Honors Program Faculty & Staff
Dr. Jim Nutter
Associate Professor of English
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As a member the Department of English and Modern Languages, Dr. Nutter currently teaches courses in American Literature as well as in the Modern Novel and American Novel; for Honors, he frequently teaching seminars in Composition & Literature and American Literature I, as well as HONR 495-Senior Honors Thesis. He received his doctorate in English from the University of Mississippi in 1993; he also earned an M.Ed. in 2004 from the University of Virginia with a specialization in Gifted Education. A professor at Liberty since 1985 and Honors Director since 1995, he previously taught at Marshall University where he received his master's degree. He met his wife Laurie, also a Liberty professor, at Tennessee Temple University, where they both received their undergraduate degrees in English in the early 1980s. Most recently, he has also coached the Liberty Quiz Bowl team to 6 Big South Conference championships in 7 years, with his team also finishing third in the NAQT sectionals in 2012, defeating teams like Duke, North Carolina, Maryland, Pittsburgh, and Virginia Tech. Away from campus, he serves as a deacon in his church, Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church, and cooks the Family Night suppers and co-teaches an adult Sunday school class. When not in the LU classroom or at his church, he enjoys camping, fishing, driving his Jeep, and watching Orioles baseball. |
Dr. Brenda Ayres
Professor of English
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A full professor in the Department of English and Modern Languages, Dr. Ayres calls herself a Victorianist. She has published widely in 19th-century British scholarship, including 17 books and over 100 articles to date, and regularly presents papers at conferences. She oversees the Victorian Society, began the school's literary and arts magazine, has led trips abroad, and co-coordinates the annual Civil War Seminar. Besides her commitment to the Honors Program, she is a member of the graduate faculty but she's never too busy to have tea and cake with any student who wants to chat or needs help with scholarship, and she is very fond of praying. Her office is in the Honors Suite, DH 3310, where there is a lovely, but not too comfortable, pink settee. |
Dr. Marilyn Gadomski
Professor of Psychology
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In her role as professor at Liberty since 1991, Dr. Marilyn Gadomski teaches Child Psychology and Foundations of Learning, along with advising psychology interns in residence and online programs. She works with Honors students in several capacities, including Alpha Lambda Delta (Freshman Honor Society), Psi Chi (Psychology Honor Society), and students conducting empirical research in the Honors program. She earned her PhD in Child Development from Virginia Tech and Masters degrees in Early Childhood Education and Educational Administration from the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies. Her priorities are established in the order of serving God, her family, and the students; this focus allows mental energy for each without sacrificing the others. Activities outside of Liberty center around TRBC and music, Geary, her husband of 38 years, much time with the three children's families and the eight grandchildren, and mentoring with students and friends. Life is good when it can be shared. |
Mrs. Laura Kline
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Mrs. Laura Kline is excited to be a new addition to the Liberty University family. She has worked in the federal government, churches, and Christian schools and colleges. Most recently, she worked at the SBC of Virginia in Richmond and recently relocated to Lynchburg. Laura enjoys reading, shopping, and watching anything on HGTV. She is a native of Washington, DC and has lived in Maryland and New York. Laura enjoys spending time with her two daughters and two granddaughters. Stop by the Honors office to say hello and have a cup of Honors coffee or tea. |
