Faculty | B.A. in English
Shelley Garcia
- Chair, Department of English
- Associate Professor of English
- Ph.D., University of California, Riverside
- M.A., University of California, Riverside
- B.A., Vanguard University
Shelley Garcia is an Associate Professor of English and currently serves as English Department chair. She earned her Ph.D. in English at the University of California, Riverside. Her research and publications focus on innovative writings by Latinx authors. She utilizes the lens of genre studies to explain the work of ground-breaking authors in terms of both deep literary history and current...
Paul Buchanan
- Professor of English
- M.F.A., Chapman University
- M.P.W., University of Southern California
- M.A., University of California, Riverside
- B.A., Biola University
Paul Buchanan holds degrees in psychology, philosophy and creative writing. He specializes in writing fiction and has published more than twenty books, including Valley of Shadows, 2021; City of Fallen Angels, 2020; Tricks Every Boy Can Do, 2016; The Campus Survival Guide (co-edited with Paula Miller), 2012; Campus Voices (co-edited with Paula Miller), 2009; Student to Student: A Guide to...
Maria Su Wang
- Associate Professor of English
- Ph.D., Stanford University
- M.A., Stanford University
- B.A., University of California, Los Angeles
Maria Su Wang teaches courses in 19th and 20th century British literature, the Victorian novel and world literature. She earned a bachelor's degree at the University of California, Los Angeles, majoring in English and minoring in French. Maria received her master's degree and Ph.D. from Stanford University, where she completed a dissertation that compares narrative techniques in Victorian...
Aaron Kleist
- Professor of English
- Litt.D., University of Cambridge
- Ph.D., University of Cambridge
- M.A., Indiana University
- B.A., Taylor University
Raised on the island of Saipan, as well as in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Aaron J. Kleist completed his doctorate degree in Old English literature at the University of Cambridge before coming to Biola in 2001. His research on reconstructing medieval texts through digital editions brought him a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship and a posting as a Visiting Scholar at Cambridge in...
Courses
[Selected]
- The Battle of the Sexes in the Middle Ages
- Castles, Kings, and Conquest
- Digital Manuscript Restoration
- Dystopian Literature and Film
- Humanities Internships: Preparing for Your Profession
- Legends of King Arthur
- Money, Sex, and Power
- Old English Literature and Language
- Science Fiction: The Building of Empire
- Shakespeare in Script, Stage, and Screen
Marc Malandra
- Professor of English
- Ph.D., Cornell University
- M.F.A., Cornell University
- M.A., University of California, Davis
- B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara
Marc Malandra received his bachelor's degree in literature from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and master's degree in English and Creative Writing from the University of California, Davis. He also received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in English from Cornell University. Professor Malandra has had opportunities to teach at...
Bethany Williamson
- Associate Professor of English
- Ph.D., Southern Methodist University
- M.A., Southern Methodist University
- B.A., Cedarville University
Bethany Williamson teaches courses in British and global literatures, literary theory, and academic writing. She earned her Ph.D. at Southern Methodist University, specializing in Restoration and 18th-century British literature and the problems posed by globalization and empire during the Enlightenment and beyond. She is the author of Orienting Virtue: Civic Identity and Orientalism in Britain...
Christopher Davidson
- Professor of English
- M.F.A., University of California, Irvine
- B.A., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Chris Davidson is associate professor of English and director of the English Writing Program. He teaches courses in critical thinking and writing, creative writing, and poetry. He has a bachelor's degree in English from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of California, Irvine. His essays and poetry have...
Elmar Hashimov
- Associate Professor of English
- Ph.D., Ball State University
- M.A., Butler University
- M.A., Azerbaijan University of Languages
- B.A., Azerbaijan University of Languages
Elmar Hashimov researches and teaches writing, philology, rhetoric, digital literacy and film. Elmar’s work seeks to bridge the classical liberal arts tradition and current empirical research. His focus areas include genre studies, epistemic and ontological rhetoric, activity and network theories, qualitative research methods, European and (post-)Soviet literature and cinema, and artificial...
Christine Watson
- Assistant Professor of English
- Ph.D., Azusa Pacific University
- M.A., Biola University
- B.A., Biola University
Christi Watson teaches in Biola’s English Writing Program. Her research explores problems faced by historically underserved student populations, as well as writer identity, perceived academic control, and attribution theory. Christi has also served as assistant co-director of the writing program and coordinates its Celebration of Student Writing. In addition to her work as scholar-practitioner,...
Bonnie Vidrine-Isbell
- Associate Professor
- Director of English Language Scholars
- Ph.D., University of Washington
- M.A.T., University of Washington
- B.A., Loyola University, New Orleans
Bonnie Vidrine-Isbell is an associate professor of English. She teaches English language rhetoric and writing. Her research blends bilingual brain studies and second language pedagogy. She has taught English as a second and foreign language in Washington, Louisiana, Thailand, Spain, Belize, and now California. She also built and currently directs the English Language Scholars at Biola, which...
Haein Park
- Associate Professor of English
- Ph.D., University of California, San Diego
- M.A., Middlebury College
- B.A., Occidental College
Haein Park teaches courses in early and modern American literature, critical theory and world literature. She received her B.A. in English from Occidental College, and her Ph.D. in Literature from UC San Diego. After completing a dissertation fellowship at the University of Notre Dame, she was an assistant professor at Valparaiso University in Indiana. At Valparaiso, she taught courses in both...