La Sierra University English Graduate Program

After graduating from La Sierra’s M.A. in English Literature program, Patrick York moved on to complete an MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts at UC, Riverside. He is currently working as a writing mentor with the Society for Young Inklings. As well he is a contributing writer to the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, and he participates as a Lead Student Services Advisor at HotChalk, Inc. In his spare time, he writes as an independent scholar and writer. He lives in Los Gatos, California with his wife, Kendall, where they are both members of the Studebaker Driver’s Club of America.

Shane Wood is receiving his MA in Theatre Arts with emphases in dramaturgy and theatre studies from San Diego State University in December 2015. While at SDSU, Shane has worked with Dr. D.J. Hopkins as Assistant Editor for Theatre Topics and is editing the new book project by Hopkins and Robert Weimann. He recently completed an internship with San Diego Repertory Theatre as a literary intern, providing dramaturgical assistance for productions such as H***y, the first play recorded for the new OnStage in America series for PBS and was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Dramaturgy award from SDSU for his work on The Great American Trailer Park Musical. While studying, he continues to design and direct, most recently directing Macbeth for La Sierra University where he will return to direct Doubt: A Parable for their 2015-2016 season. His special session, Performing Women's Roles: England 1500-1700, with co-chair Amy Shine has been selected for the 2015 PAMLA conference with three separate panels because of the high demand for this session. This summer has him preparing two articles for publication, creating the La Sierra University drama online archive, and writing his thesis on the educational power of theatre as it relates to the dramaturgical work completed for La Sierra University's Macbeth which he hopes to publish later this year. He will begin applying for PhD programs in fall of 2015, looking specifically for programs with specialties in both early modern theatre and dramaturgy. While awaiting those decisions, Shane will be teaching composition, performance, and drama directing for La Sierra University.

Katherine Skoretz is an ABD PhD candidate at Wayne State University (WSU). She holds her BA in English Writing and MA in Literature from La Sierra University. She has been acting for the past ten years, recent credits include: Patient in 4.48 Psychosis, Horatia in Slipstream Theatre Initiative's all female Hamlet, and performer with YFX Physical Theatre. She has directed 5 plays during her time at WSU: Gladiator (2012), Time Stands Still (2013), and American Soldiers (2014) were in completion of degree requirements. She also directed Oohrah! and Three Sisters as co-artistic director of the Underground Theatre at the Studio, a student-run summer theatre season that she founded with her partner, Miles Boucher. This summer she continues her duties as co-artistic director of the Underground. Time Stands Still, American Soldiers and Oohrah! are also the center of her dissertation study on post-9/11 theatrical reintegration narratives. Her study employs both literary and practical performance of the plays to explore the significance and treatment of home in these stories. She has presented papers on her research at the International Theatre Conference in Athens and the Annual Conference of Citizenship Studies. She will be completing her PhD in May 2016 and looks forward to earning the title Dr. Awesome. This summer she will be playing Jane Eyre with Outloud Theatre Company in Rhode Island before moving to Seattle to start a theatre company with Miles Boucher.

Deanne Sparks is in the process of completing a Ph.D. in English at the University of North Dakota where she teaches courses in multicultural literatures as well as composition courses that utilize food studies and film theory as pedagogical themes. Her specialities are North American multicultural literatures and literary criticism (with a focus on masculinity, body, dis/ability, and violence theories). Her dissertation will focus on the intersection between Native North American literatures and the history of political and medical interventions that have disrupted Native ability to exert sovereignty over their own bodies. After taking comprehensive exams during Fall 2015, her dissertation defense is scheduled for 2017.