English Faculty & Staff
Full-Time Faculty
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. 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
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, Riverside
Ph.D. University of California, Riverside
I have been teaching composition, critical thinking, and literature for over two decades, spending time at UC Riverside, the University of Redlands, Riverside City College, and Pasadena City College before arriving at LACC, where I have been teaching exclusively since 2015.
My goal when teaching our core composition courses (English 101, English 102, and English 103) is to support each student in their quest to achieve or demonstrate the reading, thinking, and writing skills that are foundational to college success and to many other good things in life. Besides our composition courses, I enjoy teaching literature in my specific field, including English 205, which surveys the history of English literature from the beginnings of the English language to the eighteenth century.
Outside of class, I like to spend time with my loved ones, nurture my backyard plants, and write for personal pleasure. I am also passionate about hiking in nature, road-tripping across North America, and backpacking on a budget in lands far away.
It is my hope that our students will likewise pursue their passions and that their adventures in college will help them get to where they wish to go.
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
Director, Writing & ESL Centers
B.A. University of California, Los Angeles
M.A. University of California, Irvine
Ph.D. University of Southern California
Email: @email
Office: AD 100
I began teaching English more than two decades ago and joined LACC in 2017, where I’ve taught all levels of composition as well as English 239, “Women in Literature,” and a contextualized English 103 course, “Science Writing.” In 2022, it was my great pleasure to begin serving as the director of the Writing and ESL Centers, where we help students with writing for English and ESL classes as well as for classes in all disciplines.
My goal at the Writing and ESL Centers is to empower and inspire students to become independent, confident writers in college and beyond. I see writing as a powerful tool for learning, critical thinking, and self-reflection, and my aim is to provide a welcoming space where students can discuss their ideas with friendly peer writing tutors.
Fun facts: Before returning to graduate school for English, I worked as a journalist for more than a decade, writing for publications such as the Los Angeles Times (sports), Los Angeles magazine (book reviews), and more. My dissertation, which traces gothic conventions in literature of the American West, was partially published in Dirty Woods in Deadwood (Nebraska UP, 2013).
Adjunct Faculty
Lecturer
BA - UCLA
MFA - Filmmaking, UCLA
MA - TESOL, Teacher's College, Columbia Univ.
MFA - Creative Writing/Fiction, Warren Wilson College
Email: @email
Adjunct Associate Professor
MA Writing, University of Southern California
MLIS, San Jose State University
Being a public educator for over twenty years, I am passionate about student success- transferring to University and transitioning into lucrative careers. My courses are Open Educational Resources / Zero Cost Textbook. You can find more information here.
I am from one of the top ten most violent cities in the Nation and taught in the inner-city. Even though I am third generation, I never met my family in Sweden, Finland, and Norway until 2017. Although I love swimming in the ocean, I can’t keep up with the hiking, Scandinavian lifestyle, and cabins with no running water.
In an earlier incarnation, my work as a theatre professional has been in The New York Times, The Village Voice, and The New York Post. I now use my writing and my creative background to engage learners and draw out their own inner muse. I look forward to working with you!
Email: @email
Adjunct Associate Professor
A.A. Santa Monica College
B.A. University of California, Los Angeles
M.A. California State University, Dominguez Hills
Hello everyone, my name is Joseph Ferrerosa and I’m a former community college student like all of you who remembers what it was like to be a college student. My career started in the Writing Center before I became a teacher. I’ve been teaching at LACC for a decade and I’m proud of that fact. I’m also currently involved with the Puente program here at LACC. I’m the English Coordinator working with Puente’s awesome counseling coordinator Veronica Garcia. We teach paired classes together with an emphasis on Latin literature and helping students succeed in meeting their educational goals.
I really like to teach students how to be successful, not only in school, but also how to win in life. Outside of teaching, I like to hang out with my family, go to the AMC movies, play music and video games. I’m an avid fan of gothic literature, traveling and enjoy hanging out with dogs. If you would like to join the Puente program, please contact me at @email. Let’s make our dreams a reality. Puentista for life!
Email: @email
Lecturer
MFA, The Iowa Writers Workshop
PhD, University of California – Santa Cruz
My name is Jared Harvey, and some of the most rewarding challenges in my life were presented to me by my professors during my time as a student in college. For that reason I'm immensely grateful to now find myself on this side of the teaching aisle.
Email: @email
Adjunct Associate Professor
B.F.A. Cornell University
M.A. Mount Saint Mary’s University
Hello everyone! My name is Frank Lee, and I’m an English instructor here at LACC. I like seeing my students grow as independent thinkers by providing an environment where critical thinking is fostered for success in school and life. My courses emphasize topics related to identity and postcolonial study that enable students to express thought-provoking ideas clearly and freely.
As a reader, I like to explore the genres of psychology, wellness, and literary fiction. I enjoy listening to audiobooks and using them as a tool in the classroom. I welcome all students and hope to see you in my class.
Email: @email
Adjunct Professor
B.A., M.A. California State University, Los Angeles
Harry Manos began his higher education at LACC. He received his BA and MA degrees from California State University, Los Angeles with majors in physics, mathematics, and English. He taught high school physics and calculus for 32 years before retiring from high school teaching and taking a part-time position with the English/ESL Department at Los Angeles City College.
He has published over 35 papers worldwide, some of which have been translated into Spanish and Chinese. He has presented over 100 contributed and invited papers and workshops to professional organizations in the United States, Europe, Cuba and Mexico, South America, and Asia. He is well traveled – all 50 states, all 7 continents, 90+ countries – and loves classical music.
Mr. Manos has received numerous accolades for his high school science teaching: among them a "Distinguished Service Citation" from the American Association of Physics Teachers, "Excellence in Science Education Award" presented by the California Science Teachers Association, and resolutions passed by the California State Assembly for being a "leader and outstanding educator," and the California State Senate for being a "worthy model for all educational professionals in the state...." At LACC Mr. Manos received the Spangler Excellence in Mentoring Award, the Teacher Learning Award, and he has been named the college’s Scholar in Residence in 2019 and in 2022. He is an acknowledged Ulysses scholar.
Email: @email
Lecturer
I was born in Quito, Ecuador and moved to California at age 12. My first book, Walking Around with Fante and Bukowski, contains 21 essays grouped into sections about art, politics, and autobiography. My second book, 80 MPH, presented in Madrid in 2018, is a collection of eighty poems written in Spanish. My first novel, Reggaetón Cruise, published in 2021, has been called "a techno-beat The Great Gatsby." The novel's themes include globalization, viral fame, and hyperreality. My second novel, Too Much Sweetie, "a sensual novel of ideas about an Ecuadoran artist trapped between a moneyed upbringing and his current down-and-out North American reality," is set to be published next year by Grady Miller Books.
I have been a Visiting Scholar at the CalArts' Aesthetics and Politics program and a poetry lecturer at the Los Angeles Public Library Summer Lecture Series. As editor, my most significant work has been publishing the Selected Poems of Aldo Tambellini: 1946-2016. I hold an M.A. in Arts Journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
Email: @email
Lecturer
A.A. English, LACC
B.A. English, UCLA
M.A. English, CSULB
Email: @email
Lecturer
B.A. University of California at Berkeley
M.A. California State University, Northridge
J.D. Harvard Law School
Email: @email
Lecturer
B.A., Radio Television and Film, Northwestern University
M.A., English Literature, California State University, Los Angeles
Email: @email
Professor Emeritus
A.B. University of California, Los Angeles
M.A. University of California, Los Angeles
Ph.D. University of Southern California
Hello. My name is Peter Sotiriou. I retired in 2017. I began teaching full-time as an English/ESL instructor at LACC in1979. Since 2018, I have been teaching one class part-time fall and spring semester. I earned a B.A and an M.A. from UCLA and a Ph.D. from USC--all in English. I have written five textbooks, two scholarly books, and several articles--all on the teaching of college reading, writing, and critical thinking.
I taught junior and senior high school before teaching at LACC. Teaching at LACC has been the most rewarding part of my teaching career. I respect and admire my students and have been treated with great respect by them. LACC students respect education.
I am new to the digital world, and I rely on my savvy students and retired computer programmer wife for help all the time. So bear with me when I make mistakes with the technology.
I have been married to my wife for forty-seven years, have two grown sons, and two lovely grandchildren. They are currently the loves of my life. I normally spend two summer months in Greece to enjoy family and friends and to travel. We will visit Greece again this summer.
I look forward to a productive and fulfilling semester working with you all.
Email: @email
