Dr. Christina Angel is an English Literature Professor at Metropolitan State College and Arapahoe Community College in Denver, Colorado, where she teaches medieval and renaissance literature, as well as comics and graphic novels. She brings to Comic Book Classroom over ten years of teaching experience and a passion for teaching literacy and the love of comic books to all ages.

Chris’ super powers include keeping up with two teenage daughters, teaching over 100 students every term in a single bound, and writing/publishing scholarly work in the comics field. Her sidekicks are two adopted pugs (who think they are Rottweilers).

Illya Kowalchuk grew up in the wilds of suburban Long Island, NY where he avoided schoolwork by reading comics. While working his way through to Eagle Scout, he developed a love of snowboarding, which offered another way to avoid schoolwork: this time at CU Boulder. Despite his best efforts, he earned a BA in History and Colorado Education Certification. Illya taught one year of kindergarten and a decade as a middle school generalist at Horizons K-8 in Boulder. He earned a Fellowship through the Council for Basic Education for his work in rewriting the school’s history curriculum. Illya has also earned a Masters in Education with a focus on Integrating the Creative Arts from Lesley University.

Illya currently avoids work as a stay at home dad with his two kids, cooking, reading, racing triathlons, artwork, fishing and hunting.

Sarah Rogers is a senior in Metropolitan State College of Denver’s secondary education program, and is majoring in English. An avid deaf culture and American Sign Language fan, her dream is to teach English to deaf high school students using a veriety of literature, especially graphic novels. Sarah brings to Comic Book Classroom an unparalleled enthusiasm for all things nerdy, a passion for literacy, and a fresh perspective to teaching.

Sarah’s super powers include maintaining a 3.85 GPA amid six classes and work, turning bad guys into good guys using her mad skills in rhetoric alone, and devouring any young adult literature she gets her paws on in a single gulp. Two furry felines assist her in her literacy promoting endeavors.

Allen Van Hoye is currently a junior majoring in English Literature and History at Metropolitan State College in Denver. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Allen plans on attaining his teacher’s licensure while working towards a master’s degree. Allen has volunteered with after school programs in New Orleans and Minneapolis and looks forward to bringing this experience to his home in Colorado.

Allen has been known to go by the alias of “The Ogre” while he is assisting the League of Destruction run by his nieces and nephews with general backyard mayhem. He is occasionally joined by his wife (known as “The Cupcake Queen”) and his two Beasts of Pestilence, Ryder and Jack.