Dr. Thomas McKenna
Interim Dean of the College of Fine Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Professor Mc Kenna is an interdisciplinary scholar in the history of philosophy, religion, and the arts. He is a poet and has edited the short run journal Holler: A Journal of Poetry and Prose, now part of the permanent collection of the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston, West Virginia. As a professor, Dr. McKenna says his goal is to help students understand that the answers to life’s big questions vary, but that it is important to understand everyone else’s answers to better grasp the rich diversity of our world our place in it. Whether it be Language, Literature, History, Philosophy, or Religion, the Department of Humanities will prepare you for success in any field you choose by teaching you how to listen more carefully, to read with greater understanding, and how to write more effectively, all while acquiring a better understanding of the language, literature, history, philosophy and religion of the wider world. "We live in a rich and diverse world. The more we know about the people in it, what they think about it, and why they think so, the better we’ll do…no matter what we choose to do for a living.”
Faculty
Marcus Murrell '17
Admissions Counselor
Marcus works to help new students through the enrollment process so that their transition to life at CU is easy, yet memorable. As an alum, Marcus knows first-hand the high quality and affordable education Concord offers, but that wasn’t all that drew him to the university. Marcus says it started in high school with his very first visit: “Although I was still in high school, I felt my presence was welcomed all over campus. This sense of individual welcoming on campus remained with me for the next four years.” Now that Marcus is an Admissions Counselor, he can share his experience with other prospective students. Call today and let Marcus tell you how CU is here for you.
“From my first visit on campus, I felt like I mattered.”
Staff
Karen Vuranch
Instructor of Theater and Communication Arts
Karen Vuranch brings decades of theater experience and extensive knowledge to Concord University. Vuranch has performed shows in every county in West Virginia, in 35 states and three foreign countries. She completed five performance tours of England and Wales, and toured China with 35 other storytellers. In 1982, she moved from Ohio to West Virginia to work for the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia as a storyteller. Here, she met her husband and together, the couple eventually founded their own theater company, WV Enterprises. Vuranch has written many performance pieces, including Coal Camp Memories, a play she wrote based on oral histories she collected. She also has 12 living history characters – remarkable women in history – that she researched and performs. “Teaching is a culmination of my years of work,” Vuranch says. “I have had years of being on stage and accolades. Now, I am ready to share what I know and to see my students flourish.”
Faculty