Our English department digital journalism intern, Jacey Widner, reached out to our fantastic group of lecturers that we've hired in the last few years. Below are the profiles she was able to write based on her interviews with our outstanding faculty members. If you were recently hired and would like to interview with our digital journalism intern please contact us!
Bob Ritchie joined App State in the fall of 2023 as a lecturer. He obtained his master’s degree in creative writing from Queens University in Charlotte. While Bob was there, he completed a creative thesis titled Soothing the Warrior's Soul and a capstone project in support of the thesis, titled Trauma in Literary Narrative with an Emphasis on PTSD and War Experience. His academic areas of expertise include rhetoric and composition, technical writing, ethical leadership, and creative writing. Bob is currently teaching rhetoric and composition, technical writing, and a first-year seminar on ethical leadership at App State. At a local community college, he also teaches literature and creative writing courses. His teaching philosophy centers around the principles of critical thinking, ethical communication, and community engagement. Bob enjoys reading, creatively writing, building models, and fishing when he returns home to Cape Cod. He primarily works at App’s Hickory campus and enjoys the chance to contribute to the growth and development of both the campus and its impact on the area.
Morgan Depue joined the Appalachian English Department in the fall of 2023 as a lecturer. She obtained her master’s degree from West Virginia University, focusing her studies on pedagogy and environmental humanities. Her interests lie in Appalachian and environmental literature because she comes from a long line of West Virginians. She focuses her work mainly on justice, conservation, and indigenous practices. She also likes to use her spare time to write creative nonfiction and poetry with southern and Appalachian themes. Morgan teaches a blend of RC 1000 and RC 2001. Currently, she is teaching three variations of RC 1000, one being based on climate response, the second being service-based, and the third being based on place. Morgan strives to create an inclusive classroom and incorporate collaborative course design where she can. A few of her hobbies include gardening, hiking, porch sittin', and collecting crystals. She enjoys the ability and freedom to create unique RC classes for students here at App.
April McGinnis joined the Appalachian State English Department in the fall of 2023 as a lecturer. She obtained her PhD from West Virginia University, where she studied Romantic literature and environmental humanities. She decided to write her dissertation about how the nonhuman world interrupts and gives shape to human movement, thought, and written expression. April’s academic expertise lies in British and American Romantic literature, with concentrations in environmental humanities, science and literature, and sensory studies. This semester, she is teaching three sections of RC 2001 that focus on the “wicked problem” of climate change. April believes that relevance and curiosity are absolutely necessary for genuine learning to take place, so she tries to provide the necessary means for students to use that in the classroom. In her spare time, she loves to go walking and hiking and has been involved in volunteering for trail maintenance for many years. She is also into birds, and before grad school, was a federally licensed songbird rehabilitator. Through this, she gained a pet starling who has been with her for nine years. April loves the campus culture and how everyone is so supportive here at App.
Kennedy “Alex” Sloop joined the Appalachian English department in the fall of 2023 as a lecturer in Rhetoric and Technical Writing. Alex obtained his master’s degree from Appalachian State University. He wrote his master’s thesis on Robert Gipe’s Canard County Trilogy (Trampoline (2015), Weedeater (2018), and Pop (2021)). While he teaches rhetoric and technical writing classes, he enjoys studying literature more. He is currently studying cultural intersections between Appalachia and Japan with his fellow scholar Maako Shiratori. At App, he is currently teaching RC 1000 and RC 2001. Alex believes that the most insightful discussions in the classroom are student-led. He also mentioned his most trusted sidekick in the classroom, Stinky the stuffed Opossum, who joins in classroom discussions, traveling from table to table, appearing in slideshows, and pre-recorded lectures. He enjoys hiking, dabbles in writing poetry from time to time, collects vinyls, and listens to bluegrass music. Alex first came to Boone for the beauty of the mountains, but then said he quickly fell in love with the community. “I feel I’ve found my family amongst my colleagues here at Appalachian State University.”
Madeline Scott joined the App State English Department in the Spring of 2023 as a lecturer in rhetoric and composition. She obtained her master’s degree at Appalachian State University in English: Rhetoric and Composition. Madeline wrote a thesis titled "Online Reader Communities," which analyzed YA literature-focused, publishing house-sponsored digital communities. Her academic expertise falls somewhere within the realms of digital, cultural, and feminist rhetorics. She also has expertise in professional and business writing. As a lecturer, she currently teaches a combination of RC 1000, RC 2001, and ENG 3100. In her teaching, she tries to always align with the Golden Rule—“treat others the way you want to be treated.” Madeline loves tap dancing and volunteering. This is her 14th year volunteering at the Carolina Hot Air Balloon Festival in her hometown of Stateville, NC. She has enjoyed getting to know her former instructors on a collegial level. She also finds that there's something quite special about the students here.
Taylor Dills joined the Appalachian State English Department in the fall of 2023 as a lecturer in Film Studies. Taylor obtained her MFA in Narrative Studies from the University of Georgia. She wrote two original pilot scripts and a feature-length script for her capstone project. Her pilot is inspired by her mother and is about the story of a woman's return to her unique family in Appalachia after the disappearance of her husband. Her feature script is a coming-of-age story about two high school friends desperate to escape their small town that's been deeply impacted by the opioid crisis. Her second pilot follows the story of a men's college basketball team trying to reclaim their glory after their legendary head coach's dismissal from the program. Her academic areas of expertise are screenwriting, film, television, creative writing, and English composition. Taylor is currently teaching intro to screenwriting, advanced screenwriting, intro to film, and RC 1000 and RC 2001. She values creating a space where students can feel comfortable and safe being themselves. When she’s not teaching, Taylor loves to play Sims, watch television, and watch and research college basketball. She obtained her undergraduate degree from App State and enjoys being back in Boone and appreciates the slower pace and the sense of community.
Jessie Gada joined the Appalachian State English Department in the fall of 2024 as a lecturer. They completed the Master of English program here at App State, concentrating in College Teaching. In the program, they completed a Teaching Portfolio and two Assistantships, where they worked with mentor professors in the department to study a variety of teaching styles and practice their own styles and skills. Jessie’s academic expertise lies in academic writing techniques & research tools. With their undergraduate degree in Creative Writing, they try to incorporate assignments to encourage more creative thinking. They are currently teaching Rhetoric & Composition courses 1000 & 2001. As a new professor, Jessie is still experimenting with different types of projects. They, however, always want their students to focus on learning how to do the project, learning how to research, and learning how to write, rather than focus on producing something “perfect” for class. In their spare time, they have invested a lot of time and effort into fostering a sense of community among the LGBTQIA+ community here. They have been running a not-for-profit mutual aid fundraiser for the past few years to crowdfund gender-affirming care for others. They said that their favorite part of working at App is the department. “I feel uplifted by the care that our chair and admin put into making the English department a safe & welcoming environment.”
Banner image of lecturers
Banner image of lecturers