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Show 12 ADMINISTRATION & FACULTY FORUMFORTNIGHTLY.COM Fresh energy, new initiatives Kira Luke Online Editor Seeing some new faces this year? Among the additions to faculty and staff is the new Director of Diversity Student Affairs and Support, Luciano Marzulli. Students can find the new director in the Diversity Center in the basement of Shaw. Look for the man with the tiger-eygauges in the office decorated with bright, South American artwork. Joining Westminster from the University of Utah, first as a student, then an advocate for diversity, Marzulli is filling the vacancy left by former Diversity Director Rich Garcia. Westminster s slogan, A unique environment for learning, describes part of the appeal of Marzullis job here. What was really attractive to me was the sense that I got that a lot of work done on campus is through building relationships, Marzulli said. One of the initiatives hes excited about is the opportunity to draw more underrepresented students into higher education. Westminster has a partnership with Granite Park Junior High, one of Utahs Title I schools. These schools have a high concentration of low income and other historically underserved student groups. Im looking forward to integrating with that, Marzulli said of the existing program. His efforts at Westminster include facilitating mentor relationships between Westminster students and students at partner schools. Im excited that Westminster is one of the schools where learning happens outside of the classes room, Marzulli said. Students who are able and willing to share firsthand higher education experiences can encourage and inspire younger students who may not have a road map to college. As a teen growing up in Salt Lake City, Marzulli attended a local Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) conference. MEChA is a national student organization promoting higher education, civic engagement, and a celebration of diversity. MEChA hosts an annual conference for high school students. Students have the opportunity to learn about admission and financial aid requirements, presenting a realistic picture of how accessible higher education can be. Participants also engage in dialogues about social issues such as immigration and homophobia. I remember coming to the conference, and that was one of the reasons I pursued higher education, Marzulli said. A Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Chicanao studies and a Master of Arts in Education later, Marzulli was the advisor to the University of Utahs MEChA chapter. He was also a program coordinator and academic advisor in the University s Office for Student Equity and Diversity. Marzulli hopes to see Westminster students get engaged with the diversity programming on campus this year. If I bring a speaker to campus, I want them to .have an audience, Marzulli said This semester, the Diversity Center is sponsoring speakers on topics ranging from the impact of Utah discipline policies for Chicanoa students, to native science and ecology. As a student, Marzulli was impatient for immediate impact and immediate results. Being an advocate for diversity, for change, I wanted everything to happen now. I had that sense of urgency, he said. This kind of work, youve gotta be in it for the long haul. Alysha Webster Staff Reporter Westminster College has opened its doors to welcome 18 new faculty members. Each faculty member comes to Westminster with his or her own background and experiences, to help make the campus a more diverse place to learn. The atmosphere is absolutely fantastic, says Curtis Newbold, a new assistant professor of communication, the students are so friendly, so smart and engaging and fun to be around. Leonardo in California and Santa Clara University. He came to Westminster for the e. opportunity to teach Now that he is here, Hurst will be primarily working in the entrepreneur-shi- p program in the Gore School of Business. Currently, entrepreneur-shi- p is an MBA (Master of Business full-tim- Administration) program, but Hurst would like to see Westminster offer an entrepreneurship minor for undergraduates. The course Hurst will be teaching this semester deals with managing Figueroa-Hellan- d non-pro- fit organizations. He will also be mentoring interns in Among the new faculty sor Leonardo is Profes- Figueroa-Hellan- d, the new assistant professor of political has ence. Professor Figueroa-Hellan- d his Ph.D and MA in Political Science from Arizona State University. He has a BA. in International Relations from Universidad de las Americas in Mexico. has taught a vaFigueroa-Hellan- d riety of topics within political science, including gender in politics, political geography and business in politics. At Westminster, Figueroa-Hellan- d will be teaching introductory political studies and contemporary political philosophy. sci- Figueroa-Hellan- minsters said that West- d e Learning Goals, such as critical thinking and commitment to diversity, attracted him to Westminster. After teaching at Arizona State, I really want to have the close interactions with students and dedicate quality time to each one of them, he said. Figueroa Helland also said that he College-wid- likes Westminsters small size. Clifford Hurst A new addition to the School of Business is Clifford Hurst, assistant professor of management. Hurst has his Ph.D and MA- - in Human and Organizational Systems, and studied at Fielding Graduate University in California. He also has a B.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. Before coming to teach at Westminster College, Cliff had been an ' adjunct faculty member for the University of San Francisco, UC Berkeley the undergraduate business program. Hurst is an axiological hermeneut; a student of the philosophy behind how we make meaning of what we know (hermeneutics). Hermeneutics is also known as the art of interpretation. Hurst joked that his wife says that it is a good thing he is already married. If I was sitting in a bar and a woman comes up and asks what you do for a living and I say Im an axiological hermeneut, Id never get a date, he said. Hurst claims he has found in Westminster an institution tint focuses on the community of learners. One of his favorite things about Westminster College is the fret that it demonstrates the meaning of community. Tamara Stevenson Tamara Stevenson is a new assistant professor of speech. She received her Ed.D at Eastern Michigan University in Educational Leadership. She has her MA in SpeechOrgani-zation- al Communication as well as a BA. in Journalism from Wayne State University. Stevenson will be teaching four sections of Speech 111 (public presentations) this semester at Westminster. Previously, she has taught courses in educational leadership and other ver- sions of Speech 111. I totally did not expect to land in Utah, to land in Salt Lake City and to land at Westminster, she said. The landing has been so smooth and nice. Westminster has provided Stevenson a wide range of teaching opportunities and the ability to focus spe cifically on expanding and honing her teaching skills. The students have been delightful and open. They ask questions and they challenge me, which is a great thing, and Fm up for the challenge, said Stevenson. Anything I can do to support their learning, Im here to do that. Curtis Newbold Curtis Newbold is a new assistant professor of communication. He earned his Ph.D in Rhetoric, Communication and Information Design at Clemson University in South Carolina. Newbold is a Utah native and graduated from Utah State University with an MA in English and a B.S. in English and Professional &. Technical Writing. Newbold has taught courses in business communication and scientific communication. This semester at Westminster, he will be teaching visual communication in the MPC (Masters of Professional Communication) program. As for undergraduate courses, Newbold will be teaching introduction to web design and principles of layout and design. His office is currently in the Jewett building. The Westminster community has welcomed the new faculty to the college. Newbold said that he feels that welcome and that there are good people everywhere I walk on campus. Mew Faculty Leonardo Figueroa Helland Curtis Newbold Jonathan Amburgey Tamara Stevenson Brent Olson Kristy Philippi Jason Goltz Ellen Behrens Arian Farshbaf Clifford Hurst Heather Batchelor Jamie Joanou Michael Dorer Juanita Takeno Art Shimata Julie Ann Honey |