New Faculty Spotlight
Sixteen new faculty members joined The Citadel this year. In the spotlight this month are Caitlin Allen and Heath Kaufman.
Assistant Professor Caitlin Allen is the newest member of the Department of English, Fine Arts and Communication. The Nashville, Tennessee, native earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Composition, Rhetoric, and English Studies from the University of Alabama, and her Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from the University of Louisville. Allen specializes in technical and professional writing, communication and first-year writing. Her research has spotlighted the rhetoric of health and medicine, particularly narratives of chronic illness.
Allen was attracted to The Citadel because of the value on student development. “I became a teacher because I enjoy sharing my passion for writing with my students and guiding them in their development as writers and communicators,” said Allen. “I enjoy conversations with students in class, as well as watching their confidence and skill in writing grow over the semester. I love that I get to learn something new from my colleagues and students every day.”
Outside the classroom, Allen spends time with family, including her cat Evie, and enjoys knitting.
Associate Professor Heath Kaufman recently joined the Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering. Before coming to The Citadel, the Cincinnati native worked for Schaefer Inc., a structural engineering firm, and taught at the University of Cincinnati and Miami University of Oxford, where he discovered the call of teaching. “I fell in love with being a professor and helping students learn,” said Kaufman. Kaufman specializes in structural engineering, focusing primarily on the design of steel, concrete, masonry, wood and cold-formed metal framing.
The Citadel’s student-centered environment and high academic standards drew Kaufman to The Citadel. “The experience and knowledge of all of the employees was impressive—I felt I would be able to learn a great deal from my colleagues,” he said. “My main goal is to be a good teacher and do the best I can for the students. I hope that I help students learn and grow.”
Kaufman enjoys competing in Spartan races and skydiving. He is married to his high school sweetheart; they recently celebrated the birth of their first son.
