Faculty

Dr. Nancy W. Shankle, Professor, Chair, former Scholar in Residence at the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning; BA, East Texas State University, 1977; MA, East Texas State University, 1979; PhD, Texas A&M University, 1990. Rhetoric and composition theory, business and professional writing, American literature. shanklen@acu.edu

Dr. B. Cole Bennett, Associate Professor, former Researcher in Residence in Adams Center for Teaching and Learning, Director of the University Writing Center; BBA, Harding University, 1989; MATEW, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 1996; PhD, University of Southern Mississippi, 2002. Rhetoric and Composition, American Literature. cole.bennett@acu.edu

Dr. Laura Carroll, Assistant Professor.  BA, Abilene Christian University, 1996; MA, Marquette University, 1998; PhD, Texas A&M University, 2002. Critical Theory and Rhetoric. laura.carroll@acu.edu

Dr. William (Bill) Carroll, Assistant Professor.  BA, Lipscomb University, 1993; MA, Abilene Christian University, 1996; PhD, Marquette University, 2005. British Literature. william.carroll@acu.edu

Dr. Kyle Dickson, Associate Professor; Faculty in Residence at the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning; BA, Abilene Christian University, 1993; MA, Baylor University, 1996; Ph.D., Baylor University, 2001. Eighteenth Century Literature. dicksonk@acu.edu

Albert Haley , Associate Professor, Writer in Residence, BA (economics), Yale University, 1976; MFA, University of Houston, 1993. Fiction writing, poetry writing. haleya@acu.edu

Dr. Preston F. Harper, Professor; BA, Abilene Christian University, 1959; MA, University of Texas, 1962; PhD, Texas Christian University, 1972. American literature. harperp@acu.edu

Dr. Dana McMichael, Associate Professor, Graduate Advisor; BA, Oklahoma Christian College, 1983; MA, Wake Forest University, 1996; Ph.D., Oklahoma State University, 2002. American literature. dwm00b@acu.edu

Dr. David B. Merrell, Professor, Director of Curriculum and Advisement; BA, Abilene Christian University, 1964; MA, University of Arkansas, 1966; PhD, Texas A&M University, 1979. American literature, popular culture, film.merrelld@acu.edu

Dr. Steven T. Moore, Assistant Professor; BA University of Wisconsin, 1994; MA, University of Nebraska, 1996; Ph.D., University of Nebraska, 2007. African-American literature. steven.moore@acu.edu

Sharon Rankin, Instructor; BA (English), BA (French), Harding University, 1986; MS, Harding University, 1987; MA, University of California-Riverside, 1989. rankins@acu.edu

Dr. William J. Rankin, Associate Professor; Faculty in Residence at the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning;  BA (English), BA (French), Harding University, 1987;  MA, University of California-Riverside, 1989; PhD., University of Minnesota, 2001. Medieval literature. rankinw@acu.edu

Dr. Shelly Sanders, Assistant Professor; BA., Abilene Christian University, 1999; MA, Emerson University, 2001; PhD, University of Texas, Arlington, 2007. Young Adult Literature, Creative Writing, Sports Writing. mrw95v@acu.edu

Vickie J. Smith, Instructor; BA, Midwestern State University; MA, Abilene Christian University, 1992.smithv@acu.edu

 Dr. Joe Stephenson, Assistant Professor; BA, Yale University, 1985; MA, Music, Central Connecticut State University, 1995; MA, English, University of Connecticut, 2000; Ph.D., University of Connecticut, 2007. jfs05b@acu.edu

Dr. G. W. "Bill" Walton, Professor; BA., Abilene Christian University, 1963; MA, University of Arkansas,1964; PhD, Texas Tech University, 1976. Seventeenth-century British literature.waltonb@acu.edu

Dr. Stephen R. Weathers, Associate Professor; BA, Abilene Christian University, 1986; MA, Abilene Christian University, 1987; PhD, University of Florida, 1999. Nineteenth-century British, fiction writing. weatherss@acu.edu

Dr. Chris Willerton, Professor, Director of the Honors Program; BA, Texas Christian University, 1969; MA, University of North Carolina, 1970; PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1979. Nineteenth- and twentieth-century British, world literature, literary hypertext. willerto@acu.edu

Dr. Debbie J. Williams, Associate Professor; BA, Abilene Christian University, 1980; MA, Texas Tech University, 1982; PhD, Purdue University, 1996. Rhetoric and Composition. debbie.williams@acu.edu

Staff

Nuria Hall is our Administrative Assistant, schedule builder, and interior designer.  She is responsible for the artistic aesthetic you will find in our hallways, offices, workroom, and The Inkwell lounge.  nuria.hall@acu.edu

Activities and Awards

In recent years, department members have held office in the Conference on Christianity and Literature (on both regional and national levels), the Conference of College Teachers of English, the Texas Association of Deans of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the South-Central Renaissance Conference. In addition, they have published numerous articles, book reviews, and short stories; presented original papers, short stories, poems, and lectures; and edited Shadow and Light: Literature and the Life of Faith, an anthology used in colleges and universities nationwide.

Besides producing scholarly and creative writing, our professors have led student groups in study abroad; spoken at ACU Bible Lectureship and the Christian Scholars Conference; served as consultants and guest lecturers at other universities; attended summer seminars sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and other organizations; edited major reports for the university; collaborated on books with colleagues from other departments; and developed computer hypertext.

Two have received the Trustees' Award as Teacher of the Year, four have been Honors Program Professor of the Year, three have received teaching awards from ACU colleges, and several have been honored by campus organizations as mentors and role models.

The bottom line: Faculty activities such as these provide rich resources for students majoring in English. 

Tribute

Our colleague Dr. Jack Welch, professor of English, died of heart failure on July 28, 1996, in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he was completing eight weeks of mission work. He taught fiction writing, world literature, business and professional writing, and other courses and was the author of four books. He was media editor and feature writer for The Christian Chronicle and served as a deacon for the Hillcrest Church of Christ, in Abilene. We miss his sweet spirit, professionalism, generosity to students and colleagues, and Christian example. A scholarship fund has been established as a memorial.