Welcome new faculty - Los Angeles City College

LOS ANGELES CITY COLLEGE
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Ms. Elizabeth “Biz” López is an art historian and artist who has been teaching art
history as an adjunct at LACC since 2004. She holds a Masters and Doctorate from
UCLA specializing in Modern and Contemporary art with a minor in Film Studies.
A native Angelena, she has deeps roots in Los Angeles where she has been
involved with the arts community from an early age. She has worked with arts
organizations such as the Social and Public Art Resource Center and the Getty
Research Institute.
Her passion for teaching and art are what motivates her work. The importance of
helping students develop the skills they need to succeed at LACC and to go beyond
is her goal as an instructor. As a new full-time faculty member at LACC, she is
committed to forging stronger ties with the broader LACC community. When school
is out she enjoys horse-packing in the wilderness.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Elizabeth “Biz” Lopez to the LACC family!
Professor Elizabeth Lopez, PH. D.
LACC Art History
Ms. Ripsime Geuvjehizian is a tenured faculty at Los Angeles City College,
who is transitioning from the Child Development Center to the Child
Development Department this fall 2015 semester. She has over 16 years of
teaching experience.
Ms. Geuvjehizian previously supervised a team of lead teachers, four assistants
and numerous student teachers in the instruction of two Child Development
Center classrooms hosting preschool children.
She designed, implemented, supervised, and evaluated curriculum appropriate
for preschool programs in compliance with the funding terms and conditions for
the California Department of Education and Child Development Division
(CDE/CDD).
Professor Ripsime Geuvjehizian
LACC Child Development Department
Join us in welcoming faculty member Ripsime Geuvjehizian to the LACC family!
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Professor Yanwei Cai
LACC Chemistry Department
Mr. Dylan Shields has been producing films and working professionally in the film &
television industry for twenty years. Originally from Fairbanks, Alaska, he grew up in
the small and beautiful town of Owyhee in Northern Nevada. He attended the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he earned a BA in Film Studies and made
several student films.
Dylan moved to Los Angeles with his soon-to-be-wife Amy in 1997 and earned an
MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute Conservatory. Dylan
co-founded Fade to Blue Films to produce the independent feature film HALF-LIFE,
which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008. He also co-produced the
multi-award winning short film / pilot presentation LIBERATOR starring Lou Ferrigno,
Ed Asner and Michael Dorn.
Dylan currently works in production operations at Gearhouse Broadcast, a leading
worldwide facilities and equipment provider for the television, sports and music
industries.
Professor Dylan Shields
LACC Cinema Department
Dylan has been teaching film and media arts classes for the LA Community College
District for five years and continues to develop new material for the big and small
screens. He lives in Eagle Rock with Amy, their two children Nola and Kanaan, and
dogs Josie and Katie.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Dylan Shields to the LACC family!
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Mrs. Michele Gendelman holds a B.A. in English from Bryn Mawr College in
Pennsylvania and has worked in the entertainment industry since 1976, when she
became a sound engineer. She completed her Master’s and Doctoral studies in
Film and Television Studies at UCLA.
Michele has both been on staff and freelanced for hour-long dramas, half-hour
sitcoms, and animated series, including Newhart, Ghost Stories, and Olivia; she has
also sold two screenplays. In 2009 her one-act play, Oy to the World, was
produced by Jewish Women's Theater of Los Angeles, starring Patricia Richardson
(Strong Medicine).
Professor Michele Gendelman, PH.D.
LACC Cinema Department
Her first book, What the Other Mothers Know, was published by HarperCollins; her
second, as a contributor (along with Carrie Fisher, among others), was What Was I
Thinking? 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories, from St. Martin's Press; it was later optioned by
film producer Linda Obst. In 2005, Michele began teaching film history and
screen- and television writing at Los Angeles City College. Her husband is
screen- and television writer/producer Andy Guerdat; they live in Sherman Oaks,
and have two children.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Michele Gendelman to the LACC family!
Ms. Sarah Crachiolo, is Assistant Professor and Co-Director of Forensics
Communication Studies at LACC.
Sarah was born and raised in Atlanta, GA and was the first person in her
family to attend college. She received her M.A. in Communication Studies
from California State University, Long Beach and her B.A. in Journalism
from Georgia State University.
She teaches classes in argumentation, interpersonal communication,
group communication, public speaking, persuasion, and communication
theory. Her academic interests include gender studies, pop culture,
politics, and human rights issues.
Assistant Professor Sarah Crachiolo
LACC Communication Studies Department
Sarah credits her academic success to her participation in speech and
debate (forensics). She has coached nationally successful teams at
Orange Coast College, Cerritos College, and CSULB where she served as
the Director of Debate for two years.
Sarah is the proud parent of three rescue dogs: Bella, Ellie, and Roxy. She
enjoys hiking, photography, and watching television.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Sarah Crachiolo to the LACC family!
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Mr. Michael Kalustian received his M.A. in 2005 and B.A. in 2003 in
Communication Studies from California State University, Los Angeles
specializing in Rhetoric and Performance Studies.
He started his teaching career at Los Angeles City College as an adjunct
professor in 2005. His experience in teaching includes argumentation,
debate, small group communication, rhetoric, communication theory,
critical thinking, performance studies and public speaking.
Additionally “Mike” has an extensive background in forensics, as a
successful competitor and coach and will be assuming the role of
co-director of the Los Angeles City College Speech and Debate team.
Professor Michael Kalustian aka “Mike”
LACC Communication Studies Department
A native of Los Angeles and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps,
Mike is married with three children which includes twin sons. When not on
campus teaching you will find him on adventures with his family or
exploring the city’s eclectic restaurants.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Michael Kalustian to the LACC
family!
Ms. Jessica Cerda is our new First Year Experience counselor. She has
over three years experience working as a community college academic
counselor. Jessica has also taught several counseling courses.
She started her education at a community college, so she is well aware of
what our students are experiencing. Jessica has a Master's in
Educational Counseling and a Bachelors in Psychology.
She has worked as a counselor in the K-12 setting, but her passion is to help
community college students accomplish their dreams of a higher
education.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Jessica Cerda to the LACC family!
Professor Jessica Cerda
LACC Counseling Department
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Mr. Can Aksoy earned his M. A. and Ph.D. in English from the University
of California, Santa Barbara, and has been teaching writing and English
for eight years.
In addition to writing instruction, he specializes in contemporary american
literature and materialist aesthetics, teaches both online courses, and
science writing classes.
Outside of his work in English, Can is a competitive ballroom dancer,
painter, and designs furniture and jewelry."
Professor Can Aksoy, PH.D.
LACC English Department
Join us in welcoming faculty member Can Aksoy to the LACC family!
Mr. Michael Manous grew up in nearby Lynwood, CA, before moving north
to earn his bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy from UC Berkeley.
Upon returning home, he taught at the K-12 level and then pursued his
graduate education at UC Riverside, where he earned his Master’s degree
and his Ph.D. in English, specializing in Medieval and Renaissance
literature.
Over the years, he has presented papers at numerous conferences,
conducted extensive research at the Huntington Library’s archives, and
published scholarly articles on—and found inspiration in—some of the most
outlandish travel adventures and travel writings of the English Renaissance.
He has taught English composition, basic skills, ESL, and Shakespeare at
colleges and universities across the southland, including UCR, Pasadena
City College, and, most recently, Riverside City College.
Professor Michael Manous, PH.D.
LACC English Department
Michael enjoys backpacking around the world, hiking the local mountains,
rooting on the LA sports teams, and spending quality time with his rather
large family. He is thrilled to be joining the English-ESL Department and the
entire LACC community.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Michael Manous to the LACC family!
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Ms. Bertha M. Medrano, better known as “Marlene” is a native Angeleno
and taught at the K-12 level for the Los Angeles Unified School District before deciding to pursue a doctorate in history.
Photo Not Available
She received her Ph.D. in history from Indiana University. Since then, she
has taught classes about the United States, Mexico, Latin America, World
History in California, Texas, and Minnesota.
Her research interests include U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, Women's History
and Public Health. “Marlene” is very excited to join LACC’s History department and is looking forward to being part of the mission on student success.
Professor Bertha “Marlene” Medrano PH.D.
LACC History Department
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Professor Robert McKinley
LACC Kinesiology Department
Join us in welcoming faculty member Bertha M. Medrano (“Marlene”) to the
LACC family!
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Ms. Camile Goulet has been a member of the Los Angeles Community
College District for 20+ years where she headed the Office of General
Counsel. Camile’s legal experience extends to knowledge in litigation,
procurement transactions, regulatory, administrative, and legislative.
She has extensive expertise in HR law, employment/labor law, union law,
and collective bargaining. Ms. Goulet was first introduced to a potential
career in law while a student at Rio Hondo College before she transferred to
the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts
in Legal Studies.
She received her Juris Doctorate with Honors from the University of the
Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Camile Goulet to the LACC family!
Professor Camile Goulet, J. D.
LACC Law Department
Ms. Anna Lê (pronounced “lay”) grew up in San Jose, California, where she
earned a B.S. and M.S. in Biology from San Jose State University. As a graduate
student, Anna discovered a passion in teaching and in Biology, specifically
Microbiology and Physiology. She has since taught many subjects in Biology
including Microbiology, General Biology, Physiology, and Anatomy.
Growing up in a low-income, Southeast Asian household that spoke very little
English, she relied heavily on career guidance from professors. For that reason,
Anna feels strongly about helping students as much as she can, especially
students with challenges and obstacles to higher education.
She hopes to continuously incorporate innovative teaching methods to keep a
forever changing diversity of students engaged and set up for success.”
Join us in welcoming faculty member Anna Le to the LACC family!
Assistant Professor Anna Le
LACC Microbiology Department
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Professor Ha Nguyen
LACC Mathematic Department
Mr. Nate Light was appointed Assistant Professor of Music at Los Angeles City
College in the Fall of 2015. He teaches courses in commercial music and music
technology as well as applied bass and applied music production.
Mr. Light has logged thousands of live performances and recording sessions with
artists as diverse as Jason Alexander, Bleu, Bob Mintzer, Brad Ellis, Das Klown,
and Debbie Gibson, just to name a few. He has performed live on nationally
televised shows including The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, and The
View. His playing can be heard on countless albums, commercials, and feature
films. His band, The Janks, is a mainstay on the L.A. indie rock scene and has
been heralded by L.A. Weekly as one of L.A.’s best live bands.
Assistant Professor Nathan Light
LACC Music Department
Mr. Light studied music at Humboldt State University and later transferred to the
University of Miami where he received his Bachelor of Music degree with a double
major in Jazz Studies and Classical Performance on a full-tuition scholarship. He
also holds a Master of Music Degree in Jazz Studies from the University of
Southern California. He was previously an adjunct faculty member at Cypress
College and has been a guest lecturer at USC.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Nathan Light to the LACC family!
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Ms. Christiana Baskaran completed her BSN in 1990 from Bharathiar University,
Coimbatore, India. She worked as an ICU (intensive care unit) nurse for 2 years
before pursuing a teaching career. In 1995 she completed her MSN from the Tamil
Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, South India, with the focus on Medical Surgical Nursing.
Ms. Baskaran came to the U.S. in 2002 and started as a telemetry nurse at
Centinela Hospital Medical Center, where she worked for 4 years. She completed
her Ph.D program at UCLA School of Nursing with a focus on educating nurses in
the prevention of HIV/AIDS in India in June, 2014.
Ms. Baskaran is the Director of Nursing at Los Angeles City College Nursing
Program. She has a vision to continue the focus on student success in the nursing
department and is confident that she can achieve this through a collaborative
approach with support from the nursing faculty and administration.
Professor Christiana Baskaran, PH.D
Director of Nursing
LACC Nursing Department
Join us in welcoming faculty member Christiana Baskaran to the LACC Family!
Ms. Nicole Belle is the new Media Arts instructor in the Photography
discipline. She has been teaching digital classes as an adjunct instructor at
LACC for the past year in addition to teaching classes at Glendale College,
UCLA, Otis College of Art and Design, UC Irvine and UC Riverside.
Nicole earned a B.F.A. (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Photography at the Rochester
Institute of Technology and a M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts) in Visual Art at UC
Riverside.
Nicole's professional experience includes working for the Associated Press and
as the studio assistant to artist and photographer Catherine Opie. Nicole has
plans to work together with her peers in the Photography department on
improving and growing the digital photography program.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Nicole Belle to the LACC Family!
Professor Nicole Belle
LACC Media Arts Department
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Ms. Julie Washenik returns to LACC as a student success story. She received
her Associate of Science Degree in 2014, along with several prestigious
awards, and graduated as Cum Laude.
Ms. Washenik brings 14 years of expertise in Medical Imaging, including
Radiology, Fluoroscopy, Mammography and Bone Densitometry. She worked
as a Medical Photographer and Digital Media Specialist in the Imaging
Department at New York University (NYU) Medical Center in New York, and as
a Digital Media Consultant for lecturers at medical conferences in New York
and Los Angeles.
Ms. Washenik gained further work experience as a Graphics/Digital Media
Project Manager for Maximlegal in New York .
Professor Julie Washenik
LACC Rad Tech./Didactic Department
Later she received her Bachelor of Science in Digital Media & Communications
from NYU with areas of concentration in 3D Animation and Graphic Design,
and was awarded NYU’s Founder Day Award.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Julie Washenik to the LACC Family!
Mr. Anthony “Tony” Maggio has performed at the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles
Theatre Center, Pasadena Playhouse, Odyssey Theatre, Evidence Room, Plaza de
la Raza, Stages, John Anson Ford Theatre, Segerstrom Center, LA Theatre Works
and the Colony Theatre in Los Angeles. Tony has also performed with Playwrights
Horizons and the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York.
He has received six Drama-Logue Awards, three LA Weekly Awards, a Garland
Award, an Ovation Award, three Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle nominations and
one LADCC Award for his various performances. Some of his favorite roles include
Billy the Kid in The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, John Merrick in The Elephant
Man, Quentin in After the Fall, Horst in Bent, Prince Conti in La Bete and Tom Joad
in The Grapes of Wrath.
He has acted in over forty film and television roles. A proud graduated and former
adjunct faculty member of the Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy, Tony
holds a B.A. and M.A. from California State University, Los Angeles.
Professor Anthony “Tony” Maggio
LACC Theatre Arts Department
Join us in welcoming faculty member Anthony “Tony” Maggio to the LACC family!
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Tina Kronis is a theatre artist who has been active in the profession for over
30 years. She performed on Broadway and has been a part of many
international tours, both as a performer and director. She has taught master
classes internationally and has served as a professor at California Institute of
the Arts.
Professor Tina Kronis
LACC Theatre Arts Department
Ms. Kronis is the Artistic Director and co-founder of the LA-based
Interdisciplinary theatre company, Theatre Movement Bazaar, a company
dedicated to creating original performance works. Led by principal artists
Kronis + Alger, TMB’s award-winning productions have toured internationally,
merging dance, theatre, and cinema, heightening physicality and remixing
theatre forms to create provocative story telling.
Ms. Kronis is co-creator, director and choreographer on all TMB projects. She
was an adjunct faculty member of the Theatre Academy at Los Angeles City
College prior to being hired as a full-time instructor, emphasizing movement
subspecialty.
Join us in welcoming faculty member Tina Kronis to the LACC family!
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