Allow me to introduce myself...

I have a terrible habit of forgetting to introduce myself to my students on the first day of classes. I am so eager to get to know them (and to start the tricky work of matching names to faces) that I forget to simply say, "Hello, my name is Matthew," and then, "You can call me Matthew." Sometimes it's 30 or 40 minutes before I get to that.

Not this year. I'm introducing myself in writing. (Apt for an English professor, right?) I might mix in a few pictures, too. Here's me posing with a Hawaiian snail:

Please call me "Matthew." If we become friends, you can call me "Matt." If not, "Matthew." If you feel more comfortable being super-formal, then "Professor Brophy" works fine, too. Your call.

I've been teaching at Delaware County Community College since 2010. Before that, I was teaching at Binghamton University, in upstate New York, where I completed my Ph.D. (I suppose you could also call me Dr. Brophy, but please keep in mind that for all medical emergencies, I would recommend a "real" doctor.)

My undergraduate degree (a B.A. in literature) was earned at Bard College (also in upstate New York), and I mostly grew up outside of Albany, NY. I was, however, born in Massachusetts, which is where my parents grew up, and that explains how I ended up a Red Sox fan, despite all my days in New York State.

My parents were not college graduates. My father was not even a high school graduate. My sister and I, like many of you, were the first in our family to go to college. We had no idea what we were doing when we jumped in. But everything turned out ok.

Shortly after I started working at DCCC, I met the love of my life. In 2013, we got married. She made a 1,001 origami cranes. I made a funny speech.

Also in 2013, we adopted a puppy and named her Kima. Downingtown grads will be interested to know that we think she is part whippet. Whatever her breed, she is incredibly athletic. I often take her running and hiking with me in the woods.

Just a few months ago, my wife, Kima, and I moved into a new home up in Reading. So I have a bit of an annoying commute to work. But it's worth it--we love our home, and we can actually afford it.

My goal for this semester is to do as much as I can to teach "stress-free" classes. Maybe that's an impossible goal, but I think reading/writing/thinking/learning is all fun stuff, and it doesn't have to be done in a nerve-wracking, anxiety-producing manner. We'll see how it goes.

Anyways, that's me. Looking forward to learning about you!