Major in English Education

Dr. Brad Gambill, co-editor of The Word in the English Classroom: Best Practices of Faith Integration, grew up in Oklahoma and, in fact, much of his scholarly research and creative work is grounded in the culture of his home state.

During his more than ten years at JBU,  Dr. Gambill has taught courses in Cherokee literature, 20^th Century Native American Literature and a one-hour course in which students retrace the Northern Route of the Trail of Tears from Georgia, through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and into Oklahoma. Every fall, first-year students in his Gateway Seminar in Christian Scholarship attend the Cherokee National Holiday in Tahlequah, OK and hear the principal chief deliver his/her “State of the Nation Address.” He has given scholarly presentations on Cherokee writers John Milton Oskison and Diane Glancy.

As head of the English Department, Dr. Gambill helps coordinate courses and also serves as the faculty sponsor of Sigma Tau Delta, a national honors society for high-achieving students passionate about literature, literacy, and creative writing. The organization has organized poetry slams, hosted creative writing workshops, tutored at-risk students in area schools, and completed book drives for local non-for-profit organizations, such as prisons and shelters.

Dr. Brian Herndon has been in education for over 20 years. He has served as a classroom teacher in Kindergarten, 1^st grade, 3^rd grade, and 4^th grade. He has also served as an elementary principal, elementary assistant principal, and the director of an early childhood special education preschool, where he served as a Local Education Authority (LEA) for hundreds of special education IEP meetings. As a classroom teacher, he developed a special interest in the teaching of reading and language arts and has studied extensively in these areas. Dr. Herndon’s experience in education is complimented by the fact that he is the father of four children, one of whom has Down syndrome. So, education is not just a professional calling for him, it is a personal calling as well.

Mrs. Melissa Michael has a passion for making mathematics understandable and enjoyable. Outside of the classroom, she loves to serve the community and participate in short-term missions.

Dr. Amanda Himes' research and teaching interests include Jane Austen, 18th-19th century British literature, Gothic fiction, and detective fiction. Dr. Himes received her B.A. with distinction in English, then went on to receive a Master's degree in literature from Baylor University. While there, she tutored in the Writing Center and taught composition courses.

Dr. Himes then taught freshman English at and earned her doctorate from Texas A&M University, which awarded her a Regents' Fellowship in 2000, a Women's Studies Fellowship in 2004, and a Dissertation Fellowship in 2005. She joined the JBU faculty in 2006, and with her husband Jonathan has three children: Logan, Audrey, and Elinor. The family also has a Labrador Retriever named Queenie, a cat named Ginger Pumpkin Patches, and numerous tropical fish.

Teaching enables Dr. Himes to see mental, emotional and spiritual growth in her students and herself as they discuss literature and writing together. The students are her favorite thing about JBU.

With his philological interests, Dr. Jonathan Himes has taught Intro to Linguistics, Advanced Grammar, Anglo-Saxon (language lab for a Beowulf course), and Latin (independent studies) at JBU.   In his Composition course, he takes freshmen on field trips to the Buffalo River for research on Ozarks culture.  His courses for English majors include Medieval Literature, World Literature 1 (Antiquity to Renaissance), and a C. S. Lewis & Inklings course.  Dr. Himes also enjoys supervising the tutoring practicum for English majors.   In his spare time, he plays racquetball, goes hunting, and enjoys family hikes with his wife Amanda (the other Dr. Himes) and their children Logan, Audrey, and Elinor. 

Ms. Patty Kirk writes mainly nonfiction and fiction and is the author of five books of creative nonfiction.

After receiving her M.A. in English, she taught English for one year at the Foreign Affairs College in Beijing, China, and six years at Reinickendorf Community College in Berlin, Germany, where she also studied Sinology at the Free University. She studied Mandarin for one year at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, then returned to the U.S. to study creative writing at the University of Arkansas, where she received an M.F.A. in fiction. She also taught writing and A.P. English at Westville Public School in Westville, OK, for four years.

Ms. Kirk and her husband, Kris, have two daughters, Charlotte and Lulu, who are in graduate school.

Dr. Jacob Stratman's research and teaching interests include Christianity and literature, young adult literature, disability studies, pedagogy and hospitality, and American literature.

Dr. Stratman received his B.A. in English and Secondary Education from William Jewell College . After graduation he taught English and coached soccer in the Springfield Public School system in Springfield, Missouri, for six years. During that time, he completed his M.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing at Missouri State University. He earned his Ph.D. in English from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Dr. Curtis Cunningham holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with emphasis in Early Childhood from Southwest Baptist University, a Masters in Education with emphasis in Gifted Education from Drury University and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Gifted Education from the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville. At JBU, he is responsible for teaching classes related to classroom management, curriculum design, differentiated instruction and human development for students in the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Prior to coming to JBU, Dr. Cunningham worked for fourteen years in private and public schools. He has experience teaching Kindergarten, third and fourth grade in the regular classroom and teaching second and fifth grades in a program for gifted and talented students. He supported early-career teachers for six years as an instructional specialist before coming to JBU. He is excited to bring his expertise in curriculum design and differentiated instruction to JBU as we prepare the next generation of educators.

Dr. Kimberly Murie joined the Department of Teacher Education at John Brown in 2015. Dr. Murie earned a Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Arkansas. After teaching science in two large public high schools for over ten years and serving as a department chair for eight years, God opened the door for Dr. Murie to resume the role of student herself.  She returned to school to fulfill a lifelong dream of being an educator of teachers. Dr. Murie graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2015, earning a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Science Education. 

Working in a public school setting for many years has given Dr. Murie a passion into the importance of having Christian educators engaged in public education. It is a great honor and privilege to be able to instruct and encourage future educators on how they can be the hands and feet of Christ to a student, a classroom, and a community.