Employee Directory

"I like to help students see literature's density and complexity as exciting rather than intimidating. The parts of the text that make us say 'what the heck is going on here?' are the ones we should be diving into, not running away from."

Dr. McNellis received her Ph.D. in English in 2011 from the University of California, Irvine, where she specialized in critical theory and 20th century American poetry. She received a B.A. from Cornell University in 2004, where she was enrolled in the College Scholar honors program and pursued an interdisciplinary course of study focusing on literature, religious studies, and philosophy. Before TVT, she taught at UCI, Orange Coast College, Irvine Valley College, and in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth program. She is the author of The Blank Caught Fire (Horse Less Press, 2013) and Impossible Loves (Rock Paper Tiger Press, 2011).

In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, cooking, and soundly defeating her enemies at pub trivia.