Take a Look at a Sample of Our Distinguished Faculty

Associate Professor of American Studies
Charles Mitchell

Dr. Charles Mitchell, Associate Professor of American Studies, a graduate of Williams College, has authored a book on American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. He is co-advisor to The Octagon, the college’s student newspaper. He is involved in environmental issues. Dr. Mitchell has been at Elmira College since 1993.

Cool fact: Dr. Mitchell's favorite Term III course, "Constructing the American West," involved two SUVs, an unplanned off-road exploration of Utah's Arches National Park and close encounters with the desert of the American southwest.

"A lot of students who come here don't see themselves as gifted, but then they discover they are talented artists or discover a passion for social work or realize they are great counselors. These are things they never would have thought of unless they had these experiences at Elmira."

 

Assistant Professor of English
MaryJo Mahoney

Dr. MaryJo Mahoney, Assistant Professor of American Literature, is a poet and teaches creative writing. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence and her doctorate from the University of Houston. She is the advisor to the literary magazine, Sibyl, the longest continuously published college literary magazine in the country. She organizes poetry readings on campus and in 2002 led a student panel to address the Associated Writing Programs Annual Conference in New Orleans. She has been a member of the Elmira College faculty since 1999.

Cool fact: Eats in the dining hall with her students.

"Elmira College requires students to find internships that are related to their interests to help give them a vision of where they want to be. Part of it is about experiential learning, but part of it is to give them a chance to become part of a formal working community. A lot of college-age students don't have a sense of themselves as part of a formal workplace. And it's incredibly helpful."

 

Assistant Professor of Economics
Mariam Khawar

Born and raised in Pakistan, Dr. Mariam Khawar, Assistant Professor of Economics, earned graduate degrees from the Johns Hopkins University. She is the mother of two young boys and co-advisor to the International Club. Dr. Khawar’s research interests include: international trade, foreign direct investment and technological change and aggregate productivity. She has been a member of the Elmira College faculty since 1997.

Cool fact: Her hometown is in Pakistan.

"One of Elmira's biggest strengths is the close contact students and faculty have. If a faculty member knows you by name, you feel more confident asking questions."

 

Associate Professor of Art
Marc Dennis

Associate Professor of Art Marc Dennis developed and taught widely-recognized course "Under the Floorboards: Hidden Art of the Holocaust." He teaches drawing, painting and computer graphics. Professor Dennis was selected by students as Teacher of the Year in 2000-01. His works have been exhibited in all regions of the country.

Cool fact: Voted by students as "Faculty of the Year."

"During Term III, I'm taking a group of students to New York City to live in a loft and paint. They'll meet museum curators, attend gallery openings and the local coffee house is putting aside tables for us. As a faculty member, if I want to try something new, there are no obstacles."

 

Associate Professor of Speech and Hearing
Phyllis Holtgrewe

Associate Professor of Speech and Hearing Phyllis Holtgrewe is a Cornell University alumna. She is a professionally licensed Speech-Language pathologist and serves as a consulting pathologist for Southern Tier Hospice. She is permanently certified as a Teacher of the Speech and Hearing Handicapped. Professor Holtgrewe participates in the League of Intern Speech Pathologists student club and is a loyal supporter of women’s basketball and volleyball.

 

Assistant Professor of Classic Civilizations
Heidi Dierckx

Born and raised in Italy by Belgian parents and schooled in England and the United States, Dr. Heidi Dierckx, Assistant Professor of Classic Civilizations, is a graduate of the University of Durham (England) and earned her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. An internationally-published scholar on early artifacts, she has worked as an archaeologist at excavations on Crete. Dr. Dierckx developed and regularly teaches 19th century archeology at the site of Mark Twain’s summer home. She has been a member of the Elmira College faculty since 1998.

"My most enlightened moments (and there were many!) on the Term III trip to Greece and Turkey were when I saw the excitement on the students' faces on recognizing the places and monuments they had studied, and when I observed how much they were learning from their travel experience abroad."

 

Professor of Natural Science
Lawrence Stephens

Dr. Lawrence Stephens, Georgia Harkness Professor of Natural Science, a member of the Elmira College faculty since 1973, is the Director of the Spring Term course on San Salvador island, The Bahamas. Recently, he took a class to Australia. Dr. Stephens, a Pre-Med advisor, is the co-author of a college text and study manual on Organic Chemistry. He also is a long-time member of the Irish-American group, the Hibernian Society.

 

Professor of Education
Linda Pratt

Dr. Linda Pratt, Executive Director and Charles Dana Professor of Education, has been a faculty member since 1978. She is a recognized expert in the teaching of reading and is author of two texts on children’s literature and early childhood literacy. She often leads Spring Term student-teaching experience in Nassau, The Bahamas. Dr. Pratt is the advisor to Kappa Delta Pi, the education honor society.

 

Assistant Professor of Biology
Lynn Gillie

Originally from a little town in northern Minnesota, Dr. Lynn Gillie was named the junior faculty member of the year, receiving the Josef Stein Award in 2001. She studies small mammals in the wild, especially white-footed mice. She has taught the Spring Term marine biology class in The Bahamas. Dr. Gillie is the advisor to Beta Beta Beta, the science honor society.