Erin Brownlee, Instructor of Mathematics, grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota, where she also completed a B.S. in Elementary Education and a B.A. in Mathematics at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Dr. Brownlee went on to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematics at North Dakota State University. She is currently teaching Intermediate Algebra, Calculus I, and Math Concepts for Teachers. Her research interests include graph algebras (or more broadly, C*-algebras) and elementary and undergraduate mathematics education. Over the years, she has enjoyed learning French and Italian and traveling in Europe, including studying abroad in Florence, a whirlwind tour through Europe, and most recently traveling with her husband on their honeymoon to Prague. They now have two children, Emilia and Dashel, and enjoy spending time playing and learning with them. Dr. Brownlee also enjoys reading memoirs and attending the opera.

Gus Foote, Instructor of Communication Studies and Director of Forensics, is originally from Elk River, Minnesota. He earned a Bachelor’s degree at Saint Cloud State University and Master’s degree at Miami University, both in Communication Studies. Mr. Foote is nearly finished with his Ph.D. from Ohio University. His research seeks to rhetorically ground social media activism in order to further understand the persuasive capacities of these movements and explore the changing nature of political advocacy. In addition to his teaching public speaking, persuasion, and rhetorical criticism, Mr. Foote also coaches the speech and debate team at Northern. When not at work, Mr. Foote enjoys spending movie nights with his wife Rachel and their two cats. He also looks forward to exploring the area and as much of the country as possible.

Travis Trentham, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, grew up in Tennessee very close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy. Dr. Trentham also took many math courses and could have earned a math degree had he taken one more course. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematics from North Dakota State University. Dr. Trentham has taught a wide range of courses, including most classes one would expect to find in the curriculum of any math major. His research interests are in the field of commutative algebra, and he enjoys hiking, reading, and following the stock market in this free time. Dr. Trentham and his wife, who is also an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Northern, have two children, Braedon and Rebekah.