Campus News
September 23rd, 2025
Four new faculty members join GC
Kirsch, James, Layman, and Reese hired as assistant professors
Garrett College welcomed four new associate professors this semester, clockwise from top left: Alex Kirsch, Wendy James, Tracy Reese, and Jeremy Layman.
The new academic year includes a number of new faces on the Garrett College faculty. Four first-year assistant professors across three academic disciplines are in their third week on the job at the College.
"We are very excited to have these four outstanding teachers join our faculty," said Professor Christa Bowser, dean of academic affairs and chief academic officer. "Our students are very fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from them."
Jeremy Layman and Tracy Reese – who have previous adjunct faculty experience at Garrett and Allegany College of Maryland, respectively – have joined GC’s English Department. The other new faculty members – Wendy James and Alex Kirsch – are the first full-time faculty members in radiologic technology and sport management, respectively.
James, who spent more than 30 years as a radiologic and computed tomography (CT) technologist at Garrett Regional Medical Center, assisted Bowser and then-Associate Dean Carolyn Deniker with developing the College’s new radiologic technology program. The program recently welcomed its first, 15-member class.
"Radiology has always been a passion of mine. It’s a uniquely rewarding field that blends science, healthcare, and art," observed James, who previously taught Medical Terminology as a Garrett College adjunct faculty member. "As radiologic technologists, we not only contribute to patient care and diagnosis, we also take pride in the precision and quality of the images we produce."
James, who holds a Master of Science in Radiologic and Imaging Sciences from California State University, said she is looking forward to "the opportunity to guide students as they begin their journey in this field."
"Many students start with little to no background in radiography," noted James. "Watching them grow, lesson by lesson, into confident, capable professionals will be incredibly fulfilling."
Bowser noted that while the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in sport management was launched in 2018, the College elected to offer core courses through qualified adjunct instructors until enrollment data supported hiring a full-time faculty member. Sport Management has grown to be GC’s third-largest academic major, resulting in Kirsch’s hiring as an assistant professor.
"The opportunity to share my passion for sport with first- and second-year students is very exciting to me," said Kirsch. "I truly care about helping students achieve their goals."
Kirsch – who holds a Master of Science in Sport and Recreation Administration from the University of Mississippi – said the diversity of opportunities attracted him to sport management, both academically and professionally.
"Sport management draws from many other fields – business, math/statistics, health, English, and the arts – and packages them around how we have come to understand sport," said Kirsch, who most recently taught physical education and health while coaching both the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville.
Layman, who holds a Master of Arts & Teaching degree from Frostburg State University, originally worked in Garrett College’s writing center. He also spent seven years as an adjunct instructor, and served one academic year as an interim assistant professor of English and speech.
"Although I held professional responsibilities elsewhere, I always kept an eye on openings at the college, hoping one day to have an opportunity to participate in a larger capacity," said Layman.
Layman said he enjoys the interaction between reading and writing as it pertains to English coursework.
"Few activities teach compassion and empathy as well as reading. An avid reader really can go anywhere without ever taking a step," Layman observed. "Writing, on the other hand, helps me organize my thoughts. Often, I do my best thinking through the process of writing things down.
"I enjoy sharing these experiences with students," added Layman. "Reading and writing are connected to personal growth and quality of life."
Reese, who served from 2014 to 2025 as an adjunct English instructor at Allegany College of Maryland, holds Master of Arts degrees in both English and Children’s Literature from Simmons (Boston, MA) University. She was a full-time college and career coach at ACM from 2017 to 2025.
Reese also taught as an adjunct instructor at Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College and Potomac State College of West Virginia University.
"What I love about English is helping students realize they can, in fact, make sense of those difficult texts and that analysis doesn’t ruin something as much as unlock it," said Reese. "Like solving a multi-step math problem, digging into a meaty text is particularly rewarding because you’ve put so much time and effort into it."
Reese said the English discipline "reminds us to see the humanity in others, especially when we’re reading their stories."
"We each have our own story to tell – a story that’s unique to us," said Reese. "What each and every student has to say matters, and I love encouraging students to tell their own stories and tell them well."
