 | Texas Lutheran University offers a unique perspective for studying both English and communications through its innovative joint department. Combining traditional literary inquiry with more recent exploration into media and technology, the department of English and communication studies offers the best of both worlds through an individual major in either English studies or communication studies, or through an increasingly marketable double major. |
Communication & English Studies programs
Bachelor's Degrees in Communication & English Studies
- Major in Communication Studies (B.A.)
- with specializations available in:
- Media Organization Management: rhetoric & leadership, professional communication, journalism
- Entertainment Studies/Journalism: media studies, rhetoric & leadership, journalism
- Cultural Studies: rhetoric & leadership, media studies, culture & identity
- Nonprofit Leadership: rhetoric & leadership, professional communication, culture & identity
- Technology & Culture: media studies, journalism, culture & identity
- Major in English Studies (B.S.)
- with specializations available in: literature, writing
Minors Communication & English Studies
- Communication Studies
- English Studies
- Medical & Health Communications
View the Course Catalog for degree requirements and courses offered. |
| | | Studying communication and English at TLU allows students to take command of the English language, its rich history, complex forms and devices and transform it into a tool for effective communication. Student publications have adopted the modern age through online printing and social media. Skills and portfolios are further developed through a student communication agency designed to assist on- and off-campus clients with public relations project. English studies students also have the opportunity for publishing creative works. |
Communication & English Studies Faculty Chris BollingerAssociate Professor and Department Chair Chris Bollinger, associate professor and department chair; bachelor of science from Regis University in Denver, Colorado; master of science from the University of Charleston in West Virginia; doctorate from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
Dr. Bollinger teaches in the area of cultural studies, gender, ethics, and applied communication. He has taught courses, published work, and conducted workshops in the areas of critical pedagogy, gender violence, hate studies, and violence prevention, intervention, and response.
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Beth BarryLecturer Beth Barry, lecturer; bachelor of arts from the University of Missouri-Columbia; master of fine arts from Texas State University.
Professor Barry teaches in the freshman composition and Freshman Experience programs at TLU. Her primary interest as a writer is in therapeutic humor. |
Robin BishaAssociate Professor Robin Bisha, associate professor; bachelor of arts from The University of South Florida; master of arts from Indiana University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; doctorate from Indiana University.
Dr. Bisha brings a solid grounding in mass communication, history and Russian to her teaching and scholarship. She teaches courses in journalism, leadership, public relations and other mass communication areas. She also advises the campus newspaper and feature/literary magazine. Dr. Bisha has published widely on Russia and is currently pursuing scholarly and creative interests in environmental communication and community building. Her scholarly projects include analysis the work of women who have won the Nobel Peace Prize. Bisha has traveled extensively in Russia and the former Soviet Union and has begun to explore the Francophone world.
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Margaret GonzalesAssistant Professor of English, Director of Composition After four years at Collin College, just north of Dallas, Dr. Margaret Gonzales comes to Texas Lutheran University with a passion for guiding students through the process of becoming better critical readers, writers and thinkers. Originally from Chicago, she received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in rhetoric and composition. During her time at UIC, she served as an assistant director of the writing center, as well as the online tutoring coordinator. Currently, Dr. Gonzales is revising her dissertation, “The Other Side of the Digital Divide: Computer and Internet Literacy on the Southeast Side of Chicago,” for publication. The thesis is an ethnographic study conducted in the low-income, minority community where she grew up. In addition to composition and rhetoric, she enjoys new media studies, postcolonial British literature, the politics of food production, cooking and spending time with her dogs. |
Pamela JohnstonAssociate Professor; Director of the Center for Women's Studies Pamela Johnston, associate professor of English; bachelor of arts from The University of Idaho; master of arts from Kansas State University; master of fine arts from The University of Iowa; doctorate from The University of Missouri-Columbia.
Dr. Johnston teaches creative writing and American literature with a specific emphasis on feminist fiction. She also directs the Center for Women’s Studies and the Women’s Studies minor. Her novel, Little Lost River, was published by the University of Nevada Press in spring 2008; her shorter work, both fiction and non-fiction, has appeared in a wide variety of print and online publications. Johnston is the author of a food blog, The Family Foodie, and is currently at work on a second novel. |
Jean-Pierre MetereauProfessor Jean-Pierre Méteréau, professor; bachelor of arts, master of arts and doctorate from Indiana University.
While teaching at The University of Chad, Dr. Méteréau developed a strong interest in African literature and film, which has expanded into both teaching and scholarly pursuits in post-colonial literature and theory. He has a strong interest in translation and teaches courses at all levels in the department of English and Communication Studies.
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Juan RodriguezAssociate Professor
Juan Rodriguez, associate professor; bachelor of arts and master of arts from Texas Tech University.
A historian and critic of Mexican-American literature, Professor Rodriguez has been published widely. His poetry and short stories, written under a pseudonym, complement his scholarly work. Professor Rodriguez has a strong interest in interdisciplinary and cultural studies.
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Steven VroomanAssociate Professor Steven S. Vrooman, associate professor, chair; bachelor of arts from Loyola Marymount University; master of arts and doctorate from Arizona State University.
Dr. Vrooman's primary research area is in popular culture. Horror and science fiction film, television and comic books are a particular focus. He is also pursuing theoretical research in structures of audience identification, cross-media adaptation and fan culture.
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