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APSCUF WCU On-line Elections |
Introduction
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The nominees for Faculty Senate At-large Representatives are:
Nominations close Apr 4, 2022. All Regular Faculty may be nominated. |
Rules for the Election
- The election is decided by a plurality of those casting votes.
- Faculty may be nominated as both a school, college, or non-classroom faculty representative and as an at-large representative; however, candidates elected as a school, college, or non-classroom faculty representative will be removed from the list of nominees for the election of at-large representatives.
- Each candidate selected counts as a cast vote.
Tianran Chen
Department: Physics and Engineering
I'm an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Engineering. I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve as an at-large representative on the Faculty Senate. Since arriving at WCU, I have served on and chaired a number of department and campus committees on faculty evaluation, student recruitment, student recognition, and diversity and inclusiveness in the community. In the past couple of years, I have been serving on the CAPC Distributive Subcommittee, the New Faculty Orientation committee, as well as the Physics Department Action Team on Inclusion, Diversity and Under-Representative groups. With my experience, I am eager to work with colleagues across campus, to help address faculty's voices and promote the growth of WCU faculty and students, and to help foster a positive and inclusive University environment. Thank you for your consideration.
Daniel Forbes
Department: Philosophy
I have served three terms in the Faculty Senate (having served three years as a Senate proxy before that) and currently serve on its Executive Committee in the role of Recording Secretary. The Senate is increasingly important as a forum for regular and temporary faculty to use their voice through shared governance to contribute collaboratively to shaping the future of our university and community. Faculty Senate focuses on issues of campus climate and contributes immensely to conversations that have an impact on faculty, staff, students, and our region. Faculty Senate helps WCU to stand out as an institution of higher learning that celebrates diversity and cultivates a community where students can earn a useful and meaningful education. Among the many projects Senate has contributed to in recent years are initiatives to increase faculty and staff diversity; advocacy for greater institutional support and recognition of scholarship and creative activities; developing childcare resources for faculty, staff, and students; and pushing for much-needed additional institutional support for Counseling Services. I hope to continue to participate in the Senate’s important work, and appreciate your vote.
Stevie Grassetti
Department: Psychology
Hello, colleagues! I am eager for the opportunity to serve on Faculty Senate and earnestly seek your support. I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology who aims to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through collaborative work. I view Faculty Senate as an opportunity to advance this aim. I would be honored for the opportunity to work with colleagues across campus to foster an inclusive University environment that strives towards serving the greater good, shares in the university’s governance, and promotes the growth and development of WCU faculty and students.
In addition to my enthusiasm about serving on the Senate broadly, I am particularly interested in serving on the Senate’s Research committee. Over the past four years, I have enjoyed supporting student research by mentoring Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) scholars, contributing to ORSP’s Course Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURE) initiative, funding student researchers through my external grants and awards, serving as a judge for our internal research days, and assisting in piloting the university’s new Institutional Review Board electronic submission system. My training as a clinical scientist, experience in mentoring graduate and undergraduate student researchers (www.wcupa.edu/raiselab), and involvement on the Council for Undergraduate Research position me to contribute to the Senate Research committee in a meaningful way while learning from the expertise of colleagues across disciplines.
It would be my honor and privilege to serve as an at-large representative to the Faculty Senate. Thank you for your consideration.
Tara Guerriero
Department: Special Education
I am a Professor in the Department of Special Education and have been at WCU for 16 years. I have had the opportunity to serve as a member of Faculty Senate for the past 6 years and have been part of both the Faculty Welfare subcommittee and the Student Welfare subcommittee. I have very much enjoyed participating in a committee that directly impacts the faculty and students at WCU. I would be grateful to receive your support in helping me to continue my involvement in the Faculty Senate. Thank you for your consideration.
Mary A Houser
Department: Special Education
I currently serve as an associate professor of Special Education. I have been at WCU since 2013. I previously served one term on the Faculty Senate and have also served as a Senate proxy. It is a great interest of mine to ensure classroom and non-classroom faculty involvement in the shared governance of the institution. I hope you will consider my nomination.
Selcuk Karahan
Department: Economics & Finance
I’m in my third year as a faculty in the department of Economics and Finance at WCU and it has been my great pleasure to serve as an At-Large Representative for the last two years in the Faculty Senate. Faculty Senate brings different individuals to have a voice in a shared governance, provides a positive environment to promote the growth and development of faculty and students, and fosters diversity and inclusion. As a new faculty with lots of passion and energy, I would be honored to continue being a part of the Faculty Senate to work with other members across the university and contribute the Senate to reach these goals. Thank you very much for your consideration!
Bessie Lawton
Department: Communication and Media
It would be my honor to serve another term at Faculty Senate. I was the Past President of Faculty Senate, and led the body through the pandemic years. In that role, I advocated for faculty concerns especially related to campus climate issues and our institution's Covid-19 response along with other shared governance leaders. I have been a Senator for almost my entire career at WCU, and have been on Senate Exec for at least 10 years. I feel very strongly about Faculty Senate's role in the shared governance process. I believe my knowledge of Faculty Senate history is an asset that will help the body run effectively, and would be grateful for the opportunity to continue helping faculty voices be heard through this shared governance group.
Megan Mraz
Department: Nursing
I have been a member of the department of nursing for the past 15 years. If elected, this would be my second term in faculty senate. I have enjoyed connecting with other departments and serving as a voice for faculty. During my first term, I was involved in Dean's search, an assessment committee for child learning lab on campus, and policy review of maternity leave. I would be grateful for the opportunity to continue on faculty senate for the next term.
Meg Panichelli
Department: Undergraduate Social Work
Hello! I am completing my 3rd year as a faculty member in the Undergraduate Social Work Department and am currently an At-Large Representative with Faculty Senate. I’d love to continue working with Faculty Senate in this capacity and advocate for and contribute to shaping policies, procedures, and programs across the University. As a teacher-scholar whose work is grounded in social justice and community building, I am deeply committed to the values of the shared governance platform. I am passionate about the well-being, growth, and development of students and faculty across the institution.
Innhwa Park
Department: Languages and Cultures
I would be honored to have the opportunity to serve on the Faculty Senate. Since arriving at WCU in 2013, I have been actively engaged in service across the campus. I have served on the Institutional Review Board, the Research and Creative Activities Advisory Board, the Academic Recognition Committee, the Linguistics major task force, among others. I also served as a Director of TESOL programs and am currently serving as a Chair of the Department Evaluation Committee. During this period, I have learned to listen to and communicate with different voices on campus and address concerns that differentially impact different members of the campus community. I am eager to identify and advance toward shared goals that serve faculty and students and advocate for underrepresented voices throughout the process. Thank you very much for your consideration.
Matt Pierlott
Department: Philosophy
I would be happy to accept your vote to continue serving as a Faculty Senator. I have learned a great deal from my time on the Senate and acting as the Senate liaison to the ADA committee, and I value greatly the role that this body plays in promoting an inclusive and cooperative campus climate and in participating in shared governance. Thank you!
Jenn A Raskauskas
Department: Literacy
It has been my privilege to serve in the faculty senate over the past three years. I value the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in other departments and to participate in the shared governance of our university. I would be honored to be re-elected to serve another term.
Selen Razon
Department: Kinesiology
I am an associate professor of Exercise Science. This is my second term on the Faculty Senate serving as a Senate proxy. I believe in the importance of faculty involvement in shared governance. I would be honored to serve the Senate as a member at large if you give me the opportunity to do so!
Israel Sanz
Department: Languages and Cultures
I am respectfully asking for your vote for a three-year at-large seat on Faculty Senate. I began serving on Faculty Senate (FS) in 2010, and I currently serve as Senate Vice-President. Since joining Senate, I have worked to advance the goals of FS in several capacities, including as chair of the FS Research and Creative Activities Committee (since 2015); as representative on the search committees for an Associate Vice-Provost of Research and Creative Activities and a Faculty Ombudsperson; and as member of the FS Executive Committee (2015-2016, and again since 2019). These roles have given me the opportunity to contribute to several tangible FS achievements. A recent example includes my representation of FS (via appointment by the Deputy Provost) as co-chair of the R2 Working Group on the reclassification of our University as R2 (“High research activity”) on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. My co-chair (Cheryl Neale-McFall) and I led colleagues from several campus constituencies (administration, library, APSCUF, and colleges) as we researched the implications of the reclassification for our University, and we produced a report that was shared with the campus community in Fall 2021. Serving on Faculty Senate (including as a member of the Executive Committee) has given me a unique opportunity to apply my accumulated experience as senior faculty to further several important conversations regarding campus climate, shared governance, or the place of scholarship in our university mission. I look forward to the opportunity to continue contributing to the goals of Faculty Senate for three more years – thank you.
Karen Watkins
Department: Art + Design
I have been happy to serve as proxy for the Faculty Senate since 2017. As a tenure track Assistant Professor in the Department of Art + Design, I have been teaching graphic design and visual communications since I was an adjunct professor in 2009. Consequently, I am hard-wired to understand how human-centered design thinking can transform lives and create meaningful experiences. The Senate Senate forum offers unique opportunities for the campus-wide college offices to collectively address the issues that affect the growth and development of a positive campus climate for our faculty and students especially during these unprecedented times. It is a purpose that I would be honored to contribute to.
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