The School of Arts and Humanities at California State University, Bakersfield is welcoming five new faculty members for the 2023-24 academic year. The Walter W. Stiern Library is also welcoming a new faculty member and is celebrating one librarian who has been promoted to tenure track.
Read more about each of the new faculty below.
Dr. Barrera previously taught literature and writing courses at University of California, Davis, where he also received his Ph.D. His research interests include Latinx literature and California-based literature.
“I am excited and grateful to be contributing to the public education mission of CSUB,” he said.
Dr. Flores is an accomplished scholar in modern Latin American literatures and cultures with 22 years of experience in teaching and administration. His research focuses on ecocriticism, decolonial theory and theory of satire.
Dr. Flores is the author of several articles and books. He recently completed a book on modern literature and culture from Mexico and the Caribbean and Andean regions.
In addition to being a professor, Dr. Flores is serving as chair of the Modern Languages and Literatures Department at CSUB this year.
“I am excited to join CSUB, where I have the opportunities and support needed to use my experience and abilities best for the success of my students and the university,” he said. “I feel welcome and that I belong here. Go `Runners!”
Dr. Ren is a multimedia artist, designer and educator whose works have been published and exhibited across the world. He is the co-founder and chief designer of Expose Art magazine, an international publication highlighting contemporary art, and serves as a vice-chair of the Executive Committee at the Association of Chinese Artists in American Academia.
Dr. Ren’s research is about investigating the relationship between reality and representation found in the tension between human and nature. He is teaching courses on digital media and design at CSUB.
“I am excited to work closely with dedicated students from diverse socioeconomic, cultural and academic backgrounds and collaborate with many amazing faculty in my department at CSUB,” he said.
Dr. Stockwell is coming to CSUB from South Carolina, where he taught high school English language arts (ELA) for eight years and received his Ph.D. His dissertation at Clemson University examined how secondary ELA teachers navigated teaching critical literacy and providing literacy instruction that investigated issues of power in restrictive teaching contexts.
“I’m thrilled to be here at CSUB,” Dr. Stockwell said. “As a former high school ELA teacher, I'm especially excited to work with students in the English Major with Credential Emphasis program.”
Dr. Tian holds a Ph.D. in mass communications from the Newhouse School of Public Communications in Syracuse, New York. She also has a bachelor’s in advertising and a master’s in communication from Fudan University, China.
Dr. Tian’s research examines how social media affects readers’ news-attaining and engagement patterns. She hopes to bring her expertise in these areas to her work at CSUB.
“As an international scholar, I have always enjoyed working with a diverse student body. I have always been enthusiastic about serving a diverse student population and contributing to their success,” she said. “What truly captivates me about CSUB is its vibrancy, inclusiveness and celebration of cultural diversity, making it an exceptionally welcoming place for everyone.”
WALTER W. STIERN LIBRARY
Lattimore’s work in the Walter W. Stiern Library revolves around providing instructional and collection development support to departments within the School of Social Sciences and Education.
She has previously worked at several academic libraries and archives and has been involved with reference, circulation, archival processing as well as volunteer work transcribing oral histories. She is also experienced in interlibrary loan and library instruction.
Lattimore earned her master’s in library and information studies with a concentration in academic librarianship from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“I wanted to work at a public university that served first generation and working students,” she said. “My experience so far has been very welcoming!”
PROMOTION TO TENURE TRACK
After being a full-time adjunct English lecturer for more than 20 years, Penrose was excited to assume her new role over the summer as a library instruction coordinator. In addition to her work in the library, Penrose is also currently pursuing a Ph.D. in library and information management from Manchester Metropolitan University. Her most recent research interests involve educational technology, disability services, accessibility efforts and institutional data analytics.
“It is exciting to finally be an official tenure-track faculty member with somewhat different requirements and expectations,” Penrose said. “I now look forward to expanded opportunities to participate in the continued development of CSUB, supporting faculty and serving students in this season of big changes.”
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