The English Department would like to introduce you to Professor Allison Layfield! 

 Professor Layfield sees the classroom as a time for brainstorming and collaboration. Her goal in the classroom is to get students to think and actively participate in class discussion. She also wants her students to think about the discussions at home and then write about their ideas on the subject.

Professor Layfield considers active classroom participation as one of the most important things in a learning environment. In fact, she says that her biggest pet peeve is when brilliant students who are full of ideas don’t speak up. She says, “If you don’t talk, you can’t contribute.”  In addition to speaking up in class, she would like to advise her students to read as much and as often as they can.

Right now, Professor Layfield is reading “On Such a Full Sea” by Chang-Rae Lee. She wants everyone else to read it as well, but also believes in encouraging readers to step outside of their comfort zone. “If you like sci-fi, maybe you should try a romance novel next,” she says. “All genres are important.” In addition to reading, she enjoys being active and has a plethora of hobbies which include swimming, running, and going to the theater. Her favorite play right now is James Goldman’s “The Lion in Winter.”

She has recently finished writing an article about multi-cultural education and how it has changed the publishing industry. She expects it to be published very soon.

Professor Layfield’s office hours are on Wednesday from 2 PM-3 PM and on Friday from 10 AM-11 AM.