Faculty
Brandy Lyn G. Brown, PhD, Director: Dr. Brandy Lyn Brown is the Director of the Leadership Communication Skills Center. She holds a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition. She has been teaching writing since 2005 and directing writing centers since 2010. Her research interests include feminist theory and pedagogy, hospitality, leadership, and gender studies.
Andrea Hamlen-Ridgely, MEd, Communications Assistant Professor: Ms. Hamlen-Ridgely joined the LCSC in 2007 as one of its founding faculty members. An experienced editor, writing consultant, and teacher, she helped shape the vision, mission, and processes of the center. Ms. Hamlen-Ridgely holds an MEd in Adult Education from the Pennsylvania State University and a BA in English from the University of Mary Washington.
Stase Wells, M.S., Communications Assistant Professor: Stase Wells is a Communications Assistant Professor at Marine Corps University's Leadership Communication Skills Center (LCSC). Since 2010, Professor Wells has contributed to the LCSC’s evolution through her experience as a consultant in both civilian and professional military education writing centers, editorial expertise, and instructional experience—particularly in support of international military officers. Professor Wells holds a Master of Science in Global and International Education from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Science in English from Central Michigan University. Her current research explores emotional intelligence, resilient functioning, conflict communication, dialogic feedback, supportive learning environments, and neuroscience-informed best practices for teaching and learning in joint professional military education. Professor Wells is the author of “Building Trust and Success through Dialogic Feedback in Joint Professional Military Education,” a chapter in the 2022 edited volume titled Developing Military Learners’ Communication Skills Using the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Rachelle Kamrath, M.A., Communications Assistant Professor: Ms. Kamrath joined the LCSC in 2021. She has been part of the MCU community since 2013 where she taught writing and communication courses at the Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS). An experienced instructor in PME, her professional interests are in writing instruction, adult learning, public speaking, and small-group communication. Ms. Kamrath holds an MA in Communication Studies from the University of Nebraska Lincoln and a BS in Organizational Communication from the University of Nebraska Kearney.
Katie Zimmerle, M.A., Communications Instructor: Ms. Zimmerle joined the LCSC in the summer of 2022. An experienced and published writer, Ms. Zimmerle has taught English at the secondary level both overseas and within the United States. Ms. Zimmerle's professional interests are in writing instruction, adult learning, and literary studies. Ms. Zimmerle holds an MA in Education from Arizona State University; a doctoral-level certificate in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from Walden University; and a BA in Social Science and English from Ashford University.