Meet your FLC Facilitators
Kate Steckmest
She, Her, Hers
ESOL Instructor
Academic Foundations
kate.steckmest@pcc.edu
Kate started her journey at PCC as a student in 2008 when she first moved to Portland, balancing part-time courses in Anthropology with part-time work as a bilingual teacher. Since then, she has obtained two BAs, one in Spanish and another in International Development Studies from PSU, as well as an MA in TESOL. She has also gained experience living and working as an educator throughout Latin America, Oceania, Europe, and Canada. She recently moved back to Portland and is thrilled to teach at PCC and support students in their language-learning journeys.
In her free time, she enjoys exploring Portland by bike and improving her Spanish and Italian language skills by participating in language exchanges and book and film clubs. She also enjoys being involved in the local community and has been volunteering as a mentor with Refugee Care Collective.
Wilson Nitunga
Business Administration & Entrepreneurship Instructor
Business, Community, & Workforce Development Pathway
wilson.nitunga@pcc.edu
Wilson Nitunga is a Faculty of Business Administration & Entrepreneurship. Wilson is interested in the AI field. Wilson’s focus on AI has allowed him to become an avid AI user, an AI Curriculum Integration Lead and he has successfully completed the Applied Data Science Program through MIT professional education. Currently, he is finishing Intel’s AI For Workforce program.
When he is not in the classroom, Wilson develops technology programs and inclusive leadership training programs for K-12 and colleges across the country. Through consultation, curriculum development and community engagement programs, he is focused on closing the opportunity gap, today, and helping companies and education systems meet the demands of the future workforce.
Sandy Sampson
She, Her, Hers
Art Department Instructor
AHCD Pathway
sandy.sampson@pcc.edu
Sandy teaches studio art, as a PT faculty at Cascade campus. In addition to teaching at PCC, she is an artist. Her current practice focuses on socially engaged projects utilizing a variety of media and processes, including teaching. She also has a 40+ year exhibition history inclusive of traditional media. She is 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 everyday. Sandy’s dream come true is the opportunity to learn and build collaboratively with a small cohort of faculty across multiple disciplines.
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.
Manjula Bhatia
She, Her, Hers
Computer science/ Computer Information Science Instructor
Computing & Engineering Pathway
manjula.bhatia@pcc.edu
With over 20 years of experience as IBM’s authorized training partner, Manjula has conducted global workshops on IBM software development tools and methodologies. She has also collaborated with GE in India, facilitating leadership workshops for senior hires, emphasizing growth values and communication skills. Passionate about education, She partnered with IBM’s Career Education Initiative, bringing technical education to engineering and business schools in India and neighboring countries. Since moving to the US in 2019, she has been a Microsoft TEALS volunteer mentor, guiding high school students in computer science.
In fall 2022, she joined PCC as a part-time faculty member, teaching Computer Science and Information Systems, reinforcing my dedication to education and future generations.
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.
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.
Samm Erickson
He, Him
English Department Instructor and Coordinator with CTLE
Foundations Pathway
samm.erickson@pcc.edu
Samm Erickson is starting his 23rd year teaching Reading and Writing at PCC and has been working with the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence for nearly a decade. He has a long history facilitating faculty learning spaces around critical issues in education, working to create communities at the intersection of comfort and challenge in order to push forward the critical work of equity in the classroom. When he isn’t working, Samm is a family man, an avid gardener, and sports enthusiast.