Monique Sawyer loves to share her favorite life quote, from Rev. Howard Thurman, which explains the nature of her path to nursing education: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” A spark was ignited within Sawyer the first time she taught a lecture in front of a classroom, and she knew right then, as a nursing student at PLNU, that she would find a way to teaching one day.
Dr. Mary Adams came to PLNU with six years of teaching experience in the Chicagoland area. Prior to teaching, she was a staff nurse in both a large teaching hospital and smaller community hospital. Her background is in trauma ICU, labor and delivery, and home care. She currently teaches in the graduate and undergraduate nursing programs as well as the simulation lab.
James Wicks, Professor of Film and Media Studies, grew up in Taiwan and teaches Narrative and Documentary Film, Scriptwriting for TV and Film, and Intro to TV & Film Production in San Diego, California. His Ph.D. in Film Studies (Cultural Studies section), with an emphasis on Chinese Cinema, was received from the Literature program at the University of California, San Diego in 2010. He has taught at PLNU since 2009 and joined the Department of Communication Studies in 2021.
Dr. Bettina Tate Pedersen is professor of literature at PLNU, where she teaches British and world literature, women writers, literary theory, and academic writing. She also teaches in the interdisciplinary women’s studies minor program and the honors program. She served as LJWL Department chair from 2011 – 2014 and as literature section head for many years. Pedersen completed her doctorate at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1997. She is co-author/editor, with Allyson Jule, of Being Feminist, Being Christian (Palgrave 2006, pbk.
"I can teach my employees how to do a job, but I cannot teach them how to write," exclaimed a well respected banker in LA who was frustrated with not being able to find people to hire who knew how to write well. With this in mind, Charlene Pate teaches college composition; created the course Writing Theory and Pedagogy; and opened and directs the Writers' Studio, a writing center where college composition students work alongside theoretically trained student writing consultants. The focus in the classroom as well as in the Writers' Stud
Dean Nelson writes occasionally for The New York Times, the Boston Globe, San Diego Magazine, Christianity Today, Sojourners, and several other national publications. He has won several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his reporting, and has written or co-written 14 books. Nelson is a frequent speaker at writing workshops and retreats.
Jacqueline Mitchell has taught at PLNU for over 20 years. She loves teaching and PLNU students. She has traveled extensively throughout Latin America and Spain, and has studied and conducted research in Argentina and Spain. Her areas of specialization are contemporary peninsular and Latin American narrative. She is currently involved in the Community Classroom program, teaching courses in City Heights. She has a passion for service-learning and collaborating with the community in the learning process.
A graduate of the department of Literature, Journalism, Writing, and Languages, Dr. Karl Martin returned to PLNU as a faculty member in 1998. He teaches all eras of American literature and has long taught African American literature as well as the literatures of other under-represented traditions in American literature. He has research interests in various aspects of American culture such as American religion, music, film, and popular culture as well as American literature.
