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Kim Stanley Ph.D.

Kim Stanley

About

EDUCATION
B.A., Trinity University in San Antonio
M.A., St. John’s College at Santa Fe
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin

Prof. Stanley is particularly interested in ways in which literature can be used to help people examine their lives and talk about values. For that reason, she has served for ten years as a book discussion leader for the Kansas Humanities Council. For KHC, she has used stories to teach hospice values, to lead book discussions in a state prison, and to conduct a project teaching imprisoned fathers to read to their children. She was lead scholar for a Vietnam War project: “The Big Read” (funded by the NEA). After her travel seminar to Turkey, sponsored by the Institute for Interfaith Dialogue, she re-designed a course to use literature to teach students about world faiths through literature. At McPherson College, she teaches composition, poetry, and British and world literature.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
“I love helping people tell their stories and understand other people’s stories. You can’t hate people if you know their stories, and so I think a mind well-furnished with stories is a pleasant place to live. That’s why I teach writing and literature.”

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Julia Kuttler Ph.D.

Julia Largent

About

EDUCATION
Ph.D., Bowling Green State University (2017)
M.A., Ball State University (2013)
B.S., Manchester College (2011)

Julia’s research focuses on documentary studies, fan studies, social media, and nonviolence in video games. She graduated with her Ph.D. in Media and Communication from Bowling Green State University in August 2017. Julia received her MA in Digital Storytelling from Ball State University in 2013. She received her BS in Peace Studies and Communication Studies from Manchester University in 2011. Her peace studies background, alongside her communication and media studies background, gives her a unique look at media. Julia has published and presented on fans’ interactions with social media, virtual pacifism within video games, and user-generated and user-backed documentaries and television shows.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
“Growing up in a peace church, treating people with respect and learning to listen to others’ experiences have shaped not only my personality but also how I approach teaching. I want students to feel welcomed to express their ideas and grow through experience, not merely through reading. I strive for an inclusive and engaging learning environment. By including media, activities, and service learning, I hope students from all disciplines leave my classroom with an interest in analyzing media and understanding the importance in critical thinking.”

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Becki Bowman Ph.D.

About

EDUCATION
Ph.D., Communication, Kent State University, 2005
M.A., Communication, Wichita State University, 2000
B.A., Communication, McPherson College, 1998

Dr. Becki Bowman returned to teach at her alma mater in 2006. Dr. Bowman helped to build the current communication program and teaches classes with an emphasis in human communication including Introduction to Human Communication, Public Speaking, Business and Professional Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Intercultural Communication, Gender Communication, Conflict Communication, Persuasion, Public Relations, Media Ethics, and Research Methods in Communication. Dr. Bowman also serves as the faculty advisor for Lambda Pi Eta, the communication honor society.

One of the reasons Dr. Bowman returned to McPherson College was because of the college’s connection to the Church of the Brethren and its commitment to service. Dr. Bowman incorporates service learning into several of her classes and delights in helping students learn practical work world skills while improving their surrounding community through service.

Dr. Bowman joyfully serves as the faculty advisor for G.L.O.W.—the campus gay-straight alliance. She helps lead yearly Safe Zone trainings for the campus because she believes that a sensitive and inclusive community creates a safer learning environment for all students.

Dr. Bowman has presented research at the local, regional and national level on a variety of topics including teacher misbehaviors, conflicts in the classroom and workplace, teaching in a paperless classroom, and the impact of service learning on civic engagement. She also has led workshops on conflict resolution, persuasion techniques used in advertising, and gender communication for local and regional groups.

Some honors Bowman has received during her career include

  • Engaged Faculty Fellow through the Kansas Campus Compact
  • McPherson College’s Who’s Who Professor of the Year
  • McPherson College’s Non-Tenured Faculty Teaching Award
  • Kent State University’s James Mignerey Collegiality Award
  • International Communication Association Teaching Excellence Award
  • Phi Beta Delta, Beta Zeta Chapter, Honor Society for International Scholars

Dr. Bowman is partnered with Professor Jd. Bowman, associate professor of theatre at McPherson College. They enjoy travelling with their three young children.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
“Learning is a journey. As a communication professor, I have the privilege of traveling alongside my students as they search for a voice to share important messages with the world. Sometimes, that journey takes us on a detour where we get to examine others’ stories and messages and their influences on our journeys. I would be hard pressed to find more enjoyable work.”

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Communication

Nathan Pollard B.A.

About

EDUCATION
B.A., Ravensbourne

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
“As a student, one of the first things I was taught was simply “to see.” Knowledge and inspiration are all around us and sometimes all we need is to take a second and just look. As an educator, I must allow the freedom for spontaneous discovery (it is creative after all) by not simply supplying all the answers but opening avenues for experimentation and research.”

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