Five join Northwestern faculty

Five new full-time faculty are preparing to teach at Northwestern College as the fall semester nears. Classes begin Aug. 25.

Dr. Luke Brekke joins the history department on a one-semester appointment as a visiting assistant professor. A specialist in European history, he earned doctoral and master’s degrees in history at the University of Minnesota. He did his undergraduate study at St. Olaf College. 

Weston Cutter is an instructor in English on a one-year appointment. He was included in Best New Poets 2008, and two of his poems were nominated for the Pushcart Prize in both 2008 and 2007. His poetry and fiction have been published in several literary journals, including the Mid-American Review, Willow Springs, the Boston Review and Ninth Letter. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing at Virginia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in English at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Nicole (Yin Lam) Lee is a new instructor in English as a second language (ESL), working within the modern foreign language department and the intercultural affairs office. A doctoral candidate in teaching ESL at The Ohio State University, she earned master’s degrees in applied linguistics and computer-aided translation from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Jonathan Sabo, associate professor of theatre and speech, has well over 20 years of experience as a college scenic designer, technical director and lighting designer. He previously served on the faculties of Bethel College of Indiana, Nazareth College of New York and Westmont College in California. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in scene design at Wayne State University and a bachelor’s degree in English at Bethel College of Indiana.

Richard Sowienski joins the English department on a one-year appointment as an assistant professor. He served most recently as managing editor for The Missouri Review and lecturer at the University of Missouri. During a 20-year career at the Meredith Corporation, he served as parenting and education editor of Better Homes and Gardens, founding editor of Raising Teens and senior editor of Country America. Sowienski earned a Master of Fine Arts in nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa, where he also did his undergraduate study.