Kelly Daniels

Professor of English

• Phone: 309-794-7603
• Email: KellyDaniels@augustana.edu
• Office: Old Main 128

Kelly Daniels first stood at the head of a class in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he taught English as a Second Language for a shoestring operation called The USA School. 

His teaching philosophy, in a sentence, is that we learn by supervised practice, and so students in his classes can expect to read a lot, write a lot, and discuss reading and writing, a lot.  

His debut memoir, Cloudbreak, California, was one of BuzzFeed’s “13 favorite works of nonfiction in 2013," and his literary thriller novel, A Candle for San Simón, was released in 2021. He’s a former MacDowell Fellow, and a regular contributor to the Sun magazine. 

Otherwise, his stories and essays have appeared in many literary journals and reviews, including Hotel Amerika, Puerto del Sol, Cimarron Review, Third Coast, and the Sonora Review. 

A professor at Augustana since 2007, he teaches fiction, creative nonfiction, literature, and LSFY. Additionally, he is active in all aspects of creative writing at Augustana.

Specializations: Contemporary literature, American literature, Creative writing, Fiction, Creative nonfiction

Jennifer Ong

Assistant Director, Center for Visual Culture

• Phone: 309-794-7611 or 309-794-7210
• Email: jenniferong@augustana.edu
• Office: Bergendoff 7A

Specializations: Center for Visual Culture

Joel Linscheid he/him

Visiting Assistant Professor, Augustana Jazz Ensemble, Improvisation

• Phone: 309-794-7183
• Email: joellinscheid@augustana.edu
• Office: Bergendoff 23

Joel Linscheid is Director of Jazz Studies and Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Augustana College, where he directs the Augustana Jazz Ensemble and Augustana Jazz Combos, teaches courses in jazz history and jazz analysis, and teaches applied jazz improvisation lessons.

Prior to coming to Augustana in 2021, Linscheid served as Instructor of Music at Bethel College (Kansas) from 2013-2017. He has also taught at the University of Colorado (Boulder), Hutchinson Community College, and Friends University. Linscheid has served as a guest artist and/or clinician at numerous colleges and jazz festivals, including University of Missouri Jazz Festival, Hutchinson Community College Jazz Festival, Wichita State University, SWOSU Jazz Festival, Texas Tech University Jazz Festival, and Knox College. He has presented research and educational workshops at the Jazz Education Network Conference and Illinois Music Education Association Conference.

As a performer, Linscheid has previously been active on the music scenes in Boston, Denver, Kansas City, and Wichita, and worked for Holland America Cruise Lines. From 2012 to 2013, he toured the U.S., Canada, and Japan and recorded an album with The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. He has performed in educational or professional settings with many notable musicians, including Dave Douglas, Bobby Watson, Dave Holland, Brad Leali, Allen Vizzutti, Wycliffe Gordon, Tanya Darby, Jerry Hahn, Michael Feinstein, Johnny Mathis, The Temptations, and The Four Tops. He has also worked with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Music Theater Wichita, and the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra.

Linscheid received his D.M.A. in jazz performance with a minor in musicology from New England Conservatory, where he studied with Jerry Bergonzi, Donny McCaslin, Miguel Zenon, and Mark Turner. He received his M.M. in Jazz Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder and B.A. in Music with K-12 Education Certification from Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas.

Specializations: Jazz

Micaela Terronez

Special Collections Librarian and Instructor

• Phone: 309-794-7317
• Email: micaelaterronez@augustana.edu
• Office: Tredway Library

Specializations: Library

David W. Crowe

Professor of English, Dorothy J. Parkander Professor in Literature

• Phone: 309-794-7607
• Email: DavidCrowe@augustana.edu
• Office: Old Main 110

David Crowe has been a member of the English department for more than 20 years, and has been its chair since 2002.

He is a graduate of Luther College and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, with a specialty in the American writers who lived in Paris during the 1920s. These days he is more interested in the history and literature of the Vietnam war, traveling twice to Vietnam, and is currently finishing a book on John Updike and his sense of faith as described by the existentialist thinker Soren Kierkegaard.

Dr. Crowe has taught in Augustana's honors programs for many years, including interdisciplinary team-taught courses with professors of biology and mathematics. He has taught and helped lead study abroad trips to continental Europe (Rome and Paris specifically) and Vietnam. He and his family also lived in Norway during the 1999-2000 school year as Dr. Crowe taught and studied as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Bergen.

Specializations: Vietnam war, Hemingway, American literature

Mindy Zumdome

Director of Human Resources

• Phone: 309-794-7452
• Email: mindyzumdome@augustana.edu
• Office: Sorensen Hall

Before coming to Augustana in 2021, Mindy Zumdome was the vice president for talent and culture at Elliott Aviation in Moline, Ill.

Her other past experience includes human resources roles at HNI Corporation, Per Mar Security Services, the Kansas City Star, TLC for Children & Families, Inc., Lee Enterprises and Royal Neighbors of America.

Specializations: Human Resources, Business offices

Garrett Traylor

Research and Instruction Librarian

• Email: garrettntraylor@augustana.edu
• Office: Tredway Library 222

Garrett Traylor joined Augustana College's Tredway Library as a research and instruction librarian in August 2021. His official liaison areas at Augustana include general outreach, fine and performing arts, communication sciences and disorders, communication studies, Spanish, and Scandinavian studies, though he has additional interests and experience with poetry, social and environmental justice, video games and folklore.

He has published works on Scandinavian cinema, adaptation theory, video games, parks and place meaning, and works of poetry.

Prior to joining Augustana College, Traylor served for five years at Illinois College's Schewe Library after earning his master's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is proud to be back in the Quad Cities and serving his home community.

Specializations: Library

Specializations: Human Resources, Business offices

Rajan Bishwakarma

Assistant Professor of Economics

• Email: rajanbishwakarma@augustana.edu
• Office: Evald 118

Originally from Nepal, Rajan Bishwakarma is an applied microeconomist. The overarching theme of his research is to understand the economics of human flourishing. He is interested in understanding and identifying the circumstances under which people develop skills and abilities to achieve their full potential. In doing so, he focuses on the dynamic relationship between humans and nature while revealing a host of conflict and harmony as observed through economic theories.

Bishwakarma is interested in an array of activities. In recent years, he has enjoyed learning about astronomy and history.