Biler comes to Boyce College with over a decade of experience in English, teaching, and ministry.
Starting this semester, Alisha Biler will teach in the Humanities department at Boyce College as the Assistant Professor of English and Linguistics at Boyce College. She will also lead the Writing Center at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary as its director.
“A distinctly Christian vision of education understands the power of the written word, framed by the God who has spoken to us in words and sentences,” said Matthew J. Hall, provost of Southern Seminary. “The appointment of Dr. Alisha Biler to the Boyce College faculty is great news. She brings tremendous experience and ability to the post as a proven Christian scholar and teacher.”
Before coming to Boyce, Biler previously worked at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, where she served as the assistant academic director and English instructor. Her addition to the Boyce College faculty will be transformative for the college’s student body and will help the college train its students well, said Dustin Bruce, dean of Boyce College.
“The addition of Alisha Biler to the Boyce College faculty is indeed good news,” said Bruce. “Dr. Biler’s professional expertise, heart for students, and commitment to the mission of Boyce make her an ideal faculty member. Through her classroom teaching and leadership of the Writing Center, Dr. Biler will shape the education and lives of our students for the better.”
During her tenure at South Carolina, Biler also served in several ministry capacities at Midlands Church in Columbia, South Carolina. She was deacon of missionary care at the church and served on the women’s ministry leadership team.
“It is an honor and a privilege to join the faculty of Boyce College and work alongside such godly and talented colleagues” Biler said. “I am truly delighted to join in the mission of equipping students for their future ministry, all for the glory of God.”
Biler’s doctoral research and her on-going academic interests focus on English as a second language (ESL). She has spent much of her career teaching English to those for whom English is not their birth language. She served on the mission field as an English instructor at Yasar University in Izmir, Turkey, and collaborated with peers to implement a church-based ESL class for refugees.
Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Biler earned both her Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in linguistics from the University of South Carolina, and she has presented her research at numerous academic conferences. She earned a bachelor of science in integrated language arts at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.
The study of linguistics is useful for college students since it provides them with in-depth training on how to communicate effectively, according to Biler. This gives pastors, missionaries, and other Christian leaders the ability to speak the gospel clearly and accurately.
“The fields of English and linguistics allow students to explore the rich and creative opportunities afforded to us with the gift of language,” Biler said. “With words God created the universe, and with words we profess our faith. Teaching students to steward the power of words plays an integral role in Boyce College’s mission in preparing ministers of the gospel.”
As director of the Writing Center, a free service for Boyce College and Southern Seminary students, Biler will help students develop their own writing, both for academic and professional purposes. Students can submit drafts of essays to the staff at the Writing Center and receive help in content and writing mechanics.
“Our mission at the Writing Center is to help students develop writing skills that will enable them to communicate gospel truths clearly and confidently,” Biler said. “Writing is difficult work, and we hope that by coaching students and equipping them with the right resources, students will be prepared to articulate truth in whatever future ministry they might be called to.”
Biler joined the faculty at Boyce College in January. She is currently a member in process at Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.