2020-2021 | Faculty Tenure, Promotions and Sabbaticals
Congratulations to the 13 faculty members who have been approved for tenure by the Board of Trustees. Another 21 faculty members received promotions, while 16 other faculty members have been granted sabbatical leaves for the 2020-2021 academic year. The following members of the faculty are being recommended for indefinite tenure by the personnel committees of their respective colleges or departments.
Tenure Approvals
College of Arts & Sciences
Joanne Odden, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences
Dr. Joanne Odden earned her PhD in molecular biology from the University of Oregon and her BS in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Her doctorate examined developmental genetics of neuron fate in fruit flies. Her current research examines the evolution of symbiosis, in bacteria and beetle associations.
Jon Talebreza-May, PhD, MSW, LCSW
Assistant Professor, School of Social Sciences
Dr. Jon Talebreza-May has worked as an assistant professor of social work at Pacific University's Eugene Campus for four years. He has over a decade of clinical practice and supervision experience with diverse populations throughout the lifespan. He continues to see clients in the Eugene area on a volunteer basis as well as provide clinical supervision to social workers seeking advanced licensure.
Marcus Welsh, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Arts & Humanities
Dr. Marcus Welsh teaches all levels of Spanish language at Pacific. In his upper-division Spanish courses he examines culture through studies of food and film. He also teaches First Year Seminar and collaborative short-term travel courses in Spain and Ecuador. Marcus earned his BA from Pacific in 1997.
Lauren Chan, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences
Dr. Lauren Chan has been faculty in the Biology Department since fall of 2015. She completed her BA at UC Berkeley, her PhD at Cornell University, and conducted postdoctoral research at Brigham Young and Duke Universities. She taught at the Claremont Colleges for two years prior to arriving at Pacific. At Pacific, Dr. Chan teaches Evolution & Biodiversity, Vertebrate Zoology, Introductory Biology, Advanced Research Methods, as well as a winter travel course to Ecuador and the Galápagos. Her research with students combines fieldwork with genomic data to answer questions in animal ecology, evolution, and conservation. Lauren’s current research includes work with amphibians, reptiles, and birds locally, in the greater Portland Metro Region, as well as in New Mexico, California and Ecuador.
Chris Templeton, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences
Dr. Chris Templeton began as a faculty member in the Biology Department at Pacific University in 2015 after holding independent fellowships from NSF (US) and NERC (UK) at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, UK from 2009-2015. Dr. Templeton received his PhD from the University of Washington in 2009, a MS from the University of Montana in 2002, and a BS from Denison University in 1999. His research and teaching interests are centered in the fields of animal behavior, cognition, and communication. Research in the Templeton lab focuses on how birds communicate, with Pacific students engaged in research in the lab, at Fernhill Wetlands and other local field sites, and at international field sites in Latin America.
College of Education & College of Health Professions
Andrew Saultz, PhD
Associate Professor, PhD in Education and Leadership Program
Dr. Andrew Saultz is an associate professor of educational policy and the director of the PhD in Education and Leadership. His research focuses on educational federalism, accountability, and the teacher labor market. Dr. Saultz started his career as a high school social studies teacher and served on his local school board.
College of Health Professions
Jennifer Clark, PsyD
Associate Professor, School of Graduate Psychology
Dr. Jennifer Clark is program director and associate professor in the Pacific University School of Graduate Psychology, where she oversees the PsyD program and has led the faculty in various systemic changes to improve the training and education of students. Dr. Clark specializes in areas related to forensic assessment and child welfare. She also provides clinical supervision to Child Track students, teaches the Psychology and Law course as part of the Forensic Track curriculum, and mentors students in dissertation projects.
Alison McLellan, MMS, PA-C
Associate Professor, School of Physician Assistant Studies
Alison McLellan received her master's in medical science from Midwestern University. She has a clinical practice background in obstetrics and gynecology and breast surgical oncology. She has been a PA educator since 2011, and joined Pacific University’s School of Physician Assistant Studies as the director of academic education and didactic faculty in 2017. McLellan serves on the Physician Assistant Education Association PACKRAT Exam Development Board. Her scholarly interests include graduate student assessment and professionalism.
Brent Norris, MPAS, PA-C
Associate Professor, School of Physician Assistant Studies
Norris received his BS in secondary education in social and biological sciences at Idaho State University and his MS at Idaho State University, Department of Physician Assistant Studies. Norris has worked as an Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant throughout Idaho spending most of his time in rural underserved areas. He is a faculty member in the School of Physician Assistant Studies, teaching in Emergency Medicine, Musculoskeletal and Simulation courses. He continues to practice acute care medicine in Immediate and Urgent Cares within the greater Portland Metro Area.
Theresa Lafavor, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Graduate Psychology
Dr. Theresa Lafavor received her doctorate in developmental psychopathology and clinical science at the University of Minnesota in 2012 and her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Lafavor joined the clinical psychology PhD faculty in the School of Graduate Psychology in 2014. Her program of research examines the effect of risk and adversity on development across the lifespan.
Ruth Zúñiga, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Graduate Psychology
Dr. Ruth Zúñiga is an associate professor and the director of the Sabiduría: Latinx Psychology Emphasis, a program focused on preparing graduate psychology students to work with the Latinx community. Dr. Zúñiga also acts as a bilingual clinical supervisor at the Pacific Psychology and Comprehensive Health Clinic. She is originally from Costa Rica, a first-generation immigrant, first generation college student and well involved in the local Latinx community. Her research and practice are focused on integrated and interdisciplinary health are, diabetes management, cross-cultural issues, Latinx psychology and community-based interventions and evaluations.
College of Optometry
Paula Luke, OD, FAAO
Associate Professor
Dr. Paula Luke is an associate professor in the college of optometry. Her areas of interest are in vision therapy, pediatrics and neuro-rehabilitation. Prior to teaching at Pacific, she held positions at two other optometry schools before returning to her alma mater in 2016. She graduated optometry school at Pacific in 2008 and completed her residency in 2009. Dr. Luke currently serves as the chief of vision therapy and teaches in the areas of interest in the classroom and clinics.
Caroline Ooley, OD, FAAO
Associate Professor
Dr. Caroline Ooley is an associate professor in the College of Optometry. She joined Pacific’s faculty in 2014 after graduating from the Pacific University College of Optometry and completing a residency in ocular disease and primary care at the Portland VA Hospital. Dr. Ooley teaches in the Systemic Disease and Ocular Anatomy courses, advises interns in clinic, and continues to work one day a week doing direct patient care at the Portland VA Hospital. In her spare time, she enjoys backpacking (nationally and internationally) as well as exploring the world of fermentation making bread, beer, and kombucha.
Faculty Promotions in Rank
Tenure Promotions
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
College of Arts & Sciences
Marcus Welsh | School of Arts and Humanities
Lauren Chan | School of Natural Sciences
Chris Templeton | School of Natural Sciences
College of Health Professions
Alison McLellan | School of Physician Assistant Studies
Brent Norris | School of Physician Assistant Studies
Theresa Lafavor | School of Graduate Psychology
Ruth Zúñiga | School of Graduate Psychology
Colleges of Education and Health Professions
Andrew Saultz | PhD in Education and Leadership Program
College of Optometry
Caroline Ooley
Non-Tenure Promotions
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Mike Bridges, PT, DPT
As a mechanical engineer, clinician, and clinical manager Dr. Bridges blends his backgrounds to foster physical therapy students in their understanding of clinical biomechanics and their growth in becoming skilled practitioners. His skills are diverse and aid in the students’ experience throughout their time in the program. He offers unique perspectives and supports the students in many ways.
Trent Westrick, AuD
Dr. Westrick joined the School of Audiology at Pacific University in 2014. He has taught and developed didactic and clinical courses in a wide variety of content areas, including amplification, ototoxicity, cerumen management, hands-on laboratory courses, and clinical seminar courses. He also supervises student-clinicians while seeing patients in the Pacific EarClinic. In addition to extensive service within the School of Audiology and the College of Health Professions, Dr. Westrick is the 2019 President of the Oregon Academy of Audiology.
Leigh Schaid, AuD
Dr. Schaid joined Pacific University in June 2014. She teaches pediatric-related coursework and provides clinical services and student supervision in Pacific EarClinic primarily to the pediatric population. Her clinical and research interests include pediatric diagnostics and newborn hearing screening follow-up care.
Sarah Faro, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP
Dr. Faro joined Pacific University School of Pharmacy in 2015. She is a clinical pharmacy specialist practicing at Randall Children’s Hospital in the inpatient unit working closely with pediatric hematology/oncology patients. Dr. Faro is active in the profession with responsibilities and engagement with many national pharmacy organizations (ACCP, AACP, HOPA, ASHP) as well as locally. She is a CV reviewer/mentor for students and is working with students currently to advance their exposure to clinical practice through her role at the University as Clinical Practice Learning Track Coordinator and also teaches and mentors in the Precision Medicine Learning Track.
Jeff Fortner, PharmD
Dr. Fortner received his doctor of pharmacy degree from Oregon State University in 2004, then worked and managed in community pharmacy until transitioning in early 2008 to full-time faculty position with the School of Pharmacy. He teaches primarily in the first year of the program in a variety of courses to help prepare student for their introductory practice experiences in the pharmacy profession. In addition to teaching, Dr. Fortner maintains a clinical practice site at an independent compounding and community pharmacy to sustain his interest in compounding, retain his community pharmacy roots and remain current with the profession.
Edward Saito, PharmD, BCACP
Dr. Saito, originally from Honolulu, Hawai‘i, earned his doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. He then completed a Post-Graduate Year One (PGY1) pharmacy practice residency with a focus in Family Medicine at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, NC. Most recently, he completed a Post-Graduate Year Two (PGY2) Ambulatory Care specialty residency at Kaiser Permanente Colorado. In his current position with Pacific University, he teaches and precepts students in the doctor of pharmacy program and practices as a clinical pharmacist at Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in Cornelius, Ore., where he works collaboratively with providers to manage patients’ chronic diseases. Dr. Saito was also appointed as Residency Program Director in 2018 and oversees the training and development of two PGY2 ambulatory care pharmacy residents.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR TO FULL PROFESSOR
Jann Purdy, PhD
Dr. Jann Purdy is an associate professor of French and chair of International Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. She has taught at Pacific since 2004. In 2013, she received Pacific's first "Engaged Faculty Award" for her work in civic engagement courses for the World Languages Department. She is the editor of a volume of essays on service-learning pedagogy for language programs, entitled Language Beyond the Classroom (Cambridge Scholars, 2018). Although she received her doctorate in French studies from UC Berkeley and has enjoyed teaching French language and literature for the past 30 years, she recently earned certification as an educator and trainer within her field of passion: intercultural communication. Dr. Purdy developed Pacific’s Global Skills Program to teach cross-cultural skills to students studying abroad or preparing for careers requiring intercultural communication. She has contributed to the inception and development of Pacific’s new Global Scholars Program and recently co-organized a symposium on Global Learning at the Intercultural Competence Conference (Tucson, 2020). She looks forward to continuing to work on Pacific’s initiatives to promote intercultural competence.
Paige Baugher, PhD
Dr. Paige Baugher has been the chair of biology at Pacific University since the fall of 2018. She completed her doctoral work in molecular biology at the University of Texas at Austin in 2005, and went on to an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn. She came to Pacific University in 2008 as an assistant professor and was awarded tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in the spring of 2012. Her research interests include breast cancer metastasis, photodynamic therapies for bone cancer, natural products chemistry, and high altitude physiology.
Andrew Dawes, MA, PhD
Dr. Andrew Dawes joined the faculty at Pacific in 2008 following his doctoral work at Duke University. His photonics and quantum optics research group provides summer and capstone opportunities for undergraduates, and since 2012 he has been awarded over $450,000 in external funding through the National Science Foundation. In addition to his role in the Physics Department, Dr. Dawes teaches in the College of Optometry and is actively involved in the campus Makerspace.
Krishnan Ramaya, PhD
Dr. Krishnan Ramaya teaches the capstone strategy course at the undergraduate and graduate level as well as courses in international business, technology management and entrepreneurship. His primary area of research is in sustainable competitive advantage, technology innovation and more recently in healthcare management
Todd Twyman, PhD
Dr. Todd Twyman teaches courses in applied human development, research methods, assessment, and social studies teaching methods. His research focuses on developing classroom-based assessment to increase K-12 student achievement. Current projects include developing and validating curriculum-based measures (CBM) for middle/secondary students and validating concept-based instruction as a means of increasing student learning in inclusive settings. He is a member of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), SIG 100: Research Use, and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).
Isaac Gilman, MLIS
As dean of the University Libraries, Isaac Gilman leads the Libraries' faculty and staff in delivering resources and services to students and faculty across all of Pacific's programs and campuses. As dean, he has focused on strengthening the Libraries’ role as a central hub for academic support; he current research focuses on transforming library services to better serve first-generation college students. Previously, as a library faculty member, he taught courses in both the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and College of Health Professions, led the development of the Libraries’ journal publishing services, and spearheaded the launch of Pacific University Press.
Sabbatical Leaves
College of Arts & Sciences
Brian Jackson, “The eyes tell the story”: Using eye-tracking technology as a method of understanding human behavior
Lisa Szefel, "THINK or Die: Ezra Pound, Fascism, and the Fate of Democracy"
Michael Burch-Pesses, I propose to conduct research in Canada that would result in a second edition of my book, "Canadian Band Music: A Qualitative Guide to Canadian Composers and Their Works for Band."
David Cordes, "Integrating Art and Science: Painting the Chemistry of Mind-Altering Drugs"
Christine Guenther, "Convergence Stability of the Ricci Flow on Non-compact Manifolds"
Jennifer Hardacker, "Bikes, Water, and Improving Post-Production Sound Skills"
Joanne Odden, "Investigating Evolutionary Patterns of Wolbachia Bacteria and their Beetle Hosts to Examine the Evolution of Symbiosis"
Tim Stephens, "Choral Reflections on James Joyce’s Chamber Music"
Chadd Williams, "Teaching Operating Systems concepts on a Raspberry Pi"
College of Education
Mark Bailey, "The Nature of Learning Outdoors"
Amanda Stead, "Next Generation Simulation Training & Credentialing"
Karren Timmermans, "Vision & Literacy"
College of Health Professions
Katherine Elder, "Appetite Awareness Training-Bariatric Surgery Version (AAT-BSV): Adaptation of a CBT-based eating disorder treatment for bariatric surgery patients"
College of Optometry
JP Lowery, "Development of a tablet-based App for Acuity/ Contrast Testing of Non-verbal Patients"
Lorne Yudcovitch, "Development of Ocular Disease & Therapeutics Course Content and Evaluation of Artificial Intelligence in Ocular Disease Diagnosis"
University Libraries
Rachel Arkoosh, "Allied Health Student Information Needs through the Lens of Information Usage"