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English and Theatre Department

What We Do:

If you ask our faculty about their research interests, you will hear many different answers. You will hear that we study Chaucer, Shakespeare, Julia Alvarez, Lighting Design, the Rhetoric of 9/11, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Poetry, Creative Non-Fiction, James Joyce and playwriting, to name just a few of our specialties – and that we love our work.

When you come to class, you'll find that passion informing our teaching. We teach our students to read deeply and well, and to engage with literature on many fronts, whether performing a scene from one of Shakespeare’s comedies, crafting a poem, analyzing a narrative, constructing a set or developing a writing portfolio.

Our distinguished faculty help our students succeed in the classroom, in co-curricular activities and in their lives as professionals and as citizens.

How We Stand Out:

Our teaching is grounded in Jesuit values such as cura personalis (care for and with the whole person) and the importance of the imagination.
Our classes develop increasing sophistication in reading, writing and verbal communication, skills that serve our students all their lives.
Our faculty model the innovation and professionalism that we teach our students.
Our students succeed in the “real world,” and they learn to measure what success means.
Our dedicated faculty members work with students outside the classroom — to develop a literary magazine, to present papers at student conferences, to mentor creative activities and to prepare for graduate and professional school.
Our faculty and students take part in distinctive events that highlight the Arts and Humanities. Click here to see our most recent events.

Programs:

Meet Our Faculty:

The English and Theatre Department faculty and staff lead by example. Our faculty members model the kind of literary engagement, creative expression and community involvement we work to instill in our students. Their unique talents, love of teaching, creative interests and academic scholarship play intricate parts in the success of our programs and our students. Find out more about our faculty news.

Just a few examples:

Dr. Brian Conniff, new to our department Fall 2021, is currently working on two long-term projects. the first explores the Catholic imagination in American literature and popular music, including a chapter that has recently been accepted for publicaion called "Everyday People: Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, and the Gospel Tradition." the second is a study of the liberal arts and contemporary education. It is a love story, likely to end in tragedy.
Dr. Michael Friedman is currently working on a prject concerning an actor in Shakespeare's company, Will Kemp, thought by many scholars to have left the company in 1599 when Shakespeare killed off Falstaff, one of Kemp's most famous characters. He argues that Kemp didn't leave the company in 1599 and instead took the role of Fluellen in Shakespeare's history play Henry V. Dr. Friedman explores the impact that Kemp's assumption of this role might have had on the meaning of the play in performance during Shakespeare's time.
Dr. Madeline Gangnes, new to our department Fall 2020, specializes in digital humanities, 19th Centure British Literature, and Comics & Visual studies. Dr. Gangnes has recently published "Drawn to Reconcile: The Queer Reparative Journey of ElfQuest" which appears in the Summer 2020 issue of links: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society.
Dr Billie Tadros joined our department Fall 2018 and is also afflilated with The University's Women's and Gender Studies Program. She recently published two Poetry books titled Graft Fixation (Gold Wake Press, 2020) and Was Body (Idolent Books, 2020) and a Poetry Chapbook titled Am/Are I (Francis House, 2020). She is currently working on a narrative research project exploring the gendered implications of traumatic injuries to self-identified women runners, and seeking to articulate a feminist injury poetics.
Dr. Hank Willenbrink’s play, The Boat in the Tiger Suit, was staged at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn, N.Y. and will be published by Original Works Publishing. His forthcoming short documentary, “The Wave,” looks at the history of surfing and its connections to the environment, performance and oceanography.
Dr. Teresa Grettano ties new media and social marketing into traditional classroom English lessons. Dr. Grettano specializes in the rhetoric of 9/11.

Dr. Joseph Kraus

Chair

Professor

B.A., University of Michigan

M.A., Columbia University

Ph.D., Northwestern University

Phone: 570.941.6331
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Dr. Brian Conniff

Professor

B.A., Rutgers University

M.A., University of scranton

Ph.D., University of Notre Dame

Phone: 570.941.4238
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Dr. Jones DeRitter

Professor

A.B., Oberlin College

M.A., Ph.D., University of Virginia

Phone: 570.941.6148
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Dr. Michael Friedman

Professor

B.A., Tulane University

M.A., Ph.D., Boston University

Phone: 570.941.4229
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Website
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Dr. Madeline B. Gangnes

Assistant Professor

B.A., University of Puget Sound

M.Litt., University of Dundee

Ph.D., The University of Florida

Phone: 570.941.7616
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Website
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Dr. Toni Glover

Associate Professor

B.A., M.A., University of Texas at Arlington

Ph.D., University of Texas at Dallas

Phone: 570.941.7905
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Dr. Teresa Grettano

Associate Professor, Director, First-Year Seminars

B.A., University of South Alabama

Ph.D., Illinois State University

Phone: 570.941.7659
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Prof. Richard Larsen

Professor, Theatre Program

B.S., Northern Arizona University

M.F.A., San Diego State University

Phone: 570.941.6327
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Website
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Prof. Bonnie Markowski

Faculty Specialist, Rhetoric & Composition, First-Year Writing Coordinator

A.A., Penn State, Wilkes-Barre

B.A., University of Maryland

M.A., The University of Scranton

Phone: 570.941.7530
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Dr. Susan C. Méndez

Professor

B.A., Pace University, New York, NY

M.A., Fordham University, Bronx, NY

Ph.D., University of California, Riverside

Phone: 570.941.4317
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Prof. Bianca Moore

Faculty Specialist, Rhetoric & Composition, First-Year Writing

B.A., M.A., Wilkes University

Phone: 570.941.7530
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Prof. Michael O'Steen

Associate Professor, Theatre Program

B.F.A., M.F.A., Carnegie Mellon University

Phone: 570.941.4356
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Dr. Billie R. Tadros

Associate Professor, Director of Health Humanities Concentration

B.A., Susquehanna University

M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence College

Ph.D., University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Phone: 570.941.7684
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Website
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Dr. Stephen Whittaker

Professor

B.A., M.A., Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin

Phone: 570.941.7795
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Dr. Hank Willenbrink

Associate Professor

B.A., University of Tulsa

M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara

Phone: 570.941.4353
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Website
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Emeritus Faculty

Dr. Rebecca Beal

Professor, Emeritus

A.B., Westmont College

M.A., The University of Chicago

Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin

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Dr. Daniel Fraustino

Professor, Emeritus

B.A. State University of New York at Buffalo

M.A. San Diego State University

Ph.D. Binghamton University

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Dr. Leonard Gougeon

Distinguished Professor, Emeritus

B.A., St. Mary's University, Halifax

M.A., Ph. D., University of Massachusetts at Amherst

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Prof. Carl Schaffer

Professor, Emeritus

B.A., Fairleigh Dickinson University

M.A., The University of Michigan

M.F.A., University of Iowa

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Inside the Classroom:

Lessons in English and Theatre reach far beyond the classrooms and stage. Our students learn to channel their passions and step outside their comfort zones to discover something new about themselves and the world around them.

Teaching emphasizes creativity, intellectual curiosity and incisive analysis.
Formal written assignments develop strong written and verbal communication skills for thoughtful expression.
Readings elicit questions opinions, discussion and written responses
On-stage performances and experiential learning opportunities encourage students to take the lead in the classroom and beyond
Faculty contribute to the growth and development of nearly every Scranton student through our First Year Writing program.

Student Research:

Many of our students develop their research while working closely with faculty. For example

Bradley Wierbowski, Class of 2013, developed a paper written in Dr. Whittaker’s class for the International Conference of Sigma Tau Delta, where it took first place in the category of British Literature. Brad later won the Sigma Tau Delta Junior Scholarship and a Barry Goldwater Scholarship; he is currently studying science at Harvard.
Judith Paltrin delivered her first national conference presentation as a result of research with Dr. Gougeon. She is now an assistant professor of English.
Corinne Nulton, mentored by Dr. Willenbrink, wrote a play recently staged at The Brick Theatre in Brooklyn, NY. She is currently pursuing an advanced degree in creative writing.

Career Outcomes:

You’ll find Scranton graduates with an English or Theatre degree in:

Medicine
University Teaching
Secondary Education
Law
Library Science
Business
Journalism
Public Relations / Digital Marketing
Public Service / Politics
Publishing
Acting
Directing
Production Management
Set and Costume Design
Writing / Editing

Graduates leave The University of Scranton with the ability to thoughtfully articulate ideas and the aspiration to share their wisdom to make a difference. Alumni News