Education

Ph.D. English, Middle Tennessee University, Murfreesboro, TN. 2007.  Fields: Old and Middle English and Renaissance Literature.  Dissertation: "Anglo-Saxon Community in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings."

M.A. in English, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI. 1992.  Fields: Rhetoric and Composition.  Thesis Essays:   

1. "Response to Student Writing in Freshman Composition Classes at Andrews University: Replicating Sarah Freedman's Response to Student Writing Survey for Andrews University English Department Usage, Statistics, and Results" and;
2. "C.S. Lewis: The Function of Medieval Romance and Legend in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."

B.A. in English Education, Columbia Union College, Takoma Park, MD. 1990. Major: English Education [Secondary Education Certified]. Minor: Religion.

Principal Research Interests 

Dr. Deborah Higgens comes to La Sierra University from Oxford, England where she was the Study Center Director at The Kilns, C.S. Lewis' former beloved home, and which is owned by the C.S. Lewis Foundation based in Redlands, CA.  Prior to her four years in England, Dr. Higgens was Professor of English at Southern Adventist University for 17 years.  She also served as a missionary and developed the English program at our school in Costa Rica, Universidad Adventista de Centro America, after graduating from Andrews University. Dr. Higgens' specialty areas are Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, and Renaissance literature, and especially the influence of the ancient literature on C.S. Lewis' and J.R.R. Tolkien's literature. She is also a writing specialist and has developed and directed three writing centers.  Her volunteer work centers on her position as Study Centre Coordinator at The Kilns for the C.S. Lewis Foundation, where she hosts seminars at The Kilns, Oxford, England, in the summers.  Dr. Higgens has lived in several countries: Japan, Turkey, Germany, Costa Rica, England, and several states within the U.S.  Her parents were military and government intelligence. She enjoys traveling, horseback riding, falconry, and hiking.

Television Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj7asJZ9t_k&t=5s  

E-mail: dhiggens@lasierra.edu;
Phone: 951-785-2189                       

Academic Publication

Book Publication

Anglo- Saxon Community in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Oloris Publishing, 2014.

• Book Signing. Oxbridge Conference of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. Oxford, England.  24 July 2014.
• Book Launch. Oxford C.S. Lewis Society. Oxford, England. 13 May 2014.
• Web Book Launch. Middle-earth Network and Legendarium Network. 25 March2014. [Advert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_uMMoTWx1s&t=22s ]

Book Reviews

• "Dr. Higgens' beautifully illustrated book enhances this body of post-Tolkien work, and does so in a way that enriches our reading in particular of The Lord of the Rings.  She wears her learning lightly, as she enthusiastically and lucidly explains and shares her discoveries.  Her book has a place on the shelves of both scholars and the wider readership of Tolkien's fiction." (Colin Duriez, Author, Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings: A Guide to Middle Earth)
• "Dr. Deborah Higgens is an archeologist of Arda, uncovering the bones of Middle-earth to reveal the Anglo-Saxon marrow within!" (Constance G.J. Wagner, Writing Program at Saint Peter's College)
• "To join Dr. Deborah Higgens on her adventure into the world of Anglo-Saxon Community in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is to take the hand of a trustworthy guide into the deeper levels of origin and meaning that resonate throughout The Lord of the Rings. A truly engaging and inspiring read." (Dr. J. Stanley Mattson, Founder and President of the C.S. Lewis Foundation)

Article and Book Chapter Publications

1. In the Company of Angels. Book Review for Jef Murray.  July 2015.
2. “Oxford Churches Picnic with Sir Roger Bannister.” Holy Trinity Church Parish Magazine. Oxford, UK. Sept-Oct 2012. 14. Print.
3. “Unveiling a Mystery: The Kilns’ in Action.” Holy Trinity Church Parish Magazine. Oxford, UK. July-August 2012. 13-15. Print.
4. Introduction.  Holy Trinity Church and the Connection with Clive Staples Lewis. Oxford: Holy Trinity, 2012. 1-3. Print.
5. Book Review [at author’s request] for Barnes & Noble: Schakel, Peter.  The Way Into Narnia: A Reader’s Guide. 19 Jan 2010.
6. “Tournament Protocol in Fitt I of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Medieval Perspectives 14 (1999): 115-24. Print.
7. “Allegory in C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: A Window to the Gospel of John.” Christ in the Classroom: Adventist Approaches to the Integration of Faith and Learning. Ed. Humberto M. Rasi. Silver Spring, MD: Institute for Christian Teaching, 1994. 147-63. Print.

Awards

• Exemplary Service Award.  Presented at the C.S. Lewis Foundation Oxbridge Conference. Oxford England. 23 July 2014.
• Distinctive Invitation, “A Service to Dedicate a Memorial to C.S. Lewis, Writer, Scholar, Apologist” and Jerusalem Chamber Reception. Westminster Abbey, London. 22 November 2013. 
• C.S. Lewis Resident Fellow, C. S. Lewis Foundation, The C.S. Lewis Study Centre, 2007 (Wrote my doctoral dissertation at The Kilns, Oxford, England, former home of C.S. Lewis)
• Pinnacle Award of Achievement, Middle Tennessee State University (2007)
• Graduate Fellowship Award ($10,000), Middle Tennessee State University (2005)
• Advisor of the Year, Southern Adventist University (2005-2006)
• Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, Southern Adventist University (2004-2006)
• Pinnacle Honor Society, Middle Tennessee State University (2000)
• Phi Kappa Phi, National Honor Society, Andrews University (1992)
• Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society, Columbia Union College (1987)

Representative Publications

For further information on Conferences, Presentations, Media Presentations, and Networking contact Dr. Higgens for her full CV.