Meet the Team
Benjamin Cline
Professor of Speech and Communication and Chair of Humanities
Benjamin Cline
Professor of Speech and Communication and Chair of Humanities
Department
Humanities
Education
- Ph.D. 2005 Bowling Green State University
- M.A. 2001 Bowling Green State University
- B.A. 1999 University of Nebraska at Kearney
Courses Currently Taught
- ALAS 1810 - Humanities
- COMM 1110 Public Speaking
- COMM 1140 - Introduction to Media Writing
- COMM 2140 - Small Group Communication
- COMM 310 - Communication and Thought
- COMM 320 - Persuasion
- COMM 370 - Interpersonal Communication
- COMM 375/474-Independant Studies
- COMM 481/381- Internship
Biography
Dr. Cline teaches classes in Group Communication, Intercultural Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Media, Persuasion, Philosophy of Communication, Public Speaking and other communication classes as requested by students. He has published research in gender communication, legal communication, media ecology, rhetorical criticism and rhetorical theory. He chairs the Department of Communication which includes Communication, Composition, Creative Writing, English, Literature, and Philosophy. He is active in various community organizations and in his faith community. He loves spending time with his wife and daughter, playing Dungeons and Dragons, or snuggling with his pets.
Contact Information
Email: clineb@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-6536
Location: Bowden Hall 206
Roberta Proctor Brown
Associate Professor of English Composition
Roberta Proctor Brown
Associate Professor of English Composition
Department
Humanities
Education
- M.A. 1987 Purdue University
- B.A. 1984 Hillsdale College
Courses Currently Taught
- ENGL 097 Introduction to College English
- ENGL 099 Composition I Workshop
- ENGL 1110 Composition I
- ENGL 1120 Composition II
- ENGL 1410 Introduction to Literature
- ENGL 2110 Traditional Grammar
Biography
Professor Roberta Brown specializes in developmental English and Composition and Rhetoric. Her experience teaching in open-access colleges before joining the WNMU faculty in 2017 prepared her to reach returning students, dual-enrolled students, and students from diverse educational, racial, cultural, and language backgrounds to ensure that students develop the academic writing and reading skills needed to succeed in their chosen degree fields.
Contact Information
Email: Roberta.Brown@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-6530
Location: Bowden Hall 215
Heather Frankland
Associate Professor of English Composition
Heather Frankland
Associate Professor of English Composition
Department
Humanities
Education
- MFA, 2011, New Mexico State University
- MPH, 2008, New Mexico State University
- BA in English Writing and a Concentration/Minor in Environmental Studies, 2002, Knox College
Disciplines
English Composition
Courses Currently Taught
- ENGL 097
- ENGL 099
- ENGL 1110
- ENGL 1120
- ALAS 1810
Biography
Professor Frankland holds an Master of Fine Arts and a Master of Public Health from New Mexico State University. She was a Peace Corps and Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Peru and Panama. She has been published in creative writing and freelance writing. She also has written and received grants in the health and education fields.
Contact Information
Email: heather.frankland@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-6514
Location: Bowden Hall 204
Deborah Heller
Professor, English
Deborah Heller
Professor, English
Department
Humanities
Education
- Ph.D., 1989, University of Washington
- M.A., 1981, University of Washington
- B.A., 1978, California State University, Stanislaus
Courses Currently Taught
- Introduction to Literature (English 1410)
- Topics and Problems in English literature (English 366) and World Literature (English 367)
- The Novel (English 330)
- Heroic Myth and Legend (English 300)
- Great Works of Ancient Literature (English 401 and 501)
- Great Works of Modern Literature (English 414 and 514)
- British and American Fiction (English 521)
- Greek Tragedy (English 424 and 524)
- Shakespeare (English 440 and 540)
- Psychological Perspectives on Literature (English 455 and 555)
- Contemporary Literature (English 530)
- Studies in English Literature (English 418 and 518)
- Critical Approaches to Literature (English 465 and 565)
- English Capstone (English 496)
- Thesis (English 598)
Contact Information
Email: hellerd@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-6527
Location: Bowden Hall 304
Luke E. Kingery
Assistant Professor of English
Luke E. Kingery
Assistant Professor of English
Department
Humanities
Education
- Ph.D., 2019, University of Nevada-Reno
Disciplines
- English: Composition and Rhetoric
Courses Currently Taught
- ENGL 550/450 - Secondary English Methods
- ENGL 2110 - Traditional Grammar
- ENGL 1120 - Composition II
- ENGL 1110 - Composition I
- ENGL 099 - Composition and Rhetoric Workshop
- ENGL 097 - Intro to College Composition
Biography
Luke Kingery is an Assistant Professor of English at Western New Mexico University (WNMU), where he has been a faculty member since 2020. He specializes in humor, rhetoric, composition, and education, bringing a vibrant and engaging approach to teaching and scholarship. With a passion for making complex ideas accessible and exciting, Professor Kingery has extensive experience in teaching reading and writing to students of all ages, helping them discover and refine their voices. His innovative teaching methods and dedication to student success make him a valued member of the WNMU academic community.
Contact Information
Email: luke.kingery@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-6345
Location: Bowden Hall 206
Phillip Schoenberg
Associate Professor of English Composition and Philosophy
Phillip Schoenberg
Associate Professor of English Composition and Philosophy
Department
Humanities
Education
- PhD, Philosophy, (with distinction), 2016, The University of New Mexico, Dissertation Title: Transcendence and Transformation: Charles Taylor and the Promise of Inclusive Humanism in a Secular Age, Co-advisor: Russell B. Goodman, Co-advisor: Iain Thomson
- MA, Philosophy, 2006, San José State University
- BA, Philosophy, 2004, San José State University
Courses Currently Taught
- Graduate Level:
- American Philosophy
- Environmental Ethics
- Ancient Philosophy
- Seminar: Wilderness in a Technological Age
- Seminar: Morality and Modernity: Charles Taylor
- Seminar: Plato and Platonism
- Modern Philosophy
- Moral Theory
- Directed Study: Pedagogy in Philosophy
- Seminar: Charles Taylor's A Secular Age
- Directed Study: Educational Research in Philosophy
- Upper Division:
- Wilderness in a Technological Age
- Environmental Ethics
- Recent Philosophy
- Modern Philosophy
- Ancient Philosophy
- History of Philosophy I: Thales to Plotinus
- Moral Theory
- Directed Study: Philosophy of Religion
- Directed Study: Emerson and Hellenistic Philosophy
- Directed Study: Heidegger's Being and Time (Division I)
- Directed Study: Sustainability and the Future of Humanity
- Seminar on A Secular Age
- Lower Division:
- Comparative World Religions
- Freshman Humanities Survey (Applied Liberal Arts)
- Freshman Humanities Survey (Honors)
- Introduction to Philosophy
- Introduction to Philosophy (Honors)
- English Composition & Rhetoric I
- English Composition & Rhetoric II
- English Composition & Rhetoric II (Honors)
- Ethics & Sustainability
- Directed Study: Ethics of Aristotle
- Directed Study: Emerson as Philosopher
- Directed Study: Business Ethics
- Directed Study: Logic & Critical Reasoning
- Directed Study: Ethics of Hunting
Biography
Father of two snugly children, husband to one lovely wife, master of a sweet Airedale, king of (an imaginary) castle, builder of tree houses, fly fisherman, philosopher.
I've taught at WNMU since 2017, and it's a real joy to teach philosophy in such a beautiful part of our country. Originally from the rural central coast of California, I've lived in New Mexico since 2007.
I studied philosophy as an undergraduate, and was hooked form the beginning. I completed a BA and an MA from San Jose State University in California, and finished the PhD in 2016 at the University of New Mexico with a dissertation on the Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor. My current research tends to be focused more and more on Environmental Ethics and the Ethics of Sustainability.
When I'm not teaching, reading, or thinking about philosophy, you will likely find me spending time with my wife and two young children, fishing, or camping (or all of this at the same time!).
Contact Information
Email: Phillip.Schoenberg@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-6347
Location: Bowden Hall 214
Heather Steinmann
Professor of English and Writing
Heather Steinmann
Professor of English and Writing
Department
Humanities
Education
- PhD Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture, North Dakota State University
- M.F.A. Creative Writing, Minnesota State University Moorhead
- B.A. English/Certificate in Publishing, Minnesota State University Moorhead
Disciplines
- Creative Writing
- Professional Writing
- Publishing
- Literature
- Rhetoric
- Communication
Courses Currently Taught
- English 2210: Introduction to Creative Writing
- English 219/469/569: Business and Professional Writing
- English/Writing 419/519: Advanced Composition
- English 496: Capstone
- English/Writing 421/502: Writing Poetry
- English/Writing 422/545: Writing Fiction
- English/Writing 480/580: Flash Fiction and Flash Nonfiction
- English/Writing 423/508: Creative Nonfiction
- English/Writing 410/510: Advanced Creative Writing Workshop
- English/Writing 432/532: Publishing
- English/Writing 472/570: Editing
- Writing 512: Literary Journal
Biography
Dr. Steinmann’s research is in writing pedagogy, processes, and applications; her scholarship and publications include poetry and prose, pedagogy in online and in-person education, international collaborative writing projects, writing and mindfulness, literary theory, media and film studies, rhetoric and communication, and comparative history.
Contact Information
Email: heather.steinmann@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-6289
Location: Bowden Hall 213
Chris Taylor
Assistant Professor of English
Chris Taylor
Assistant Professor of English
Department
Humanities
Education
- Ph.D., 2014, English Literature, University of Texas at Austin
- M.A., 2011, English Literature, University of Texas at Austin
- B.A., 2008, English/Psychology, Bowling Green State University
Disciplines
- Humanities
- English
- English Composition
- ALAS
Courses Currently Taught
- ENGL 097 – Introduction to College English
- ENGL 099 – Rhetoric and Composition I Workshop
- ENGL 1110 –Composition I
- ALAS 1810 - Applied Liberal Arts and Sciences - Humanities
Biography
I have taught writing, literature, and rhetoric at various levels around the country since 2008. My research focuses mainly on medieval literature and the concept of the unknowable. My first book, The Global Legend of Prester John, comes out with the University of Cambridge Press in mid-2024. For other publications and presentations, see my CV here: https://wnmu.academia.edu/ChristopherTaylor.
When not teaching, reading, or writing, you can find me playing music, doing yoga, hiking/camping, and/or appreciating cool-looking rocks. My other hobbies include road trips, international travel, aimlessly roaming various grocery stories, and hopelessly rooting for Cleveland sports franchises.
Contact Information
Email: christopher.taylor@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-6523
Location: Bowden Hall 215
Byron Trammell
Instructor of English Composition and ALAS
Byron Trammell
Instructor of English Composition and ALAS
Department
Humanities
Education
- B.A. in Sociology and History, WNMU (1984)
- M.A. Humanities, WNMU (1989)
- additional coursework in secondary education, UNM ’86–’87
Biography
Began at WNMU: 2015; previous stint as adjunct from 1992 to 1994.
Experience: Roughly 24 years of formal teaching at secondary and college level including international experience at Colegio Maya de Guatemala and Al-Bayan Bi-lingual school in Kuwait. Informal experience teaching guitar privately, and teaching judo for the Silver City Judo Club, 1979–1982.
Hobbies, Interests, avocations: Jazz and contemporary guitar and mandolin performance, music composition, photography, T’ai Chi, one time canoe/kayak guide in Yellowstone National Park (1992–1996), travel
Contact Information
Email: byron.trammell@wnmu.edu
Phone:
N/A
Location: Bowden Hall 306
Tamer Ellis
Adjunct
Tamer Ellis
Adjunct
Department
Humanities
Education
- B.A. 2017, West Virginia University
- M.A. 2020, West Virginia University
Courses Currently Taught
- Engl 1110 Composition 1
- Engl 1120 Composition 2
Contact Information
Email: tamer.ellis@wnmu.edu
Phone:
N/A
Location: Remote
Royce Grubic
Adjunct Professor of English and Philosophy
Royce Grubic
Adjunct Professor of English and Philosophy
Department
Humanities
Education
- B.A. in History, University of California, Santa Barbara (1991)
- M.A. in History, University of Richmond (1994)
- PhD in Religion and Social Ethics, University of Southern California (2004)
Biography
Began at WNMU: 2009
2019 Excellence in Teaching Award, National Society of Leadership and Success
Selected Publications: Cosmos, Chaos, and Process in Western Thought: Towards a New Science and Existentialist Social Ethic (2009); two novels, The Violinist (2009) and sNOweYES (2012); contributing book/film reviewer and editor for The Red Savina Review (2015-2018).
Hobbies, Diversions, and Other Sources of Income: academic and literary editor (Washington State University, 2018-current); art and graphic design; music composition and recording; animation and digital film editing; vegetarian cooking
Contact Information
Email: grubicr@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-6391
Location: Bowden Hall 103
Jean Hase
Adjunct Composition Instructor
Jean Hase
Adjunct Composition Instructor
Department
Humanities
Education
- 2016 M.A. in English, Angelo State University
- 1998 M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction, NMSU
- 1992 B.A. in English and Writing, McMurry University
Courses Currently Taught
- ENG 1110, Composition I
- ENG 1120, Composition II
Biography
I serve as an Early College High School language arts instructor and Deming Campus WNMU composition instructor. I’ve been a secondary English teacher for over 30 years, with prior experience as a dual credit instructor with Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas.
Contact Information
Email: jean.hase@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-4207
Location: Remote
Katherine Judd
Associate Professor
Katherine Judd
Associate Professor
Department
Humanities
Education
- MA 2001 Tenn. Tech University
- BA 1998 Tenn Tech University
Disciplines
- English composition and remedial writing courses, American and World literature.
Courses Currently Taught
- Literature and Philosophy (NM)
- Composition 1010 (TN)
- Composition 1020 (TN)
- American Literature 2110 and 2120 (Early and Modern) (TN)
- World Literature (Early and Modern) 2310 and 2320 (TN)
- Remedial writing courses (0810) (TN)
Biography
I am sixty-one years old and have been teaching in the secondary educational system since 1999. I live in Cookeville, TN, and teach for WNMU as a virtual/distance learning professor.
Contact Information
Email: katherine.judd@wnmu.edu
Phone:
N/A
Location: Remote
Sharman Russell
Adjunct Humanities Professor and Professor Emeritus
Sharman Russell
Adjunct Humanities Professor and Professor Emeritus
Department
Humanities
Education
- BS, University of California, Berkeley, 1976
- MFA, University of Montana, 1980
Courses Currently Taught
Environmental Writing, summer 2022, 2024
Biography
Sharman Apt Russell has published some dozen books translated into nine languages. Her Diary of a Citizen Scientist won the 2016 John Burroughs Medal for Distinguished Natural History Writing. Her Within Our Grasp: Childhood Malnutrition Worldwide and the Revolution Taking Place to End It (Pantheon Books, 2021) highlights the alignment of environmental and humanitarian goals. Her forthcoming What Walks This Way (Columbia University Press, 2024) is an introduction to wildlife tracking and a call to reform how we manage wildlife in North America. Her awards include a Rockefeller Fellowship, Pushcart Prize, New Mexico/Arizona Book Award, and Writers at Work Award. Sharman teaches in the MFA program of Antioch University in Los Angeles and is a professor emeritus at Western New Mexico University in Silver City. For more information, go to www.sharmanaptrussell.com.
Contact Information
Email: sharmanrussell@gmail.com
Phone:
N/A
Location: Remote
Trevor Setvin
Adjunct Instructor, Communication
Trevor Setvin
Adjunct Instructor, Communication
Department
Humanities
Education
- M.B.A. 2023, Western New Mexico University
- M.S. Psychology, 2016, University of Oregon
- M.S. Communication, 2011, Illinois State University
- B.S. Business Administration, 2008, Western Oregon University
- B.S. Communication Studies, 2008, Western Oregon University
Disciplines
Communication
Courses Currently Taught
- COMM 1130 Public Speaking
- COMM 2140 Small Group Communication
Biography
Trevor Setvin joined WNMU in 2021 as an Adjunct Instructor of Communication. Mr. Setvin also teaches at Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business and the Community College of Baltimore County and has previously taught at Loyola University Maryland, the University of Portland, and Illinois State University.
Professor Setvin’s research focuses on two main areas. First, Professor Setvin studies group dynamics in the workplace with specific emphasis focused on how group adapt to change. Second, Mr. Setvin researches how workers cope with success and how those coping strategies predict job satisfaction. Prior to his academic career, Mr. Setvin worked in training and development roles in healthcare at Legacy Health Systems, in the insurance industry at COUNTRY Financial, and in state government for the Washington State Department of Corrections.
Professor Setvin is the recipient of multiple awards and is nationally recognized, having been received the Teaching Excellence Award from the League of Innovation and the Michael and Suzanne Osborn Outstanding Educator Award from the National Communication Association.
Central to Professor Setvin’s guiding philosophy is a sincere interest in getting to know his students and finding ways to help them succeed in and outside the classroom.
Contact Information
Email: tsetvin@wnmu.edu
Phone:
N/A
Location: N/A
Nathaniel Siqueiros
Adjunct Instructor
Nathaniel Siqueiros
Adjunct Instructor
Department
Humanities
Education
Western New Mexico University
Disciplines
English Composition
Courses Currently Taught
- Composition I
- Composition II
Contact Information
Email: nathaniel.siqueiros@wnmu.edu
Phone:
N/A
Location: Bowden Hall 307
Christine Steele
Adjunct
Christine Steele
Adjunct
Department
Humanities
Education
- MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in creative nonfiction., 2009, Goucher College
- BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in creative writing, 2004, University of Maine Farmington
Courses Currently Taught
COMM 1140 Intro to Media Writing
Biography
Christine Steele is an award-winning writer and editor who has made her living with words for the past 21 years. She spent 16 years as a reporter and editor of small daily newspapers from Maine to Arizona. Her journalism stories have won awards for investigative reporting, deadline writing, news writing, personal columns, editorials, and features. For the past five years, she has been a marketing content writer and her marketing content has won awards for print and digital publications, and video scripts.
She is the founder of a cold case nonprofit, Southern New Mexico Unsolved Murders, which highlights unsolved murders and missing persons in Southwestern New Mexico.
Originally from Boston, MA, she lives in Silver City, New Mexico, her adopted hometown, with her rescue dog, Leo. She is addicted to road trips, Western skies, good green chile anything, and telling stories that are true.
Her bylined portfolio is available at: Authory.com/ChristineSteele
Contact Information
Email: christine.steele@wnmu.edu
Phone:
N/A
Location: Remote
Jacob Strunk
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Jacob Strunk
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Department
Humanities
Education
- M.F.A., 2006, University of Southern Maine
- B.A., 2004, Brooks Institute of Photography
Courses Currently Taught
- WRTG 503 Writing the Screenplay
- ENGL 424 Advanced Creative Writing: The Stage
Biography
Award-winning filmmaker Jacob Strunk hails from the dark woods of Wisconsin. His narrative films have screened in competition and by invitation across the world. He was short-listed for both a Student Academy Award and the Pushcart Prize in fiction, as well as the Glimmer Train short story award and a New Rivers Press book prize, and has received filmmaking grants from Kodak and Fotokem. Strunk has lectured on filmmaking at festivals and universities across the country; he holds both a BA in film production and MFA in creative writing and teaches film and media at the graduate and undergraduate levels. He lives in Los Angeles with a few framed movie posters and the ghost of his cat, Stephen.
He has worked extensively in the documentary world with an emphasis on social equity and policy reform; in addition to producing and directing travel and docuseries for Lionsgate, the feature documentary he co-produced and directed, The Green Standard, ended an award-winning festival run when it hit VOD platforms worldwide in 2018. Other recent collaborators include Legendary Pictures, Disney, Funny or Die, Quibi, BOOM! Studios, The Jim Henson Company, Nerdist Industries, Envy/Optic Gaming, Roku, Mission Control Media, The Music Center, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, Defy Media, Screen Junkies, Awkward Family Photos, the Mona Lisa Foundation, and the Smithsonian’s Wilson Center.
Contact Information
Email: jacob.strunk@wnmu.edu
Phone:
N/A
Location: Remote
Susan Hasse
Administrative Associate
Susan Hasse
Administrative Associate
Department
Humanities
Biography
I am currently in the middle of my term as a Staff Senator (2023-2025), where I am co-chair of the Rewards and Recognition Committee and co-Chair of the Salary, Benefits and Classification Committee. I have helped train new WNMU admins and have created a reference binder to help make our jobs a bit easier. I have previously been a hotel manager, career counselor, credit counselor and a homeownership specialist, teaching low-and moderate-income families how to get ready to purchase a home.
Degrees: B.A. in English, University of Portland
Began at WNMU: 2020
Hobbies, Interests, etc.: Published poet and artist, who hoards yarn, paper and art supplies and loves to create zines for my small mailing list. Email me if you’d like to join; you never know what you might receive in the mail.
Contact Information
Email: Susan.Hasse@wnmu.edu
Phone:
(575) 538-6459
Location: Bowden Hall 211