Education Background

About Dr. McNellis

My colleagues and students at YVC are second to none, although I am partial to Grandview (my home campus). I teach history, geography, and political science. I love being able to spark curiosity in my students, to push them to achieve their goals, and to support them on their journey. It is a pleasure to watch them grow in their knowledge.

In my classes, I focus on critical and analytical thinking and getting students to think for themselves. All of my classes emphasize courteous discourse and cultural appreciation. I encourage my students to see themselves in the people and events we study, to understand people and ideas that differ from their own, and to know that they can (and will) make a difference in our world.

I attended UCF for both my bachelor's and my master's degrees - in history. My Master’s thesis focused on sexual violence in the Middle Ages, specifically in England. I examined cases of rape brought before local courts and then reconstructed concepts of successful rape prosecutions from the perspective of the medieval accuser.

I earned my Ph.D. in history from WVU. For my dissertation, I investigated how savvy litigants used the Court of Common Pleas in England to pursue their interests in relation to violent civil litigation. I wanted to learn not only how violence and injury were understood, but also in how gender, class, and occupation affected people’s suits and experiences within the Court of Common Pleas.

I was born and raised in central Florida. I left for West Virginia in 2012 to pursue my Ph.D. and I moved to Washington in 2022 to teach at YVC. I spend most of my non-teaching time with my partner and our family: a bald cat named Yoda, a black cat named Finn, my partner’s kids and 17 grandkids (so far). I enjoy reading international and paranormal thrillers and watching fantastically horrible SyFy channel movies (check out Ice Spiders or Sharktopus). I also love watching such diverse shows as Supernatural, Doctor Who, and Deadliest Catch.