FACULTY
LIBERAL STUDIES
The Liberal Studies program draws from many disciplines and is taught by faculty from various departments within Our Lady of the Lake University's College of Arts and Sciences.
Dean
Michael J. Laney, PhD
Program Heads
Art - April Atkinson, MFA
Biology and Kinesiology - Cary Guffey, PhD
Biliterate Certificate Program - Nina Patrizio-Quiñones, MA
Chemistry - Charles A. Smith, PhD
English Undergraduate Studies - Hayan Charara, PhD
English Graduate Studies - Leah Larson, PhD
Foreign Languages and Biliterate Studies - Maribel Lárraga, PhD
History - Sister Margit Nagy, PhD
Liberal Studies - Jamez Zeitz, PhD
Mass Communication and Drama - Antoinette F. Winstead, MFA
Mathematics - Alfredo Vaquiax-Alvarado, PhD
Mexican American Studies - Sister Maria Eva Flores, PhD
Music - Elizabeth Dyer, PhD
Philosophy - Jorge Valadez, PhD
Political Science - John Trayhan, PhD
Religious Studies - Oswald John Nira, PhD
Faculty Listing
Atkinson, April, Assistant Professor, Art;
BFA University of Wisconsin at Superior; MFA University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
Barnett, Leda, Assistant Professor, Political Science;
BS and MA Mississippi State University; PhD University of Alabama
Benavides, Yvette D., Associate Professor, English;
BA and MA University of Texas at Austin
Cuba, Nan, Assistant Professor, English;
BS University of Texas at Austin; MFA Warren Wilson College
Danis, Mary Francine, Professor, English;
BA Our Lady of the Lake University; MA University of Texas at Austin; PhD Michigan State University
Flores, Sister Maria Eva, CDP, Professor, History and Mexican American Studies;
BA Our Lady of the Lake University; MA University of Texas at San Antonio; PhD Arizona State University
Grovijahn, Jane, Associate Professor, Religious Studies;
BA and MA Gonzaga University; PhD Graduate Theological Union
Guffey, Cary, Associate Professor, Biology;
BS University of Missouri at Rolla; MS Southwest Missouri State University; PhD University of Southwestern Louisiana
Hall, James S., Professor, Biology;
BS Angelo State University; PhD University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
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Keyes, Thomas W., Professor, Philosophy;
BA and MA University of Dayton; PhD Marquette University
Kouri, Robert F., Associate Professor, Physical Science/Mathematics;
BS Midwestern State University; MS University of Arkansas
Lárraga, Maribel, Associate Professor, Spanish;
BA Our Lady of the Lake University; MA and PhD University of New Mexico
Larson, Leah, Professor, English;
BA Southwestern University; MAIS University of Texas at Brownsville; PhD University of Southwestern Louisiana
Linan, Maria, Assistant Professor, Mathematics;
BA Universidad Nacionál Mayor de San Marcos-Peru; MS University of Texas at San Antonio
Lueker, Michael T., Instructor, English;
BA and MA Kansas State University
McGee, Shelly, Assistant Professor, Mathematics, Science
PhD Texas Tech University
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Murphy, Susan, Professor, Biology;
BS and MS Southwest Texas State University; MS and PhD University of Hawaii at Manoa
Nagy, Sister Margit Maria, CDP, Professor, History;
BA Our Lady of the Lake University; MA and PhD University of Washington
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Nira, Oswald John, Assistant Professor, Religious Studies;
BA St. Edward’s University; MA Catholic University of America; PhD Catholic University of America
Nowlin, Sanford, Visiting Professor, Mass Communications
BA Trinity University; MA University of Texas at San Antonio
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Patrizio-Quiñones, Nina, Associate Professor, Spanish;
BA Brooklyn College; MA University of Maryland
Salako, Stephen, Assistant Professor, Mathematics, Science
PhD University of Texas in Arlington
Sanor, David, Associate Professor, English;
BSEd and MA Ohio University
Smith, Charles A., Professor, Chemistry;
BA University of Minnesota; PhD Iowa State University
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Trayhan, John M., Associate Professor, Political Science;
BS and MPA Southwest Texas State University; PhD Our Lady of the Lake University
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Valadez, Jorge M., Associate Professor, Philosophy;
BA University of Texas at Austin; MA and PhD Yale University
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Vaquiax-Alvarado, Alfredo, Associate Professor, Mathematics;
BS Universidad Del Valle de Guatemala; MA and PhD University of Texas at Austin
Winstead, Antoinette Fay, Professor, English/Communication Arts;
BFA New York University; MFA Columbia University; MA Our Lady of the Lake University
Zeitz, James V., Associate Professor, Religious Studies;
BA University of Detroit; MA Loyola University; MA and PhD Catholic University of Paris
de León-Zepeda, Candace, Visiting Professor, English
PhD University of Texas at San Antonio
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View College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Listing
Our Lady of the Lake University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Our Lady of the Lake University that fall under one of these areas: (1) to learn about the accreditation status of the institution, (2) to file a third-party comment at the time of the institution’s decennial review, or (3) to file a complaint against the institution for alleged non-compliance with a standard or requirement.