Meet the New Faculty Members

Cal State Fullerton’s newest instructional faculty members, reporting for work this fall, include 19 on the tenure track, two visiting professors and three full-time lecturers.

On The Tenure Track

Nancy R. Ahern
Associate professor of nursing
Ph.D. nursing, University of Central Florida
M.S.N. University of Delaware
M.Ed. education, Salisbury University
B.S.N. University of Delaware
Research interests: resilience and risks in college students online learning, cultural competence 

Joao A. Barros
Assistant professor of kinesiology
Ph.D. motor behavior, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
M.S. and B.S. physical education, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Joseph Costantine
Assistant professor of electrical engineering
Ph.D. electrical engineering, University of New Mexico
M.E. computer and communications engineering, American University of Beirut
Diploma electrical, electronics-computer and communications engineering, Lebanese University
Research interests: Reconfigurable systems and antennas; reconfigurable antennas for cognitive radio and MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) applications; antenna design for wireless communication; RF (radio frequency) electronic design; and microwave engineering

Eugene M. Fujimoto
Assistant professor of educational leadership
Ph.D. educational policy studies, University of Wisconsin
M.A., applied behavioral science, City University, Bellevue
B.A. psychology, UC Santa Barbara
Research interests: higher education and its democratizing function in society, including the role of community colleges; leadership in policies and practices which affect equitable access and outcomes for students; theories of power and its manifestation in diverse educational institutions

Harmonie A. Hawley
Assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering
Ph.D. civil engineering, Rutgers-State University of New Jersey
B.S. and M.S. civil engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Research interests: Quality and chemical characterization of water, waste water and air; merging contaminants and technology

Philip A. Janowicz
Assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Ph.D. chemistry, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
B.S. chemistry and brain and cognitive science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Research interests: Online organic chemistry, tracking data related to student effort, automating organic examinations and facilitating a personalized teaching approach through the internet

Minjung Kim
Assistant professor of human communication studies
Ph.D. speech and hearing sciences, University of Washington
M.A. and B.A. English, Korea University
Research interests: Cross-linguistic research on speech sound acquisition, multilingual speech development and speech sound disorders in children
Language spoken other than English: Korean
Hobbies: hiking and playing the violin

Matthew P. Llewellyn
Assistant professor of kinesiology
Ph.D. kinesiology, Penn State
M.A. kinesiology, Cal State Long Beach
B.s.c. kinesiology, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
Research interests: History of sport and culture in the modern world with particular emphasis on the late 19th- and 20th-century Great Britain specific research concentrates on the role of sport in the creation of modern societies and the modern Olympic Games.
Hobbies: Avid soccer fan and life-long supporter of Liverpool

Ruth T. Mielke
Assistant professor of nursing
Ph.D. Azusa Pacific University
M.S. University of Minnesota
B.S.N. Emory University
Research interests: Gestational weight gain, obesity and pregnancy, diabetes and pregnancy, Hispanic women's health issues
Fun fact: "As a nurse-midwife, I have delivered more than 2,000 babies."
Hobbies: Singing in a 150-voice church choir
Favorite book: "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks

David A. Naish
Assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering
Ph.D., M.S. and B.S. civil and environmental engineering, UCLA
Research interests: Structural and earthquake engineering, with a focus on testing and behavior of reinforced concrete and structural steel subjected to seismic loading

Nicholas T. Salzameda
Assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Ph.D. chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno
B.A. chemistry, University of San Diego
Research interests: Developing small molecule inhibitors of protein-protein interactions related to human health and disease

Sumantra Sengupta
Assistant professor of management
Ph.D., M.A. business administration, Ohio State University
M.S., B.S. applied mathematics, Ohio University
Research interests: extended global value chain management; global governance for outsourcing/virtual model; IT relevancy in health care, manufacturing and retail industries; applied quantitative methods and operations

Karen Stocker
Assistant professor of anthropology
Ph.D. anthropology, University of New Mexico
M.A. and B.A., Latin American studies, University of New Mexico
Research interests: Latin American race and ethnicity, identity, indigenous peoples, tourism and globalization, education, applied anthropology and feminist anthropology
Language spoken other than English: Spanish

Douglas J. Swanson
Associate professor of communications
Ed.D. higher education teaching, Oklahoma State University
M.A. and B.S. communication, Eastern New Mexico University
Research interests: mentoring/workplace development, new media use by religious organizations, use of social media within public relations

Atul Teckchandani
Assistant professor of management
Ph.D. business administration, UC Berkeley
M.B.A., University of Texas, Austin
M.S. electrical engineering, Santa Clara University
B.S. electrical engineering and computer sciences, UC Berkeley
Research interests: community ecology of organizations and social relations, social networks and entrepreneurship
Language spoken other than English: Hindi
Favorite book: “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri

Erika M. Thomas
Assistant professor of human communication studies
Ph.D. candidate, communication, Wayne State University
M.A. communication, Miami University, Ohio
B.A. communication, John Carroll University
Research interests: rhetorical criticism and theory, critical/cultural theory, gender, sex, sexuality studies, rhetoric of the body
Fun facts: recently engaged; owns three cats
Hobbies: hiking/walking, spending time at the beach, playing Nintendo Wii
Favorite book: Harry Potter series

Natalie A. Tran
Assistant professor of secondary education
Ph.D educational leadership and policy analysis, University of Wisconsin-Madison
M.Ed. science education and B.S. psychobiology, UCLA
Research interests: Instructional practices and social contexts affecting student learning in science both in within and out-of-school settings
Language interests: fluent in Vietnamese
Hobbies: Traveling the world
Favorite book: "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins

Kathleen S. Wilson
Assistant professor of kinesiology
Ph.D. and M.Sc. kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan
B.Kin., University of Calgary
Research interests: Social influences for physical activity, examining correlates of physical activity adherence and maintenance
Hobbies: softball, reading, crafts

Miguel Zavala
Assistant professor of secondary education
Ph.D. education, urban schooling, UCLA
M.S. sociology of education, Cornell
B.A. philosophy, UCLA
Research Interests: Social justice teaching, community organizing, decolonizing methodologies and political economy approaches to education
Language spoken other than English: Spanish
Favorite Book: "Philosophy of Liberation" by Enrique Dussel

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Visiting Professors

Mary K. Krizan
Professor of philosophy
From University of Colorado, Boulder

C. Thi Nguyen
Professor of philosophy
From UCLA

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Full-time Lecturers

Patrick Pearson
Lecturer in theater and dance
M.F.A. in directing, Cal State Fullerton
B.F.A. musical theatre, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX

John M. Preble
Lecturer in social work
M.S.W. Cal State Fresno
B.S. applied behavioral science, UC Davis

Ronni L. Sanlo
Lecturer in educational leadership
M.Ed, Ed.D, University of North Florida
Bachelor of Music, University of Florida
Research interests: Retention and persistence of homosexual and bisexual undergraduates; creating socially just divisions of student affairs and college campuses
Fun fact: "Rotten golfer but my purple golf cart is hot!"
Hobbies: Pickleball, hiking, golf, writing, marketing my memoir called "The Purple Golf Cart: Stories of an Unconventional Grandma"
Favorite book: "Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral" by Kris Radish and Kenneth A. Shaw's "The Intentional Leader"

In addition, the university has hired two counselors — William R. Concepcion and Carolyn O'Keefe.