More than 50 new faculty members joined UCCS this fall. In the next few weeks, they will be introduced to the campus. Today, meet 18 assistant professors from the College of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering and Applied Science, Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences and Kraemer Family Library.
Laith Al-Shawaf, assistant professor, Psychology Department, College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Al-Shawaf was previously a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study, Berlin, Germany, and an assistant professor at Bilkent University, Turkey. He earned a bachelor’s degree from American University of Beirut, Lebanon, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Todd Bredbenner, assistant professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Applied Science. Bredbenner was previously a senior research engineer at Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, and adjunct faculty at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University, a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University.
Samantha Christiansen, assistant professor, History Department, College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Christiansen was previously an assistant professor of history at Marywood University, Scranton, Pennsylvania, and a visiting assistant professor at Clark University, Worchester, Massachusetts. She earned a bachelor’s degree from UCCS and master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Northeastern University, Boston.
Laura Collins, assistant professor, English Department, College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Collins was previously an instructor at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, and a teaching assistant at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, and a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.
Anna Faria, assistant professor, Economics Department, College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Faria was previously a graduate lecturer at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, and a supplemental instructor at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia. She earned a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and master’s and Ph.D. degrees from George Mason University.
Lynn Gates, assistant professor, Technical Services Department, Kraemer Family Library. Gates was previously head of archives and cataloging division at Thomas C. Donnelly Library, New Mexico Highlands University, and assistant professor at UCCS. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College and a master of library and information science degree from Rutgers University.
Kylie Swanson Hoyle, assistant professor, Teaching and Learning Department, College of Education. Hoyle was previously a research assistant and teacher assistant at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree from University of North Carolina, and a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University.
Matthew Jabaily, assistant professor, Technical Services Department, Kraemer Family Library. Jabaily was previously an information services librarian at Paul Barret, Jr. Library, Rhodes College, Memphis Tennessee, and an integrated library systemlLibrarian at McWherter Library, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and a master’s degree from University of Wisconsin.
Ben Kinsley, assistant professor, Visual and Performing Arts Department, College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Kinsley was previously a professorial lecturer of media/new practices at American University, and an adjunct assistant professor, Carnegie Mellon School of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He earned a BFA degree from The Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA degree from Carnegie Mellon University.
Andrew Klocko, assistant professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Klocko was previously a research associate and a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Oregon’s Institute of Molecular Biology, Eugene, Oregon. He received a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland and a Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin, Madison.
James Kovacs, assistant professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Kovacs was previously a visiting assistant professor at Colorado College and an adjunct professor at Emmanuel College, Boston, Massachusetts. He earned two bachelor’s degrees from Goshen College, a master’s of science degree from University of Colorado, Denver, and a Ph.D. from University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Federico Martinez-Garcia, assistant professor, Access Services Department, Kraemer Family Library. Martinez-Garcia was previously head of access services at the University of Missouri Libraries, Columbia, Missouri, and access service manager at the Downtown Phoenix Campus Library, Phoenix, Arizona. He earned two bachelor’s degrees and two master’s degrees from the University of Arizona.
Suhaan Mehta, assistant professor, English Department, College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Mehta was previously a full-time lecturer at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, and a visiting lecturer at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Xavier’s College, a master’s from Mumbai University and master’s and Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.
Jennifer Miller, assistant professor, Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Miller was previously a lecturer and BSN lead faculty at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington. She earned bachelor’s.and Ph.D. degrees in nursing from Washington State University and a master’s from Whitworth University.
Robert Mitchell, assistant professor, Leadership, Research and Foundations Department, College of Education. Mitchell was previously director of educator preparation for the Colorado State Department of Higher Education and a lecturer and program manager at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. He earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Colorado Boulder, a master’s degree from Northeastern University, and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
Brian Payne, assistant professor, Accounting and Finance Department, College of Business. Payne was previously a professor of management at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and a lecturer at UCCS. He earned a bachelor’s degree from USAFA, master’s degree from aHarvard University and a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska.
Katie Sullivan, assistant professor, Communication Department, College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Sullivan was previously an associate professor at Lund University, Lund, Sweden, and affiliate faculty at the University of Denver, Denver, Colorado. She has earned bachelor’s degree from Augustana College, a master’s degree from University of South Dakota and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Utah.
We are excited to have Dr. Al-Shawaf here on campus in the Psychology Department. We encourage students to find out more about his interesting expertise and research in evolutionary psychology.
Congratulations and welcome!