AUM Faculty & Staff
Directory
Michel Aaij
Associate Professor | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Michel Aaij is a Dutch native who received an MA and a Ph.D. with a specialization in Old English language and literature from The University of Alabama in 2003. Before that, he studied philosophy, physics, and English at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. He is co-editor, with Shannon Godlove, of the volume of Saint Boniface in the series Brill’s Companions to the Christian Tradition. In addition, he has published articles on the veneration of Saint Elisabeth (of Thuringia), on teaching the Old and Middle English versions of the biblical romance of Judith, and on the poetic language used by the Poets of the Confederacy. His interests include the Old and Middle English literature, world literature, the study of saints, and, a recent development, the use of medievalist tropes in the American South. He has taught most all the survey literature and freshman composition classes, Old English language and literature, Chaucer, Beowulf and Film, various linguistics classes including History of the English Language and Advanced English Grammar, and European Post-WW2 novels.
He is currently at work on a study of Sidney Lanier and his adaptation of the matter of King Arthur, and on a biography of Clifford Lanier, Sidney’s brother and at one time a well-known Montgomerian. He has also published book reviews on a wide range of topics including linguistics, review articles on Boniface and Elisabeth, and encyclopedic articles on authors ranging from Bede to Adso of Montier-en-Der, author of a well-known biography of the Antichrist.
Dr. Aaij likes his dog, and he likes food. He plays the air guitar, having hands that are too delicate for the real guitar. He is an administrator on Wikipedia where he acts against commercialization, sexism, online bullying, and ethnic hatred, and has blocked over 34,000 abusive editors and accounts; he is currently ranked 88 on the list of most active editors and has written over 1,600 articles.
Michelle Aitken
Lecturer | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Michelle Aitken is a Lecturer in the Department of English and Philosophy where she primarily focuses on teaching English Composition. She earned both her Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Liberal Arts with an English focus from AUM. She started teaching as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in 2019, before transitioning to her full-time Lecturer role in 2022. Her speciality is Gothic Lit and Dark Romanticism, with a specific focus on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. She also has a vested interest in Queer Studies. Additionally, she enjoys editorial work and has served in several editorial positions over the years, starting as a student editor on the Filibuster (now Common Thread). Since 2018, she’s worked as an Assistant Editor on Thirteen Bridges Review (formerly THAT Literary Review). She was also selected as an HHMI summer fellow in 2024.
Hayat Alvi
Associate Professor and Khaled Chair in Political Science and International Policy
Hayat Alvi
Associate Professor and Khaled Chair in Political Science and International Policy | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Hayat Alvi is an Associate Professor and the Khaled Chair in Political Science and International Policy. Previously, she served as an Associate Professor at the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. Additionally, she was the Director of International Studies at Arcadia University in Pennsylvania, and she taught political science for four years at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. Also, Dr. Alvi was a Fulbright Fellow in Syria.
Dr. Alvi’s specializations include International Relations, Political Economy, Comparative Politics, Security Studies, Terrorism, Conflict Resolution, Genocide Studies, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and South Asian Studies.
Dr. Alvi has published numerous books, journal articles, chapters, online videos and podcasts in her areas of expertise. Her latest books include: Nonviolent Activism in Islam: The Message of Abul Kalam Azad (Lexington Books, 2021); and The Political Economy and Islam of the Middle East: The Case of Tunisia (Palgrave MacMillan, July 2019). She lives in Montgomery, AL.
Breuna Baine
Associate Professor | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Breuna Baine is a Professor of Graphic Design in the Fine Arts Department. Prior to her academic role, she worked in publishing and created packaging and branding at Landor Associates for Fortune 100 and 500 brands. In her faculty position, she teaches Typography, History of Graphic Design, and other advanced courses for graphic design majors. Breuna’s scholarly activity centers around publication, print design, and teaching pedagogy. Outside of academia, she enjoys volunteering with civil rights and justice system projects in her community.
Tracey Bark
Associate Professor | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Dr. Tracey Bark joined the AUM faculty in 2019 after earning her doctorate at the University of Oklahoma. Since that time, she has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses related to American politics and public administration, including Introduction to American Politics, Politics of Education, Foundations of Public Administration, Grant Writing, and Administration of Nonprofit Organizations. She also teaches courses designed to help students learn to do independent research, such as Research Design and Applied Social Statistics. In her own research, Dr. Bark focuses on bureaucratic politics and how government agencies influence public policy, especially at the state level. She has particular expertise in higher education policy and bureaucratic regulation. Her work has appeared in journals such as Regulation & Governance, Administration & Society, and Public Policy and Administration.
Patricia Brannon Barragan
Senior Lecturer | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
P. Brannon Barragán is a Distinguished Lecturer of Spanish at Auburn University at Montgomery, where she has taught since 2012. With over a decade of experience in language instruction, she has taught a wide range of courses, including beginner through advanced Spanish, Spanish for Healthcare Professionals, and Spanish for Legal Professionals.
In addition to her work at AUM, Brannon teaches Spanish virtually through Alabama’s ACCESS Virtual Learning program and serves as a Subject Matter Expert, reviewing and rewriting curriculum for online Spanish courses. Since 2016, she has also been an AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam Rater with the College Board.
Brannon holds a Master of Arts in Linguistics with a specialization in Second Language Acquisition, ESL, and Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Texas at El Paso, as well as dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Spanish and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Her teaching career spans university, high school, and community programs, including ESL instruction, Spanish enrichment programs, and language teaching in both the U.S. and Mexico.
She is passionate about making language learning engaging and accessible, often incorporating music and culture into her instruction to connect with students in meaningful ways.
Qassim Bolaji
Assistant Professor | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Qassim Bolaji is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice & Sociology at Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM). His research interests include environmental criminology, public perceptions, legal orientations and attitudes towards criminal justice institutions, and desistance and rehabilitation.
Erin Boyle
Lecturer | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Erin M. Boyle is an English Lecturer at Auburn University at Montgomery where she teaches all levels of English composition. Prior to teaching composition, Erin worked as a tutor in the AUM Learning Center, where she gained valuable insights into the unique needs of the student population. These experiences ultimately led to her decision to complete the Master of Teaching Writing degree in Fall of 2019.
As a part of the English Composition Program, Erin has contributed to the development of a curriculum that focuses on reflection and teaching for transfer. One of Erin’s favorite parts of teaching composition is the opportunities she finds to learn alongside her students.
Outside of teaching, she enjoys writing poetry, crocheting, and spending time with her husband and four kids. She lives in Pike Road, Alabama, where she enjoys life in the country with her family.
Kim Brackett
Associate Dean; Professor | College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Dr. Kim Brackett, tenured professor of Sociology in the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology, is Associate Dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. She is the faculty sponsor for the Sociology Honor Society, Alpha Kappa Delta, and is currently serving as the National President-Elect. Her research and interests include religion and family life, relationship formation, and gender. She is a past recipient of both the AUM Distinguished Teaching Professor and Distinguished Service Professor awards.
