Dr. Susan C. Comilang

Dr. Susan Comilang brings over 20 years of experience in higher education teaching and administration to her new role as Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Her first appointment at USMMA in September 2015 was as Head of the Department of Humanities. Prior to this she served as the Department Chair of English and Modern Languages at Washington Adventist University. She has taught in the English Departments of Kutztown University, George Washington University, and Washington State University.

Dr. Comilang is excited to bring her experience and knowledge of assessment, curriculum design and best teaching practices to her work as assistant dean, particularly as it pertains to policies and procedures. One of her goals is to help make the educational experience at the Academy as optimal as possible for midshipmen, and she is glad she is part of the expert team of faculty and staff who make this happen. Dr. Comilang has served the Academy on various curricular and assessment committees. She was the Chair of the General Education Committee from its inception in 2016 to spring of 2021. Beyond departmental responsibilities, Dr. Comilang has served on assessment committees at both the program and institutional levels, as well as the Strategic Priority 1 Educational Program Committee.

Along with her interest in assessment and curricular design, Dr. Comilang’s current scholarship concentrates on the concept and lived practices of exile in early modern England. How does exile situate a subject and constitute an understanding of Englishness? How did the Reformation change social construction of space in England and what it meant to belong? Dr. Comilang holds a Ph.D. in English from George Washington University, an M.A. in English from Washington State University, and a B.A. in English from Columbia Union College.