General Studies Program Team Directory
Please use our scheduling system new window to schedule an academic advising appointment with our General Studies program advisors.
General Studies Leadership Team
Email: sarah.campbell@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-4166
Office Location: Germantown Campus, HS 140
Biography
Dr. Sarah Campbell serves as vice president for liberal arts and education at Montgomery College. She joined Montgomery College in 2008 as a faculty member in Spanish and taught all levels of Spanish on the Rockville Campus, where she also acted as world languages coordinator and as faculty liaison to the Digital Language Lab. She subsequently served as chair of the Humanities Department at the Germantown Campus and as acting collegewide dean of humanities. She is active in the professional organizations of her discipline, having recently concluded a four-year term as the secretary for the Community College Special Interest Group of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages and serving as the founder and adviser of the Montgomery College chapter of the Sociedad Honoraria de la Lengua Española, an honor society that recognizes students at two-year colleges for excellence in their study of Spanish.
Office Location: Germantown Campus
Biography
Jennifer Haydel has been a member of the Montgomery College community since 2008. Ms. Haydel has served as a professor of political science, earning an Outstanding Faculty Service Award in 2015, as well as an Outstanding Faculty Award For Excellence in Teaching and Advising in 2023. She has mentored internship students at the Paul Peck Humanities Institute and students presenting papers at the Maryland Collegiate Honors Council and the Beacon Undergraduate Research Conference. She has also successfully written grants including the College’s own Innovation Grant, “Bridging the Urban/Rural Divide, and the University Systems of Maryland First in the World and Civic Engagement Collaborative Grant Fund with two colleagues titled, “Exploring Voter Turnout in US Elections 2020: An Interdisciplinary Module for Introductory Statistics.” From 2023-2024, Ms. Haydel served as acting chair of the Germantown Humanities Department.Ms. Haydel earned a bachelor of arts in Integrated International Studies from Knox College and a master of arts in political science from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
Educational Background
- MA, Political Science, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- BA, Integrated International Studies, Knox College
Email: christina.gentile@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7425
Office Location: Rockville Campus, CC 002A
Biography
Professor Christina Gentile serves as the collegewide department chair for the General Studies program. She has worked at Montgomery College since 2007 joining first as part-time faculty and then as full-time faculty in 2010. She has taught all levels of Italian and Spanish at the Rockville campus and served as the world languages coordinator, the digital language lab liaison, and acting department chair for the Department of World Languages & Philosophy. She has been a member of the General Studies leadership team since its inception serving as the world languages discipline liaison and communications coordinator and later as interim collegewide department chair for the General Studies program. She is actively engaged within her discipline and various committees at the college, currently serving as a member of the General Education Standing Committee and as secretary for the Academic Services Council of MC’s Governance.Educational Background
- MA, The Johns Hopkins University
- BA, University of Maryland, College Park
Program Administrative Aide
Email: chenda.hong@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-4357
Office Location: Rockville Campus, CC 002
Biography
Chenda supports daily departmental operations, assists faculty and staff, and helps ensure students receive timely information and assistance. She enjoys collaborating with colleagues, improving processes, and contributing to a positive and inclusive college community. Chenda is committed to delivering excellent customer service and helping create a welcoming environment that supports student success and the College's mission.Educational Background
- MS, Educational Research and Evaluation, Northern Illinois University
GS Coordinators
Email: cory.newman@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-1413
Office Location: Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, SN-308
Biography
Educational Background- PhD, Michigan State University
- BS, Butler University
Email: daniel.santore@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5071
Office Location: Rockville Campus, HU 235
Biography
Dr. Santore received his Doctorate in Sociology and Master's degree in Women's Studies at SUNY- Albany, in New York. Dr. Santore has spent the past six years teaching Sociology, and has been at the Rockville Campus of Montgomery College since 2009. His teaching and research interests include sociological theory, gender, and families, and he has published several articles and essays on these topics. In addition to his regular classroom duties, Dr. Santore has worked with students as a personal and group tutor for introductory Sociology courses. Having just moved to Montgomery County, Dr. Santore has felt warmly welcomed by his students and colleagues at MC and enjoys being teased by students and faculty alike for his New York sports affiliations.Educational Background
- BA, Sociology, University at Albany, S.U.N.Y.
- MA, Women’s Studies, University at Albany, S.U.N.Y
- PhD, Sociology, University at Albany, S.U.N.Y.
Email: aubrey.smith@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5126
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 234J
Educational Background
- PhD, Howard University
- BS, York College
- AS, College Edouard-Montpetit
Email: lauren.strawbridge@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5121
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SV 220H
Biography
Lauren Wolf Strawbridge has worked at Montgomery College since 2017, teaching English composition and communication as well as acting as the interim program coordinator for the Achieving the Promise Academy. Before joining the College, Professor Strawbridge was the junior editor for a global advertising agency based in DC. She has been an active member of the community, serving on the Board of Directors for EveryMind, Montgomery County’s mental health association, and partnering with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission to bring attention to Mental Health Awareness Month. She urges her students to discover their own passions and use their writing skills to support the causes they believe in. Professor Strawbridge’s publications include journalism, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Her greatest accomplishment, however, is being a mother to two beautiful children.
GS Discipline Liaisons
Email: sadegh.foghani@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-2347
Office Location: Rockville Campus, HU 273
Biography
Sadegh Foghani obtained his PhD in History from the University of South Carolina in 2018. He taught courses in world history, history of science, history of technology, and history of Islamic societies at Auburn University and the University of South Carolina before coming to Montgomery College in 2020. Dr. Foghani received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tehran, his Master of Science Degree in Science and Technology Studies from the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, and his Master of Arts Degree in History from Iowa State University.Dr. Foghani has conducted research in France, Iran, California, Missouri, and Mexico. His doctoral dissertation explores the development of reproductive biomedicine, stem cell, and animal biotechnology since the early 1990s in Iran. When he was conducting his dissertation research, he found many revealing stories involving Iranian STEM workers who live(d) outside Iran. These stories encouraged him to study the diasporic community of Iranian STEM professionals. In 2016, he traveled to Paris and Nantes to investigate the life and career of Mehdi Bazargan, who was the first prime minister of post-revolutionary Iran. Dr. Foghani’s research investigates the role that Bazargan’s engineering background, French education, and American Pragmatism played in the formation of his religious and political thought. As a post-doctoral residential fellow, Dr. Foghani conducted research at Linda Hall Library in Kansas City in 2019, where he studied American Pragmatism and Charles S. Peirce Papers.
Email: kevin.gibbons@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7485
Office Location: Rockville Campus, HU 232
Biography
Dr. Kevin Gibbons has taught anthropology and archaeology at Montgomery College since 2019. As a zooarchaeologist, his research focuses on using animal remains from archaeological sites to address questions around breeding and improvement, the economics of livestock husbandry, land degradation, and social inequality in post-medieval and early modern Iceland through the lens of historical ecology and human ecodynamics.Dr. Gibbons views anthropology's most vital functions as encouraging curiosity in the world and people around us, promoting critical thinking habits, and nurturing students to be informed and empathetic global citizens. He frames his courses around environmental literacy and social and ecological resilience.
He has done fieldwork in the US Southeast & Mid-Atlantic, Iceland, the Caribbean, and England. He has also served as adjunct faculty at American University and the University of Maryland.
Educational Background
AA, Liberal Arts, Young Harris CollegeBA, Anthropology, University of Georgia
MSc, Environmental Archaeology & Palaeoeconomy, University of Sheffield
PhD, Anthropology, University of Maryland
Email: arthur.grinath@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-6958
Office Location: Germantown Campus, HT 420
Biography
I got my Ph.D. in economics at The University of Maryland, but my interest in economics really started as an undergrad at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. My main reason for going to graduate school was to teach, but I took a detour after graduation, working for an economics consulting firm in DC (while also teaching part-time at Montgomery College). I finally achieved my goal of teaching full-time in 2007. My areas of expertise are in economic history and public finance and my dissertation was on how the lovely C & O Canal bankrupted the state of Maryland. I've been working on how to achieve a half-decent hand stand.Educational Background
- PhD, University of Maryland
- BS, Randolph-Macon College
Email: levena.delarosa@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-2313
Office Location: Rockville Campus, CC 204B2
Biography
Levena Nash De La Rosa is a native of Los Angeles, California. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). During her undergraduate career, Professor De La Rosa participated in the Center for American Politics and Public Policy Research and Internship Program in Washington, DC where she interned at the Center for Training for Child and Family Services. This experience ultimately led to graduate-level training in Psychology at Howard University where she earned a Master of Science degree from Howard University in Psychology with a focus in Social Psychology. While there, she served as a Research Assistant at the Center for the Research of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), a Graduate Assistant in the Office of Retention Mentoring and Support Programs and taught and assisted with several courses in the Psychology Department.Levena Nash De La Rosa joined Montgomery College in 2012 as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Education and Social Sciences teaching courses in the area of Psychology. She has taught at both the Rockville and Takoma Park/Silver Spring campuses guiding students in their educational pursuits in various courses such as General Psychology, Human Growth and Development, Child and Adolescent Development and Social Psychology. Professor De La Rosa is also very active outside of the classroom; she enthusiastically contributes to the Montgomery College’s initiatives and special programs such as the Psychology Open Education Resource (OER) and Common Course, Structured Remote Training (SRT), Achieving the Promise Academy (ATPA) and I Am Psyched. Professor De La Rosa has received several awards for her excellence in teaching, student engagement, and scholarly pursuits. In 2018, she received the MC Part-time Faculty Teaching Award. She was awarded the MC Part-time Faculty Engagement Award as well as the Outstanding Part-time Faculty Award in 2019. Levena currently serves as Full-Time Faculty member at the Rockville Campus of Montgomery College. Professor De La Rosa is incredibly passionate about student success at Montgomery College and beyond and she seeks to be a bridge to educational opportunity for all who seek it.
Educational Background
MS, Howard University
BA, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Email: yeve.montgomery@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-2180
Office Location: Germantown Campus, PK 159
Biography
Yeve G. Montgomery, writer of various genres, editor, and educator, received her Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing and Publications from the University of Baltimore. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education at Towson University. Yeve has 17 years of experience teaching high school English. Most recently, Yeve served as a frequent lecturer for English 101 and developmental reading courses at Morgan State University. She has also taught senior thesis development workshops at Morgan State University, a creative writing workshop at Beacon of Light, served as a writing tutor in the Carey School of Business at Johns Hopkins University, and served as a writing fellow at Morgan State University’s writing center. Yeve has been noted for her academic excellence and scholarship, winning the Quarles Fellowship for her research in “Using Relevant Literature to Address PTSD in the African American Community.” Her debut collection of short stories, microfiction, and creative nonfiction is titled, Set Me Free (2012). She was the 2017 and 2018 recipient of the Adele V. Holden Award for Creative Excellence. Her scholarship, practice and recognition have given her a platform to teach creative writing. She is currently completing her doctoral studies in English at Morgan State University. Professor Montgomery began her teaching career at Montgomery College in the Germantown campus English & Reading Department in August 2019. She is the recipient of Montgomery College's Outstanding Faculty Award for Excellence in Service for 2023-2024.Educational Background
- Bachelor's of Arts in Professional Writing and Publications, University of Baltimore
- Master's of Arts in Teaching Secondary Education, Towson University
- PhD in English, Morgan State University
Office Location: Rockville Campus
Biography
Professor Tanner began teaching French at Montgomery College in 2009, and enjoys teaching a variety of courses from FREN101 through FREN202, as well as French Conversation & Grammar and Advanced French. She holds an M.A. in International Education from New York University and a B.A. in French and Education from SUNY and the Université de Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Prior to teaching, she worked for major corporations in the U.S. and Canada, based in Manhattan and at the United Nations, and continues to freelance as a translator and interpreter. Professor Tanner has a passion for global education, and loves introducing her students to the Francophone culture and language, and to the many doors that can be opened by speaking another language.Teaching Philosophy
Making the language come alive, making it real, is the best way to summarize my teaching philosophy. Whether through impromptu dialogues, cultural presentations, famous quotations, or listening to music lyrics, my goal is that students create connections and realize the practical benefits and fun of cultural understanding and learning the language
Email: tracie.witte@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-328-5429
Office Location: Rockville Campus, HU 229
Biography
Having earned her B.A. in Sociology from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, and her M.A. in Sociology from Rutgers University, Dr. Tracie Witte completed her doctoral dissertation at Rutgers University in 2013. Her research examines the factors that impact the likelihood that states will pass medical marijuana legislation. some of Dr. Witte's previous research has looked at the ways by which individuals used the internet as a tool deliberative democracy after the September 11th tragedy and the portrayal of marijuana in news magazines. Other research and teaching interests includes drug use and abuse, policy formation, crime and deviance and media studies (particularly new communications technologies). Some of the courses Dr. Witte has taught at Rutgers University, Drew University and Raritan Valley Community College included: Introduction to Sociology, Contemporary Social Issues, Sociology of Alcohol and Drug Use and Abuse, Sociology of Deviant Behavior and Sociology of the Family. In 2003-2004, Dr. Witte earned a Harold Martin Eagleton Fellowship that provides a select group of scholars the opportunity to further their interdisciplinary understanding of the practice of politics and public affairs and connect that knowledge to a chosen field. Dr. Witte is passionate about teaching and the field of Sociology, and strives to create a sense of community in the classroom where students are able to become critically engaged not only with the course material, but also the world around them.Educational Background
- BA, Sociology, Skidmore College
- MA, Sociology, Rutgers University
- PhD, Sociology, Rutgers University
GS Program Advisors
Email: margaret.birney@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7788
Office Location: Germantown Campus, BE 242
Educational Background
- BA, Biology, Amherst College
- PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, St. Louis University
Email: cristina.butler@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7389
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SV 105
Biography
Professor Cristina D. Butler earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language, Literature and Cultures and her Master of Arts in Spanish Literature. She has taught at the University of Maryland as a teaching assistant, and as an adjunct professor at Trinity University in the District of Columbia. She has been teaching at Montgomery College since 2006, first as an adjunct professor and then joining the World Languages and Philosophy Department as an Assistant Professor in 2008. Her research interests include Spanish Caribbean and colonial and Latino literature.
Email: andree.comiskey@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7520
Office Location: Rockville Campus, CC 243
Educational Background
BA, Psychology, Smith College (Junior Year Abroad: Hamilton College Academic Year in Spain)MA, Film Studies, University College Dublin, Ireland
PhD, Communication Studies, Louisiana State University
Discipline
Communication Studies
Email: constance.farley@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7415
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SB 115F
Teaching Philosophy
I am a lifelong learner interested in almost every area of study. I love teaching and advising at MC and enjoy working with my students. I have a strong interest in the success of all students.
Email: sean.fay@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7479
Office Location: Germantown Campus, HS 204
Biography
Professor Fay received a juris doctorate degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, a master of arts degree in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Maryland, and a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Marist College. Prior to attending law school, Professor Fay worked in law enforcement as both a police officer and a probation and parole agent in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Professor Fay began his teaching career as an adjunct professor with the Montgomery College Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice in 2005. He worked as a full-time professor for the Department of Public Safety and Law at Prince George’s Community College before returning to Montgomery College in 2008. Professor Fay is licensed to practice law in both Maryland and the District of Columbia.Educational Background
- BS, Criminal Justice, Marist College
- MA, Criminology & Criminal Justice, University of Maryland
- J.D. Law, Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Email: max.nam@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-1433
Office Location: Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, SN 107
Educational Background
- BS, Physics, San Jose State University
- PhD, Physics, University of Connecticut
Email: Ishrat.Rahman@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-5476
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SC 243
Biography
My undergraduate degree and Masters are in Biochemistry from Dhaka University in Bangladesh. I completed my PhD in Microbiology from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1998. My first postdoctoral position was at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences USUHS in Bethesda, MD for 2 years. I joined Food and Drug Administration FDA in 2001, as a postdoctoral fellow, and then became a staff fellow for about six years.Educational Background
- BS, Biochemistry, Dhaka University, Bangladesh
- MS, Biochemistry, Dhaka University, Bangladesh
- PhD, Microbiology, University of Maryland College Park
Email: esther.schwartz-mckinzie@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-1367
Office Location: Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, P3 117
Biography
Esther Schwartz-McKinzie has taught Composition, Literature and Women’s Studies at Montgomery College as a full-time faculty member since 2001. She earned her Ph.D. in British and American 19th Century literature from Temple University, and her research and published work has focused on recovering “lost” women’s voices—especially those who used popular media as a venue to speak out against injustice. At the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus, she has served as Women’s Studies coordinator, department chair, and chair of chairs. College-wide, she has served as Paul Peck Humanities Institute Director, Bringing in the Bystander coordinator, and as the Academic Area’s Title IX representative. Her film, “In Their Own Words, Montgomery College Student Veterans,” completed as a sabbatical project, helped to increase awareness of the special needs of student veterans. Dr. Schwartz-McKinzie has mentored students completing PPHI internships at the Library of Congress and at the Smithsonian since 2007, and she has participated in the Program for the Advancement to College English since 2012. She graduated from the HERS Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education in 2014, traveled as an awardee of the MC Global Humanities Institute Faculty Fellowship Program to China in 2016, and completed an Honors Faculty Fellowship in 2018. Part of the first cohort to complete Safe Zones training at MC, she is a proud LGBTQ ally.Educational Background
- BA, English, Bard College
- PhD, 19th Century British and American Literature, Temple University
Office Location: Germantown Campus
Educational Background
- MS, Coppin State University
Email: rachel.sullivan@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7738
Office Location: Germantown Campus, HS 192
Biography
Dr. Sullivan earned her BA at the University of Detroit Mercy, her MA at Bowling Green State University, and her PhD at the University of Connecticut. Her dissertation explored how contemporary colorblind racism affects family approval of black white interracial cohabitation and marriage, and her teaching interests focus on race, African American studies, family, gender, and sexuality. She enjoys teaching the diverse students of Montgomery College through interactive lectures that make sociology relevant to everyday life. When she’s not teaching, she’s spending time with her twin sons and her daughter, or she’s involved in social justice activism.Educational Background
BA, Sociology and History, University of Detroit MercyMA, Sociology, Bowling Green State University
PhD, Sociology, University of Connecticut
Counseling Faculty Resource Members
Email: barbara.lapilusa@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-6965
Office Location: Germantown Campus, SA-251
Biography
Flor Romero-Slowing is a counseling faculty since January 2024. She joined Montgomery College in 2022 as Early College Coordinator. Previously, she was Assistant Director of Academic Advising of Liberal Arts & Science College at Iowa State University.
Email: bonnie.saunders@montgomerycollege.edu
Phone: 240-567-7282
Office Location: Rockville Campus, SV 206JJ
Biography
Professor Saunders is a member of the Counseling Faculty at Montgomery College, Rockville Campus and teaches STSU 100: First Year Experience. She has over 20 years of experience in college and transfer admissions, academic advising, and career development. She is currently a degree candidate in Frostburg University's EdD program in Educational Leadership where her research focuses on the exploration of adoptive identity and belonging during the college experience. She earned her master's degree in human sciences and a graduate certificate in Thanatology from Hood College. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Mount Saint Mary's University in Emmitsburg, MD and she is also a graduate of Hagerstown Community College in Hagerstown, MD where she earned her associate's degree in general studies. She is a first-generation college student and community college graduate who is passionate about access, equity, and belonging.Educational Background
- MA, Hood College
- BA, Mount Saint Mary's