New CLAS Faculty/Teaching Academic Staff
Assistant Professors
Alison Stehlik – Arts and Visual Design/Art-Sculpture
Education: BFA in Sculpture from Grand Valley State University in Michigan, MFA in Sculpture from Penn State University.
Research interests: Work examines the ways that social expectations affect personal desire using a variety of processes and techniques to create interactive object-based installations that simultaneously call to mind and contradict stereotypical situations. Her sculptures exaggerate or enhance the intrinsic sensual qualities present in objects, and challenge modes of advertising and display. Alison uses materials that are appealing to touch and invites viewers to handle her work because she wants them to experience the incongruity between fantasizing and experiencing.
Courses: Sculpture and 3D design
Other interests, hobbies, etc.: just completed a 4 month long residency in Ii, Finland where she has been researching the cultural histories and traditions of her Finnish Ancestors.
Michelle McQuade-Dewhirst – Arts and Visual Design/Music
Education: B.M. in Music Education and Horn Performance - Ithaca College, 1995; A.M. (1999) and Ph.D. (2002) in Music Composition (minor field: Ethnomusicology) – Univ. of Chicago
Research interests: Composition, popular music, sampling/other forms of musical "borrowing"
Courses: Music Theory, Music History, Popular Music since 1945, upper-level theory/composition courses, applied horn.
Other interests, hobbies, etc.: Avid knitter and film buff.
Courtney Sherman
Education Information: D.M.A. Voice Performance—Arizona State University; M.M. Opera/Music Theater Performance—Arizona State University; B.M. Voice Performance—Western Michigan University Research/Performance
Research Interests: Her doctoral research paper on Ellwood Derr’s I Never Saw Another Butterfly sparked an interest in continuing research and performance of vocal chamber music. Other research interests include exploring elements of a healthy vocal technique in musical theater singing and their uses in art song and opera repertoire. Her role credits include Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, and Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites, as well as many opera scenes performances, including several from Strauss and Mozart. In addition to her work in opera, Dr. Sherman has performed the Soprano II solos in the Bach Mass in B-Minor.
Courses: Applied Voice, Music Theater Voice, Chamber Singers, Opera Workshop
Other interests, hobbies, etc: Dr. Sherman is thrilled to be living near her hometown once again. As a lover of the outdoors, she looks forward to enjoying the Midwest as she always has.
Minkyu Lee – Arts and Visual Design/Art
Education Information: 2008 M.F.A. (Ceramics), School for American Crafts, Rochester Institute of Technology; 2006 M.F.A. (Ceramics), Department of Craft and Design, Graduate School, Seoul National University; 2002 B.F.A. (Ceramics), Department of Crafts, College of Fine Arts, Seoul National University
Research interests: Research interests are in finding historical and contemporary resources that have similarity to my work. I also investigate different possibilities by using different media such as glass, wood and metal, as well as ceramics.
Courses: Ceramics, 2D & 3D design.
Melissa Schnurr – Human Development
Education Information: BS Psychology, MS Couple & Family Therapy, PhD Human Development & Family Studies from Iowa State University
Research interests: Adolescence, romantic relationships, violence; parenting education
Courses: Infancy & Early Childhood, Middle Childhood and Adolescence
Other interests, hobbies, etc.: I love watching football and basketball, playing golf with my husband, and socializing with friends
Hernan Fernandez-Meardi – Humanistic Studies/Spanish
Education Information: B.A., Université Laval (Canada); M.A., Université de Montréal (Canada); PhD., Université de Montréal (Canada)
Research interests: Latin America Literature, Cultural Studies (Latin America), Subaltern Studies (Latin America), Literary Theory
Courses: Representative Spanish and Latin American Authors, Intermediate Spanish Conversation and Composition
Other interests, hobbies, etc.: Spanish and Latin American Cinema, World literature, Latin American politics, Outdoor activities.
J. Vincent Lowery – Humanistic Studies/History
Education information: Ph.D. (history) University of Mississippi, May 2008; MA (history) University of North Carolina at Wilmington, May 2003; BA (history) James Madison University, May 2000
Research Interests: Post-Civil War Southern Cultural History, Memory, African American History, and Race Relations
Courses: African American History, Ethnic Diversity and Human Values, US History Survey
Other interests, hobbies, etc.: Films, Golf, and Music (I have a two-year old son who is essentially a hobby!)
Gabriel Saxton-Ruiz – Humanistic Studies/Spanish
Education: B.A., Virginia Tech; M.A., ABD, Univ. of Tennessee (Ph.D. summer 2009, expected)
Research interests: representations of political violence in Peruvian literature, popular film/music and art; 20th and 21st Century Latin American Narrative; Contemporary Spanish Literature; Latin American Cultural Studies; Popular Culture Studies; Film Studies; the effects of globalization on the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.
Courses: Spanish Language, Literature and Culture Courses
Other interests, hobbies, etc.: I’m an obsessive music nerd – I love the Beatles and bands that imitate them. I enjoy cooking, especially the eclectic cuisine of Peru—the mixture of Indigenous, Spanish and Asian traditions. I love to travel. Lastly, I am a huge soccer fan. I look forward to watching the men’s and women’s Phoenix teams this fall.
Nathan Bacheler – Natural and Applied Sciences/Biology
Education information: B.S. Biology, Grand Valley State University, Michigan; M.S., Ph.D.
Zoology, North Carolina State University.
Research interests: Research interests include understanding what causes recruitment variation in fish; novel tagging and telemetry techniques; habitat modeling.
Courses: Aquatic Ecology, Principles of Biology.
Other interests, hobbies, etc.:Photography, bird watching, fishing, kayaking.
Jorge Estevez – Natural and Applied Sciences/Physics
Education Information: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Ph.D. Physics (expected 2009); University of Minnesota, Twin Cities , M.S. Physics; Auburn University, B.S. Physics
Research Interests: Chemical Physics, Molecular Modeling, Computational Chemistry & Physics, Environmental & Materials Chemistry, Biophysics.
Courses: Fundamentals of Physics I, Fundamentals of Physics II
Other interests, hobbies, etc.: Intellectual: World History, Geography, Foreign Languages & Cultures, Gender Equality, Public Radio, BBC, History of Art, People & Conversation, Road Cycling, Mountain Biking,Swimming, Amateur Astronomy, Mountaineering & Hiking, Running, Cross-Country Skiing, Canoeing, Dancing, Classical Music, Travel, Table-tennis
Sara R. Rinfret – Public and Environmental Affairs/Political Science
Education Information: B.A. (2003), Otterbein College; MPA (2005), Ohio State University; Ph.D. (Summer 2009 expected), Northern Arizona University.
Research interests: Regulatory policy with an emphasis on environmental rules, interest group influence, American environmental policy, public policy, and public administration
Courses: State and Local Government, Regulatory Policy, American Government and Politics, Leadership and Human Resource Management
Other interests, hobbies, etc.: Running, hiking, kayaking, and cross country skiing
Jaida Kim Samudra – Social Change and Development/Anthropolgy
Education Information: University of California Berkeley with a B.A. in Linguistics. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Research Interests: patients’ articulations of illness/healing experiences; social and health issues arising from biological determinism; ethics training and ideology in sports; and peaceful association in pluralist societies. Study areas include Southeast and East Asia, with particular expertise in Indonesian cultures and Chinese diaspora.
Courses: World Cultures, Medical Anthropology, Political Economy and Ecology
Other interests, hobbies, etc.: practicing and teaching the White Crane Silat martial art form and hopes to start a silat club at UWGB. Enjoys snorkeling, hiking, and wilderness camping. Creative outlets include sewing, making collages, cooking, and writing. Her first book, The Joy of Conversation: The Complete Guide to Salons, came out of her interest in designing social settings that promote conversation, democracy, and creativity. Her favorite brain-candy includes science fiction, historical novels and films, and comix and animation. She loves live music, especially world beat and jazz.
Adam Parrillo – Urban and Regional Studies
Education: BS Geography (2000) - MA Human Geography (2003); PhD Social Geography of Economic Development (2009) all from the University of Cincinnati
Research Interests: Policy effect on public school enrollment; privatization of the commons (public goods and services); urban inequality and social disparities
Courses: Intro to Urban Studies; Human Geography, Displays of Geographic Information
Other interests, hobbies, etc.:Exploring new places with my family; nonprofit developmental work in Tanzania; playing soccer
Teaching Academic Staff/Lecturers
Jim Hatlak – Information and Computing Sciences
Education Information: BS Computer Science, Elmhurst College; MS Information Technology, Capella University
Research interests: Programming in Java / C++ / C# / Visual Basic and Phython
Courses: Intro to Computing and Internet Technology, Software Design, Information, Computers, and Society
Other interests, hobbies, etc.:Drummer, formerly of the DOWGS, currently of Asylum Point Band, Banjo Player/Instructor