Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Tim Krause

He, Him, His
ESOL Instructor
Academic Foundations
timothy.krause@pcc.edu

Tim Krause teaches ESOL at PCC’s Southeast campus as well as online for the Open University of Catalonia. He holds an MA/TESOL degree from Portland State University as well as bachelor’s degrees in Spanish from PSU and theater arts from Southwest Minnesota State University. Tim often presents and publishes on themes of social justice and technology in the classroom. In 2019, he received an OER Champion award from Open Oregon Educational Resources, and in 2020 a peer-nominated Excellence Award from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development. Prior to becoming a teacher, his professional career encompassed arts and theater administration, civic engagement, journalism, and publishing.

Michelle Huss

She, Her, Hers
Biology Instructor
SCI/Tech/Engin Pathway
michelle.huss@pcc.edu

I have been a part of the PCC teaching family for 15 years and I am elated to learn more about creating FLC’s with everyone here. I teach several courses including human genetics, general biology course series, A&P course series, biology for major’s course series, and a few environmental science courses. I am interested in building community and learning with other faculty. I am also interested in continuing to empower students to drive their own educational experience with open pedagogy. I hope to deepen my antiracist knowledge and take it to the implementation and action stage with other faculty in my pathway.

Davida Jordan

She, Her, Hers
PT ESOL Instructor
Academic Foundations, Essentials, and Gateways Pathway
davida.jordan@pcc.edu

With over 20 years of experience teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, I bring a deep understanding of language, grammar, instruction, and materials development. At the same time, I am always learning on the job by interacting with students from all over the world, teaching new courses, and creating new activities and courses. I embrace opportunities for professional development. I have a passion for language and culture and am nourished by the richness of diversity in my classroom. As a teacher, my job is to help my students to learn how to thrive in the United States while maintaining their own unique cultures. I am excited to share my knowledge and make new connections with my colleagues in my Pathway with the goal of advancing equitable student success at PCC.

Peter Ritson

He, Him, His
Environmental Center
peter.ritson@pcc.edu

Peter Ritson, Ph.D., is the Environmental Center Coordinator at PCC. He serves as a student mentor and faculty facilitator around student equity, achievement and sustainability. He has worked with faculty through collaborative learning communities towards alignment, implementation, and assessment of equitable learning outcomes across all of the STEM programs and departments.

Kelly Kehoe

She, Her, Hers
FT Communication Studies Instructor
AHCD Pathway
kelly.kehoe@pcc.edu

Kelly (they/them) is a communication studies instructor who joined PCC in 2019 after teaching as an adjunct professor for 2 years in southern California. As a student-centered, trauma-informed educator, Kelly is passionate about developing new instructional activities that meaningfully engage students from a variety of cultural backgrounds and learning styles. Kelly’s top 3 goals as an instructor include: optimizing accessibility for disabled and/or neurodiverse students, gamifying education to maximize students’ knowledge acquisition and skill development, and advocating for social justice within the classroom and beyond. When Kelly’s not on campus, Zoom or D2L, you can find them working on DIY projects, hiking or competing in agility with their border collies.

Teresa Langford

She, Her, Hers
Instructor, Business and Entrepreneurship
Business, Community, & Workforce Development Pathway
teresa.langford@pcc.edu

Teresa Langford teaches Accounting, QuickBooks®, and Personal Finance. She is certified by Quality Matters™ as a Higher Education Course Peer Reviewer in improving equity, instructional technology, and accessibility in course design. She writes peer-reviewed articles exploring systemic relations between business/accounting, knowledge paths/goals, and people/business-as-systems. Teresa aims to create an inclusive, equitably useful classroom experience through culturally-relevant courses; and exchanging feedback with colleagues to generate strategies that promote equity and inclusion.

She emphasizes continuous improvements by:

• Improving communication to increase students’ success
• Analyzing data to determine best pedagogy and praxis for teaching and learning
• Integrating culturally-responsive teaching methods to enhance students’ engagement in learning

Holly Cullom

She, Her, Hers
Instructor, English and Women’s & Gender Studies
Academic Foundations Pathway
hcullom@pcc.edu

I have been teaching writing and women’s & gender studies at PCC since the start of the new millennium. Throughout my career, I have explored how to incorporate elements of social justice into my classes through choosing readings, assignments, and activities that foster an inclusive environment that centers the diverse backgrounds of my students. I am excited to work with my colleagues through our faculty learning communities to explore how we can further diversity, equity, and inclusion in our classrooms.

Taryn Oakley

She, Her, Hers
Instructor, Environmental Studies & Resources
Science Pathway
taryn.oakley@pcc.edu

Taryn Oakley has been teaching Environmental Studies and Resources courses at PCC since 2008. In addition to her role as a faculty member, she also serves as one of the Community-Based Learning (CBL) Faculty Coordinators. Taryn is involved with PCC’s Dual Credit Program, the Sustainability Leadership Council and the Cascade Campus Green Team. Currently, she is focused on creating a more equitable and accessible curriculum and building a space where students feel like they belong. Outside of work, Taryn is a mama to two amazing kiddos and a sweet, giant dog. She volunteers as a climate activist with the divestment team at 350PDX as well as with Divest Oregon, a new coalition that is working to divest our PERS retirement system from fossil fuel investments. She loves hiking, photography, yoga, reading, making things, gardening and loves to spend time outside.

Laura Smoyer

She, Her, Hers
Instructor, Math Department
Academic Foundations
laura.smoyer15@pcc.edu

My name is Laura Smoyer. I use she/her pronouns. I teach developmental math classes in the STEM pathway and in the Math Literacy pathway (Math 20, 60, 65, 95, 58 and 98). I have had the opportunity to take part in many learning communities over the years. My favorites have been the Intersectionality Series at Southeast Campus, Teaching Squares through the TLC, Lesson Study with the Math Literacy team, and Creating a Makerspace Culture in Mathematics Learning Community. I love discussing instructional ideas with colleagues, hearing what other people do to best serve our students, and sharing the curiosities and challenges that present as we all evolve as instructors and members of the PCC community.

Rachel Sanchez Thwing

She, Her, Hers
Instructor, 100-level anatomy & physiology, biology department
SCE pathway
rachel.thwing@pcc.edu

I have been teaching college level anatomy & physiology for about 12 years. Five years ago, I radically adapted by teaching practice to incorporate culturally responsive teaching (CRT) practices that support student success. Using these practices connected me to my inner knowing as a person that I was serving my community in the best way possible. Students are empowered by being able to discuss physiological processes in such a way that enables them to ask informed questions and make more educated decisions about their own health. The last two months of racial, equity, and FLC training made me realize that my fellow faculty need specialized support and training to increase CRT techniques and centering equity to impact student success.

Kaiwen Amrein

She, Her, Hers
Math Instructor
Academic and Career Foundations
kaiwen.amrein@pcc.edu

Kaiwen has been an instructor at Portland Community College since 2015. Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Kaiwen went to colleges at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and obtained B.A degrees in Math and Psychology, before getting M.S. degree in Math with teaching specialization from University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. Kaiwen believes the essence of education is in fostering students’ critical thinking skills, by engaging students to recognize connections between abstract concepts and their daily life. Her current focus is making math accessible and engaging, especially for underrepresented minority students.

Kelly LeFave

She, Her, Hers
WR Faculty/WR Dual Credit Coordinator
Academic Foundations
kelly.lefave@pcc.edu

I’ve been teaching college writing for most of my adult life and I’ve been at PCC for 15 years. I have an MA in English and an MFA in Poetry. My favorite parts of my work are talking with students one-on-one about their writing and collaborating with students and other faculty on teaching and learning. I grew up on the east coast and have ancestral roots in Louisiana, but moved out west about 20 years ago. I am the grateful mother of two children who have both just completed college! I love long walks, making soup, writing poetry, reading widely and deeply in whatever I become interested in and sharing good conversation.

Julie Hastings

She, Her, Hers
Part Time Faculty, ESOL Department
Academic Foundations Pathway
julie.hastings@pcc.edu

I have been teaching ESOL at PCC since Fall 2008. Before that, I spent eight years as a professor of cultural anthropology in Portland, Philadelphia and Wisconsin. I have taught kids and adults, in and out of classrooms, in the U.S. and abroad. My teaching practice is also informed by my experiences as a student. I use my PCC tuition waiver on classes in aerial arts, ceramics, tap dancing, wine tasting, and stand up paddle boarding. I am excited to be involved in the FLC Program because I love teaching and talking to other teachers about teaching. I am passionate about dismantling systemic racism and the legacies of settler-colonialism in our society. I am committed to empowering students and appreciating them as whole people deserving of respect. I look forward to joining with my peers for a deep dive into how our teaching practices can reflect our values.

Tuba Kayaarasi

She, Her, Hers
Part time Geography Faculty
Public Service, Education & Social Sciences Pathway
tuba.kayaarasi@pcc.edu

Tuba Kayaarasi is a human geographer with a particular interest in cultural geography and feminist political ecology. Her regional focus is Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Tuba holds an M.A. in International Relations with a particular focus on the political economy of the environment and studied the impacts of oil production on the environment and the Ogoni people of Nigeria. In 2006, Tuba earned an M.S. degree in Geography with a focus on gendered impacts of agricultural mechanization and intensive cotton production in Southeastern Turkey. In 2008, Tuba earned her third master’s degree in Education in Leadership in Ecology, Culture, and Learning, focusing on vernacular knowledge, education, and self-determination for indigenous peoples. Tuba currently teaches various human geography courses at PCC including Human Geography, Geography of Africa, Geography of Latin America, and Geography of Global Issues. She also worked at the Immigrant and Refugee Communities Organization (IRCO) as an instructor. The focus of her work at IRCO was to teach basic cultural adaptation skills to newly arrived refugees and immigrants.

Heather Lubay

She, Her, Hers
Full-time faculty in Journalism and Communication
Arts, Humanities, Communication & Design Pathway
heather.lubay@pcc.edu

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Heather is a new full-time instructor in Journalism and Communication Studies and has been a part-time instructor with PCC since 2016, where she teaches both face-to-face and online courses. Heather holds a Master of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Point Park University. She has had extensive involvement with college committees, serving as a member of the Advancement of Educators Committee, the Learning Assessment Council, and the Academic & Career Pathways Implementation Design Team, among others. In addition, she is a Quality Reviewer for Online Learning, is the Journalism Dual-credit Liaison, and has worked as a writer for PCC Community Relations.

Heather can often be found outside the classroom at a baseball field, coaching Little League, or attending Hillsboro Hops games, but her favorite team remains the Pittsburgh Pirates. She is also a public relations freelancer, helping local small businesses build community.

Melissa Goodman Elgar

she/hers, they/theirs
Part-time Faculty in Anthropology
Public Service, Education, and Social Sciences Pathway
melissa.goodmanelgar@pcc.edu

Melissa Goodman Elgar comes from the Bay Area with generations of family from Oregon. My undergraduate studies in the redwoods at the University of California Santa Cruz culminated in a double BA in Biology and Comparative history of religion.

After working in Eugene in biotech, natural health and shamanism, I pursued graduate studies in archaeology at the University of Cambridge in England. For my Master’s, I studied the British Bronze Age specializing in geoarchaeology (the application of earth science to archaeological questions). For my doctorate, I studied sustainable ancient agricultural practices in Peru. I have worked extensively in Peru and Bolivia.

In the UK, I was Director of Studies for the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education. I taught adults at night and developed new classes for the program such as World Archaeology and Archaeological Theory. Returning to the US, I worked at the University of California, Berkeley and Washington State University before joining PCC. My favorite teaching topics concern intersections between nature and culture.

My research in the US includes consulting for the Kalispel Tribe in Washington, the USDA Forest Service in Montana and New Mexico and for private companies. I focus on how human transform landscapes and construct space.

Currently I am enjoying expanding my horizons by taking psychology classes at PCC. I have enthusiastically pursued PCC trainings in equity teaching and issues surrounding White privilege. Currently I am co-leading a Faculty Learning Community on Decolonizing Teaching at PCC. In my personal life, I am raising my wonderful teenage son with my partner. We love sharing music, exercise and the outdoors.

Martha Bailey

She, They
Philosophy and Religious Studies Instructor
Arts, Humanities, Communication, and Design Pathway
mbailey@pcc.edu

Martha Bailey has been teaching at PCC since Spring 2004. She started teaching philosophy, and helped develop the Religious Studies discipline, as well as supporting curriculum development in other areas. Martha did her undergraduate and initial graduate work in Geophysics, and has a broad range of interests, including being an amateur musician. In addition to teaching, other roles Martha holds or has held at PCC include TLC Coordinator; Casual Advisor; NSAR Advisor; SAC Co-Chair; Dual Credit liaison for World Religions; NCORE Academy Fellow, 2021; member of LEAD Academy Cohort 7; participant in UISFL Title VI Grant; presenter in Whiteness History Month; Task Force on Honors Program, Part-time Faculty, Academic Integrity; member of: Committee on Accessible Campus Culture, Delta Alpha Pi Advisory Committee, HARTS Council, AEC Committee, Internationalization Steering Committee, Education Abroad Review Committee, Asian Studies Committee. Martha is a trained CERT Instructor and has been part of the PCC C-CERT.

Sandy Sampson

they, them, theirs
PT faculty in Studio Art
Arts, Humanities, Communication, and Design Pathway
sandy.sampson@pcc.edu

My name is Sandy Sampson (they, them, theirs), I teach studio art, as a PT faculty and Cascade is my home campus. The Art department is in the Arts, Humanities, Communication and Design pathway.

In addition to teaching at PCC I am an artist. My current practice focuses on socially engaged projects utilizing a variety of media and processes, including teaching. I also have a 40+ year exhibition history inclusive of traditional media. I’m proud to be a lifelong learner and one of the founding members of Parallel University, which is a project that encourages and celebrates casual pedagogy every day. The opportunity to learn and build collaboratively over the next year with a small cohort of faculty across multiple disciplines is like a dream come true.