Social Sciences Department

Faculty Bios and Info

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Monika Bachmann

Email: bachmamm@pgcc.edu

Dr. Monika Bachmann is a professor of geography at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC). Born to Swiss parents in Monrovia, Liberia, she immigrated to the U.S. several years later and was raised in Montgomery County, MD. She graduated from Thomas S. Wootton High School and studied at Franklin & Marshall College with a B.A. in history and obtained an M.A. in international relations from the University of Toronto.

Dr. Bachmann worked at several Washington, D.C. “think tanks” before enrolling at the London School of Economics, pursuing a Ph.D. in international history. She also served as an adjunct history and geography instructor at local colleges such as Frederick Community College, Laurel Ridge Community College, and Virginia International University for 16 years. She enrolled and graduated from George Mason University with a D.A. in community college education (and an M.A. equivalent in geography).

She has taught history and geography full-time at PGCC since 2011. 

Korey Bowers Brown

Email: brownkb@pgcc.edu

Dr. Korey Bowers Brown is a professor of history and the Social Sciences Department chair at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC). Originally from Altamonte Springs, Florida, Dr. Brown earned his bachelor’s degree in history education from Florida A&M University and his master's degree in history from Vanderbilt University. He earned his doctorate in U.S. history from Howard University.

Although Dr. Brown researches and teaches about several facets of U.S. history, his primary area of interest is illuminating the changes that developed in the cultural consciousnesses of Black Americans during the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. He is particularly interested in how Black-oriented print media, music, and films presented this era of Black empowerment. The title of his doctoral dissertation is “SOULED OUT: Ebony Magazine in an Age of Black Power, 1965-1975.” 

Dr. Brown joined the full-time faculty at PGCC in 2007. Currently, he serves as the chair of the Social Sciences Department and is a tenured professor of history. He is also a father, husband, homeowner, taxpayer, and voter. 

Lynne A. Carlson

Email: carlsola@pgcc.edu

Lynne A. Carlson is an associate professor at Prince George's Community College. She holds an A.A. from Sante Fe College, a B.A. in history education, and an M.A. in history with an "All but Dissertation" (ABD) in curriculum and instruction, secondary education, all from the University of South Florida. She served as the Transfer Admissions Coordinator at the University of Florida and in various positions in admissions, financial aid, and the registrar's office. She also served for over 15 years as an advisor for re-entry and academic probation at the College of Arts & Sciences and as an academic advisor for the College of Education at the University of South Florida. Additionally, Professor Carlson has worked as an adjunct history professor at Hillsborough Community College. She is a first-generation college graduate.

Professor Carlson has been teaching at the College since 2015 and presented at several conferences. She has also served on the following:

• National Council on Social Studies (NCSS) - Teaching Social Studies Using Graphic Novels.
• National Academic Advising Association - Chair of the LGBTQ+ Commission for over four years.
• NACADA Commission meetings and presentations on using Appreciative Advising with Education Students.
• USF College of Education - Effectively Using Social Media in the Classroom.

Lynne A. Carlson's CV

Click here to view Professor Carlson's website.

Dawn Carter

Email: carterdn@pgcc.edu

Dawn Gillom-Carter is the associate professor and academic coordinator of human services at Prince George’s Community College. She holds an M.H.S. and an M.S. in human services, specializing in multidisciplinary human services. Professor Carter has been with the College since 2016, teaching introductory to upper-level courses in human services and psychology as an adjunct professor and executive director of a national non-profit human service organization.

She is excited about her new roles as associate professor and academic coordinator, and strives to create an engaging learning environment where students become lifelong scholars and learners. She is a graduate of the National Leadership Institute on Developmental Disabilities at the University of Delaware, and her most recent accomplishment includes obtaining a certification as a Human Services-Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP) from the Center for Credentialing & Education, Inc. 

Diane L. Finley

Email: finleydl@pgcc.edu

Dr. Diana Finley is a professor of psychology at Prince George’s Community College. Dr. Finley is trained in development and social psychology with a specialty in sport psychology. She is a nationally certified counselor and a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, AASP. She has received two national teaching awards from the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP).  

Dr. Finley is a nationally recognized expert in online learning with over 25 years of experience. She is currently the president of the Society for Teaching Psychology (Division 2, APA). Dr. Finley recently completed service as Director of Professional Development Mentoring for STEP. She previously served on the American Psychological Association Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education, where she helped advise APA on issues related to undergraduate education. 

Patrick Thomas Hickey

Email: hickeypt@pgcc.edu

Patrick Hickey is a professor of political science at Prince George’s Community College. Patrick earned a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2012. He is a proud graduate of New College of Florida, where he earned a BA in Political Science. An expert on executive-legislative relations, Patrick’s research has been published in Presidential Studies Quarterly, Congress & the Presidency, The Oxford Handbook of the American Congress, 42: Inside the Presidency of Bill Clinton, and The Roads to Congress book series.  
 
Patrick is a dedicated and dynamic classroom teacher. In 2016, he received the West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Teacher Award and in 2011 he was awarded a Graduate Teaching Fellowship Award at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Benjamin Hurwitz

Email: hurwitbj@pgcc.edu

Benjamin Hurwitz is an assistant professor of history at Prince George’s Community College. He holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in history. Professor Hurwitz has been with the college since the fall of 2020, teaching introductory courses in ancient, medieval, and modern history. He previously taught at La Salle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Professor Hurwitz’s research interests include the history of South Africa, agricultural history, and the history of Maryland. In his free time, he likes to watch classic and foreign films, and he also enjoys history books. 

Iyelli Ichile

Email: ichileim@pgcc.edu

Iyelli Ichile is a professor of history and African American studies at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC). She holds a Ph.D. in African Diaspora History and an M.A. in African American Studies. Dr. Ichile has taught full-time at PGCC since 2019 and has served as the director of the African American Studies Institute since 2020.

Before joining the PGCC faculty, Dr. Ichile taught at Montgomery College, Florida A&M University, Temple University, and several other institutions. Dr. Ichile completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, a Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship at Montgomery College, and served as Educational Program Director at the FAMU Black Archives & Museum. 

Dawn K. Lewis

Email: lewisdk@pgcc.edu

Dawn Katrina Lewis is a professor of psychology at Prince George’s Community College. She holds a B.A., M.S., M.S., and a Ph.D. in psychology. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in psychology (Spelman College), a Master of Science in community counseling psychology (State University of New York at Albany), a Master of Science in clinical psychology (Virginia Commonwealth University), and a doctorate in clinical psychology (Virginia Commonwealth University). She completed her post-doctorate requirement at Yale University. Dr. Lewis also worked as a research associate at Yale University for two years.  

Dr. Lewis has been with Prince George’s Community College since 2001, teaching introductory to upper-level psychology courses. She is also the coordinator of the Newly Hired Full-Time Faculty Program. Dr. Lewis previously taught at the University of Malawi at Chancellor College in Zomba, Malawi. Her numerous accomplishments include becoming the first Student Division Chairperson of the Association of Black Psychologists, being voted one of the “50 Leaders of Tomorrow” by Ebony magazine, receiving the Alan G. Penczek Service-Learning Faculty Award, earning the Faculty Senate Excellence Award at Prince George’s Community College, mentoring hundreds of students in psychology, and climbing Zomba Mountain in Southern Africa. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Incorporated. 

Wanda Parham-Payne

Email: parhamwv@pgcc.edu  

Wanda Parham-Payne is an associate professor of sociology and the Sociology Program coordinator of the Social Sciences Department at Prince George’s Community College. Her research interests include the intersection of race, gender, and class in the context of the political arena and the African American family. She is the author of The Intersection of Race and Gender in National Politics, a book that utilizes quantitative and qualitative data to explore the possibility of a Black woman being elected to the United States Presidency. Dr. Parham-Payne’s research has also focused on what she terms the social construction of innocence by the media.

Specifically, she is concerned with how the media frames gun violence in communities of color versus predominantly white spaces. Along this same vein, she is interested in the historical portrayal of Black youth in the media. Dr. Parham-Payne’s research on gun violence, race, and the media has been cited by NBC News. Additionally, Dr. Parham-Payne was interviewed by the Houston Chronicle to garner her perspective on the disparate manner in how the media depicts gun violence. 

Dr. Parham-Payne earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at Elizabeth City State University. She later earned her master’s in public administration at Old Dominion University. Dr. Parham-Payne then earned her Doctor of Philosophy in sociology, specializing in medical and urban sociology, at Howard University.  Her research has been published in Advances in Gender Research, the Journal of African American Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of Race and Policy, and the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare. Her research has been cited in the journals Pediatrics and Preventative Medicine, and it has also been featured on the London School of Economics’ USAPP, a policy blog maintained by the institution’s think tank.

In March 2020, the American Association of Community Colleges awarded Dr. Parham-Payne the Dale Parnell Distinguished Faculty Designation award.

Bridgette Trinise Robinson

Email: robinsbt@pgcc.edu 

Bridgette Robinson is a professor of history at Prince George’s Community College. She holds a B.A. and M.A. from North Carolina Central University and a Ph.D. in history from Morgan State University. Dr. Robinson has been with the College since 2013, teaching introductory to upper-level courses. She previously taught at Towson University, Howard Community College, and James Madison University. She specializes in intellectual history and the history of science, emphasizing sexual health, and reproductive issues as they relate to 20th-century U.S. politics. 

Victoria C. Taylor

Email: taylorvc@pgcc.edu  

Victoria C. Taylor is an associate professor of psychology at Prince George’s Community College (PGCC). Dr. Taylor holds an A.A., B.A., and M.A. in psychology (interdisciplinary expertise in health behavior research and evaluation) and an Ed.D. in organizational leadership (expertise in behavioral health). Dr. Taylor has been with PGCC since 2015, teaching introductory to upper-level psychology courses. She has also taught psychology courses at Anne Arundel Community College. Her numerous accomplishments include being a first-generation college graduate, PGCC alum, Hillman Entrepreneur’s scholar and transfer recipient from PGCC to the University of Maryland, College Park (currently Southern Maryland Leadership Program at UMCP), a mentor to hundreds of students in psychology, and a hired content expert at Grand Canyon University where she earned her doctorate.

Dr. Taylor is also the co-coordinator of the psychology research enrichment program (PREP) and was selected to serve as a faculty psychology mentor for the student research club at PGCC, Bridges to Baccalaureate (B2B) Program.

Dr. Taylor’s proudest accomplishments are being a leader for her family as the oldest of nine, a wife of a king (Lionel), and a mother of a princess (London Jade). 

Victoria C. Taylor's CV.

Sharita Jacobs Thompson

Email: jacobsse@pgcc.edu 

Sharita Jacobs Thompson is a professor of history at Prince George’s Community College. She holds a B.A. in political science, M.A. in American History, and a Ph.D. in United States history. Dr. Thompson has taught introductory courses in United States and African American History at PGCC since 2019. She previously taught at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Her accomplishments include presenting her work at national conferences such as the Organization of American Historians, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the Black Studies Conference, and the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians; appearing on the CNN series This Is Life with Lisa Ling, the CSPAN3 series Lectures in American History, and providing commentary for the History Channel documentary Aftershock: Beyond the Civil War; publishing a chapter included in an edited volume titled The Civil War in Maryland Reconsidered (University of Louisiana Press), and providing training to various law enforcement agencies by delivering a course titled The History of Policing African American Communities and facilitating conversations around topics such as social and racial equity, and structural and institutional racism.