Meet the LAB Team
LAB Director
Professor Mantoan teaches courses in theater history and theory, queer theory, contemporary American drama, musical theater, political and protest performance, and fairy tales. She also directs plays and musicals and is an occasional contributor to CNN.com. In 2020, she created LAB and has served as its director ever since.
Social Media and Marketing Student Fellow
Scout is a junior at Linfield and a local resident of Yamhill County. They have a passion for doodle art and are a digital art major with a computer science minor. Feel free to contact them regarding all LAB promotional and social areas.
Teaching, Learning, and Writing Fellow
Professor Nowacki has been interested in gender and democracy for more than 20 years, has taught and written about women in leadership in post-Soviet states as well as conducted courses on war and gender. She speaks Russian and is appalled by the aggressive war against Ukraine, as well as the democratic backsliding that has been occurring in the United States.
LAB Summit and Teaching, Learning, and Writing Fellow
Professor Norman is the Director of Writing and an assistant professor of English at Linfield University where she teaches courses on critical ethnic and race studies, North American literature, and Middle Eastern literature. Her research focuses on translingualism and language politics in multiethnic literature in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Teaching, Learning, and Writing Fellow
Professor Ziebart was a chemistry professor for 10 years (5 years at Oregon State + 5 years at Linfield) and recently became the Associate Director of the Writing Program. She will continue to deliver the Writing Lab course (INQS 125L), co-manage the Writing Fellows program, and in her new role, she is looking forward to providing support to science and social science faculty in their writing-related activities in their courses.
Environmental Responsibility Fellow
Professor Sumner has been teaching at Linfield since 2004. He is particularly interested in the connection between literature and the more-than-human world. When not doing academic work, he loves to wander Oregon's many wild places with his fly rod.
Civil Rights in the US Fellow and Lacroute Initiative for the Liberal Arts
Professor Schley teaches courses in the history of Europe and the Mediterranean world, with an emphasis on questions of class, culture, identity, and rights.
LAB Summit Fellow
Abby Thomas is a Linfield alum who now serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs, where she supports campus inclusion clubs, as well as the First Scholars mentoring program. She enjoys reading, hiking, and taking her paddle board out when she's not working!