October 2007• The monthly newsletter for UWT faculty and staff

New faculty at UW Tacoma

This list includes new faculty members who joined UWT since Sept. 15, 2006. Former part-time lecturers who have been hired into permanent faculty positions are included.

	Julia Aguirre Assistant Professor, Education Ph.D., Education, University of California, Berkeley She’ll teach: Math methods courses for UWT graduate students training to be elementary and middle school teachers. Previous work: University of California, Santa Cruz First impressions of UWT: “It is great to be so connected to downtown and the museum district. I am also excited to be part of such important growth and development for the campus—new programs, additional students. This is an exciting place to be.” Other interesting facts: Aguirre’s research is in mathematics education. She focuses on teacher knowledge and practice, professional development and equity. “I see mathematics education as a social justice issue and look forward to working with local school districts to help improve and advance mathematics education for all students.”
	Daniel Bryan Assistant Professor, Milgard School of Business Ph.D., Accounting, University of Oregon He’ll teach: Intro to Accounting, Accounting and Information Systems and Financial Statement Analysis. Previous work: Bryan recently worked at the University at Buffalo. Previously, he was an accountant and English teacher in Japan and an auditor in California. First impressions of UWT: “I think the faculty here are very helpful and friendly; it seems like they want you to succeed.” Other interesting facts: Bryan and his wife Keiko have two children, ages 10 and 12. Because he grew up in a military family and spent much of his youth traveling, he doesn’t really feel like he has a hometown. “Home is where my feet are at the time,” he says. When he is not busy, he likes to work on his 1968 Mustang.
	Zhiyan (Juliet) Cao Assistant Professor, Milgard School of Business Ph.D., Yale University She’ll teach: Financial Accounting, Corporate Governance and Accounting Control. Prior work: Cao did a visiting term at UWT during the last academic year. First impressions of UWT: “It is a cozy community where you can easily interact with people in other disciplines.” Other interesting facts: Cao enjoys traveling, photography and Chinese painting.
	Jeff Dean Lecturer, Milgard School of Business J.D., University of Puget Sound He’ll teach: Small Business Development, Business Law, Finance and Quantitative Methods. Previous work: Dean has been a part-time lecturer at UWT since 1996. He also has a private law practice in Seattle. First impressions of UWT: “It’s unique in that I’ve seen the school grow. I think there’s a lot of energy, particularly among the student body.” Other interesting facts: Dean and his wife have a daughter who is an attorney and a son studying business at Syracuse University in New York. Dean considers teaching his hobby: “I just happen to get paid for it, too.”
	Joyce Dinglasan-Panlilio Acting Assistant Professor, IAS Ph.D., Environmental Chemistry, University of Toronto She’ll teach: The first year General Chemistry sequence, environmental organic chemistry and analytical chemistry. Prior work: She taught for seven years at the University of Toronto. First impressions of UWT: “The first thing that struck me is the sense of community that embodies UWT, where folks from Urban Studies and Environmental Science rightly get together! Also, the students are phenomenal. Their desire to learn new things is quite evident, and more importantly, they are open to trying out new ways of learning.” Other interesting facts: Dinglasan-Panlilio is interested in investigating what happens to organic chemicals, especially emerging contaminants, as they are released into the environment to see whether they break down or accumulate. She is new to the west coast and says she is excited to experience all that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
	Theodore Johnstone Lecturer, Social Work Master of Social Work, University of Washington Seattle and a Master of Divinity, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago He’ll teach: Social Work, Human Behavior and Social Environment and Perspectives on Doing Service. Prior work: Johnstone was a social worker in Tacoma schools for 33 years. He has been an adjunct professor at UW Tacoma for four years. First impressions of UWT: “I am very impressed with the atmosphere for learning here at UWT. I have experienced a very warm, open, competent and caring faculty and staff support for teaching. I think UWT cares a lot about providing a very quality learning environment for students.” Other interesting facts: Johnstone has lived in the South Sound for 34 years and says he loves this city. “I think Tacoma and its surrounding area is a fabulous place for urban learning as well as a quality place to live. I am quite active in community life here, especially around social service and spirituality issues and concerns.”
	Julie Masura Geoscience Lecturer, IAS (Environmental Science) M.S., Geology, Washington State University She’ll teach: Oceanography, Natural Disasters, Energy and the Environment, Meteorology and more. Prior work: She’s been a part-time lecturer at UWT, Whatcom Community College, North Seattle Community College, Pierce College and Washington Online. First impressions of UWT: “Very helpful environment of the faculty, staff, and students. Never felt lost on campus, always felt like someone was willing to assist me.” Other interesting facts: Masura participates in triathlons every summer and trains during the off season. She is presently working on several research teams exploring the state of Puget Sound. “I love field work and teaching students how to be better thinkers.”
	Joane Moceri Lecturer, Nursing Program Ph.D., University of Washington Seattle and Master of Nursing, University of Washington Tacoma. She’ll teach: Evaluation of Clinical Performance, Advanced Fieldwork, Diversity, Community Health and more. Prior work: Moceri was a part-time lecturer at UWT. Before that, she was the founder and director of the Pierce College Nursing Program. First impressions of UWT: “When I came here as a student, I was impressed with the small, personal nature of the campus. That has continued to be my impression as a faculty member. Also, the support from nursing faculty I received as a student has continued in my faculty role. It is one of the reasons I am so happy to be here.” Other interesting facts: Moceri’s daughter is graduating this fall with a Master of Nursing from UWT, and her husband has a UWT Master of Social Work degree. “We are a UWT family,” she says.
	Stephen Norman Assistant Professor, Milgard School of Business Ph.D., Economics, Cornell University He’ll teach: Intro to Micro and Macroeconomics, Business Stats. Prior work: Teaching macroeconomics and statistics in the economics department at Brigham Young University. First impressions of UWT: “It seems like the perfect fit for me. I love the campus and have been very impressed with everyone I have met here at UWT.” Other interesting facts: In his spare time, Norman enjoys cooking, watercolor painting and reading. He says that he and his wife and two-year-old son are excited to have a chance to live in the Northwest.
	Jennifer Quinn Professor, IAS Ph.D., Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Madison She’ll teach: Calculus Prior work: She has been a faculty member at Occidental College in Los Angeles and taught part time at UW Tacoma, UPS and PLU. For the past two years, she was executive director of the Association for Women in Mathematics in Tacoma. First impressions of UWT: “The potential here is unbounded—UWT is a truly urban campus. I love the architecture, the partnership with the community and the chance to make a real difference.” Other interesting facts: Quinn co-edits Math Horizons, a magazine for undergraduate math enthusiasts. She has been recognized nationally for her writing (2006 Beckenbach Book Prize for Proofs that Really Count: The Art of Combinatorial Proof and her teaching (2007 Haimo Award). Quinn’s husband Mark Martin is a microbial geneticist at UPS. They have two boys: Anson, 7, and Zachary, 4.
	Beth Rushing Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Academic Affairs, July 2007 You may have seen her: in the Chancellor’s Office. Her job: Rushing is responsible for faculty issues, coordinating curriculum and degree programs and generally ensuring that students get the most from their educational experience. She is especially excited to help UWT transition into becoming a four-year university. Last job: Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Georgia College and State University First impressions of UWT: “It’s a very friendly and supportive place.” Other interesting facts: Rushing is a knitter and hopes to join the knitting group at Metro Coffee soon. She has two daughters; one lives in Washington, D.C., and the other is attending The Evergreen State College this fall. Her husband works in Olympia.
	Ankur Teredesai Associate Professor, Institute of Technology Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo. He’ll teach: Data Structures, Social Networks and more. Prior work: Faculty member and director of the Lab for Discovery Informatics at Rochester Institute of Technology. First impressions of UWT: “UWT is an amazingly dynamic place. Everything about it is under transition and growth.” Other interesting facts: Teredesai studies knowledge networks and social networks. He says his research is interdisciplinary, and is always looking for new ways to collaborate with colleagues and connect with students. He lives in Bellevue with his wife, Bani, who is a program manager at Microsoft.
	Riki Thompson Assistant Professor, IAS Ph.D., English Language and Rhetoric, University of Washington Seattle She’ll teach: Argument and Research in Writing and Introduction to Composition in the freshman core. Prior work: Thompson taught at UW Seattle as a graduate student. She just finished her Ph.D. this year, and this is her first faculty position. First impressions of UWT: “As a long-time resident of the region, I am amazed to see how much Tacoma has changed over the last 15 years and am thrilled to be a part of UWT during this moment of intense growth and change. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to give back to my community and be involved in the continued growth of UWT. The positive energy of everyone I have met on campus is infectious and I welcome the interdisciplinarity of this scholarly community.” Other interesting facts: Thompson lives in Federal Way with her husband and likes to get outdoors as much as possible. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, hiking, reading, cooking, running and spending time with friends.

Other new faculty members include:

Anthony Falit-Baiamonte, Lecturer, Urban Studies
Ioanna Mavrea, Lecturer, IAS