I include this page, because I hope to get to know each of my students, and it might be helpful for you to know a little bit about me.
I was born Janet Lee Carnal in South Bend, Indiana on a date which will remain unmentioned. I grew up in Indiana with my parents, Richard and Betty Carnal, and my younger sister, Peggy. Home was not far from Muncie, Indiana, and it was surrounded by pastures, corn fields and great people. During school my interests were history (particularly ancient cultures and the American Civil War), art, and choir. I spent lot of time reading, writing, and sewing, and yes, watching television. There weren't other kids living near us, so books, crafts and television filled my time. I loved westerns, but the Original Star Trek was my favorite TV program. I loved school and had some really good times there. Peggy and I were three years apart, so my senior year was the best because we could do things together. I graduated from the first class of the newly organized Delta High School and went on to attend Ball State University on the Honors Program.
At Ball State I majored in History with minors in English and Radio and Television. At that time, I planned to be a high school teacher and hoped to write for television one day. My high school music teacher, Mrs. Treva Riggin, who had produced and directed numerous musicals at the high school, encouraged me to try Radio and TV. I had been writing and directing plays for her since junior high, so she knew my interests. That was a pretty daring minor for a young woman from Middletown U.S.A., but my parents felt it was okay, because I could always teach history. After the first class (in which I was one of only two women), I was "hooked." I loved history and teaching it, but while I did my student teaching, I kept missing the excitement of the production studio. I decided to get my masters in Radio and TV and try to write for television. At that time, I was offered the first Teaching Assistantship in our department and began teaching broadcast writing. I loved it!
It was during my four years teaching at Ball State, that I met Randall McMullen. We were married in 1976 and because he had been stationed in Texas during his years in the military, we visited and decided to go to the University of Texas for my Ph.D. I went to U.T. because they had a good graduate writing program, but in the process of taking media research and effects courses, I fell in love with yet another topic. I also loved teaching. That became my career goal. It took seven years to get that Ph.D., but we also had two boys along the way. Corey was born before the dissertation, and Chris entered this world three weeks after I received my degree. My dissertation topic reflected an issue about which I had long been concerned: television's influence on women's body image.
I stayed home to be with my children for four years after graduation, and they were precious, wonderful years. It was during that time that the economy took a nose dive in Texas due to over building, inflated real estate prices and deflated oil prices. My husband's thriving landscape and design business struggled, and we decided to relocate.
We came to Alabama in 1988 and lived in Huntsville for a year. I taught two classes each semester at U.N.A. during the '88-89 academic year, and was offered a full-time position as Assistant Professor for the following year. We moved to Florence in July, 1989. Randy's business, McMullen Landscape and Design, Inc. is still in Huntsville, and he commutes every day. Our boys attend Brooks High School. Corey is in the 10th grade, and Chris is in the 8th. Right now, my life is pretty full teaching, taking care of a husband, two kids, two cats, a dog, and a garden, and singing in the choir at Woodmont Baptist Church. One day I hope to write to book or the script that I know is in me. But I have learned that life has distinct stages, and each one is special. That time will come.
So that's the background, but there's some other information you might need to know. I do have strong preferences for Burnt Orange over that "other U.T.'s" gaudy color. While I'm a little sad my Houston Oilers have left Houston, I am very glad they've followed me to this part of the country. (Now if they'll only WIN!) It's probably not wise to say too many negative things about the Indiana Pacers or Star Trek, but be assured there are NO uniforms or Vulcan ears in my closet.
I see our relationship as that of a team. Your success is my success. That requires dedication, honesty. and respect on both our parts. Will will work hard and we will not be afraid to try something and fail. IF that happens, we'll pick up and try again. I will expect you to expect more of yourself than perhaps you have before, but I will not expect more of you than I expect of myself. This life is rare and precious gift, and we need to use it and develop it into all it can be. For this reason, I will challenge you, but I will also do everything I can to help you learn. Good luck.
Dr. Mc