Allison Murray English Office: P131 Phone: 562-938-4601 E-mail: amurray@lbcc.edu Fall 2009 Courses English 105 - MW 11:30-12:50 English 105 - MW 1:30=3:20 English 105 - TuTh 1-2:50 English 43A - Tu 6-9 Fall 2009 Office Hours Monday 3:30-4:40 Tuesday 3-5:30 Wednesday 3:30-4 Thursday 12-12:50

I have taught at LBCC full time since 2001, and in that time I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the diverse students I’ve had the honor of teaching. One of my favorite aspects of the collegiate experience is helping students transfer onto four-year universities. To that end, I offer workshops with the Counseling Center every Fall semester to assist students in writing their UC Personal Statements.

In my regular teaching assignments I cover English 105, 1, 2, 3, as well as British Literature I, and Mythology. I’ve spent the 2007-2008 academic year on a sabbatical, which involved researching Cultural Mythologies. This project sent me to the highlands of Guatemala, where I studied Mayan cosmology; Japan, where I researched Shinto mythology; Australia, where I worked with the Department Chair of Literature for Aboriginal Studies at the University of Wollongong, New South Wales, as well as an Aborigine artist; New Zealand’s North Island, where I interviewed a Maori Chief and his son about their native myths; Ireland, where I researched Celtic myths; and Scotland, where I met with instructors of Gaelic literature in the Outer Hebridean Isle of Lewis. During this process, I visited sights both famous and mysterious, such as Trinity College in Dublin, home of the Book of Kells, and Loch Ness in Scotland, and the Callanish Stone circle in the Isle of Lewis, a sight of ancient Druidic worship. I’ve also climbed several Mayan pyramids in the ancient kingdom of Tikal, and I’ve seen the sun rise and set from the tops of those monoliths. I’ve abseiled into a 100 foot cave in New Zealand, to float along a subterranean river where millions of glow worms light up the cavern walls. And I’ve visited a Shinto Shrine and two Buddhist temples in a mild monsoon. Each one of these experiences will enlighten my lectures and my student’s educational experience.

Aside from my college life, I’m also a certified fitness instructor in Body Pump, Rowbics (indoor rowing), and Spinning, and I teach several days a week at Gold’s Gym. I also run and compete in numerous races throughout the year. I’m not a natural born athlete, rather, I made myself one through perseverance. This same mentality can be applied to any endeavor students attempts, whether it is a challenging course, or gaining acceptance to the university of their choice.