Faculty – MA in Classical Education

Dr. Sarah Houser is assistant professor of Great Books at Benedictine College in Atchison, KS. She received her doctorate in political theory from the University of Notre Dame. Her areas of interest include the theory and practice of patriotism, nationalism, and national identity. She is currently working on a book on the concept of patriotism as piety in the work of Thomas Aquinas. Originally from Houston, Texas, Dr. Houser spent 10 years teaching at American University in Washington, D.C., before coming to Benedictine.

Dr. Andrew Benjamin Salzmann is writes on Augustine and the medieval Augustinian tradition, especially the 12-century School of St.-Victor. He pays particular attention to theological anthropology, pneumatology, and sacramental theology. He did his graduate work at Yale Divinity School (MAR, 2007) and Boston College (PhD, 2015). At Benedictine, Dr. Salzmann directs the Center for Classical Studies, which sponsors both the College’s Sheridan Honors Institute and its Master’s degrees in Classical Education. For the Sheridan Center, he teaches Education and the Human Person and the History and Theory of Classical Education, as well as Great Books courses. For the Theology department, Dr. Salzmann teaches Sacraments and Liturgy, Christ and the Trinity, Mary in the Christian Tradition, Christianity & World Religions, and American Catholic History, among other courses. In addition, he assists with deacon formation for the Archdiocese of Kansas City (Anthropology, Christology, Mariology). Originally from Wisconsin, he lives in Atchison with his wife Sabitha and their four children.

Krystyn Schmerbeck Lulloff holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. She also holds a master’s degree in Catholic School Leadership from Marymount University in Virginia, a master’s degree in public policy from George Washington University, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and classical languages from Hamilton College. Prior to her current role as Director of Graduate Programs in Classical Education, Krystyn served as a teacher, principal and instructional coach in both diocesan and classical schools. Her academic study and K-12 school experience fuel her passion for the renewal of K-12 Catholic education in America and the crucial role of ongoing formation for leaders and educators to that renewal. Krystyn also serves as a Trustee at the Chesterton Academy of St. Philip Neri in Kansas City, MO, and on advisory boards for the Classic Learning Test and Cana Academy.

Stephen Mirarchi (Ph.D., Brandeis University) is Associate Professor of English. He is the author of the annotated Mr. Blue (Cluny Media, 2016) and four other books from Cluny Classics, a line of reprinted Catholic books with updated, scholarly introductions. He has published academic articles on Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen Crane, Louise Glück, Robert Pinsky, François Mauriac, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dean Koontz, and Raymond Carver. He has also written numerous book reviews and popular articles for the St. Austin Review, the National Catholic Register, Crisis, EpicPew, and the Boston Globe. He and his wife live in Atchison with their daughter.

Gwen Adams holds a doctorate in theology from Liverpool Hope University/Maryvale Institute, a master’s degree in Catholic Studies from the University of St. Thomas, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Christendom College. She is an author, playwright, director, and teacher with twenty-five years’ experience in parish, diocesan, school, and university settings. She has taught theology, church history, and literature and directed plays including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale, Uncle Vanya, and Life Is a Dream. Dr. Adams is the author of By an Unexpected Way: Stories of the New Evangelization and The Handbook to the Heart of Culture (Cluny Media, 2025) and the founder of Bardstreet.com, offering new plays and youth and young adult theater.