Meet the Honors College's Postdoctoral Teaching Fellows

This week is National Postdoc Appreciation Week, and Baylor’s Honors College is celebrating by spotlighting its Postdoctoral Teaching Fellows. Launched in 2023, the fellowship provides recent Ph.Ds. with the opportunity to strengthen their teaching and scholarship while contributing to the intellectual life of the College. Fellows serve two-year appointments, teach across Honors College programs, and pursue research under the mentorship of senior faculty.

This year, four new teaching fellows are serving in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core (BIC) and Great Texts of the Western Tradition. Together, they bring expertise in rhetoric, communication, philosophy, theology, and the history of Christianity.

Kirsten Anderson, Ph.D.

Kirsten Anderson is serving as a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in Great Texts, where she teaches Intellectual Traditions of the Ancient World. Her research lies at the intersection of philosophy and theology, focusing on the formative centuries of Christian thought. She completed her doctoral work with a dissertation on Gregory of Nyssa, examining his understanding of evil and the ways human choices and actions shape both character and community. Her scholarship also engages other major figures such as Augustine, Origen, and Pseudo-Dionysius, and she is developing new work on freedom and agency in the Christian tradition.

In the classroom, Anderson is committed to helping students enter into the “great conversation” that defines the study of texts across cultures and eras. By guiding students through careful readings and sustained dialogue, she helps them understand how ancient thinkers addressed enduring human questions about virtue, suffering, freedom, and faith. She values the unique opportunity that Great Texts provides to combine close analysis with broader theological and philosophical reflection.

Originally from Nebraska, Anderson enjoys music, good conversation, and spending time with her two young children.

Matthew Parnell, Ph.D.

Matthew Parnell, a first-generation college graduate from Topeka, Kansas, brings to the BIC both scholarly expertise and a personal commitment to supporting students. He earned his undergraduate degree in history at Washburn University before completing a master’s degree in communication at Texas Tech University. He went on to Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his Ph.D. in communication with a concentration in rhetorical studies.

Parnell’s research investigates the rhetoric of American fascist groups from the 1930s to the present. His dissertation analyzed the 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, exploring how its organizers constructed appeals to nationalism and anti-Semitism in a democratic society. By tracing arguments across nearly a century, he highlights the persistence of certain rhetorical patterns and the dangers they pose to civic life.

Within the BIC, Parnell teaches World of Rhetoric and World Cultures. He was drawn to the program for its interdisciplinary scope and its emphasis on global learning. His own experience as a first-generation student also shapes his teaching philosophy, as he works to make higher education accessible and welcoming for students navigating academic life for the first time. In addition to his scholarship and teaching, he enjoys reading mystery novels, hiking, and following sports, all of which keep him grounded outside the classroom.

Charles Regli, Ph.D.

Charles (Chad) Regli contributes to both the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Great Texts, teaching World Cultures I and Social World I in the BIC, as well as Medieval Intellectual Traditions in Great Texts. He earned his Ph.D. in religion at Baylor University, where his dissertation examined how American Presbyterians articulated the relationship between church and state in the period before and during the Civil War. His work shows how theological commitments shaped, and were shaped by, national debates on slavery, ethics, and public life.

Regli’s scholarship is situated at the crossroads of historical theology, systematic theology, and theological ethics. His broad training equips him to guide students in examining both global perspectives and the enduring works of the Western intellectual tradition. In the BIC, he contributes to courses that emphasize cultural diversity and interdisciplinary inquiry, while in Great Texts, he leads students through medieval sources that continue to shape Christian thought and Western culture.

As a teacher, Regli values the Honors College’s distinctive combination of rigorous scholarship and close faculty-student engagement. His work in the classroom reflects his conviction that history and theology are best understood in conversation with other disciplines. Beyond his academic role, he participates actively in the Waco community through Mosaic Waco, and he enjoys basketball, audiobooks, and following the Phoenix Suns.

Lauren Seitz, Ph.D.

Lauren Seitz is teaching in the BIC, where her training in communication and languages allows her to help students think across cultural and disciplinary boundaries. Originally from Indiana, she earned her undergraduate degree in English and French at Ball State University. After graduation, she moved to France, where she spent two years teaching English at French universities. That formative experience convinced her to pursue an academic career and gave her an early appreciation for the ways teaching can bridge cultural differences and foster meaningful student connections.

Seitz returned to the United States to complete graduate work, earning a master’s degree in communication studies at Colorado State University and her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where her scholarship has centered on contemporary far-right political rhetoric in Europe, particularly in France. Her work highlights how language shapes political identity and how rhetoric travels across national borders in an increasingly interconnected world.

At Baylor, Seitz is teaching World of Rhetoric and World Cultures courses that allow her to combine her disciplinary expertise with the BIC’s global perspective. She looks forward to mentoring students in research and to collaborating with colleagues across multiple disciplines. Outside the classroom, she enjoys cooking, reading, and life in Waco with her husband and their dog.

The Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship strengthens the Honors College by bringing outstanding early-career scholars into the classroom and fostering their professional growth. Through their research and teaching, Seitz, Parnell, Anderson, and Regli exemplify the program’s purpose of advancing scholarship, enriching student learning, and contributing to Baylor’s mission as a Christian research university. To learn more about the mission and vision of the program, visit our website.