M.A. Stanford University
M.F.A. California State University, Long Beach

My interest in literature and writing started with, yes, my middle school and high school English teachers! My English teachers inspired me throughout my youth; however, I truly found my love for literature sitting in a multi-cultural comparative lit class as an undergrad at USC and knew that I wanted to teach literature and writing in a college classroom because of my own positive experience.

As an undergrad, I earned my BA in English and Psychology from the University of Southern California and then, several years later, earned my MA from Stanford University in American Literature with an emphasis in multi-cultural literature. In addition to literature, I also have a love for creative writing, especially poetry, and earned my MFA from California State University, Long Beach.

I have worked at LACC since 2002, and over the years I have taught different levels of composition and literature courses as well as creative writing. I am most at home in the classroom teaching and learning from our diverse and talented student population. My goal as a teacher is for students to leave my classroom feeling empowered by their ability to think creatively and critically about the world around them.

Email: @email
Office: 301-C

Assistant Professor
B.A. University of California, Los Angeles
M.A. University of California, Irvine
Ph.D. University of Southern California

Email: @email
Office: AD 100

Instructional Assistant

B.A. University of California, Los Angeles
M.A. California State University, Los Angeles

Email: @email
Office: AD 100 / JH 318