Communication & Languages

Dr. Sara R. Banfield, Professor, has over 20 years of experience in higher education. She holds an Ed.D. in Educational Psychology and an M.A. in Communication from West Virginia University, as well as a B.A. in Communication Studies and History from Capital University. She teaches a wide range of courses, including Intercultural, Communication Theory, Interpersonal, Speech, and Mass Communication

Degrees:

• Ed.D. Educational Psychology, West Virginia University
• M.A., Cmmunication, West Virginia University
• B.A., Communication Studies and History, Capital University

Professor Cheryl Bell has taught English to Speakers of Other Languages for 30 years, including over 20 years at Raritan Valley Community College, where she specializes in innovative, student-centered approaches to language acquisition. A National Writing Project Teacher Consultant and conference presenter at TESOL International and regional venues, she is passionate about empowering multilingual students to succeed academically and professionally.

Degrees:

• M.A.,TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Bilingual Education, University of Findlay
• B.S., King’s College

Carolyn Kinebrew Bosa, Associate Professor, teaches speech and film studies, focusing on clear and effective communication and analyzing cinema within its historical and cultural context. She has taught courses in communication, film production, and film analysis. Her background includes work in documentary film and public television programming. She is pursuing a Doctor of Education in Adult Education at Capella University.

Degrees:

• M.S. Broadcast Journalism, Boston University
• B.S. Business Administration, Florida Institute of Technology

Rebecca Case is an Associate Professor of Spanish.  Rebecca’s focus is Spanish language and culture, using an immersive classroom experience to consistently expose students to the target language.  She believes the classroom must be a comfortable and supportive space in which students can explore and grow in the new language.

Degrees:

• M.A., Spanish Literature, Montclair State University
• B.A./B.A., English/Spanish, Drew University
• A.A. Liberal Arts, Raritan Valley Community College

Christine is an Assistant Professor of American Sign Language who has been teaching and developing curriculum for multiple levels of ASL, in a completely voice-off environment, since 2013. She is Certified by the American Sign Language Teachers Association and is currently working towards an Ed.D. in Second Language Instruction from the American College of Education.

• M.A., Applied Linguistics, Montclair State University
• B.A., Linguistics, Montclair State University

Lindsey is the ESL Program Coordinator and a tenure-track ESL instructor at Raritan Valley Community College. She has 8 years of teaching experience across multiple language levels. Her interests include inclusive pedagogy, career competencies, process-writing, and literature in the language classroom.

Degrees:

• MS TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany
• BA, English Literature, McGill University

Philip is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at RVCC.  His focus areas include Interpersonal Communication, Media Studies, and Political Rhetoric.  Philip applies Nonviolent Communication theories to his teaching to create student-centered classrooms that allow students to meet their needs for learning and growth.  He advises RVoices, the student newspaper at RVCC.

Degrees:

• M.A., Communication and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University;
• B.A. scl, Communication Studies, Seton Hall University

Laurie Reynolds is a Full Professor of French and Spanish; and teaches ESL.  She is a former department chair and current foreign language coordinator, an AP consultant and reader for College Board, as well as a Fulbright and Fulbright-Hayes recipient, published poet, national poetry award winner, and OER French textbook author.

Degrees:

• PhD French, CUNY Graduate School, ABD
• MA, French Literature, Purdue University
• MA, Spanish, Universidad de Salamanca
• BA, Foreign Languages, SUNY Potsdam
• Certificate from Université de Québec

Dr. Sweet holds a PhD in Communication from Rutgers and has over 25 years of experience in higher education. She has delivered invited talks and workshops for academic and private-sector audiences on how interpersonal communication shapes relational outcomes. Her research appears in top peer-reviewed journals and has been featured on NPR, BuzzFeed, and Science Daily.

Degrees:

• PhD, Communication, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
• M.A., English, The College of New Jersey
• B.A., English, Kean College (now Kean University)
• A.A., Raritan Valley Community College

Dr. Jennifer Toole is an Assistant Professor of Social Media, Theory, and Production at Raritan Valley Community College. She has taught a wide range of communication and digital media courses, including Media Literacy, Speech, Social Media Theory, and Social Media Production.

Degrees:

• Ph.D., Mass Commuinication, Florida State University
• M.A., Media & Communication Studies, Florida State University
• B.A., Communication Studies, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Professor Andrea Vaccaro has been teaching advanced ESL composition for over 20 years. She has written two editions of a textbook titled Masterful Essays in Academic English: A Language Learner’s Handbook and has another book that will be published in the summer of 2027 titled The Cyborg and the Luddite: A Memoir.

Degrees:

• M.A. in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language), University of San Francisco
• B.A., Women’s Studies, Rutgers University

Evan is an Assistant Professor of Digital Media/Film Studies program. He is the faculty advisor of the student Film Club as well as lead coordinator of the programs 90 Second Film Festival. Evan is currently working on a second M.A. in Production Management at Quinnipiac University.

Degrees:

• M.A., Media Studies, The New School University
• B.A., General Studies: Film, The New School University
• A.A., Liberal Arts: Communication, Raritan Valley Community College