September 14, 2007

Joining the faculty of La Sierra University’s English and Communication department as an Assistant Professor of English, Melissa Brotton is bringing new enthusiasm and specialties to the academic field.

After teaching English at Weimar College, Brotton is glad to come to La Sierra University. “Being an Adventist university professor has been one of my goals,” she says. LSU’s location in Riverside, California, is ideal to Brotton, as well. With the Huntington Library nearby, she also anticipates various involvements with students. “I’m hoping to improve my teaching and research skills alongside students,” Brotton says. “I’m interested in interacting with Student Life and campus ministries too, both in- and out-reach.”

Brotton earned a B.S. in Psychology from Pacific Union College in 1994. She continued her graduate studies in the Midwest, earning an MS in Clinical Psychology at the University of Idaho  in 1996. Then, at the University of North Dakota, Brotton earned a M.A. in English in 2000 and a Ph.D. of English in 2004.

Brotton’s dissertation was entitled “Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Juvenilia and Children’s Culture in Georgian England: An Introduction to ‘Julia or Virtue.’ ” Her interests and specializations remain Browning, along with the history of English, Charles Dickens, and 18th and 19th century British literature and family life.

Since beginning at LSU this summer preparing to teach a Browning class and College Writing courses, Brotton has found a welcoming atmosphere on campus. “It’s a gorgeous campus, beautiful location, and exceptionally friendly, helpful, and positive,” she says.

PR Contact: Larry Becker
Executive Director of University Relations
La Sierra University
Riverside, California
951.785.2460 (voice)