2013-2014 Faculty Biography
Andrew Abian received his MS in physics from the University of Washington, and BS in mathematics with a minor in physics from the University of Iowa. He has also studied French at the Sorbonne in Paris, and statistics at Columbia University in New York. Prior to teaching at UW Bothell, he taught both math and physics courses at a wide range of community colleges in the Seattle area, as well as in Austin, Texas. He has also worked as an actuarial analyst, and software developer. Andrew currently teaches mathematics courses ranging from Pre-Algebra to Differential Equations, as well as Introductory Physics Labs at UW Bothell.
Rucha Ambikar holds a PhD in Social and Cultural Anthropology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. Her past research has focused on the intersections of post colonial nation building; with focus on education and religion. Currently she is working on research projects that examine the impact of new religious movements on immigrants working in the technology sectors in the US. Rucha has worked for UW Seattle as a post-doctoral researcher in the Information School and was most recently an Instructor in the Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Social Work at Seattle University. She also holds MA degrees in Mass Communication and Sociology.
Laurie Anderson began her career in the computer industry as a software developer, network manager, competitive analyst, product manager, and technical and marketing writer. With an undergraduate degree in computer science and experience spanning over two decades, she has worked at both small and large computer companies, including DEC, SUN, and IBM, in all aspects of the product development cycle. Since 1990s, Laurie has trained with Native American healers and Peruvian shamans in their earth way traditions. She completed her Ph.D. in Cultural Ecology with a specialization in Spiritual Ecology. Her focus was on the dynamic relationship between people and the culture and environment in which they live. She brings these studies and practices to her teaching at UWB.
Jennifer Atkinson earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of Chicago. She teaches courses in American literature and the environmental humanities that allow students to explore problems in ecocriticism, urban studies, utopian studies, and modern & postmodern American fiction. While conventional approaches to environmental literature tend to emphasize nature writing, Jennifers teaching expands on this terrain by examining representations of place in sub/urban, domestic, agricultural and travel literature as well. This broadly inclusive approach gives students an opportunity to explore different forms of spatial imagination and different material environments from frontiers, forests and factories to homeless camps, suburbs and the fantasy spaces of science fiction as they relate to problems of class struggle, race and displacement, gender, memory, and literary form. Before teaching at the college level Jennifer worked in Brazil as an inner-city youth instructor for ADESOL, a social justice organization that creates educational opportunities for adolescents struggling with poverty and violence.
Alexandre Barchechat received his Ph.D. in mathematics from UC Davis in California. He has taught a wide variety of classes ranging from College Algebra to graduate courses in 3 -manifolds. His area of interest has changed from geometric topology, in particular triangulations of three-manifolds, to math education.
Robin "Barnes" Spayde started her career in accelerator and experimental operations at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and later earned a Ph.D. in surface physics from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and Laboratory for Surface Modification. She has done both experimental and computational research in heterogeneous catalysis and high-k materials for silicon devices, and is currently doing theoretical work addressing statistical properties of organic non-linear optical materials. During the past fifteen years, she's taught calculus and algebra based physics, as well as physics for non-scientists and expository writing.
Veronica Barrera earned her MC degree from the Native Voices Indigenous Documentary Film Program at the UW, where she produced three films and is in postproduction on the fourth. As a documentary filmmaker she works to tell stories embedded in the idiosyncrasies of the everyday of human rights and social justice movements. She also holds an MA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College where she focused on educational justice and the intersection of race, class, and gender. She is currently a Doctoral candidate in Women Studies at the UW where she will defend her dissertation, Memoria Viva: an Ethnographic Recounting of Gendered Memory Workers in Chile. She has done extensive ethnographic research in Chile and in the US. She has been teaching at the graduate and undergraduate level for the past ten years, ranging from race, class, and gender to international economic development and human rights.
Joey Benitez - received his MS in mathematics and BS in education from the Colorado State University, and a BS in mathematics from the University of South Florida. He was a software developer for over 30 years at Century Link. Prior to teaching at UW Bothell, he taught both math and computer science at a wide range of colleges and universities in the Seattle area, including Bellevue College, Washington State University, Shoreline Community College and Cascadia Community College. Joey currently teaches mathematics courses ranging from Algebra to Calculus.
Micheal Berry - teaches courses in rap music, music and trauma, the history of rock and roll, and general music theory at all three University of Washington campuses. Prior to moving to Tacoma, he was professor of music theory at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. Currently, he is working on a book on the relationship between music and traumatic experience. He has published on a variety of topics, centering on the performance of 20th-century music. He earned his Ph.D. from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York in 2007, and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. He is active as a classical double bassist around the Puget Sound.
Karena Birk holds an MFA in Dance from The Ohio State University, and a BA in Classics from the University of Washington. She has taught at Cornish, Bainbridge Dance Center, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and The Ohio State University, among others. After training at the Cornish Preparatory Dance Program and the Richmond Ballet, she went on to dance professionally with the Colorado Ballet, Lehua Dance Theatre, ARC Dance, and is currently a member of Catherine Cabeen and Company and Redd Legg Dance. She has been privileged to dance works of Trisha Brown, Anna Sokolow, Antony Tudor, George Balanchine, Fanny Elssler, Wade Madsen, Deborah Wolf, Hannah Wiley, and many others. Her MFA studies focused on dance performance, notation, history, and pedagogy, and she holds a Teaching Certification in Labanotation. She is a member of the Congress on Research in Dance, the Society of Dance History Scholars, the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, and the National Dance Education Organization.
Carrie Bodle received her Master's of Science in Visual Studies from the MIT Visual Arts Program where she worked with Antoni Muntadas, Krzysztof Wodiczko, and Joan Jonas. She is a visual and sound artist whose current work explores site-specific, spatialized installations that concern the relationships between art and science, translating inaudible or invisible phenomena into sensible experiences. Recent works have taken the form of temporary, large-scale public art installations such as Sonifications (2005) which gave a voice to atmospheric research at MIT's Haystack Observatory through 35 loudspeakers distributed across the facade of IM Pei's Green Building in Cambridge, MA. Artist residencies and fellowships include Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center, IBM Watson Collaborative User Experience Group in Cambridge, MA, and 911 Media Arts Center/Henry Art Gallery in Seattle, WA. She is included on the Washington State Arts Commission Public Artist Roster and King County 4Culture Public Artist Registry and has received grants from the City of Seattle, 4Culture, and MIT Council for the Arts. Her work has been shown at the Location One Gallery in NYC, the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA, and webcast by radioartemobile through the Center for Advanced Visual Studies, CAVS at MIT. Bodle is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Washington School of Art.
Tasha Buttler uses a variety of genres in the classroom to provoke students into questioning the politics of representation. She has a M.S. and has worked for years in environmental sciences and as a liaison between private industry, government, universities, and the public. Tasha is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Washington in the English department. Her classes explore how stories are presented, including government reports, government funded scientific studies, popular media, literary essay, memoir, and other fiction. She is interested in models of how people learn, in order to engage alternative methods of teaching writing skills. Her research investigates the role of exile and translation as forces of psychic and social change. She enjoys the translation of literature from Portuguese and Spanish.
Nicole Calian is interested in philosophy, literature, intellectual history, and phenomenological psychology. She is intrigued by different conceptions of the human being throughout history: in particular, the theoretical appropriations that deal with the interplay of the commercium mentis et corporis. To this end, Nicole continues to study the emergence of anthropology as a privileged branch of knowledge in the 18th century, particularly Immanuel Kant's contribution to this new science.
Gary Carpenter, has been a northwest artist for 25 years focusing primarily on his relationship with nature through a wide variety of mediums. He has studied at Cornish College of the Arts, the School of Visual Concepts, the Pratt Fine Art Center, and the Gage Academy and received his BFA and MFA from the University of Washington. He has an active studio practice and has recently completed sculpture commissions at the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge in Ilwaco, WA, at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in Amargosa Valley, NV and at the Skagit County Public Health and Safety Building in Mt. Vernon, WA. He has taught at the University of Washington and is currently teaching at the University of Washington Bothell.
Lisa Citron, is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Washington and conducts research in plant ecology and ethnobotany in the estuaries of coastal Washington. This research led her to develop a course that explores the intersection of ecology and culture and guides students through original research in this interdisciplinary area. An educator for more than 20 years, she holds a Washington State Teaching Certificate and is committed to serving students of diverse learning styles, fostering a sense of ownership in their work, and building skills that will serve them academically and professionally long into the future.
David Conners, studied business administration, economics, and the law at the University of Washington, as well as at the University of Oregon, before teaching economics at St. Lawrence University and Washington State University. Currently, David also provides economic consulting services to attorneys as a Forensic Economist, specializing in the calculation of "economic damages" in a wide variety of lawsuits, both actual and potential. David's style of teaching is to encourage "learning-by-doing" by requiring his students to read current articles on a regular basis from the Internet, newspapers, and journals – and practice their analytic skills by applying relevant methods of economic analysis to these real-world scenarios.
Katy Cook earned a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Princeton University. Her graduate work focused on reducing large mathematical models of thousands or millions of variables to smaller models of up to 20 or 30 variables. This work applies in a range of settings, including coupled oscillators, biological models, and networks. She continues to work with large data sets, now with a focus on improving medical treatment. She has taught a range of math classes at various universities and also financial literacy in the community.
Randi Courtmanch, recently earned her MA in Cultural Studies from the University of Washington where her research focused on the intersections of art practices, social change, and disability studies. During her time at the University of Washington she also completed a yearlong sequence in experimental filmmaking at the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media. She also holds a BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts. She has performed locally for Amy O'Neal, David Dorfman, and Wade Madsen and has recently presented her dance films at On the Boards. She has also worked as a teaching artist and administrator at various organizations including On the Boards, Crispin Spaeth Dance Group, Compton Dance Theatre, and Arts & Services for Disabled. In addition to teaching in the CUSP program she is also the program coordinator for the Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas, an organization dedicated to presenting Black cultural and arts programs that encourage thought and debate for the greater Seattle area.
Sharon Crowley, who has a degree in Biology and is a Ph.D. candidate in English at the University of Washington, is writing on Genotopias: Biopower and Embodied Subjectivity in Late Capitalism. Her research interests include Genomics, Evolution, Cultural Theory, and Teaching with Technology, and Literature.
Micheal Dean - since 1999, has been a journalist and editor at The Comics Journal, which will publish its 302nd issue at the end of 2012. He holds a PhD in Modern Studies from the University of Wisconsin.
Robert Farkasch earned his Ph.D. in International Relations and also holds degrees in Economics and Psychology. He has taught in a wide range of institutions, both online and in physical settings, and has won several teaching awards, including the ASUWB Teaching Award University of Washington Bothell in 2003.
Brandon Finley holds a Ph.D. in Earth System Science from the University of California, Irvine and is currently a research associate and lecturer at the University of Washington Bothell. His research is focused on oxidation processes in the atmosphere and includes field work in Guam and Cape Verde. In addition to research, he enjoys teaching science and has five years of university level education experience teaching Earth science and chemistry. For the past year he has worked with other CUSP faculty members to improve the science education and the chemistry curriculum at UWB and served on the architecture committee during the planning phase for a new science building on campus. He is currently working on a book detailing his experiences while doing scientific field work in Cape Verde.
Peter Freeman earned his MA in Cultural Studies from the University of Washington Bothell in 2011. Since then, he has led courses in interdisciplinary writing, environmental geography, and general learning strategies; in each, he uses a variety of methods to facilitate student learning, including role play, performance, debate, collaborative group work, and free-writing. In addition to teaching, his research interests include intersections of language and power, formations of identity, and differences in writing pedagogies. Particularly, he is interested in the discursive creation of "homelessness" within experiential education, and learning more about how students learn how to write. Outside of teaching in CUSP, Peter has mentored homeless youth in the Seattle-area since 2008.
Rahul K. Gairola holds a joint PhD in English Literature and Theory & Criticism from the University of Washington, Seattle (UWS), an MA in English (Distinction) from Rhode Island College, and a BA in English and Film & Media Studies from George Mason University. He has completed doctoral research on fellowships and grants at Cambridge University (Pembroke College and the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities, UK), Humboldt University of Berlin (Germany), Cornell University (School of Criticism & Theory), and The Simpson Center for the Humanities (UWS). He has delivered public talks at Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, in the UC system, CUNY, and many other research venues around the world, and has published widely in the fields of postcolonial/ diaspora studies, comparative cultural studies, gender/ sexuality studies, and literary criticism. He is also a prolific journalist and cultural critic for various periodicals. He is well-connected throughout the Seattle cultural arts community, and has sat on Advisory Boards for Tasveer, Trikone, Seattle Art Museum, the Comparative History of Ideas program (CHID), and currently sits on the Executive Committee of the South Asian Literary Association (SALA). Rahul views teaching as a form of social and community service in the classroom, and thus strives for harmony between learning inside of the institution with living outside of it. He has recently begun teaching in the Film Studies program at Seattle University, after teaching at Cornish College of the Arts since 2006. He is currently working on three research articles that will be published in "Liminalities," "JSL," and "South Asian History and Culture," and is also working on a book manuscript based on his doctoral research. He moreover designed a panel proposal titled "South Asian-izing the Digital Humanities" that has been selected for the "Avenues of Access" Presidential Theme of the January 2013 convention of the Modern Language Association (MLA) in Boston.
Wei Gao earned an MFA in English Creative Writing (prose fiction, 1993) and a PhD in English (2006) from the University of Washington. A seasoned instructor, Wei has extensive experience both in China and the US teaching language (English & Chinese), English Composition, Literature, and intercultural training. Her recent course offerings at the UW Bothell include Asian Cultural Studies, DC I (designed for international students), and 100 level Chinese. Wei's students, both in Beijing and at the UW-Seattle have been recognized for their accomplishments in academic competitions for scholarship and student writing. In addition to language teaching, Wei has published poems, stories, and newspaper articles in Chinese and one of her translations from Chinese to English has appeared in James Joyce Quarterly. Wei's critical interest lies in exploring literature in general as a form of creative criticism as reflected in her dissertation. In addition, Wei is also at work on a book of short stories, The Forms of Love, as well as critical essays in literary theory and pedagogy.
Diana García-Snyder is Part-Time Lecturer in Dance at the Center for University Studies and Programs (CUSP). She earned a M.F.A. in Dance Research, Education and Choreography at the University of Washington in Seattle. Diana is Co-Founder of DAIPANbutoh Collective Dance Company and has performed in Mexico and the US with renowned dance companies such as the National Ballet of Mexico, Luna Negra Dance Theater, The Chicago Moving Company, BQdanza and the Chamber Dance Company among others for over 20 years, and recently as solo dancer in Japan and Korea presenting interactive-multimedia dance performances in collaboration with International media artist Eunsu Kang. Diana teaches modern and contemporary dance, as well as butoh (a dance originally from Japan), ballet, improvisation, video dance and choreography. She also teaches yoga and is a certified pilates instructor. DGS body projects
Alla Genkin earned her MS in Statistics and MS in Applied Mathematics from Purdue University. At Purdue Alla also taught math courses ranging from Algebra to Differential Equations. Before joining the UW, she worked as a quantitative analyst for an investment firm in downtown Seattle. Alla's teaching philosophy is to combine theory and practical applications while inspiring students to treat math as a necessary foundation for all their future work.
John Godek - link to bio on School of Business program page
Ben Gonio is a Seattle-based actor, playwright, producer, and teaching artist. He received a B.F.A. in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University. He attended the Moscow Art Theatre Exchange Program. A certified Stage Combatant (emphasis in Unarmed, Rapier & Dagger, Broadsword, and Quarterstaff) he has an M.F.A. in Acting from The University of Washington Professional Actor Training Program (one of the top 5 graduate programs in Actor Training based on U.S. News & World Report, 2004). Ben has taught at University of Arizona School Of Theatre Arts where he lead workshops in Suzuki Training and Viewpoints Training. He is currently a Lecturer for The University Of Washington where he teaches acting classes. Ben studied under regional theatre luminaries Jon Jory, Peter Brosius, Mladen Kiselov, Joe Dowling, Julian Patrick, Marsha Mason, Andrei Droznin, Anatoly Smeliansky and Bob Parks. He has also collaborated with notable stage directors, Tina Landau and Mark Weill; as well as playwrights Naomi Iizuka, Kevin Kling and John Olive. He has shared the stage with Hinton Battle, Sab Shimono, and Patti Coheneur. Credits include film, television, commercials and voice-overs. He continues to work for regional theatre companies such, Tony Award winning Minneapolis Children's Theatre, Houston's Arena Theatre, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Guthrie Theatre as well as local Seattle companies including Seattle Repertory Theatre, 5th Ave Theatre, ACT Theatre, Seattle Children's Theatre, Empty Space Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company and Alice B. Theatre. He is a proud member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, and Actors Equity Association. Ben is also a consultant in the areas of corporate organizational development, developing innovative and creative methodologies in employee training for both private and public sectors; exploring interpersonal communications, cultural sensitivity in the workplace, presentation skills, and physical/vocal dynamic presence for corporate employees. Ben was also one of the recipients of the 2007 Artist Trust Grant for his new solo show: "As Boundless As The Green Earth" and a recipient of the 2009 City of Seattle, Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs Grant, for his recent solo-show project about Carlos Bulosan.
Ruth Gregory is a filmmaker, academic, and activist working in the Pacific Northwest. She has earned a MFA in Film and a certificate in Gender and Women's Studies from Ohio University in 2005 and a MA in Cultural Studies from UW-Bothell in 2011. While her work incorporates many genres of film and media, she primarily identifies herself as a documentary filmmaker. At the core of her creative practice Ruth is interested in telling stories from an unique perspective – what hasn’t be said or shown before? Whose stories are absent from the cultural landscape? Her interest in distinctive media narratives also translate to her academic work. Ruth’s scholarship is rooted in the ideological frameworks of Cultural Studies and Feminism. Her primary focus tends to be inquiries into the representation of women and people of color in the media and how assumptions about these groups are embedded in the way that academics write and talk about media; especially in works that are commonly thought to be politically neutral, like cinema history textbooks. You can check out more about Ruth and see examples of her work on her website: http://ruthmakesmedia.com
Wanda Gregory is Director of the Center for Serious Play and Lecturer at the University of Washington Bothell in Science and Technology, where she teaches undergraduate and honors courses including Fundamentals of Video Games; Online Communities and Worlds; Convergence of Media and Popular Culture and Gender & Games. She has over 14 years of experience in the creation, implementation, and management of online media and game products including Senior Director at Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro, Group Product Manager at Xbox Platform/Live at Microsoft Corporation, Executive Producer at Hidden City Entertainment and Vice President at Flow play. Wanda has an MA in Communications and an MBA from the University of Washington where she also worked at the Human Interface Technology Lab (HITLab). She is a Ph.D. candidate focused on games and health through the SMARTlab in the UK. Her research interests include interactive narrative, games and learning, virtual reality, online game communities, games (interactive and paper-based), gaming/fan culture, gender and games.
Kristin Gustafson earned a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Washington, Seattle. She has teaching and research interests in media history, ethnic/gender/activist/community journalism, political communication, and social movement media and organizations. Her most recent project focuses on the histories of two grassroots, activist Seattle newspapers-the International Examiner and the Seattle Gay News-and how they managed competing loyalties and organizational change since the 1970s. At UW Bothell, she teaches journalism, media, and interviewing classes and serves as one of the advisers to the student online newspaper. Kristin has co-published a Photovoice research project manual for teachers and policymakers who converse about climate (http://bit.ly/cyKujP), and she worked for many years for alternative and mainstream newspapers in Minnesota. Her years as a journalist and historian shape her teaching as she encourages students to ask questions, seek evidence, explore complexity, engage with communities, evaluate and create media, and contribute to the world as responsible citizens.
Keith Hall is a graduate of the University of Utah where he earned his MBA and is a lecturer for courses in economics. He brings to UW Bothell thirty years of professional business experience in management, entrepreneurship, and finance. He has worked with federal and state governments as well with businesses both large and small. His interests include free market economics and using technology to aid student learning.
Panos Hatziandreas is currently a full time psychology professor at Cascadia Community College and a lecturer at University of Washington in Bothell. He is originally from Ethiopia and comes from a biracial family background (Ethiopian and Greek). He earned his first MS degree in Clinical/Community psychology from the California State University in Long Beach, and his second MS degree in Organizational psychology from Alliant International University in Los Angeles, California. He has over ten years of experience as a therapist counseling a wide range of clients from children, adolescents, and couples, to families, and chronically ill adults from various cultural and racial backgrounds. In addition, Mr. Hatziandreas has years of project management experiences in Information Technology and Mental Health.
Nicole Hoover earned her MA in Mathematics from the University of California at Davis and her BA in Mathematics at San Jose State University. She has taught at junior colleges and universities in California, Louisiana and Washington State. Nicole left the position as Director of the Quantitative Skills Center at UW Bothell in 2009 to become a stay at home mom. She enjoys exploring the Seattle area with her daughter. In addition to returning to the classroom in CUSP, Nicole will soon be working on a quantitative literacy program through the Carnegie Foundation with Cinnamon Hillyard.
Vilma Illanes is a native Spanish speaker and has extensive experience in language teaching in a variety of settings. Vilma is a member of the faculty of the University of Washington . She has experience as a lecturer and developer of cross-cultural communication workshops. In addition, she is a Senior Language Consultant at International Language Consultants Group. Clients of the International Language Consultants Group have included Microsoft, Nintendo, Crowley Marine Services, Boeing, Starbucks Coffee Corporation, Space Labs Medical and PATH Program for Appropriate Technology in Health. Vilma is experienced in meeting the needs of students with a wide range of Spanish language abilities.
Dan Jacoby - link to bio on School of IAS program page
Heyang Julie Kae teaches interdisciplinary and research writing. A Ph.D. candidate in English at the University of Washington, she is currently finishing her dissertation on juvenile delinquency discourse in late 19th century and 20th century U.S. cultural production. She specializes in Asian American literature, 20th century American literature, law and literature and child studies. In her courses, she emphasizes the intersections race, gender, sexuality and age in U.S. cultural production, with an emphasis on literature and film.
Kristine Kellejian earned her Ph.D. in English/Rhetoric and Composition from Washington State University. Kris teaches a variety of composition and gender studies courses for CUSP and Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. Her courses often focus on specific themes, such as digital technology, popular culture, comic books, local legends, and writing for the public good. She also specializes in Writing with Digital Media, Queer Theory, Writing Program Administration, Professional Development for Faculty, and Writing Assessment. Her current areas of interest are in e-portfolios for programmatic assessment and writing with social media.
Karrin Klotz is an attorney with over 20 years of experience in litigation and general business law matters. After completing a judicial clerkship for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, she served as a litigator on complex business litigation issues with Pillsbury, Madison and Sutro (now Pillsbury Winthrop), a litigator on software piracy issues at Donahue, Gallagher, Thomas and Woods, as corporate counsel for Amdahl Corporation and Microsoft Corporation, and as Associate General Counsel for Wall Data Inc. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. She is currently a lecturer at the University of Washington School of Business Administration and an adjunct professor at Seattle University Law School, specializing in business law and intellectual property law issues. She also has her own legal practice, specializing in representing entrepreneurs on the wide range of issues faced by small businesses operating on a worldwide level. She is the past chairman of the Public Information and Media Relations Committee of the Washington State Bar Association, and recently published a paper on intellectual property audits at the 9th World Congress on Intellectual Capital and Innovation.
Mark Kochanski -link to bio on CSS program page
Alka Kurian - link to bio on School of IAS program page
Jo Lacher worked in theatre for ten years, up and down the West coast, as an actor and choreographer before returning to college to complete her BA in Theatre with a minor in Journalism from the University of Nevada Reno. Beginning her artistic career as a singer, she often made the rent by recording jingles for local and regional businesses. Jo initially taught acting and American Dramatic Literature classes for Western Washington University while earning her Masters degree in Theatre/Directing. Since entering the world of higher education as an employee, she has had little time for acting, but has kept herself involved by directing whenever possible. Most recently she directed a very successful production of "Forever Plaid" for the Idaho Rep and assisted the UWB Mind's Eye Performing Arts Club by directing "The Vagina Monologues" in spring 2010. Her current interests include a study of contemporary Irish Dramatic Literature and performance and serving as a Commissioner for the City of Duvall Cultural Commission. Jo works as an advisor for CUSP students as well as teaching acting classes as a lecturer for UWB.
Kristy Leissle - link to bio on School of IAS program page
Kari Lerum (PhD Sociology) is an Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences & Cultural Studies at University of Washington, Bothell, and an adjunct Professor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at University of Washington, Seattle. Her scholarship centers on the critical study of social inequality, focusing on the intersections of sexuality, institutions, and culture; her articles have appeared in Gender & Society, Sexuality & Culture, and Journal of Sex Research, and she is currently writing a book called Sexuality: the Basics (Routledge UK). She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in topics related to sexual health, culture and institutions, multi-media storytelling, and research methods.She serves on the board of directors for the Pat Graney Prison Transition program, and is a blogger for Ms. Magazine, Sexuality & Society, and RhReality Check.
Peter Littig earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Washington. In his teaching, he creates affirmative learning environments in which he and his students engage in scholastic inquiry and seek to connect course content to life beyond the walls of the classroom. As a scholar, Peter is committed to engaging in research that links theory to experience, that illuminates the connections between disciplines, and that sustains intellectual curiosity. His primary research interests are in algebraic topology, Lie theory, the historical development of mathematical thought, and the sociology of mathematics.
Young Min - bio link UWB Education Program.
Barry Minai has been teaching at the University of Washington Seattle campus since 1979. While working on his PhD, he was hired as a math instructor for the Office of Minority Affair's Instructional Center, the academic branch of the Educational Opportunity Program. In the early 1990's he became the assistant director, and in 2001, became the director of the UWS Office of Minority Affairs Instructional Center. However, the majority of his time continues to be dedicated to teaching math and sometimes economics. Barry's principle mathematical interests are math education and mathematical economics
Pete Nye earned an MBA from Cornell University (1982) and a Ph.D in Business Administration from Duke (1992). He is a founding faculty member in the Business Program at the University of Washington Bothell, where he teaches marketing research, statistics, negotiations and business ethics. His research in economic psychology and managerial decision-making is published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, The Journal of Business Research, The International Journal of Conflict Management, and Psychology & Marketing. He is particularly interested in biases in judgment, conflict management, and the resolution of ethical dilemmas.
David Nixon is a philosopher and artist with an interest in aesthetics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence, music, science fiction, and The Meaning of Life. He got his Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Washington (Seattle) in 2004. He likes bicycling, playing the banjo, painting, writing poetry, acting, making short films and animation, and playing around on computers. This year (2010) he received a grant from 4Culture to create a 1-man show (music/theater/dance/animation/film) about the meaning of life called "Center-Cut Ham Dinner Night Slide Show." David is married and has two or three cats, at least one of which likes to sit on his shoulders as he types at the computer.
Robin Oppenheimer is an internationally-recognized media arts historian, educator and scholar who has worked in the field since 1980. She was the Director of 911 Media Arts Center in Seattle and IMAGE Film/Video Center in Atlanta. She has researched and produced several large-scale historical media arts events in Seattle including the Bellevue Film Festival exhibition at the Bellevue Art Museum (2000) and the Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) Reunion Symposium at the University of Washington in 2002. She is a Lecturer in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Bothell campus and has a PhD from Simon Fraser University in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology. Her areas of interest and research include the histories and practices of community and alternative media, creative collaboration, and digital culture studies.
Phil Palm is a Lecturer in the Business Program and leads courses in finance and economics. He brings to UW–Bothell seventeen years of experience in international banking and insurance operations. His career took him to New York, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Paris through positions with Chemical Bank, Deutsche Bank, AIG, Marsh, AXA Global Risks SA and Winterthur International of the Credit Suisse Group. A current research interest of his is the historical entry of insurance and reinsurance companies into the credit default swap market.
Charlotte Rasmussen received her Master’s degree in Biochemistry from Dalhousie University and earned a Ph.D. in Genetics from Oregon State University. A skilled researcher, she has spent many seasons conducting research in the field and then moving to the laboratory to assess genetic variation in salmonids, their parasites, and their alternate hosts. Current research interests include population and conservation genetics, science communication, invasion biology and research development. She has taught biology, genetics and molecular laboratory techniques. Innately curious, Charlotte sees herself as a co-investigator exploring with her students.
Loren Redwood holds a Ph D in American Studies from Washington State University where her research focused primarily on issues of labor exploitation as it interconnects with race, class, gender, sexuality, and nationality. She taught courses in Women’s Studies, Comparative Ethnic Studies, and Sociology for nine years at WSU. She is new to the UW Bothell campus, having joined the faculty as a part-time lecturer this past Winter 2011. Dr Redwood also holds a Master of Social Work degree from California State University, Sacramento, and worked in the field of social service for many years prior to pursuit of doctoral work. This experience informs her commitment to social justice both in research and in the classroom.
Pete Richardson works with work. An ethnographer by training, he received his Ph.D. in Culture, History, and Theory from Emory University in 2003. Pete's participant-observation based research has included fieldwork on Alaska's fishing boats and in Idaho sawmills. As a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research (while also a fellow with the Center for the Ethnography of Everyday Life and the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations), he studied the cultures of factories and unions in the Detroit area with the cooperation of the UAW and the ‘Sylvania' Local. A Senior Researcher with Ethnographic Solutions, he worked on a corn farm as a kid; later in life as a DJ, bouncer, and a commercial fisherman. Pete has published on diverse topics, including forests, Wittgenstein's builders, the imaginary, familism in unions, rules, fantasy, and fetishism.
Leonard Rifas holds a Ph.D. from the University of Washington, Seattle, Department of Communication. He has created educational comic books on various issues, and works as a comics scholar, comics critic, teacher and cartooning instructor. His interests include information visualization, film, underground comix, and climate change.
Georgia Roberts - link to bio on School of IAS program page
Eric P Salathé, Jr earned a PhD in Geology and Geophysics from Yale University and a BA in Physics from Swarthmore College. His teaching interests include climate science and mathematics. He conducts research on the impacts of climate change on human and natural systems. Through the UW Climate Impacts Group, his research supports climate impacts applications in many fields including air quality, hydrology, agriculture, and human health. His current research focuses on how local weather and land-surface processes can affect the regional response to climate change.
Jeanette Sanchez - link to bio on School of IAS program page
Travis Sands earned his PhD in English from the University of Washington, Seattle. His research and teaching interests include twentieth- and twenty-first century US literatures and cultures, queer, sexuality, and gender studies, critical race studies, and neoliberal political economy. He currently has two book projects underway: one on sexuality, value and neoliberal subjectivity and the other on queer cultural politics, sovereignty and the state. His courses for CUSP focus on social justice and the “intersectional” relationship between forms of racial, sexual, gender and class domination in the making of US national citizenship. In all of his courses, Travis encourages students to approach critical inquiry and research as practices that transect the classroom and the multiple social spaces and institutions that students confront in their lives beyond the university.
Laura Shildkraut is the founder of Onboarding Gen Y whose mission is to help organizations attract, retain, and see excellence from their Gen Y employees, and to help college juniors and seniors, recent grads and first time job changers find careers they love. She has been a member of the UW faculty since 1996 teaching a range of classes including Systems Analysis, Advanced Business Communication, Management Lessons from The Apprentice, Interactive Media & Entrepreneurship, and Preparing for the Business World. She helped established a successful IT Mentorship Program and dramatically grew the IT Internship Program both in terms of participating companies and number of students. Laura is the host and co-executive producer of Information Technology Leaders, On the Career Path, and Information Matters television shows which air on Research Channel and UWTV. She holds an MBA from NYU Stern Business School.
Julie Shayne earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from University of California, Santa Barbara, and has teaching and research interests in feminism and revolution, social movements and culture, political exile and diaspora, and critical development studies in Latin America and the Third World more generally. She has won several writing and teaching awards and is the author of They Used to Call Us Witches: Chilean Exiles, Culture, and Feminism (Lexington Books, 2009) and The Revolution Question: Feminisms in El Salvador, Chile, and Cuba (Rutgers, 2004). Julie is also an Affiliate Associate Professor in Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies & Latin American and Caribbean Studies at UW Seattle. See additional bio information on the IAS page.
Avery Shinneman - holds a Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Minnesota. Her research is focused on understanding long-term changes in the environment, especially around water resources, due to changes in climate and land-use. Current research takes her to the U.S. Midwest for work on wild rice productivity in lakes on the Fond du Lac reservation and to central Mongolia where she is working on how climate and use of water resources are linked to rise and fall of the Mongolian empire. She is also interested in science outreach and enjoys teaching and discussing the process of science and the role of science in public policy.
Stuart Streichler - link to bio on IAS program page
Janelle Silva - link to bio on School of IAS program page
Linda Simonsen earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She obtained her MS in Mathematics from Montana State University, Bozeman and her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Oregon State University. She spent 13 years building her career in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Montana State University. She also spent four years as an Associate Professor in the Mathematics Department at the University of Arizona before coming to UWB in 2010. Linda's research interests include making effective use of different modes of delivery to teach mathematics to diverse learners. In support of this objective, her research focuses on the nature and quality of mathematical discourse in on-line settings. This research stems from her extensive work developing internet courses on the teaching of mathematics and statistics specifically designed to meet the needs of place-bound practicing mathematics and science teachers. Dr. Simonsen teaches in S&T (and CUSP); she has considerable experience teaching a large variety of mathematics course from calculus through graduate courses.
(John) Eric Stewart - link to bio on School of IAS program page
Bilin Stiber received a BS in Physics from Beijing Normal University (Beijing, China), and a MS and PhD from the Department of Biophysical Engineering, Osaka University (Osaka, Japan). She was an Assistant Professor at Osaka University and since then has been a frequent Visiting Scientist there. She was a researcher at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, and a visiting researcher in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Department at the University of California, Berkeley. She is currently a General Partner in S-Squared Technical Consulting. Her research interests lie in the area of signal processing theory and applications, especially time- frequency distributions and applications to speech and biosignals.
Kelvin Sung - link to bio on CSS program page
Crispin Thurlow - link to bio on School of IAS program page
Amoshaun Toft - link to bio on School of IAS program page
Katherine Voyles holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Irvine where she wrote a dissertation on relations of scale in the nineteenth-century British novel. She is happy to teach Research Writing for CUSP.
Camille Walsh - link to bio on IAS program page
Chad Wilsey - earned a M.S. in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007 and a Ph.D. in Landscape Ecology at the University of Washington in 2011. As a researcher Chad uses technologies such as remote sensing and computer modeling to address broad-scale ecological problems. He has studied the dependence of the endangered black-capped vireo on cowbird management and the potential impacts of climate change on several species of amphibians, birds, and mammals in the Pacific Northwest. In the classroom, Chad is committed to experiential learning as a framework for students to develop critical thinking skills and self-confidence.