School of Arts and Communication

Dr. Michael J. Finnegan comes to FIT as a career educator. He was a Dean of Admissions at three independent schools in the northeast and most recently, Dean of Academics at the Windermere Preparatory School.

Prior to these experiences, Dr. Finnegan taught Composition and Literature at the University of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University and Bryant University. He holds his Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Rhode Island and his M.A.T. and B.A. degrees are from Colgate University.

Dr. Finnegan's publishing credentials include past positions as Editor in Chief of both the "Portsmouth Abbey School Bulletin" and the "Providence Country Day School Prospect". His work included the editing, writing and publishing of these important Alumni/Development Journals as well as writing numerous articles, profiles and interviews for them.  

He also played professional ice hockey in Denmark and his interests include off shore fishing and tennis.

Dr. Natalie M. Dorfeld was born and raised in Greenville, Pennsylvania, home of the parachute.In her free time, she enjoys anything and everything involving a blatant disregard for personal safety, such as skydiving, petting sharks, and training for marathons / Ironman competitions.She resides in Palm Bay with her wonderful husband, a plethora of cats, and a Heinz 57 mutt.

• Ph.D., English / Composition & TESOL, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2007
• M.A., English, Slippery Rock University, 2002
• B.S., English / Writing, Slippery Rock University, 1998
• B.A., Philosophy, Slippery Rock University, 1998

Professional Experience

Dr. Natalie M. Dorfeld is currently an Assistant Professor of English in the School of Arts and Communication at the Florida Institute of Technology.She has taught American literature, creative writing, business writing, public speaking, and ESL classes at Thiel College and Penn State University (Shenango).Additionally, she works as a freelance writer for Salem Press and serves as an advisory board member for Wadsworth Publishing and Pearson / Allyn & Bacon Publishing.

Educational Background

• Florida Institute of Technology, M.S. Computer Education
• Northwestern University, M.A., English
• University of South Florida, B.A. English

Professional Experience

Prior to coming to Florida Tech, she taught for Schiller College and the University of Maryland in Germany, and at Brevard Community College. She taught AP English Language and AP English Literature classes at Melbourne Central Catholic for 30 years and served as a Reader for the College Board for those exams.

Personal Overview

Rolanda Hatcher-Gallop is an accomplished media relations consultant and award-winning journalist with more than two decades of professional writing experience. She served as an adjunct instructor in the Humanities and Communication Department at Florida Tech from 2009-2013, where she taught such courses as Scientific and Technical Communication as well as Journalism and Writing for the Media.Hatcher-Gallop is currently a full-time Communication Instructor in the School of Arts and Communication. Her academic research interests include convergent journalism, new communication technologies, technical communication, message and media strategy, digital rhetoric and new media, and narrative engagement.Hatcher-Gallop is married to J.D. Gallop, a senior criminal justice news reporter and religion writer for Florida Today newspaper. They reside in Palm Bay with their two Shih Tzu puppies, Teddy and JoJo.

Educational Background

• M.S., Technical and Professional Communication, Florida Institute of Technology, 2010
• B.I.S., Journalism and English, University of South Carolina-Aiken, 1993

Recognition & Awards

• Outstanding Graduate Student, Humanities and Communication Department, Florida Institute of Technology, 2009
• '4 Under 40' Leadership Award Winner, LEAD Brevard, 2009

Educational Background

• B.S., Elementary Education
• M.S., English (Concentration in Writing)
• Additional (18+) graduate hours of TESOL/ESL courses

Professional ExperienceProfessor Bernard has been an English instructor at Florida Tech since 1999 and previously was an instructor at Brevard Community College for 15 yrs. She is currently teaching Enlish-as-a-Second-Language classes and tutoring ESL students. When she is relieved of tutoring the ESL students, she teaches an additional Communication class.

The field of TESOL (Teaching English as a second language) is a fascinating one. Everyday brings new experiences. I keep learning from my students and, in turn, I share all the experiences of having taught and travelled in so many different places. The biggest and most rewarding challenge is always to balance theory and connect it with real life experiences. My goal is to create an environment where students feel safe to learn and grow.Personal OverviewProfessor Caza likes to run competitively; she was the Female Master Champion of the 2006 Space Coast Marathon. She runs most local races and places in almost all of them. She ranked second overall female runner in the Space Coast Running Series for the past three seasons. On most days, she can be seen running on the Melbourne Causeway with her beloved Dalmatian Olive. Professor Caza also trains and competes in triathlons and swimming competitions. She enjoys training, travelling, time at the beach, and her beautiful spotted dog, Olive.

Educational Background

• D.E.C. College Edouard Montpetit 1981
• B.A. Dalhousie University 1985
• B.Ed. Dalhousie University 1987
• M.A. Dalhousie University 1987

Prior to joining the faculty at Florida Tech, Dr. Wheeler was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Thompson Writing Program at Duke University, teaching and learning about using writing in STEM courses, and helping to run the Writing Studio. She completed her Ph.D. in Ecology at UNC Chapel Hill, focusing on how the scale of observation, disturbance, and soil nutrients influence plant species diversity. As a graduate student, she worked in the UNC Writing Center as a tutor and writing group facilitator. Wheeler received her undergraduate degrees in Biology and Psychology from Rice University. 

Education

• B.A. in Biology and Psychology, Rice UniversityP
• h.D. in Ecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

School of Arts and Communication - Languages and Linguistics

Educational Background

• Ph.D. - Applied Linguistics/Spanish State University of New York at Buffalo
• M.A.- Spanish American Literature State University of New York at Buffalo
• M.Ed. - Second/Foreign Language Education State University of New York at Buffalo
• B.A. - Spanish/Latin American Studies/Portuguese State University of New York at Albany 

• NYS Teaching Certification/Qualification: Spanish ( 7 - 12)
• TESO (N - 12) L
• Bilingual Education(N -12)
• Elementary Education (N - 6)

Personal Overview

Professor Mazo is a Florida native. She attended Brevard public schools and still resides in the area with her husband, her two children, and her two dogs. In 2006, she published her creative memoir Pet Tails, One Woman's Four--Legged Family, and on occasion, she free-lance writes for various periodicals.

Educational Background

• B.S. English Language Arts Education University of Central Florida 1991

• M.S. Computer Education, Instructional Technology Florida Institute of Technology 1996

Current Courses

Scientific and Technical CommunicationProfessional Communication for Executives

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Dr. Stanfield holds a Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Development and an MA in Creative Writing from the University of South Alabama and an MA and BA in English from Jacksonville State University. He is an Assistant Professor of English and the current coordinator for the Writer’s Den. He has been involved in assessment, faculty development, and teaching at the University of South Alabama, Black Hills State University, and Florida Institute of Technology. Dr. Stanfield is also the author of six novels.