English Department
Mission Statement:
By pursuing three main goals, we strive to create students that will thrive in college and beyond. Our first goal is to develop critical thinking skills required for students to understand and evaluate fiction and nonfiction. The second goal is to enable all students to write clearly, analytically and creatively. Our third goal is developing students’ values by synthesizing course content with students’ experiences using Ignatian pedagogy (context, experience, reflection, action and evaluation). By achieving these goals, students will become intellectual, independent and just leaders for our community.
English Faculty:
SCOTT MIDDLEMIST ’87
Department Chair
Mr. Middlemist earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Santa Clara University and a Master of Arts degree in Education from Northern Arizona University. He has been a member of the Brophy faculty since 1994, and is a freshman football coach and the English Department Chair.
Classroom: Eller 211
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6438
Email: smiddlemist@brophyprep.org
ELIZABETH CLARKE
Ms. Clarke graduated from Illinois State University with a major in Communication Studies Education and a minor in English Education. During her senior year at ISU, she student taught English and Speech at Heyworth High School in Illinois. She has also been actively involved in Speech and Debate for the past 8 years. She left Illinois for Phoenix in May of 2002, and her family still lives outside of Chicago.
Classroom: Brophy 111
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6406
Email: eclarke@brophyprep.org
JOHN DAMASO ’97
Mr. Damaso earned a Bachelor of Science in Linguistics degree from Georgetown University, where he studied English (Writing Concentration) and Linguistics. He taught English and Latin at Brophy from 2001-2004 before pursuing his MA in Linguistics from Queen Mary, University of London. Mr. Damaso then taught English as a Second Language at Arizona State University and subsequently served as Communications & Marketing Coordinator for the American English & Culture Program at ASU until 2007, when he rejoined the Brophy English department. He teaches Honors English 2 and Introduction to Creative Writing. He serves as an adviser to the Brophy Literary & Arts Magazine (BLAM) and to Brophy’s satire newspaper, The Wrangler. In addition to moderating the Independent Art Society, he leads a group of Loyola Project tutors to the JB Sutton School. Mr. Damaso’s interests include slang dictionaries, creative writing workshops, vegetarian cooking, yoga, and downtown Phoenix.
Classroom: Brophy 202
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6495
Email: jdamaso@brophyprep.org
TOM DANFORTH ’78
Mr. Danforth earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English from Santa Clara University. He spent two years in the Peace Corps in Kenya as a high school teacher in English, math and science before joining the Brophy faculty. Mr. Danforth has been a member of the Brophy faculty since 1985 and was chairman of the English department for seven years. Mr. Danforth co-moderates the yearly service trip to Oaxaca, which provides Brophy students the opportunity to live and work with the poor in Mexico for two weeks.
Classroom: Eller 216
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6321
Email: tdanforth@brophyprep.org
DOROTHY DUNNION
Ms. Dunnion earned a Bachelor of Science dual degree in Speech Education and Television Production from Syracuse University with a minor in English and a Master of Science degree in Secondary English Education (concentration in Linguistics) from Iona College. Ms. Dunnion has been teaching English since 1968 and became a member of the Brophy faculty in 1991; she has been honored with the Flinn Scholarship Outstanding Educator Award. She teaches English II, English III, and Humanities. In addition to producing and directing Brophy’s biannual theatre productions, Ms. Dunnion moderates the Knowledge Masters, one of Brophy’s competitive academic teams.
Classroom: Brophy 210
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6323
Email: ddunnion@brophyprep.org
LAUREN KARP
Ms. Karp earned her BA in English with an emphasis in Shakespeare from Santa Clara University, followed by her MA in Literature and Culture from Oregon State University. Before coming to Brophy, she taught as an adjunct writing instructor at Oregon State University, teaching mostly freshman college composition. in addition to teaching English, Ms. Karp is a moderator of the Brophy Mock Trial team.
Classroom: Brophy 206
Tel. 602-264-5291 x6262
Email: lkarp@brophyprep.org
DEBBIE KAUFFMAN
Mrs. Kauffman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree at the University of North Dakota. Mrs. Kauffman has taught for 30 years which includes Xavier, Deer Valley High School, and Scottsdale’s Desert Mountain, where she was part of its first teaching staff in 1995-1997. She also worked for two years as a curriculum specialist in the Deer Valley Unified School District. Before her work in secondary education, she taught for 8 years at the university level. Mrs. Kauffman has been a member of the Brophy faculty since 1997.
Classroom: Brophy 110
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6353
Email: dkauffman@brophyprep.org
SUSAN MAYNARD
Ms. Maynard has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alabama and a Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, as well as masters level classes in curriculum development from Arizona State University. She joined the Brophy English Department in 2002 after working in the Admissions Office for two years. Her co-curricular involvement has included Knowledge Masters and Brophy-Xavier Theatre productions.
Classroom: Brophy 203
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6513
Email: smaynard@brophyprep.org
LANE MCSHANE ’82
Mr. McShane earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Masters of Education degree from ASU WEST. He has been a member of the Brophy faculty since 1994, and an alum of BCP ’82. Mr. McShane has taught in the English, Social Studies, and Religion Departments. He is the moderator of the Covert American Politics Club, Monty Python Club, Musicians Exchange Club, and Moderator of the Hockey team. He knows who killed JFK and is still protesting the Vietnam Police Action.
Classroom: Brophy 201
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6333
Email: lmcshane@brophyprep.org
STEVE SMITH ’96
Mr. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master’s in Education from ASU. He joined the Brophy faculty in 2006. He currently teaches English I. He coaches Cross Country and Track. He also coordinates the SAT test at Brophy, co-moderates The Wrangler, Brophy’s satire publication, and manages the Work Opportunity Grant Program at Brophy.
Classroom: Brophy 203
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6398
Email: ssmith@brophyprep.org
CHAD UNREIN
Mr. Unrein grew up in central Phoenix and attended Arizona State University where he earned a BA in English, an MFA in Creative Writing, and is currently finishing an M.Ed in Secondary Education. He joined the Brophy community in 2008 to teach Introduction to Creative Writing and the Hero’s Journey seminar to seniors.
Classroom: Brophy 201
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6373
Email: cunrein@brophyprep.org
SEAMUS WALSH
Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction
Mr. Walsh has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Santa Clara University, a Master of Educational Leadership degree from Northern Arizona University, and a Master of Curriculum & Instruction degree from Arizona State University. Mr. Walsh first came to Brophy as a Jesuit Volunteer for the 1995-1996 academic year and has been a member of the Brophy faculty since 1995. In addition to administrative duties, Mr. Walsh teaches one senior English elective each year.
Office: Romley Hall
Tel: 602-264-5291 x6293
Email: swalsh@brophyprep.org
