Department Overview
Effective communication skills are critical in a global marketplace with accelerating technological advancements. Our programs provide the tools to successfully navigate this complex and ever-changing world.
The Communication & Languages Department offers a wide range of programs, with classes offered online and face-to-face, that prepare you for careers in such high-energy fields as media production, advertising, event planning, public relations, marketing, and journalism. We can also help you advance your career prospects by learning a foreign language including French and Spanish.
If English is your second language, we offer various levels of instruction to prepare you for college level courses. We can help you with speaking, grammar accent reduction, reading and writing.
Graduates of our programs transfer to such prestigious colleges and universities as The College of New Jersey, Emerson College, Rutgers University, New York University, Syracuse University and The New School.
Degree Programs
Communication Studies, Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts - Explore Careers
Digital Media/Film Studies, Associate of Science - Explore Careers
Digital Video Production, Certificate - Explore Careers
English as a Second Language, Certificate of Completion - Explore Careers
Social Media Specialist, Certificate - Explore Careers
Online classes are an option for many Communication & Language degree requirements. Click here to register for online summer college courses today!
Full Time Faculty
Professor - Communication Studies
Academic Degrees Achieved: Ed.D., M.A., West Virginia University; B.A., Capital University
Associate Professor - English as a Second Language
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., University of Findlay; B.S., King's College
Conference Presentations: “Conversation Partners: Overcoming Challenges,” May 30, 2014, at the Faculty of the Future Conference held at Bucks County Community College, Newtown, Pennsylvania; “English Language Learners Researching Popular Culture to Close Gaps,” March 5, 2012, at the League of Innovations Conference held in Philadelphia, PA; “Using video clips to stimulate students’ writing,” April 28, 2012, at the Kean University Writing Project Symposium – T3: Teachers Teaching Teachers held at Kean University, Union, New Jersey; “Using elaboration to decipher vocabulary,” April 3, 2008, at the 42nd Annual TESOL Convention and Exhibit held in New York, New York; “Bringing Native and Nonnative Speakers Together,” March 31, 2005, at the 39th Annual TESOL Convention and Exhibit held in San Antonio, Texas
Instructor, Social Media
Academic Degrees Achieved: B.A., English, Rutgers University; M.A., Media Studies and Communication, The New School, New School University; M.F.A, Film (Producing), Brooklyn College, Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema
Associate Professor - Communication
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.S., Boston University; B.S., Florida Institute of Technology
Dennis Kauff Memorial News Reporting and Producing Award for Enterprise Reporting--General News
Assistant Professor - Spanish
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., Montclair State University; B.A., Drew University; A.A., Raritan Valley Community College
Instructor - ASL
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., Montclair State University; B.A., Montclair State University
Instructor of English as a Second Language
Academic Degrees: M.S., in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), SUNY Albany; B.A., in English Literature, McGill University
Assistant Professor
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., Columbia University; B.A., Seton Hall University; A.A., Union County College
Winner of the Neblett Award for Outstanding Classroom Teaching, 2013
Professor - French & Spanish
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A.,University of Salamanca, Spain; M.A., Purdue University; French Certificate, University of Quebec
1997 Who's Who Among America's teachers, 2002 Fulbright Teacher Award, 2005 Fulbright-Hayes Grant Recipient, 2008 Editor's Choice Award for International Library of Poetry, 2015 Publication in Raritan Valley Anthology of Poetry; Papers presented at national and international conferences for AATF, ACTFL, NJEA and NE on topics such as the Cajun people, King Arthur, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Guadalupe-an creole, language acquisition.
Assistant Professor
Academic Degrees Achieved:
PhD, Communication, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
M.A., The College of New Jersey
B.A., Kean College (now Kean University)
A.A., Raritan Valley Community College
Awards, Research, Grants:
2020 Olsson Early Career Award, University of Idaho
2014 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, Psychology Department, Iowa State University
Professor
Academic Degrees Achieved: M.A., University of San Francisco; B.A., Rutgers University
Instructor
Academic Degrees Achieved: B.A., General Studies: Film, M.A., Media Studies, The New School University; A.A., Liberal Arts: Communication, Raritan Valley Community College
Adjunct Faculty
Raritan Valley Community College online courses, as well as face-to-face classes, are taught by accomplished adjunct and full-time faculty.
Ali Akarcesme ali.akarcesme@raritanval.edu
M.A., Film, School of Visual Arts
B.A., Film & Media, Temple University
Lynn Barnes lynn.barnes@raritanval.edu
M.F.A., Visual Arts, Rutgers University
B.F.A., Visual Arts, Rutgers University
Emily Bengels emily.bengels@raritanval.edu
B.A., Bryn Mawr College
M.E.D., Rutgers University
Susan Berriman Bova susan.bova@raritanval.edu
B.S. Linguistics and French, Georgetown University
Master's Degree in Educational Linguistics with a specialization in ESL, Uuniveristy of Pennsylvania
Certificate in Bilingual Education, French, ESL and Reading Specialist
Alisha Brown alisha.brown@raritanval.edu
M.S., Communications, D.Ed., Educational Leadership & Management, Drexel University
Carole Browne carole.browne@raritanval.edu
M.A., Seton Hall University
Natalia Cabinda natalia.cabinda@raritanval.edu
B.A., English, French, Universite de Yaounde, Cameroon
M.A., Foreign Language & English, Universite de
Yaounde, Cameroon
M.Ed., Education, Universite de Yaounde, Cameroon
Antoinette Cavaliere antoinette.cavaliere@raritanval.edu
Deborah D'Amore deborah.damore@raritanval.edu
B.A international Politics Minors in Business and Italian, Penn State University
M.A.T Italian, Rutgers University
Amy Dixon amy.dixon@raritanval.edu
TESOL,Kean University
M.A. Secondary Education, Seton Hall University
B.A. Political Science, Seton Hall University
George Falkowski george.falkowski@raritanval.edu
M.A., Mass Communication, Emerson College
B.A., English, Kean University
John J. Fink john.fink@raritanval.edu
M.F.A., Media Production, SUNY University at Buffalo
Donna Gregory donna.gregory@raritanval.edu
B.A., Communication, Rutgers College
M.C.I.S., Communication and Information Studies, Rutgers University
Patricia George patricia.george@raritanval.edu
M.E.D., College of New Jersey
Maria Grewal maria.grewal@raritanval.edu
B.A., History, Warwick University, England
M.A., Comparative Social History, Warwick University U.K.
Michael Allen Griffith michael.griffith@raritanval.edu
M.A., Mass Communication/Media Studies, New York University
B.A. Speech, Media, Communication & Philosophy, East Stroudsburg University
Katarina Grofikova katarina.grofikova@raritanval.edu
Master in TESOL, 2001 Adelphi University, Long Island, New York
Lindsey Hageman lindsey.hageman@raritanval.edu
M.S., University of the State of New York
Timothy Hall timothy.hall@raritanval.edu
M.E.D., College of New Jersey
E.D.D., Columbia College
Jae Han jae.han@raritanval.edu
B.S., Accounting, Seton Hall University
M.A., Curriculum and Instruction ESL, Kean University
M.A., Educational Administration, Kean University
Mary Ryan Howley mary.howley@raritanval.edu
B.A., Music, Montclair State University
B.A., M.A., Spanish, Rutgers University
Alina Laboy alina.laboy@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.S., St. John’s University Jamaica
Thomas Lancaster thomas.lancaster@raritanval.edu
B.A., English, St. Vincent College
M.A., Media Studies, New School for Social Research
Vivienne Larrea vivienne.larrea@raritanval.edu
Dual B.A. Spanish & Latin American Studies, Rutgers University
M.A.T. Foreign Language Instruction Spanish, Rutgers University
Luis Lavado luis.lavado@raritanval.edu
B.S., Temple University
M.S., Gwynedd-Mercy College
Laureen Lefever laureen.lefever@raritanval.edu
B.A., Communication Arts, St. Francis College
M.F.A., Acting, Brooklyn College
Alfonso Q. Llano alfonso.llano@raritanval.edu
Master's degree in Spanish, Rutgers University
Christine LoMonaco christine.lomonaco@raritanval.edu
Brian Lorio brian.lorio@raritanval.edu
B.S., Speech, Northwestern University
J.D., University of Illinois College of Law
Julia T M-Bowie Julia.tm-bowie@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.S.E.D., Rutgers University
Lisa Mahajan-Cusack lisa.mahajan-cusack@raritanval.edu
B.S., Business Admin/Psychology, College of St. Elizabeth
M.P.A., Public Service Admin & Policy, Seton Hall University
Clarence McMillan clarence.mcmillan@raritanval.edu
M.P.H., Kean University; PHD., Walden University
Catherine Mitch catherine.mitch@raritanval.edu
B.A., German Language and Literature, Florida State University
M.A., German Literature, Florida State University
M.S., Multilingual/Multicultural Education, Specialization in TESOL, Florida State University
Vita Morales vita.morales@raritanval.edu
M.T.A., Hunter College
M.E.D., Fordham University
Thomas Mullen thomas.mullen@raritanval.edu
B.A., M.A., Comparative Literature, University of Wisconsin
Dana Jean Nelson dana.nelson@raritanval.edu
M.A., Psychology, Rutgers University
M.A., ESL Studies, Rider University
B.A., Psychology, Carleton College
Xavier Nieto xavier.nieto@raritanval.edu
B.A., Spanish, College of Staten Island
M.A., Spanish, Brooklyn College
Cary Pendaz cary.pendaz@raritanval.edu
B.A., Humboldt State University
M.A., Middlebury University
Olga Phelps olga.phelps@raritanval.edu
M.A., Herzen University
Bryon Pinajian bryon.pinajian@raritanval.edu
M.A., Seton Hall University
Katherine Poynter katherine.poynter@raritanval.edu
B.A., Drew University
M.A., College of New Jersey
Jason Scott Quinn jason.quinn@raritanval.edu
M.F.A, University of North Carolina at Greensboro,
M.A. Acting, University of North Carolina at Greensboro,
B.A. Communication Studies, University of South Florida
Theatre Arts Cert. Acting, Circle in the Square Theatre School
Amit Ray amit.ray@raritanval.edu
M.S.E., Drexel University
Anne Reifsnyder anne.reifsnyder@raritanval.edu
B.A., Lake Erie College
M.S., University of Albany, SUNY
Michael Reynolds michael.reynolds@raritanval.edu
M.A., English and Creative Writing, Southern New Hampshire University
B.A., Communication, Ramapo College
Betty Sanchez betty.sanchez@raritanval.edu
M.A., Montclair State University
David Sandler david.sandler@raritanval.edu
B.S., Journalism, Suffolk University
M.A., Education, Suffolk University
Virginia Santoro virginia.santoro@raritanval.edu
B.A., French, American University
M.A., TESOL, Kean University
Brian Schorr brian.schorr@raritanval.edu
Peter J. Schroeck pschroec@raritanval.edu
B.A. German, SUNY at Albany
M.A. German, SUNY at Albany
Ph.D. German, Rutgers University
Diana Sefchik diana.sefchik@raritanval.edu
B.A., History, M.A., Secondary Education, Seton Hall University
M.A., Elementary Education, Kean University
Michael Shannon, CMP, HMCC michael.shannon@raritanval.edu
B.S., Business Administration, School of Hotel & Restaurant Management, University of Denver
Jacqueline Skole jacqueline.skole@raritanval.edu
A.B., Political Science, Communication, University of Michigan
M.S.J., Journalism, Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism
Gail Strelko gail.strelko@raritanval.edu
B.A., Psychology, University of Texas
M.Ed., Teaching English as a Second Language, The College of New Jersey
Joseph Svec joseph.svec@raritanval.edu
M.A., William Paterson University
M.F.A., University of Idaho
Kimberley Tan kimberley.tan@raritanval.edu
B.A., Memorial University Newfoundland
Louis Thomas louis.thomas@raritanval.edu
Montgomery County Community College
B.A., Temple University
Amanda J. Thompson amanda.thompson@raritanval.edu
M.A. Applied Linguistics, Montclair State University
B.A. Spanish Linguistics, Rutgers University
Peter Troost peter.troost@raritanval.edu
Certificates, Avid Editing, Future Media Concepts
B.A., Communication, Rutgers University
Hector Velasquez hector.velasquez@raritanval.edu
M.E.D., New Jersey City University
Doryce Wheeler doryce.wheeler@raritanval.edu
Ed.M./Teacher Certification Program in English as a Second Language, Rutgers Graduate School of Education
Joseph Whelan joseph.whelan@raritanval.edu
B.A., Spanish, Rutgers University
M.A., Inst. Curr./ESL, Kean University
Ricardo Zamora ricardo.zamora@raritanval.edu
Master Degree University of Salamanca (Spain)
Additional Details
The Department sponsors several events throughout the year to showcase student achievements and enhance learning including: film festivals, speech competitions, and student video screenings.
Students with strong academic standing are invited to join Sigma Chi Eta, the Communication Honor Society; Alpha Beta Gamma, the Business, Communication, and Media Honor Society; or Phi Theta Kappa, the international society for Community College students.
Career Coach – Learn more about career opportunities in communications and languages.
Contact Information:
helena.torlish@raritanval.edu
908-526-1200 x8221
