New full time instructors are strarting their first full year as De Anza College faculty this fall, while several others have retired.
Monika Thomas is a Social Sciences and Humanities instructor. A graduate of Cabrillo and UCSC, she has a bachelor’s degree in Global Economics, a master’s in International Economics, and is currently working on her Ph.D. Before coming to De Anza three years ago, Thomas taught at UCSC and SJSU, but described De Anza as “The place I like best!”
Thomas said she was happy and excited to be able to spend more time teaching, citing the diversity and sincerity of her students. She sums up the college experience for many students by quoting Japanese philosopher Daisake Ikeda: “You may feel restricted now, but you should consider your current situation as the perfect set of circumstances for your growth.”
Mark Healy has spent the last eight years at De Anza. He mostly teaches General Psychology and co-faciliates a LinC course but is also a Psychology and Social Action instructor through the Palo Alto University B.S. program available on the De Anza campus.
As a Fortune 500 consultant, Mark puts his experience teaching Statistics and Research Methods to good use. Recently returned from Europe, he said he enjoys trans-oceanic tricycling and is an advocate of full contact Ping Pong. Healy characterized his time at De Anza as the “most fufilling work in my entire career,” and said he is to be able to expand his contribution to the students which he referred to as “my most favorite part of the job.”
Also starting their first full year at De Anza: Ruben Abrica, Spanish and Chicano studies; Cecilia Deck, Journalism; Kei Fischer, Community Organizer; Rebecca Fouquette, Math; Usha Ganeshalingam, Math; Simon Kang’a, Biology; Amy Leonard, English; Rocky Lewycky, Studio Arts; Reza Majlesi, Biology; Maureen Miramontes, Health Technologies; Veronica Neal, Director of Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education; Hung (Tom) Nguyen, Counselor/AANAPISI; Kim Malmore, English; and Erik Woodbury, Chemistry.
Some instructors are retiring, including Ernest Johnson, in Business and Computer Science, officially retired earlier this year.
Susanne Chan is a counselor to international students and will be retiring after next quarter. A 35-year veteran of De Anza, she has spent her career mentoring students, declaring it her duty “as a counsler, as a parent, to take everyone under my wing.”
Chan started at De Anza working with special education and immigrant students, and is proud of having helped to pioneer a relatively new field.
Despite having to weather budget cuts and drops in foreign enrollment from events like the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Chan remembers her time at De Anza as “incredibly gratifying, enriching and rewarding.” She explained that for her, the key to helping students transition is that communicaion is not just about words but body language and empathy that transends language.
See photos of full-time
faculty on p. 4.
Simon Kang’a, Biology (courtesy of De Anza College)
Rebecca Fouquette, MATHEMATICS (courtesy of De Anza College)
Monika Thomas, Economics (courtesy of De Anza College)
Maureen Miramontes, Health Technologies (courtesy of De Anza College)
Reza Majlesi, Biology (courtesy of De Anza College)
