• College Composition
• College Composition II: Research and Argument
• Writing for the Web
• Writing for Media
• Film Appreciation

• Bachelor of arts degree in English, Kent State University
• Master of arts degree in composition and rhetoric, The University of Akron

• Owner and lead content developer, Phase 2 Media, LLC
• Copywriting, advertising department, Sterling Jewelers Inc.
• Web copywriter, GOJO Industries, eBusiness Group

• NCTE

• Foreword. The Ravenna Record: The People and Events that Shaped a Community, by Roger Di Paolo, 2010.
• “In Defense of the Quiet Ones: A Pragmatic Approach to Silent Students in the Composition Classroom.”  North Carolina English Teacher, vol. 64 no. 1, 2008, 27-33.
• Conference Presentations: “Beyond Marketing: What Branding Means to a Writing Center.” East Central Writing Centers Association (ECWCA) Conference. University of Mount Union. Alliance, Ohio. March 2016.
• “The Do-ing of Writing: Students, Tutors, and MSWord.” Northeast Ohio Writing Centers Association 4th Annual Conference. Stark State College. North Canton, Ohio. October 2010.
• “Enhanced Community for Basic Writers.” Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges. University of Akron. Akron, Ohio. October 2007.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University, Justin began a career as a professional writer, first with the eBusiness team at GOJO Industries and then at Sterling Jewelers in the advertising department. Eventually, he returned to academia and earned a master’s degree in composition and rhetoric and began teaching at Stark State College in 2005. His teaching focus is in research, rhetoric and professional writing, with a specific focus on digital texts. Justin still writes, having formed Phase 2 Media, LLC as a kind of studio through which to engage professional writing opportunities. He has developed communications for a number of community projects as well as local, national and international businesses. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, watching soccer (specifically Arsenal) and spending time with his wife and two dogs.

• College Composition
• Intro to Academic Writing
• Academic Writing
• British Literature II

• Master of arts degree, English – composition

Stark State College

• Assistant professor of English, 2011-present
• Mentor, College Composition, 2014-present
• Mentor, Developmental Writing, 2013-2014
• Mentor, College Writing III: 2011-2013

• Chair/member, Stark State College Institutional Effectiveness Committee, 2011-present
• Stark State College AQIP category 1 subcommittee member, 2011
• Stark State College Strategic Plan revisions and publication

• Review: Writings From Life, Tom Tyner. Teaching English in the Two-Year College. Volume:  39.2. (December 2011)

I live in Massillon with my wife and four children. I have been teaching at Stark State College for 11 years, five as a full-time faculty member. I am active in my community as a Little League baseball coach. I enjoy writing short fiction, particularly in the horror genre.

• College Composition
• Women’s Literature
• British Literature: 1785 to Present
• British Literature: Medieval to 1785
• American Literature: 1865 to Present
• American Literature: Colonial to 1865

• Bachelor’s degree, John Carroll University
• Master’s degree, John Carroll University

• Vice president, American Tutors
• Head of tutoring department, John Carroll University
• Adjunct professor, Lakeland Community College
• Business experience, State Chemical and Ohio Bureau of Unemployment

• Archaeological Institute of America
• OATYC
• OACC

• Turning Leaves [short story and poem]
• Murder by Deed
• The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth
• The Darker Side: An Eclectic Melange

Born and raised in Ohio but yearns for the sunshine and deserts of Arizona.

• English 10 – Introduction to Academic Writing

• Bachelor of arts degree, English
• Bachelor of arts degree, Spanish
• Master of arts degree, English composition
• Certificate, English language teaching to adults

• Assistant professor, Stark State College, 2004-present
• Substitute teacher (HS), Washington State, 2001-2002
• Technical editor, Earth Tech, Colton, CA, 1998-2000
• Technical editor, Converse Consultants, Redlands, CA, 1995-1998

• WVIZ (PBS)
• National Council of Teachers of English

• “All Lives Matter!” (poem, Canton Repository)
• Abandon the Shadows (poem in anthology)
• AIM (America’s Intercultural Magazine)(poem)
• The Lyric (poem)
• Poetry Guild (poem)

Celebrating 10 plus years as assistant professor of English at Stark State College, I specialize in teaching developmental English courses, and additional areas of expertise include grammar and poetry. I am the College’s primary contact and instructional resource for ESL/ELL (English as a Second Language/English Language Learners), and I also provide specialized tutoring for ELL students throughout the year. I sing in a faculty chorale, which performs for graduation, Veteran’s Day and on other special occasions. On the community front, I am on the yearly special music schedule as a soloist for three Massillon/Canton-area churches, and I recently performed in a dramatic walking tour production focusing on the Underground Railroad, which provided sanctuary for slaves in Massillon. I also judge poetry contests at Stark State and in the community.

• Introduction to Academic Writing
• College Composition
• College Composition II

• Bachelor of arts degree, writing, Mount Union
• Master of arts degree, English Studies, Bowling Green State University

• Associate professor, English, North Central State College
• Instructor, general studies writing, Bowling Green State University

• Conference on College Composition and Communication
• College English Association
• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
• Modern Language Association
• OATYC

• “Pay More Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain: Creating Social Presence and Interaction in Online Writing Classes,” Conference of the College English Association
• “TEDucate: Sparking Student Engagement Using TED Talks in the College Classroom,” Conference of the Ohio Association of Two Year Colleges
• “Opening the Ivory Gates: How to Work Within and Around LMS’s to Bring Life Back to Learning,” Conference of College Composition and Communication
• “Class Hacker: Reconfiguring Academic Work through Reflective Practice and Digital Sabbaths,” eMerge Blended Learning Conference
• “The Risks and Rewards of Moving Teaching, Writing, and Research from Academic Places to Wide Open (Digital) Spaces,” National Conference of the Teaching of English

Steve, a Mount Union alum from Dun Glen, Ohio, taught his first college writing class in 1999, having served on the faculties of Bowling Green State University and North Central State College before joining Stark State in 2012. As an assistant professor of English and modern languages, he loves what he does: teaching writing, research and rhetoric mostly to students downtown and online. He frequently presents papers and facilitates workshops at departmental, college, local, state and national conferences on subjects related to educational technology and the teaching of writing. A Boston Marathon qualifier and humorless Browns fan, Steve lives nearby with his wife and kids.

• Academic Writing
• College Composition
• College Composition II

• Bachelor’s degree, political science, Bowling Green State University
• Master’s degree, English composition, The University of Akron

• Ohio Association of Community Colleges
• Ohio Association of Two Year Colleges
• National Association of Developmental Education
• Leadership Stark County

Nicole has been teaching writing for more than a decade and creates academic rigor by promoting critical thinking, accountability and high expectations. She challenges her students to move beyond the obvious, explore nuanced perspectives and use their writing to contribute to their communities. She has a lifelong connection to Stark County and passionately believes in the mission of Stark State College to increase and enhance opportunities for our students and surrounding community. In addition to teaching, Nicole is a mother, wife, runner, gardener, volunteer and coach.

• Academic Writing
• College Composition
• College Composition II

• Bachelor of arts degree, philosophy, The University of Akron
• Master of arts degree, composition, The University of Akron

My years as a philosophy student instilled in me a passion for critically engaging ideas and issues. I enjoy working with the students of Stark State, encouraging them to see writing as more than producing a text, but rather as a way to find their voice, better understand themselves and to engage the world in which they live. In my spare time I enjoy reading philosophy and history, working with my hands, training martial arts and spending time with my family.

• Academic Writing
• College Composition
• College Composition II
• Technical Report Writing
• Business Communication

• Bachelor of arts degree in English, Kent State University
• Master of arts degree in composition, The University of Akron

• Coordinator, English Stark PASS
• Mentor for College Composition, Composition II and Academic Writing

I enjoy the opportunity to teach writing to a diverse population because it requires me to be creative in my teaching methods. This means creating a learning environment that allows students from all walks of life an opportunity to be successful. Additionally, through my work on student success initiatives at Stark State College, I have gained insight into the responsibility of working at a community college beyond teaching writing. When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my family and our two cats.

• Intro to Academic Writing
• College Composition
• Technical Communications Internship

• Master of arts degree, English composition, The University of Akron
• Master of science degree, integrated language arts education, The University of Akron
• Bachelor of arts degree, English, The University of Akron

• National Council of Teachers of English
• Two-Year College English Association
• Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges
• Ohio Association of Community Colleges
• Council on Basic Writing

In addition to teaching writing, Elizabeth is co-adviser for Stark Voices, the online SSC student journal.

• ENG124 College Composition
• ENG231 College Composition II
• ENG236 American Literature: Colonial to 1865
• ENG237 American Literature 1865 to Present
• ENG233 British Literature Medieval to 1785

• Master of arts degree in literature, Kent State University
• Bachelor of arts degree in English, Kent State University

• Assistant professor of English, Stark State College, 2005-present
• Adjunct instructor of English, Kent State University, 2003-2005
• Adjunct instructor of English, University of Akron, 2003-2005

• “You’re Under Arrest! Deputizing Students into the Grammar Police” (Presentation, Annual Conference of the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges, 2011)
• “Authentic Research in College Composition” (Presentation, Annual Conference of the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges, 2015; with Nicole Herrera and Elizabeth Modarelli)

After earning a bachelor’s degree in English at Kent State University, Jen Smith was drawn to teaching as a graduate assistant while earning her master’s degree in literature. She has been teaching at Stark State College since 2003, first as an adjunct instructor and then as a full-time faculty member since 2005. She has created online and face-to-face courses in literature, notably in Colonial American literature, her greatest area of interest. She serves on several department committees to redesign courses and improve department procedures, and has chaired and served on college committees ranging from the Curriculum Committee to the Advancement in Rank Committee. Currently, Professor Smith is involved in the implementation of Stark State’s new Honors Program and teaches honors courses in American literature and college composition. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, shopping, and spending time with her husband, three children and two dogs.

• ENG125 Technical Editing and Layout
• ENG126 Technical Grammar and Style
• ENG221 Technical Report Writing
• ENG227 Writing for Media
• ENG229 Grant Writing
• ENG230 Business Communication

• Master of arts degree, English, Montana State University – Bozeman
• Bachelor of arts degree, English, Kent State University at Stark

• Department chair of English and modern languages, Stark State College, 2010- present
• Associate professor of English, Stark State College, 2004-present
• Higher Learning Commission Peer Corps, 2015-present
• Systems Portfolio AQIP coordinator for Stark State College, 2014-present
• Technical communications coordinator, 2006-2010

Connections and how they relate to the bigger picture of life fascinate me, and seeking knowledge and wisdom motivates each aspect of my life. As an avid reader (manic may be a better word choice), I am drawn to the field of English and concepts of rhetoric, linking the overarching theories to their applications. As the Systems Portfolio AQIP coordinator, my English background enables me to organize the portfolio category committees and help weave our College’s story of evidence. I enjoy each aspect of my position at the College – from teaching to managing the department to composing Stark State’s accreditation document. In my personal life, my husband and I are raising a critical thinker in the local area in the midst of six beautiful cats.