Biola English Faculty
Bethany Williamson
Dr. Bethany Williamson, born and raised in New Jersey, has also lived in Ohio, Texas, and now lives in California. A few of Dr. Williamson’s adventures in England include being on the rowing team at Trinity College and living and writing at Jane Austen’s brother’s estate, Chawton House, for a month. She keeps up her water skills by taking a sailboat out from time to time and is also keeping up a one-and-a-half year French/Italian Duolingo streak.
marc malandra
Dr. Marc Malandra spends his free time perusing used book stores for rare books. He recently found a first edition copy of Arthur Conan Doyles’ The Coming of the Fairies (yes, the Sherlock Holmes author believed in fairies) and a first edition of Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth. He met his wife in Japan and once defended her from a Yakuza (gangster) on a train platform in Yokohama by throwing him into a trash can. Dr. Malandra believe literature builds empathy for people who may be very different from ourselves.
Paul buchanan
Paul “Buck” Buchanan was born in Ireland. When he attended Biola in the Dark Ages, he took a Wilderness Survival class and survived for three days with nothing but the string and flint he could fit in a soup can. After working in a psych ward, Buck changed careers and began chasing aliens through corn fields, attending failed exorcisms, and solving cold crimes in order to get published in magazines. He now writes mystery, crime, and historical fiction novels.
Shelley Garcia
Dr. Shelley Garcia became an English professor because of a comment from a Sociology professor while she was an undergrad student. She realized that she wanted to pursue higher ed and that literature was a vehicle for the types of conversations she wanted to have with students. Fun fact: she has never posted on social media.
haein park
Dr. Haein Park used to commute by plane from Seattle to L.A. on a weekly basis. Even though her area of specialization is American literature, her favorite book is Graham Greene's The End of the Affair. In her free time, she hikes at the Olympic National Park and North Cascade National park in Washington state. Park has never successfully completed a half-marathon.
elmar Hashimov
Elmar Hashimov teaches courses in rhetoric, writing, and language studies. He also directs the Biola Rhetoric & Writing Center, and coordinates Writing Across the Curriculum. With an extensive background in classical philology, Slavic and Germanic linguistics, and English Language Learner pedagogy, he is also passionate about mentoring and supporting global students on campus. In addition to these primary areas of scholarship, he enjoys art, film, philosophy, theology, travel, cooking and comedy — particularly of the Russian and Eastern European varieties.
Bonnie vidrine-isbell
Professor Vidrine-Isbell has lived in Thailand, Spain, and Belize and spends her time spear-fishing and teaching English. She’s never been bungee jumping but spent her youth attempting to be an Olympic gymnast. Professor Vidrine-Isbell loves the differents aspects of the field of English—language, writing, literature, and teaching.
christine Watson
In another life, Christine Watson would like to be a contractor where she can appreciate the happy balance of form and function in interior and landscape design. She has lived on or near Biola’s campus since 1992, and you could not pay her to eat a banana now. Like Buck, she couldn’t be paid to eat a banana.
Maria su wang
Dr. Maria Su Wang grew up in Lancaster, PA—in Amish country—and traveled all over the world with her parents as they ministered in different capacities. Dr. Wang is a huge fan of Paris, BTS, and Haribo gummies. On her days off, she loves to walk to a local bakery and listen to a podcast—Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell is her favorite!
Christopher davidson
Christopher Davidson loves to make audio recordings and songs using his at home recording gear and musical instruments. He’s never read Invisible Man or anything by the Brontës, but he hopes to remedy this soon! Davidson and his wife love to take their out-of-town visitors to San Pedro, where they frequent the Marine Mammal Care Center, the Korean Friendship Bell, Angels Gate Hi-Railers model train exhibit, the S.S. Lane Victory, and Wayfarers Chapel. When asked why he chose to be an English professor, he said, “I don't think I chose this profession. It chose me. Or God chose it for me. Whatever the case, I'm grateful for it.”
AAROn KlEIST
One of the following is not true.
Dr. Kleist . . .
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Rides a motorcycle.
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Graduated high school on the pyramids.
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Received two doctorates from Cambridge.
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Aspires to build elaborate glockenspiel clocks.
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Likes saying the words arugula and capo.
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Fenced sabre.
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Has written six books.
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Taught in Switzerland, Germany, England, St. Martin, Belarus, and Bulgaria.
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Plays electric guitar.
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Is good with directions.