Posted on Sep 18, 2007
The Union College faculty has welcomed 32 new colleagues. They include (with the others listed in The Chronicle during the past two weeks):
MODERN LANGUAGES: Erika Nelson, assistant professor of German, earned her Ph.D. in Germanic studies from the University of Texas at Austin where she has taught many German language courses. Recently she has held a position as the coordinator of the German Language Program and Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas and previously taught courses at Eastfield College. Nelson was awarded outstanding teacher recognition at UNT Honors Ceremony in 2006. Zhen Zhang, visiting assistant professor of Chinese, received a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Literatures from the University of California at Irvine with a dissertation, “The Formation of the Modern Chinese Individual and Its Reversal.” He has taught at UC Irvine, the State University of New York at Stony Brook and Beijing University. His many research and teaching interests include 20th century Chinese literature and film, critical theory and cultural studies, and translation studies and cross-cultural encounters.
PHYSICS: Samuel Amanuel, who was a visiting assistant professor last year, joins the faculty as assistant professor. He earned a Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University and has held teaching positions there and at Brehm Preparatory School. Byron Dieterle, visiting assistant professor, holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and is an emeritus professor at the University of New Mexico. Since 1973, he has received more than $5 million in research grants from the Department of Energy'd Division of Nuclear Physics and has published and lectured widely.
POLITICAL SCIENCE: Guillermina Seri, assistant professor, holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Florida with a dissertation titled: “Policing and Democracy: The Influence of Narratives on Police Discretion.” She recently was a visiting assistant professor in peace and conflict studies at Colgate University. She also has taught at the University of Florida and at numerous universities in Argentina. Roger Cusick, visiting assistant professor, holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University at Albany and a J.D. from Albany Law School. He has taught at University at Albany, the University of Richmond and other colleges and is the recipient of numerous teaching awards. Licensed to practice in the state and federal courts of New York and Massachusetts, he continues to represent select clients and particular causes.
PSYCHOLOGY: Christopher Chabris, assistant professor, earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Harvard University, where he was a research associate and lecturer. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the Ig Nobel Prize in Psychology and the NARSAD Young Investigator Award. Research interests include individual differences in human cognition and their relationship to brain function and structure; visual cognition; and behavioral economics and cognitive biases. Chabris’ research has been covered by CNN, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, ABC News, the BBC, the Discovery Channel and by newspapers and magazines worldwide. Joshua Hart, visiting assistant professor, holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, where he has taught and conducted research. He is the recipient of numerous honors, grants and fellowships, including the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Theoretical Innovation Prize.
RELIGIOUS STUDIES: Peter Bedford, the John and Jane Wold Professor of Religious Studies and director of the Religious Studies Program, received his B.A. from the University of Sydney and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago’s Department of Near East Languages and Civilizations. His area of specialization is the history of ancient Syria-Palestine. Previously, Bedford taught classes in Judaism/Christianity/Islam, Islamic society, and the history and archaeology of ancient Egypt at Edith Cowan University. A prolific scholar, he has authored dozens of book chapters, articles and technical reports.
VISUAL ARTS: Yudong Wang, assistant professor, holds a Ph.D. in Chinese art from the University of Chicago. He has taught at the University of Puget Sound and University of Chicago, and has worked as a cataloguer at the Mellon Dunhuang International Archive, ARTstor; a translator at China’s Dunhuang Academy; and an assistant researcher at the Chinese Research Institute of Buddhist Culture in Beijing. His research interests include Chinese literati art, Buddhist art, Taoist art and Tibetan art.
SCHAFFER LIBRARY: Kerry Bedford, public services librarian, has a graduate diploma in Library and Information Studies from Curtin University in Perth and a BEd from Edith Cowan University in Perth. She is currently completing a MEd at the University of Western Australia. Before joining Union, she was the manager of Research and Learning Services at the University Library, Curtin University, Perth. A member of numerous professional organizations, she has also worked as a faculty librarian at Curtin University Library, a reference librarian at the University of Western Australia Library and as a teacher librarian and classroom teacher in state and private schools.
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