Another Record Set in Hiring New Faculty and Administrators
Heritage’s latest round of hiring will increase opportunities for students to gain knowledge at the cutting edge of academia. For fall semester, the University added 16 additional top-level faculty and administrators to its full-time staff.
“These men and women bring to Heritage an exciting array of experience, enthusiasm and academics,” said Dr. John Bassett, president. “They share a commitment to ensuring that our students receive the kind of academic rigor and professional experiences needed to build successful careers.”
The staff additions are part of Heritage’s ongoing commitment to build academic quality through a variety of strategies, including increasing student access to professors and advisors. Heritage took its first step toward this goal last fall when the University hired 12 new faculty and administrators. Two-thirds of those hires either held a Ph.D. or had completed everything but their dissertation. This year’s new staff includes nine more individuals who have completed doctoral studies.
Dr. Curt Guaglianone
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Guaglianone’s education career spans 19 years at three federally designated Hispanic-serving institutions in California. Prior to his appointment at Heritage, he was a member of the Provost Office at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). Dr. Guaglianone also served as Dean of the School of Education during his tenure at CSUB. Earlier in his career, he served as a professor and associate dean at Fresno State, and as an associate professor at CSU Stanislaus.
Sarah Augustine
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Ms. Augustine holds a master of arts in whole systems design from Antioch University. She specializes in group-conflict transformation. She is also a co-founder of the Suriname Indigenous Health Fund, an international organization that focuses on advocating for the tribal people of this third-world country.
Dr. Jessica Black
Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences
Dr. Black holds a Ph.D. in geological sciences from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Before joining Heritage, she was an adjunct professor and postdoctoral researcher for the University of Southern Florida in St. Petersburg.
Dr. Linda Dale
Director of the Physician Assistant Program and Associate Professor of Science
Dr. Dale joins Heritage University following lengthy careers as a practicing physician assistant and in higher education. She has a doctorate degree in health education from A.T. Still University and graduated from the University of Washington MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Training Program. She managed that same program for 10 years before joining the faculty at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in 2009.
Dr. Troy Kammerdiener
Associate Professor of Applied Computer Science
Dr. Kammerdiener comes to Heritage with 20 years of experience teaching in higher education. He has taught all levels of computer programing and has a special interest in Internet software development and systems management, systems administration and networking. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Tulane University.
Netty Hull
Assistant Professor of Education
Ms. Hull joins Heritage following a 22-year career in K-12 education, 10 years of which were in educational administration. Most recently she served as the principal at Barge-Lincoln Elementary in the Yakima School District. She is a Heritage alumnus, having earned a B.A. in elementary education in 1997 and a M.Ed. in professional development and administration in 2000.
Dr. Michelle Jacob
Faculty Fellow in Sociology and Director of the Center for Native American Health and Culture
Dr. Jacob holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has been a college educator since 2003 and is a well-published researcher in the areas of health, culture and social justice for Native American people.
Elaine Lopez
Nursing Instructor
Ms. Lopez joins Heritage full-time after having already served as a part-time instructor of nursing skills at the University. Her background includes experience in nursing for hospice, outpatient community mental health and inpatient hospitals. She has worked with patients of all ages.
Kristen Maxwell
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Ms. Maxwell has 20 years of experience as a math educator at both the K-12 and college levels. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and has completed all course work for the doctorate program at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Dr. Joanie Monroy
Associate Professor of Bilingual Education
Dr. Monroy completed her doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She has 20 years of experience as an educator and administrator working for K-12 districts with high populations of English-language learners.
Dr. Nina Oman
Director of Institutional Research
Dr. Oman comes to Heritage with extensive experience in research for government agencies and higher education. Prior to joining Heritage she was a senior research analyst and project manager for the Washington State Legislature, where she worked with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee and the Higher Education Coordinating Board in Olympia. She holds a master’s degree in public administration and a Ph.D. in education, both from the University of Washington.
Dr. Michael Parra
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
Dr. Parra holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Washington State University. He is a molecular and cellular biologist with expertise in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, cell biology and microbiology.
Amber Richards
Pre-college English Instructor
Ms. Richards earned both her B.A. and M.A in English from Heritage and has been teaching courses for the University since 2009. She was a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and has presented her work at several academic conferences.
Kathleen Smith
Clinical Laboratory Sciences Instructor and Tri-Cities Site Coordinator
Ms. Smith has nearly 30 years of clinical lab work experience. Most recently she served as the laboratory supervisor at Pathology Associates Medical Laboratory in Grandview, Washington.
Oscar Verduzco
Financial Aid Director
Mr. Verduzco joins Heritage following six years of service in the financial aid department at Washington State University. He is a member of several professional organizations dedicated to the field of college financial aid and serves as vice president of ethic awareness for the Washington Financial Aid Association Executive Committee.
Dr. Cheryl Young
Associate Professor of Science
Dr. Young is a scientist with more than 10 years of experience working in a wide variety of settings, including academia, government and private industry. She has a Ph.D. in geology from University of Southern California.