Rate My Professor Linda Quinlan

Quinlan holds a B.A. in English from the University of Rochester (1982), an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Toronto (1983), and an Ed.D. in Teaching and Curriculum from the University of Rochester (2015). Her dissertation, 'Unexpected Strength: Christian Students in a Secular University,' conducted as Principal Investigator, is a qualitative phenomenological study of self-identified Christian students' experiences at a secular university. Based on 2013-2014 interviews with 10 students from groups like Gospel Worship and Cru, plus faculty and staff, it examines marginalization—such as dismissive comments and social exclusion—and adaptive 'resolve' involving self-assertion, empathy, and supportive networks. The analysis applies Bourdieu’s theory of social and cultural capital, social identity theory, and standpoint feminist theory, highlighting 'outsider-within' dynamics for participants of color. Prior to Roberts Wesleyan around 1994, she taught at colleges in Michigan and Kansas. A lifelong reader and scholar, she specializes in literature, writing, gender studies, and student-centered teaching.