Teaching Team

Below are profiles of the instructors in the Sharing Cultures Project cohort, who also authored this webtext.

George Bailey
Thoko Batyi
Rose Blouin
Suzanne Blum-Malley
Amy Hawkins
Ncedisa Mayeko
Elize Naude
Brendan Riley
John Ruiters
Stephanie Shonekan

George Bailey
I received my B.A. in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago, my M A in English from De Paul University and my Ph. D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. As a Professor of English at Columbia College Chicago, I teach Speech, English Composition and American Literature and I coordinate the Speech Program. My short fiction and articles on a variety of topics have appeared in New Chicago Stories, Chicago Works: A New Collection of Chicago Authors' Best Stories, West Side Stories (Ed,. Chicago Sun Times, Fra Noi, New City, The Chicago Journal. My choreopoem, For the 13, was adapted by Zebra Crossing and performed at the Theater Building in Chicago. I live in Oak Park, IL with my wife Linda and my sons, Nathan and Jared. I am a Blues and Jazz musician. One of my research interests is the Buffalo Soldiers, a term given to African-American men who fought for the U.S. government against Native Americans during the late 19th century. I give presentations and dramatic performances at public libraries and schools based on my research.
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Thoko Batyi
Hi! I'm Thoko, born in Port Elizabeth, worked as a teacher at primary level for 13 years before moving to High school level and taught English and History for 9 years. I had been a member of the University Foundation Programme at the Nelson Mandela Metropole University (UPE) since its inception in 1999. I majored in English and History in my bachelor's degree, have honours in English Literature, honours in Applied Linguistics and Masters in Applied Linguistics (from UPE now NMMU). I love politics and have experienced the political revolution in my country. I am currently studying International Political Economy with the hope to understand globalisation and what it brings for our country and the students that we prepare for the global village.
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Rose Blouin
I've been a faculty member in Columbia's English Department since 1986, where I teach Composition, Creative Nonfiction, and Journal Writing, among others. I have served as an Associate Editor with Third World Press (Chicago); in addition, I have done freelance editing and writing, and have published articles and book reviews in various publications. I facilitate spiritual retreats for women, and I teach meditation and journal writing workshops (based on twenty-nine years of practicing both disciplines) in a variety of settings, including community centers, Chicago public schools and area colleges and universities. As a professional photographer, I specialize in black and white fine art and documentary work, and my photography has been exhibited throughout the Chicago area. I've been a member of "Sapphire & Crystals," an African-American women artists' collective, since 1987. As a faculty member at Columbia, I enjoy teaching and facilitating student learning. My perception is that Columbia's students are the most important aspect of my job, and I always carry a sense of appreciation for the unique students who choose to attend Columbia, and the vision and perspective they bring to the classroom.
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Suzanne Blum-Malley
I am a Professor of English and the Director of the English as a Second Language Program (ESL) at Columbia College Chicago. I earned my Master's degree in Applied Linguistics and Hispanic Literatures from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and spent two years living and teaching in Madrid, Spain before returning to the U.S. to teach both English and Spanish at the university level. At Columbia College, I teach first year writing courses to both international and non-international students as well as ESL reading and listening/speaking courses. My research interests include using ethnography in the writing classroom and exploring ways to integrate new media studies into what I do as a teacher of reading and writing. I am also always looking to create bridges between the often disparate worlds of composition / rhetoric and applied linguistics / TESOL. In addition to my life at school, I am the mother of two children, Moira - 7, and Hunter - 5, an avid soccer fan and player, a budding blogger, and a volunteer Spanish teacher at the elementary school near my home.
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Amy Hawkins
Hello! I come to Columbia College by way of three different institutions. First, I received my BA from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where I majored in American culture. Then, I followed my interests to Bowling Green State University in Ohio where I received an MA in Popular Culture. Finally, I returned to Michigan and finished the PhD program in English (Composition and Rhetoric) and Wayne State University in Detroit. In general, my areas of interest include ethnography as a pedagogical approach to the writing classroom, computers and composition, popular culture, and GLBT writing/studies. Specifically, I am interested in getting students excited about writing. I seek to find ways to make composition class a meaningful and valuable experience for students, not only in terms of academic requirements, but also as a way of promoting conscious critical communication. In addition to my teaching and research, my interests include golf, motorcycling, and cooking. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have been able to visit South Africa last year. That real life connection makes me that much more excited about this project.
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Ncedisa Mayeko
I was born and bred in Port Elizabeth and completed my formal education at the University of Port Elizabeth (currently known as the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, NMMU) where I obtained both a BA degree (Social Work & Psychology) and an Honors degree in Psychology. Upon completion of my studies in 1998 my lecturers advised me that I was too young to register for a Masters degree in Psychology. I then left the University to obtain life experience and pursued a career in Research and Counselling for a period of 4 years. I joined the University late 2004 to teach a subject called Academic and Life Skills Management. I believe that I have gained enough life experience and plan to do a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology in 2007.
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Elize Naude
I was born and bred in the Eastern Cape (province of Nelson Mandela) and obtained my first degree in Music Education at the University of Stellenbosch. My honors degree in education was completed at the University of Port Elizabeth. I am continuing my studies focusing on transformation and the impact on modes of delivery with an emphasis on culture and technology as a part of the curriculum. Currently, I am the coordinator and facilitator for the University Practice Course for mainstream students at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. I was involved in the compilation of the textbook, How to Make Higher Education Easier. In addition, I have been a private consultant for six years gaining valuable experience in the private sector and in education and management.
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Brendan Riley
I joined the Columbia College Chicago English faculty in Fall, 2004. I teach composition and new media classes at Columbia, and am very excited to be participating in the Sharing Cultures Project. I earned my Ph.D. in English from the University of Florida in 2004, where I studied film and media studies as well as rhetoric and composition. As a scholar, I'm interested in rhetoric and composition theory, particularly as it pertains to computers & writing; new media studies; grammatology (the study of the history of writing); and film and media studies. I enjoy designing websites and do some programming. I also love films, literature, and video games.
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John Ruiters
My background is in teacher-training, having previously worked at Dower College and in the Education Faculty at NMMU. I did an MA in English language Teaching at Ealing College/ Thames Valley University in London in 1996. I am currently completing the honours year of the MA in Applied Language studies. I am married to Priscilla, have two kids Marc (11) and Cleo (5). My interests/hobbies are field hockey, music jazz, swing, r'n b, hip-hop, rap in fact all genres. I also love reading books on linguistics and applied linguistics.
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Stephanie Shonekan
As a professor of Humanities and Cultural Studies at Columbia College Chicago, I enjoy teaching classes that focus on the culture, literature, and music of the black world. So far, I have taught Black Arts Movement, Harlem Renaissance, Contemporary African Life, Literature, and Music, and Hip Hop: Global Music and Culture. Before coming to Columbia College in 2003, I earned my bachelors and masters in Nigeria from the University of Jos and the University of Ibadan respectively. I then earned my Ph.D. in ethnomusicology and folklore from Indiana University, Bloomington. My intertwined Nigerian and Trinidadian heritage, in addition to my research in black creative expression, inspires continued study in black music, black women, hip hop, and the cultural connections that exist amongst the peoples of African descent. These ideas also motivate my own creative juices in terms of fiction writing. My husband and I are blessed with 3 lovely children.
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