Archived Instructor Biographies
Leah Adcock-Starr
Teaching for TELOS – since Spring 2016
Courses taught in TELOS program
Shakespeare in Fiction
Speaking Shakespeare
Queens, Goddesses, and Girls: The Women of William Shakespeare
The Wives and Warrior Women of William Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Women of Will: Shakespeare’s Shrews and Spinsters
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
William Shakespeare’s King Lear
William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
William Shakespeare’s The Tempest
William Shakespeare’s MacBeth
Educational background
University of Washington, Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.), Directing and Theatrical Production, 2012 – 2015
Hamline University, Bachelor’s degree, Directing and Theatrical Production, and Theology, 2002 – 2006
Professional experience
Leah Adcock-Starr is a transplant to the Northwest and the UW School of Drama from Saint Paul, MN where she worked as a freelance director, play maker, and arts educator for theatre companies throughout the Twin Cities metro area including the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Company and the Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins, Minnesota. Since moving to Seattle in 2006, Leah has directed Julius Caesar for Seattle’s Handwritten Productions and her work at the UW – School of Drama included last season’s The Arabian Nights by Mary Zimmerman, and two new plays that she adapted and directed: FAUST, an adaptation of Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus and The Boy Who Couldn’t Grow Up a new play inspired by the life and work of JM Barrie. Future projects include resurrecting Pan for the Fringe, founding Off Road Shakespeare; a company that will introduce itself to Seattle with a processional outdoor production of Midsummer, and directing Caroline Bird’s The Trojan Women for Civic Rep.
Special Achievements and Honors
Leah is a member of Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society. In 2014 Leah presented ‘BFF’s and the Bard’ a paper on the import of female friendship in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare 450, an international gathering of Shakespeare scholars in Paris, France.
Jay Balakrishnan
Teaching for TELOS – since 2015
Course taught in TELOS program
Mahatma Gandhi – History and Application of Non-violence
Educational background
B.A., Finance, cum Laude, Minor in Computer Science, University of South Florida, College of Business Administration
Professional experience
Jay is a veteran and pioneer of the microcomputer software industry for over 25 years. Until recently, Jay was the Executive Producer for Radical Entertainment in Vancouver, supervising all games in development. Previously, he was Executive Producer at WildTangent and also Sierra/Dynamix. Prior to that, he was a successful entrepreneur for twelve years, founding and operating five companies, including Hesware in 1980, which was the first company in which Microsoft ever invested. He has shipped over 80 games on virtually all computer and videogame console platforms.
Personal interests
He enjoys flying (has a Private Pilot License with Instrument Rating), yoga, and playing Indian drums.
April Bauer
Teaching for TELOS – since Fall 2016
Courses taught in TELOS program
Rome: The Eternal City
Etymology: A Word Study
Educational background
MA: Classics, 2002 San Francisco State University
Postgraduate study in Latin, Greek and Italian, 1998-99, Duke University
Summer 1998 – Intensive Italian Language Immersion Program, Middlebury College
BA in Latin and Classics, 1998 – University of Washington
AA, 1994 – Bellevue Community College
Professional experience
Latin Teacher at O’Dea High School, Seattle 2006-2014
University of Washington Extension Lecturer
Latin Teacher, La Salle College Preparatory High School, Pasadena, CA 2003-2006
Experience related to course topics if different from Professional experience
Rome Study Coordinator and trip leader, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 (at O’Dea High School)
Audrey Becker
Teaching for TELOS – since 2014
Courses taught in TELOS program
Boost your Brain Power and Health: Nutrition
Biomedical Ethics
Educational background
MEd in Science Education, Arcadia University magna cum laude; BS in Biology, Albright College Albright Scholar; Certificate in Diet Counseling, Bauman College
Professional experience
From 1983 to the present, Audrey has had a career in Neurobiology and Teaching. She has been a Neuroscientist at Medical College of PA studying neurogenesis research with optics and brain regeneration. She has also worked at the Belgium Zoo focussing on brain research with dolphins and echo-location. Finally, she is the Director of the Marin County Office of Bauman College of Nutrition where she is Director of Cognitive Brain Coaching.
Personal interests
Audrey likes hiking and traveling to absorb the various cultures and languages around the world. She has a particular fascination about the use of vision and sound by animals. She has studied endangered big eared bats in West Virginia, primates at Bucknell College, and dolphins in the Pacific Ocean. She also enjoys environmental sciences and ethno-botany. She has lived in western Washington since the early 2000’s and has two children.
Thomas Benediktson
Teaching for TELOS – since Spring 2016
Course taught in TELOS program
Women in Ancient Greece and Rome
Educational background
A.B., major in Rhetoric, The University of California, Berkeley, 1972
M.A., Rhetoric, The University of California, Berkeley, 1974
M.A., Classics, The University of Texas at Austin, 1977
Ph.D., Classics, The University of Texas at Austin, 1982
Professional experience
Dr. Thomas Benediktson taught for more than three decades at the University of Tulsa, including ten years as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He has an extensive list of publications in the classics.
Special Achievements and Honors
Tom was a Consultant-Evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission, an agency accrediting educational institutions. 1999-2007
Personal interests
Originally from California, Tom retired with his wife to the Seattle area to be near one of their children.
Kathryn (Katy) Bergenholtz
Teaching for TELOS – since Spring 2017
Courses taught in TELOS program
The Bill of Rights
Supreme Court and You, I and II
Environmental Protection: Law and Politics
Educational background
Kathyrn Bergenholtz attended the University of California at Berkeley and is a 1983 graduate of the Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.
Professional experience
Kathryn is an attorney with the federal government, currently specializing in environmental law.
Experience related to course topics if different from Professional experience
She has had a long standing interest in Constitutional issues. She has prior experience teaching business law and undergraduate level survey law classes.
Special Achievements and Honors
She graduated with honors from both UC Berkeley and Hastings.
Stephen Bezruchka
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Americans Have Shorter Lives and Poorer Health. Why?
Educational background
MPH Johns Hopkins University, 1993 (International Health)
MD Stanford University, 1973 (Medicine)
AM Harvard University, 1967 (Mathematics)
BSc University of Toronto (Canada), 1966 (Mathematics, Physics)
Professional experience
Dr. Bezruchka has had a career as an emergency physician in the US from 1979 to 2008. He also worked in Global Health in Nepal running community health projects, training Nepali doctors in remote district hospitals, and supporting medical officers posted to remote regions. He has been Involved in travel medicine and altitude illness. Currently he is a faculty member in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington.
Special Achievements and Honors
Stephan received the School of Public Health at the University of Washington’s outstanding teacher and faculty community service awards. He founded the Population Health Forum. Please see his TED talk on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0X2exKyC7k
Personal interests
He has devoted his life to making better known our embarrassing health status and the reasons why. Nepal and remote mountain regions have shaped his life. Relationships have sustained it. He wrote the first trekking book to Nepal in 1972, with the 8th edition out in 2011.
Katharina Bomers-Muller
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since Fall 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
Social Media Made Easy
Mastering Your Mobile Devices
Mastering Your Mobile Devices: Workshop (Android)
Mastering Your Mobile Devices: Workshop (Apple)
Educational background:
BA in Business Administration and General Management, Eastern Washington University, 1988
MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, 1991
Professional experience:
Katharina Bomers-Muller has previously been employed as an International Program Manager at various software companies. Currently, she is working as a Freelance Strategic Marketing Consultant
Personal interests:
Katharina is the mother of three college students and has tried to raise her kids to be internet savvy and responsible. She is very social and enjoys interacting with people young and young at heart. She loves to read, travel and is a passionate hobby photographer. She also enjoys music and theater and has been President of the Woodinville High School Theater Boosters.
Candice Bradley
Teaching for TELOS – since 2011
Courses taught in TELOS program
(Anthropologists are defined by their crossings between cultures. Instructor Bradley brings this insight to the classroom, along with her interest in un-muddled thinking, co-evolution, science, and the vicissitudes of the human mind. She has taught an evolving series of courses at the intersection of anthropology, skepticism and science on such topics as UFOs, 50,000 years of humans & climate change, self-deception, paleo people, and New Age thinking.)
Culture, Ecology and Crisis
Liar, Liar
Stigma
Plagues and Epidemics
Peasants and the Rise of Capitalism
DATA: Big, Predictive–Beyond Our Control?
Without God: Freethinkers, Atheists & Humanists
Science, Skepticism, and Uncertainty
Anthropology of Violence
We Aren’t So Smart: Cognitive Biases and Logical Fallacies
The Primates
The New Behavioral Economics
Bubbles, Nodes & Ties: How Social Networks Work
How do we Know? Reality, Facts, Lies, Beliefs
Design Thinking
Food: History, Science, Superstition
What’s So Scary about AI?
The Virtue of Stoicism
Educational background
Ph.D. in Social Sciences, UC Irvine; B.A. in Social Relations, Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles
Professional experience
She was Assoc. Prof. of Anthropology at Lawrence Univ., Appleton, WI from 1990-2000. She is currently on the faculty of the Masters of Science in Predictive Analytics program online at Northwestern Univ., Chicago, IL.
Special Achievements and Honors
Fulbright Fellow, Univ. of Nairobi, studying overpopulation and fertility; Andrew W. Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow in Demography at U Penn.
Personal interests
She was born in Hollywood and grew up with a menagerie of animals in Northridge, CA, but lived on three continents and in seven US states. She currently lives in Redmond and has three grown children and a one-eyed border collie named Ace.
Winston Brill
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since 2011
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
How Life Began and Evolved
Germs and Us
Educational background
BA—Rutgers University (1961);
Ph.D.—University of Illinois(1965);
Postdoctoral work at M.I.T
Professional experience
Prior to retiring, Winston Brill enjoyed three careers: 1) professor at the University of Wisconsin, 2) founder of a biotech company, and 3) consultant and speaker on creativity and innovation.
Special Achievements and Honors
He has received national and international recognition for his work, including the Eli Lilly Award as “the most outstanding microbiologist under the age of 40 in the U.S. and Canada”, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Award for “the most important breakthrough in the agricultural sciences”. Business Week magazine identified him as one of the top ten most innovative scientists. Dr. Brill has been featured in the television series Nova, on the CBS Evening News, and in Time and Newsweek magazines. He has testified before U.S. House and Senate committees on innovation. One of his more interesting experiences was speaking on the subject at the Vatican.
Personal interests
Winston likes art collecting and cooking.
Randy Buehler
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since Fall 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Not Your Average Civil War Class
The Two American Revolutions
The United States Comes of Age: 1865-1915
The U.S. Becomes #1: 1916 – 1946
Baseball: A Past Time in Perspective
The American Colonies
Educational background
BS in History 1966.
Professional experience
Randy taught for eight years. He was an award winning journalist who owned a weekly newspaper (Polk County News) for 40 years He taught computer usage to teachers for fifteen years.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
He has studied and visited most of the Civil War battle sites east of the Mississippi.
Personal interests
He was married for 46 years and is now widowed. He has two children; a boy aged 43 and a girl aged 41, plus one grandchild aged 10. He teaches as a volunteer at the Garden Club Retirement Center in Factoria.
Jay Caldwell
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since 2014
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Jay teaches a course on Baseball as History. In that role, Jay dresses as various period baseball players to explain how baseball has mirrored social developments in U.S. history.
Educational background
MBA in Finance and Accounting, Cornell University; BA in Genetics and Ecology, Cornell University.
Professional experience
Jay is an accountant by profession and the CFO of a local high technology company.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
Jay has been a passionate baseball fan since his earliest memories. He primarily grew up in a village outside Cooperstown, NY, home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. As a child he had frequent contact with notable Hall of Famers, in an era pre-dating the signing of autographs for a fee. As a young boy, the first professional baseball player he met was Ty Cobb, a chance encounter that added to his already strong interest in baseball.
Special Achievements and Honors
Jay has given speeches on baseball history and arranged baseball art displays at museums and venues around the country, including the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and the American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina. He is close to finishing his first book, Artball: a Baseball Tapestry, on baseball history and art and hopes to have it published by Christmas 2015.
Donn Charnley
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since Winter 2016
Courses taught in TELOS program:
Geology of the Pacific Northwest
Shake, Rattle, and Roar! Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics
Geology of National Parks – I
Geology of National Parks – II
Geology of National Parks – III
Elements, Minerals, and Rocks, Oh My!
Geomorphology — The Study of Landforms
Volcanoes
Splash!!! Geology of Water
Educational Background:
From 1945 through 1952 Donn Charnley attended Seattle College and the Univ. of Washington, receiving a BA in Sociology in 1953. In 1953-54 he continued at the UW earning a Teaching Certificate. He returned to the UW in 1958, earning a MS in Geology in 1960. Finally, in 1964-5 he attended the Univ. of Minnesota, earning a MA in Educational Psychology.
Professional experience:
Donn started teaching in the Seattle Public Schools in January, 1955, first as a Special Ed. Teacher 1955-6, then Safety Education & Driver Education at Ballard & West Seattle High Schools. He taught 7th & 9th grade Science in 1960-1. He was a Counselor at West Seattle HS from 1961-1966. In January, 1965 he was hired by the just opened Shoreline Community College as a Counselor and Professor of Geology. There he taught many Geology courses, and the History of Washington State Politics until his retirement in 1996. Since 2003 he has taught Geology courses at Edmond’s Community College Creative Retirement Institute and since 2011 he has taught for the University of Washington OSHER program.
Special Achievements and Honors
In 1970 he was elected to the Washington State Legislature, where he served for 14 years in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Personal interests
He was born in Detroit but moved to Washington State when he was two. His interests include: politics, community service, skiing (which he taught from 1943 to 1975), hiking, sailing, traveling, and Northwest Native Culture, Art and Dancing.
Craig Chase
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since 2014
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Maritime History: Mysteries of Ocean Exploration and Trade
Maritime History: The Clash of Pacific Cultures, War and the Challenges of Progress
Maritime History: Over the Divide to the Outer Coast
The Great American West: Our Arid Lands to the Coastal Commons
SE Asia, Western Pacific, and Oceania
Educational background
Graduate Degrees: City University Public Administration – Energy and Environmental Policy (1992); Technology & Engineering Mgmt. (1990)
Undergraduate Degrees: Orange College and City University Industrial/Business Mgmt. (1981); Metrology/Quality Control (1969)
Diplomas and Certificates: Health, Safety & Environmental Mgmt. – Government Institute (1985); Energy Resource Mgmt. & Environmental Policy – Seattle University (1978); Nuclear Engineering Technology – Capitol Radio Engineering Institute (1977); Industrial Engineering – U.S.DOT (1968)
U. S. Navy Training: Geodetics/Navigation, Naval Operations, Radar Surveillance, & Electronic Counter Measures (1955 – 1963)
Professional experience
Inter-government and industrial relations focusing on: energy resource development, coastal zone management, marine oil ports siting and development, and inter-state crude oil pipeline siting and operations. These experiences offered a variety of maritime and ecological challenges relating to: technical program coordination, industrial operations, regulatory compliance, and environmental impact awareness and impact mitigation.
Professional interests include: Foreign Policy issues relating to – global trade security, ocean science-ecology, climate change and maritime policy; Western United States concerns relating to – energy/water development, western rivers development and ecology, cultural and sustainable development.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
Craig said he has loved the sea since he first saw it when he was a little boy. He lived in the Philippines when he was growing up and has long been fascinated by the Pacific Ocean. As a child he would look at the nautical charts on the wall while listening to a radio program called “Hawaii Calls.”
Special Achievements and Honors
Society/s of: Automotive Engineers; and Agricultural Engineers
Personal interests
Craig has been a Tour Guide U.S.S. Turner Joy, DD951, and Docent/Curator Bremerton Naval Museum.
Robert Crist
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since Winter 2016
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
An Introduction to the National Park System
Educational background
Mr. Crist is a graduate of the University of Redlands and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Professional experience
Mr. Crist has more than 30 years of experience in professional management consulting and in senior executive positions. Over the course of his career, Mr. Crist has worked with more than 200 organizations in various industries. His positions included serving as chief financial and operating officer for Community Health Plan of Washington and for 23 years as a partner with the international accounting and consulting firm of Ernst & Young, most recently as the partner in charge of services to both the health care and natural resources industries.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience
Mr. Crist has had a lifelong interest in the National Park System and has been to 386 of the 411 national park sites.
Personal interests
Mr. Crist has served on the boards of numerous community service organizations, including serving chair of Emerald Communities, the parent of Emerald Heights Retirement Community, Chair of Samaritan Health Service, and as president of the Bellevue Community College telecommunications advisory board, vice president of the Learning Disability Association of Washington, treasurer of the Health Care Purchasers Association, treasurer of the Board of Trustees of Eastside Catholic High School, and on the Foundation of the national Presbyterian Church (USA).
Jim Cushing
Length of time teaching for TELOS
Since 2013
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Understanding Our U.S. Constitution
History of Our Early Presidents
Our Constitution: 1787 to Trump
(updating Understanding Our U.S. Constitution)
Educational background
BS, University of Illinois, with honors
JD, Loyola University Chicago, law review
Professional experience
Jim Cushing was previously the president and CEO of an international educational publishing company. Earlier he was vice president and general counsel for a major media company with newspapers and television stations around the country. Before attending law school, Cushing worked as a CPA in the small business division of the world’s largest public accounting firm.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
As an Illinois attorney, in addition to private practice, Cushing served on the legal staff of the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, was counsel to the state board setting judicial and legislative salaries, and was chair of both the Legislative and Urban Affairs Committees of the Chicago Bar Association.
Special Achievements and Honors
Cushing won an Emmy Award, Midwest region, for his role in the creation of a 24-hour all-news station and was also on the board of directors of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.
Personal interests
Cushing is an active contributor to the TELOS Learning Community, currently serving as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and earlier was the founder and original host of the popular “Coffee & Wisdom” program.For many years Cushing has been a regular food bank volunteer at Northwest Harvest, Washington’s leading nonprofit fighting for hungry people statewide to have access to nutritious food while respecting their dignity and promoting good health.
Marissa Darling
Length of time teaching for TELOS –starting Winter 2019
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
Principles of Nutrition
Educational background:
Master’s Degree in Allied Health Sciences/Health Promotion, 2015, U. of Connecticut
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Dietetics/Dietitian-Minor in Spanish, 2013, U. of Connecticut
Professional experience:
Community Health Center of Snohomish County, Everett WA Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist
Mar 2018 – Present
Community Health Center, New London, CT Registered Dietitian
Feb 2016 – Mar 2018
University of Connecticut, Research Coordinator for the Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention
Nov 2015 – Apr 2016
Sodexo, Clinical Dietitian II at Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital, Hartford, CT
Jul 2015 – Feb 2016
Special Achievements and Honors:
Board Certification(s), 2013, Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist
Member, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Personal interests:
In her free time, Marissa enjoys practicing yoga and hiking with her dog.
Delores Davis
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since 2013
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Organizing your Projects
Six Steps to Writing Personal Stories
Writing Your Stories
Writing Personal Stories Using Computers
Seven Steps to Writing Your Family Stories
Useful Tools, Tips, and Techniques in WORD for Writing Stories on Life Experiences
Educational background
Delores has a MSSW in Social Work from Boston College and a BA from Seattle University.
Professional experience
After being employed as a medical social worker for 20 years at the University of Washington hospital, she developed a second career in teaching “Using the Computer” and writing “LifeStories”. In 1994, she started teaching various computer programs and techniques at SeniorNet of Puget Sound in Bellevue, WA Delores Davis has been a Bellevue College Continuing Education writing instructor for many years. She has also taught classes and made presentations in several community and senior centers and retirement settings in the Greater Seattle, Bellevue-Mercer Island-Issaquah area. For the past twelve years, she has made presentations to the Mormon Genealogy Conference.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
Delores created her writing class based on her own personal experience. After reflecting on her son’s questions about his father, and realizing that there were details about her relatives lives that she would have liked to know too, Delores decided to teach a class about writing life stories and learn how to use computers to help others do the same. She believes that each of our lives no matter how big or small they seem to us, tells a story that our families and loved ones want to know and carry on.
Special Achievements and Honors
There have been several articles about her work in local magazines and she has created and self-published workbooks on the class.
Personal interests
She was born in Chicago, Ill. After getting her BA in Seattle, she moved to Boston for her social work degree and while there, she was married. She later moved to Hartford, Ct. for two years before returning to the Northwest. A widow and mother of six children, nineteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren, she has written over ten books for and about her family. Over the years, she has been involved in many community, educational and civic organizations.
Bob de Michele
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since 2014
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
The First World War and its Impact upon the Present
The Black Death: Human Disaster in Medieval Europe
Charlemagne & the Carolingian Renaissance
Europe: 1914-1945
The Reformation
The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars
Medieval Britain
Tudor-Stuart England
World War I
Educational background
AS degree with honors from BCC, 1995; Completed history honors program and BA in History, University of Washington, 1997; Graduate study in British, European, and Medieval History at Western Washington University, 1997-99; Post graduate study in Modern British History at Kings College, London, 2005-06.
Professional experience
Bob is a 30-year Navy veteran, with most of that time spent in the Submarine Service. When not on sea duty, he was involved with either training or curriculum development. The Navy allowed him to travel worldwide, including Europe and the Mediterranean, Hawaii, the Far East, and the Persian Gulf. He also spent an extended time under the polar ice cap, surfacing at the North Pole in the spring of 1976. Also, he was a lecturer in ancient, medieval and modern history survey-level courses at BCC.
Personal interests
He and his wife enjoy many different hobbies such as sky diving, scuba diving, camping and skiing, as well as spending time with their animals: dogs, cats, and a draft horse cross they use for trail riding.
Laura Dillaway
Length of time teaching for TELOS – ten years
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
ART
Renaissance Art
Northern Renaissance Art
Art across the Ages
American Art – a 3 quarter class
Impressionism
Topics in Art History
Looking at Art
Masterpieces of the Louvre
History of Ceramics as an Art Form
Is 20th Century Art a Train Wreck?
Post-Modern and Contemporary Art
Six Transitional Works of Art
LITERATURE
Paradise Lost
The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Iliad
The Odyssey
The Aeneid
Beowolf
Beowulf and Grendel
Poetry about Art
Educational background
MS in Engineering, UCLA; BA in Math, UC Riverside (while there she also took a number of classes in English literature); Certificate in Museum Studies, UW. 1972 – 1988; she has also earned a Certificate in Museum Studies from the University of Washington. She is ABD (All But the Dissertation) towards a PhD in Policy Analysis from the Rand-Pardee School of Policy Analysis.
Professional experience
Laura’s early career was in military consulting. She worked for the Rand Corporation for ten years, and in the 1980’s she moved to the Pentagon to work in the Secretary of Defense’s Office of Policy Analysis and Evaluation. After having children, she worked at several different jobs, including in water quality for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, and at Eton Montessori School in Bellevue.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
Laura has loved poetry and literature since she was a teenager. She has a special interest in epic poetry. Her passion for art intensified in 2003, when Laura became a docent at the Bellevue Arts Museum.
Special Achievements and Honors
She has been a docent at the Bellevue Arts Museum since 2003, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Bellevue Arts Museum as of Nov. 1, 2012.
Personal interests
Her other interests are hiking, travel, reading, opera, theater and lifelong learning. She has two grown children – a boy and a girl (man and woman, ha, ha). She has lived in many parts of the United States, and when she was very young, in Germany.
Lisa Dyson-Meighan
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since Fall 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Iconic Architecture, I
Educational background
Studied architecture at Oregon School of Design
Professional experience
Lisa is owner of Designer’s Choice Homes, a design company that specializes in unique custom homes. She has over 25 years of experience in the architectural world, including 15 years with Lindal Cedar Homes. She has worked on projects all over the United States and Canada, and has developed almost 100 new designs for 3 plan books distributed world wide.
Special Achievements and Honors
Lisa has obtained the title Certified Green Professional by the National Association of Home Builders and she has just won the Canadian Housing and Building Association’s National SAM Award for Custom Home of the year.
Personal interests
Lisa Dyson-Meighan lives in Seattle with her husband and two children, ages 22 and 12. She grew up in Oregon but has lived in various places including North Carolina and California. She enjoys designing and teaching.
Michael Falangus
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since 2011
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Themes in Greek Mythology
Timeless Wisdom from the Ancient Greeks
Educational background
BA degree in Anthropology from the University of Washington. MA degree in Anthropology from the University of Nevada, Reno
Professional experience
Careers as a Systems Analyst, a Retail Store Owner and Manager, and a Personal Financial Advisor.
Personal interests
Michael has always been fascinated about the philosophies of diverse cultures throughout history and their current relevance. Since retiring in 2011, he has come full circle to his original passion and has taught courses on Ancient Greek culture and philosophy.
Aaron Falk
Length of time teaching for TELOS –starting Summer 2018
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
Science of the Cold War
Science and the Citizen
Educational background:
Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Washington
Postdoctoral fellowship at the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics
Professional experience:
Dr. Falk spent thirteen years in the defense and space industry at Ball Aerospace and Boeing Company. He founded his own company, OptoMetrix, Inc., which developed and manufactured laser-based test instruments for the semiconductor industry. After eleven years he sold OptoMetrix to Quantum Focus Instruments, where he then worked as VP of new product development until retiring in June 2017.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience:
Aaron Falk has delivered multiple conference papers, tutorials, customer and internal presentations as well as chairing conference sessions and user groups, so he is quite comfortable in developing and presenting material to an audience.
Special Achievements and Honors:
Aaron has published dozens of papers in physics and engineering journals, a book chapter and multiple articles for Electronic Device Failure Analysis, and holds over forty patents.
Personal interests:
Science is so complex and yet touches our everyday lives in many ways. A citizen needs to understand how to navigate this complexity and come to meaningful conclusions. He has always felt that scientists need to do a better job of educating the general public. Now that he has the time, he would like to have the opportunity to make a personal effort in that arena.
Roger George
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since Spring 2017
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
The Short Stories and Poetry of Steven CraneAll the News That’s Fit to Film
Educational background:
Ph.D. in American Literature
Professional experience:
Roger George was a tenured English instructor at Bellevue College since 1988 and for fifteen years, chaired the Communication Department, teaching Mass Media and Communication history classes.
Personal interests
Now retired, Roger travels with his wife of 46 years. He writes two blogs, one on my personal reflections of growing up with television in Seattle.
Georgia Gregory
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since Fall 2017
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
Exploring Landscape with Versatile Acrylics
Versatile Acrylics Studio
Educational background:
BA in Studio Art/Education at University of Mary Washington, 1982
MA in Curriculum and Instruction at Wichita State University.
Professional experience:
Georgia Gregory’s background includes teaching for 28 years to a variety of age levels. With her recent move to the Northwest she became a certified instructor for Grumbacher (art supplies) in which she taught mainly adult level classes.
Special Achievements and Honors:
In 2012 Georgia was recognized as the outstanding Kansas Art Educator at the secondary level.
Personal interests/views:
The beauty of teaching to Georgia is passing the gift of seeing with new eyes, taking risks, turning what might look like a mistake into a happy surprise and making memorable art. She is a colorist who paints with primarily acrylics; however, she loves to mix additional media into her work such as ink, watercolor and fiber papers. Her subject matter has revolved around the beauty and power of nature including the human form into abstraction interpretations. She finds her work continues to evolve due to her life experiences and desire to express them visually.
Farida Hakim
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since 2013
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Islam Today: Myths and Facts, Parts 1 and 2
History of the Quran and Human Rights
The Future of Islam and Sufism (with Naseem Hines)
The Future of Islam: Myths and Facts
American Muslim Women – Culture vs. Religion
American Muslim Men and Women
Educational background
BA in Political Science and English Literature from St. Joseph’s College. Technical Writing and Project Management Certificate from Bellevue College. Microsoft Certified Professional and Training Specialist at Microsoft.
Professional experience
Farida pursued her professional career in education by teaching English as a second language to adult learners at the Iranian Air Force Language Training Institute in Tehran, Iran. After joining Microsoft she continued with her career development in training, technical writing and project management for almost ten years. She was a Steering Committee member of the Microsoft Diversity Leadership Forum. She facilitated Training Programs at Microsoft. In addition she taught Microsoft Computer Applications at the main Bellevue College campus and currently volunteers once a month at the Bellevue Regional Library to teach the same classes. She has successfully managed and coordinated the Islamic Education program at the local weekend schools and study groups at the various mosques for almost 35 years.
Special Achievements and Honors
Farida also served on the Executive Boards of the Islamic Center of Seattle, Islamic School of Seattle, the Islamic Center of the Eastside and the Muslim Association of Puget Sound. She currently contributes her expertise as an adviser to the Muslim Community Resource Center management team that coordinates its community services with all the mosques on the Eastside and the Greater Seattle areas. She also volunteers as a member of the American Association of University Women, Evergreen Association of Fine Arts, and the Multicultural Interfaith Community Service Committee. She has obtained the Competent Toastmaster Certification from Toastmaster International for completing its requirements for leadership and public speaking
Personal interests
She balances her time daily by following her interests to volunteer for community service, spend time with family, do landscape painting impressionistic style, nurture her garden, play Scrabble and go for walks with friends. She came to the US in 1976 after her marriage and raised three children. She lives in Bellevue, WA with her husband and family.
Barbara Hennig
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
A Perfect Storm: The Revolution in Turn of the Century Art
History of Landscape Painting
Every Picture Tells a Story: Narratives in Art History
Educational background
The George Washington University, Washington, D.C., M.A. Art History, 1979
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio , B.A. Art History, 1975
The Art Institute of Seattle, Seattle, Washington, 1982-1983
Professional experience
Before moving to the Northwest Barbara worked at several museums and galleries, including the Museum of African Art and The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Barbara also works in the studio arts in several different mediums. She has focused the last fifteen years on her sculptural ceramics. From 2006 to 2014 Barbara was a resident ceramic artist at the Kirkland Arts Center and has been an art history instructor there since 2012. For more than 20 years, she has given interactive and educational tours to students, the general public as well as private adult groups and corporations at two local museums.
Personal Interests
When not teaching or making art, Barbara spends her time with her family and friends. She loves her dog(s), gardening and scuba diving. Barbara is often not in town as she enjoys traveling as well. Her favorite destinations are Europe and the Caribbean where she is captivated by the historical sites, art/architecture and the picturesque scenery both areas have to offer.
Naseem Akhtar Hines
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Hindi Urdu Short Stories (In English Translation)
The Future of Islam and Sufism (with Farida Hakim)
Introduction to Hinduism
Educational background
Ph.D. 1997 in Asian Languages and Literature. University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
M. A. 1983. University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
B. A. 1981 in English Literature, University of Washington, Seattle
B. A. 1974. Osmania University, India. majoring in Sanskrit, Sociology, and English Literature.
Professional experience
Naseem was the former Chair of Indian Studies’ Language Committee where she monitored the Hindi Language Program in Jaipur, the Urdu Language Program in Lucknow, and the Punjabi Program in Chandigarh, in India. Since coming to North America she has had a number of Full Time Academic Positions at the University of British Columbia, Harvard University, Washington University (St. Louis), and the University of Washington. She has also had Part Time Teaching Positions at Boston University, Wellesley College, Harvard University Summer School, and the University of California at Berkeley. She has received a number of travel grants in support of her personal research projects and for training language teachers working for the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) in India. For a number of years, she has been actively involved as an Expert Consultant in establishing the benchmarks for the Urdu and Hindi language Proficiency levels. In 2007 she became a member of the American Institute of Indian Studies’ Language Committee. At that time the AIIS offered Intensive Language Instruction in seven different Indian languages at centers located at various cities in India. She has an extensive list of publications in English, Hindi, and Urdu languages. Her articles have been translated and published in prestigious Urdu and Hindi magazines and journals.
Special Achievements and Honors
In April 2010, she received the Distinguished Services Award from Al-Aqreba Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan, in appreciation for her services to the Urdu Literature. In 2011, she was unanimously elected to become the President of the Language Committee at the American Institute of Indian Studies. As the Chair she worked closely with the Chair of AIIS, monitored the progress reports of the scholars working in India with the help of AIIS fellowships, to complete their thesis or dissertation, or post Doctoral projects. In recognition of her services to the Urdu Literature, the Pakistan American Democratic Forum’s Literary Chapter awarded her with their prestigious Faiz Ahmad Award in September 2012. She received the Excellence in Teaching Certificate from Harvard University eight times, the last, in the Spring of 2012.
Personal interests
Her work and travel experience have afforded her a deep insight into the literature, art and music and cultures of the world.
Barrie Hughlock
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since 2014.
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
The Evolution of Existence
The Nature of Consciousness
Educational background:
Ph.D. in physics from Brown University after an undergraduate degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Professional experience:
Barrie Hughlock has taught at Brown University, the State University of New York, and Seattle Community College. He has also worked at Boeing for 19 years.
Personal interests
Understanding how the application of science can solve human problems.
Jacob Hurwitz
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since 2014
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
The Isms: Ideologies in America Today
Our Polarized Party System
Our Polarized Party System: Trends and Prospects.
Films of Woody Allen, Parts A, B, C, D
The Art of Ventriloquism Today
American Comedy and Humor: From Radio to the Present
Is This Any Way to Choose a President?
Beyond the “Horse Race:” The 2016 Election
The Haha-Aha Connection: Adding Humor and Creativity To Your Life & Work Mel Brooks: Funniest Man Alive
American Comedy and Humor
Educational background
A.B.. Political Science, University of California, Berkeley. M.A., Ph.D, Political Science, Michigan State University.
Professional experience
Jay previously taught in Asia for Troy University’s graduate program in International Relations; prior to that he taught Political Science for the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) in Asia; at North Carolina State University; and at Tel Aviv University. Between two careers in academia, he was CEO of a leading northwest retailer, managing its operations and expansion, prior to selling the company.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
He has also done some professional acting and has appeared in commercials.
Special Achievements and Honors
Jay recently came in first in the senior open-mic competition at the annual ventriloquist convention.
Personal interests
He has had a life-long interest in entertainment, especially comedy. He has performed as a ventriloquist since childhood.
Karrin Klotz
Length of time teaching for TELOS –starting Fall 2018
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
Law, Politics & Public Policy
Intellectual Property: Yours, Mine & Ours
International Law & Policy
Educational background:
B.A. Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
J.D. University of Wisconsin/Madison
Professional experience:
Karrin Klotz has taught at UW Bothell, as well as graduate and undergraduate courses at UW Seattle, and law classes at Seattle University School of Law, on a broad range of topics. She has also presented Continuing Legal Education seminars to local attorneys. She has been a practicing attorney for many years, both in private law firms and in-house, including at the Associate General Counsel level, and has been both a trial attorney and a corporate attorney. In addition, she has been a law clerk to a federal judge, the Hon. Gabrielle K. McDonald, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience:
Karrin was President of the Undergraduates of Political Science at UC Berkeley and a U.S. Congressional Intern. She held an internship at the National Labor Relations Board while in law school, and was President of the Labor Law Society there. She is also Vice President, Legacy Project for Washington Women Lawyers. She brings this experience to the classroom, which adds both breadth and depth to discussions, and provides a rich source of actual examples to apply to the abstract concepts studied. She is also adviser to and founder of the UW Bothell Pre-Law Society.
Special Achievements and Honors:
She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UC Berkeley and on the Board of Trustees of the Puget Sound Association of Phi Beta Kappa. She represented her law school at the national Robert P. Wagner Moot Court Competition.
Savita Krishnamoorthy
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
The Art of India
Modern Indian Art
Indian Painting: Evolution and Transformation through the Ages
Arts and Crafts of India
Culinary History of India
Educational background
Savita holds a Master’s Degree in History of Art from the College of Fine Arts, Bangalore, India and a certificate from the University of Washington’s Museum Studies Program
Professional experience
Savita has designed art curriculum and taught art and art appreciation in schools in the US, Canada, and India.
Special Achievements and Honors
She was an art docent for the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, and a Curator/Director at a Seattle gallery specializing in contemporary Northwest art. In April 2016 she took on the role of Arts Commissioner for the City of Redmond, a Mayor appointed position.
Personal interests
Savita has always been involved in the art world whether it was as a graphic designer, art curriculum writer, art docent, gallery curator or art educator. She knows she has found her true calling in teaching and education because she sees firsthand the limitless possibilities it offers in making a difference.
An avid traveler, Savita spent a year in 2002 backpacking in Australia, New Zealand, South- East Asia, Africa and Egypt. Savita loves living in the Pacific NorthWest, her home since 2003 for its natural beauty, diverse population and for its wealth of art and culture.
Nancy Lucero
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since Summer of 2016
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Tai Chi for Beginners
Intermediate Tai Chi
Tai Chi — Beginner I
Tai Chi — Beginner II
Tai Chi — III
Professional experience
16 Years Teaching Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan
Workforce experience in Human Resources, Marketing/Sales, Tradeshows/Event Planning and Administration.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience
Nancy Lucero’s tai chi journey started in 1996 with Master Chen and, after his passing, she began studying with Master Yang in 2000. She was appointed Office Manager for his school and since 2012 has been School Manager. She became Master Yang’s Assistant in the International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association in 2002 and in 2012 Director of the Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Foundation. She has organized the Redmond School’s open houses, ranking events and practices, demonstration teams and performances, and anniversary celebrations. She feels extremely fortunate to have Master Yang as a guiding light through her exploration and understanding of his family art form.
Special Achievements and Honors
*Certified Academy Instructor for the International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association
*2009 Received President’s Award for Outstanding Commitment and Service to International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association
Personal interests
Spending time with family and friends and taking care of my two kids – Ben & Chi-Chen.
Norm Mah
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since 2013
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
The Media Today
Educational background
BA in Communication and Broadcast Journalism from the University of Washington.
Professional experience
Norm is the senior public relations specialist at the Seattle Department of Transportation. Previously he held the position of Assignment Editor for Seattle’s KOMO-TV for nearly eight years. Before that he worked at KING-TV and NW Cable News. He has also produced videos and conducted public and media relations efforts for Microsoft.
Special Achievements and Honors
He conceived, organized and produced a charity fundraiser for Oso disaster relief with project partners Chef Tom Douglas and Northwest Cherry Growers and recipient United Way of Snohomish County.
David Malcolm
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Wind Energy Basics
Educational background
B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, University of Bristol, M.Eng. in Structural Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Ph.D. in Structural Mechanics, University of Calgary, Alberta.
Professional experience
David has a varied background. He was an engineer, W.S. Atkins && Partners, UK; Associate Professor, University of Calgary, Alberta, Structural Dynamics Engineer, Indal Technologies Inc, Ontario, Structural Specialist, Lavalin Engineers, Toronto, Senior Scientist, R. Lynette & Associates, Redmond, WA, Senior Scientist, Global Energy Concepts, Seattle, WA, and Senior Scientist, Det Norske Veritas, Seattle.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
His thirty years in the wind energy industry saw an evolution from a struggling group to a multi-billion dollar business, it has also been a pilgrimage, bringing a potentially world-saving technology to fruition.
Personal interests
David has been involved with Nordic skiing (kids’ coach, instructor at the Summit), and road biking (coach with Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for several years). He is married, lives in Kirkland, and has three sons.
Alan Miller — retired from TELOS after Winter 2017
Length of time teaching for TELOS – 13 years
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Myth: Its History and Meaning
Buddhism: History and Literature
The Happiness Hypothesis
Human Nature
Heroes
History of Utopias and Utopian Thought
Culture, Religion, and Ideology of China
Islam in Historical Perspective
Humanism: Religious, Non-religious, and Anti-religious
The Righteous Mind
Spirituality
Educational background
BA Rice University. Majors: Civil Engineering, Philosophy, and History
PhD University of Chicago. Field: Comparative Religion
Professional experience
Stanford University: Assistant Professor in Humanities
Miami University: Professor, Comparative Religion (retired 2000)
Special Achievements and Honors
Alan has had numerous articles published in History of Religions, Asian Folklore Studies, and Encyclopedia of Religion (Macmillan); he is co-author of Religions of the World and Religions of Asia (St Martins/Macmillan).
Personal interests
He enjoys choral singing, meditation, reading, and model-building.
Nina Muller-Schwarze
Length of time teaching for TELOS –starting Winter 2019
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
Plant and People
Applied Mythology
Applied Philosophy
World of Music
Educational background:
Ph.D. in Anthropology, Tulane University, 2008
B.A. in Music, University of New Orleans, 2015
Professional experience:
4 4 SCHOOL OF MUSIC LLC, Seattle, Voice and Piano Teacher
Aug 2018 – Present
Southern Food and Beverage Museum, New Orleans, Senior Research Fellow
2011 – Present
Sylvan Learning, Seattle, Teacher
Jan 2018 – Aug 2018
Tulane University School of Continuing Studies, Adjunct Instructor
May 2004 – Jun 2015
Southern University at New Orleans, Assistant Professor
2009 – 2011
Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, Louisiana
Visiting Assistant Professor, 2008 – 2009
Louisiana Archaeological Survey and Antiquities Commission,
Cultural Anthropologist, 2008
Loyola University New Orleans, Adjunct Instructor, 2007
Peace Corps Volunteer, 1999 to 2001
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience:
Nina Muller-Schwarze has taken some time off from academia to train internationally as a soprano. She has trained with classical singers in New Orleans, Louisiana, other US states, in Italy, and in Germany. Her singing repertoire includes opera aria, Lieder, oratorio, art song, Spiritual, and musical theater genres.
Special Achievements and Honors:
Nina has completed and published a book on the ethnography of historical experience, and her seven published scholarly journal articles contribute to discussions in many subfields of sociocultural anthropology.
Personal interests:
Nina enjoys international travel and speaks four languages fluently.
Alexa Munoz
Length of time teaching for TELOS – starting Fall 2018
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
Homeowner’s Guide to Landscape Design Part I, II
Educational background:
BA in Political Science — Seattle University
AAS in Environmental Horticulture and Floral Design—Washington Institute of Technology
Professional experience:
Molbak’s Garden + Home, Sales Associate; Bellevue Nursery, Sales Associate; Klem’s Greenhouse, propagation; co-owner plant propagation firm:
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience:
Owner cross-stitch design business; Co-owner of medical x-ray sales and service firm
Special Achievements and Honors:
City of Pinole, California: Capital Improvement Program Committee, Member; Pinole Vista Citizens Committee, Vice-Chair; Neighborhood Preservation Committee, Chair. Contra Costa County: Countywide Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee, Chair Facilities Sub-committee; Countywide Housing Element Advisory Committee, Vice-Chair
Awarded “Certificate of Appreciate” in Recognition of Outstanding Service to the City of Pinole, California
Non-profit organizations: Nokomis Club of Redmond, President; Midsummer Music Retreat, Marketing Chair; Civic Action on Redmond Environment, Economic Analyst; Contra Costa County Housing Alliance, Board Member
Personal interests:
She is a cellist who has performed with small ensembles and orchestras for over 50 years; reading; sports–now she is a particular fan of the Seahawks; hiking in the outdoors.
Tariq Mustafa
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since Fall 2016
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Pakistan: In the Eye of the Storm – An Insider’s Perspective
How to Best Handle Radical Islam
Educational background
BSc Mechanical Eng. with First Class Hons., Mechanical Engineering, 1953 – 1956, London University
Government College University, Lahore. 1949 – 1952
Professional experience
Federal Secretary (Multiple Posts), Government of Pakistan, 1986 – 1994
Federal Secretary of Defence Production
Federal Secretary of Science & Technology
Federal Secretary of Privatization
Federal Secretary of Public Sector Industries
Federal Secretary of Petroleum & Natural Resources
Minister Technical, Embassy of Pakistan, 1981 – 1986 Washington, DC–
Helped the Pakistan Government Organizations and Industry with upgrading their technological capabilities in relevant areas
Director, Space Technology, SUPARCO (Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Committee), 1964 – 1972 — Led the team which established Pakistan’s first rocket range at Sonmiani as well as the rockets and propellant manufacturing plant in addition to the earth resources monitoring program
Program Director, Aerospatiale, January 1965 – December 1966 Paris, France
— Obtained transfer of Technology for the manufacture of the Centaur and Dragon series of rockets and their propellants
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience
President & Vice President Paralympic Committees, 2000 – Present, Islamabad, Pakistan
President – National Paralympic Committee, Pakistan
President – South Asian Paralympic Committee
Vice-President – Asian Paralympic Committee
Special Achievements and Honors
Honorary D.Sc (Doctorate of Science), University of Greenwich, United Kingdom, June 2013
Honorary Commander, Pakistan Navy, Government of Pakistan, 1974
Medal of Distinction (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz), Government of Pakistan, 1963 for leading the Pakistani team responsible for establishing the first rocket range in Pakistan at Sonmiani, Baluchistan
Personal interests
Dr. Mustafa has lived, studied, and worked in 8 cities across 4 countries, including London, Paris, Washington DC, Oak Ridge Tenn., and Islamabad and visited over 50 countries. He speaks five languages.
He is an active member and contributor to IRAS (Institute of Religion in the Age of Science) since 2008. He has authored a book, Case for God – Based on Reason and Evidence, not Groundless Faith and has been a regular participant in several conferences related to this field.
All of his life, he has been a ‘Searcher’ and is working on a project on the future of humankind, as he passionately believes that the existential challenges in the areas of population explosion, climate change, depletion of resources, spread of weapons of mass destruction and the rise of extremism cannot be controlled by business as usual but require a paradigm shift in our way of thinking.
Michael O’Connor
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since Winter 2016
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
20th Century Psychology Pioneers on Human Nature
Educational background
Dr. O’Connor has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Minnesota, an MTS in Spirituality/Spiritual Direction from Seattle University, and a M.Ed. (Counseling Psychology) and BA (History, General Science) from the University of Washington.
Professional experience Dr. O’Connor retired as a Professor Emeritus from Seattle University’s Department of Counseling and School Psychology. During his 36-year tenure he helped prepare graduate students for service in K-12 schools, college and mental health counseling centers, and served as Counseling Department chair for 14 years. He also served on numerous state and national committees. His research interest is the interrelationship of counseling, religion and spirituality.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience
Dr. O’Connor served in the Peace Corps (Philippines) for two years teaching English as a Second Language and training teachers in TESL methods. He also co-directed a teen drop-in center in Seattle for two years serving alienated youth.
Special Achievements and Honors
Michael has presented at state, regional, national and international conferences. He and his wife have offered counselor education workshops in South and Southeast Asia, New Zealand and Europe.
Personal interests
Dr. O’Connor is married to Dr. Elsa O’Connor (also a retired psychologist) and has two grown daughters and four grandchildren. Personal interests include wellness activities, photography, classical guitar and continuing education courses.
Gabrielle Orsi
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since Spring 2014
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Dante’s Inferno: Journey Through Hell
A Modern Journey through Hell: Primo Levi and Auschwitz
Introduction to Modern Italian Literature
From the Page to the Silver Screen: Italian Cinema & Literature
Jewish Italy
Art and the Holocaust
Educational background
Ph.D. in Italian at the Department of Italian of Columbia University in New York, 2008. BA magna cum laude, Comparative Literature, Brown University. She also studied at the University of Bologna, Italy.
Professional experience
Gabrielle has taught at Columbia University, Barnard College, City University of New York-Queens College, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Denver, and she was a fellow at The Graduate Center, City University of New York in 2006, at Northwestern University in 2008, and at The Getty Research Institute of Los Angeles in 2009. She has also served as a Reader for the Advanced Placement Examination in Italian since 2008 and she is a Peer Reviewer for the Language and Literature (Non-US) Committee in the Fulbright Scholar program. She has published original research with the University of Chicago Italian Women Writers Project, academic journals, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, and in her blog. She has provided Italian / English translation for Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Pantheon Books, and the Journal of Italian Translation.
Special Achievements and Honors
In 2014 she was awarded the position of Visiting Scholar at the American Academy in Rome, Italy. She was named the 2013 eLCC (e-Learning Consortium of Colorado) eLearning Technologist/Support Person of the Year by the e-Learning Consortium of Colorado.
Personal interests
Gabrielle is passionate about literature, history, and the arts, and loves the outdoors too. Her interests include all things Italian, traveling, hiking, backpacking, tennis, telemark skiing, snowshoeing (She represents the US Snowshoeing Association/USA Track & Field for the Western Region), and trail running, as well as spending time with family and friends. One of her lifetime goals is to run a marathon or ultra marathon in every state and so far she has checked 16 states off the list.
Lee Anne Powers
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since summer 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Computer Basics for Retirees
Educational background
BA in Advertisng & Public Relations, University of Kentucky.
Professional experience
Lee Anne spent fifteen years in the television industry in Promotion and Production. Then she spent the following fifteen years developing marketing and event promotions for “big box” retailers. She was the Lifestyle Enrichment Director for one of the largest senior living communities in Dallas.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
She has been a daily user of Word and Outlook for 28 years, both in the corporate world and for personal use.
Personal interests
She is married, with two sons and a stepson in Dallas, and a stepdaughter and her husband in Wyoming. She lived in Dallas for 32 years, and moved to the PNW in 2013. She and her husband love living here–so gorgeous, great hikes, wonderful food and culture, and they enjoy the wine tasting rooms in their town of Woodinville. They love retirement, and are trying to live life to the fullest!
Alessandro Regio
Length of time teaching for TELOS – 4 years
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
What is Social Justice?
Ancient Philosophy
History of American Foreign Policy
Modern Threats: Counter Terrorism
Modern Threats: Cybersecurity
Modern Threats: Nuclear Weapons
Educational background:
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidate, International Relations and Political Science, 2015 – ;
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Master of Arts (M.A.), International Policy Studies, Certificate in Counter-Terrorism 2013 – 2015;
University of Washington, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science (International Relations) ; Philosophy (Political Theory) 2009 – 2012.
His academic focus has been on International Relations Theory, Human Rights, Cross-Atlantic Defense Policy, and Ethical Policymaking.
Professional experience:
Alessandro Regio has worked on state and federal campaigns before turning to education. Along with being a TELOS instructor, he was also a Teaching Assistant at the Graduate Institute and a Technical Assistant at the University of Washington.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience:
Alessandro has arranged a number of symposiums on counter-terrorism strategies, immigrant rights, human rights, and ethical governance.
Personal interests
Topics and causes that matter to him: Civil Rights and Social Action, Economic Empowerment, Education, Human Rights, Politics, Poverty Alleviation
David Robison
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since Summer 2017
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
Hooks, Riffs and Earworms-How Your Favorite Music Grabs You
Educational background:
BSElectrical Engineer, U. of Texas at Arlington, MSElectrical Engineering, GeorgiaTech
Professional experience:
David Robison is a retired pharmaceutical/medical device executive. He was VP of Operations for two Seattle start-up bio-techs and held a variety of management positions with a large diversified medical company including R&D, Quality, Operations, and Customer Service. He has been Professor and dean of electronics engineering technology and taught management classes to businesses, at Bellevue College, and Harvard Business School (MBA program).
Personal interests:
David is a native Texan, who has also lived in Georgia and Illinois prior to relocating to paradise (Washington state) in 1996. He is married with two children and one grandchild. His personal interests include, but are not limited to, literature, fine art, and music.
Audrey Rosenberg
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since Fall 2013
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Quilts: American Civil War Era
Quilts: Modernism (20th to 21st Centuries)
Quilts: The Quilt Road (ancient to 1820s)
Textile Industry History: Part 1, Part 2
American vs European Decorative Arts
The Evolution of Clothing over Time: Part One, Part Two, Part Three
Ancient Textiles, Cloth and Society
The American Civil War Homefront
Latin America: Textiles, Weaving, and Society
American Quilts: Cultural History
Educational background
BA Chemistry Univ. of Pennsylvania, MSecEd in Secondary Education at Temple Univ., Associate Degree Paralegal Studies Manchester (CT) Community College.
Professional experience
Audrey has worked as a biochemist, science teacher and senior paralegal in commercial real estate and environmental issues, having retired from the legal department at Starbucks Coffee Company in 2007.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
Having loved crafts since childhood, especially knitting, embroidery and needlepoint, and having taken classes at two art schools as a teenager, she has combined her passion for art and her interest in history into a study of quilts, past and present. She is a founding member of the local Stray Threads Quilt Guild.
Special Achievements and Honors
Audrey was the Historian and Education Chairwoman of her quilt guild.
Personal interests
She has lived in Bellevue since 1997 and currently serves as President of the Board of Directors at her condo complex. When not quilting, she walks her poodle, reads, knits, and listens to music.
Dawn Samuelson
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since Winter 2020
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Versatile Acrylics Studio
Exploring Landscape with Versatile Acrylics
Fun With Art
Background, education, and interests
Dawn has always had a passion for making art. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she studied painting, sculpture, and photography. Since then she’s been making and showing art around the country, with an emphasis on abstract painting and multimedia sculpture. She has taught a mixture of children and adults for the last 10 years and enjoys helping others explore their creativity.
Jessica Serio
Length of time teaching for TELOS – starting Fall 2017
Course taught in TELOS program:
History of Sport and Society
Educational background:
Jessica Serio earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from U. Mass prior to obtaining her Masters’ degree in Sports Management from Drexel University.
Professional experience:
Jess currently works in the Center for Leadership in Athletics at the University of Washington, serving as the primary support staff for students and faculty in the Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership M.Ed. program in the College of Education. She is responsible for managing the admissions activity of the graduate program, advising enrolled students, and assisting faculty with curriculum development and course buildout. Prior to joining the IAL staff, Jess worked in facilities and operations at Washington State University, focusing on event services and student leadership and development. She served as the Assistant Softball Coach at UNLV for the 2012-2013 season and at Drexel University from 2010-2012.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience:
Jess coaches at various regional and national youth athletic camps, focusing on mental and physical skill development. While at Washington State University, she served on the President’s commission for Gender, Identity, Equity, and Sexual Orientation. As a collegiate athlete, she was four-year starter at UMASS, winning four Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament titles, making four trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Personal interests:
Originally from Rhode Island, Jess moved to Seattle in 2015 with her wife, dog, and cat.
Kirk Shulman
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since Fall 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Digitize Your Life
Educational Background
Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management
Executive Marketing Program, 2013 – 2013;
University of Maryland – Robert H. Smith School of Business
MBA, Strategy, Supply Chain Management. 2002 – 2004
Babson College. BS, MIS, Managerial Accounting, 1995 – 1999
Professional experience
Kirk has worked for Military.com and Microsoft.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
He first realized that he had a knack for organizing when he visited his mother-in-law in Joppatowne, a few miles outside of Baltimore. While she may be considered a “hoarder” by today’s TV standards, he saw her home as an opportunity. Technology could make her life so much easier and cleaner, and to some degree she could still keep her “stuff”, just not in her house, but in “The Cloud”. The project took weeks, but by the end of it she told him she never felt more free and alive (after she finally stopped fuming about all the trips to Goodwill).
Personal interests
Since coming to Microsoft a few years ago, he has loved the technology and the challenges he is working on, but sorely misses the outreach piece and the satisfaction of having a tangible impact on someone’s life. He hopes to find that feeling again through educating folks about the breadth of technology tools available to organize their lives and keep them that way.
David E. Smith
Length of time teaching for TELOS – Since Fall 2013
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Themes in Philosophy
The Old Testament
The Old Testament/Tanakh
The New Testament
The Bible
Comparative Religion
Contemporary Ethics
Philosophy of Religion
Mormonism
House of Worship Tours
Educational background
M.A. in Philosophy of Religion, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA (1988), and M.A. and Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA (1999)
Professional experience
From 1988-1993 David was a Police Officer in Lynchburg, VA. From 2000 to the present he has held various faculty positions in Philosophy and Religious Studies, most recently at Central WA University, Ellensburg, WA. He currently runs Beliefs and Ethics Seminars and teaches for several adult continuing education programs in the Seattle area. David has a substantial publications list. His website is www.beliefsandethics.com, from which you can access his blog, read a variety of articles on issues in religion and philosophy, and submit responses.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
David coordinated a colloquium for the CWU Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies (Spring 2013) entitled, “Mormon Intellectual: Oxymoron or Viable Option?” with Dr. James Faulconer, Professor of Religious Understanding, Brigham Young University. He also hosted Dr. James W. Green, Department of Anthropology, University of Washington: “Physician Aided Dying and Newer Medical Challenges at the End of Life.” A Philosophy and Religious Studies Colloquium, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA. (October 26, 2011)
Special Achievements and Honors
2015-2016: Speaker for Humanities Washington (theme: religion and human rights)
Certificate of Merit in Teaching Award, Temple University (1996)
Personal story and interests
David grew up in the home of a fundamentalist Christian minister, but as an adult he gradually moved away from that paradigm and became a religious progressive/skeptic. He pursued advanced degrees in religious studies to find answers for himself and to prepare himself to empower others to find answers for themselves. In addition to academics, he loves exercise and sports, and is a certified personal trainer.
James Starkey
Length of time teaching for TELOS – four years
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
The Native American Experience: Looking Through Indigenous Eyes
The Hollywood Indian: Looking Through Indigenous Eyes
Native Americans and Contemporary Issues
Educational background
BA, Communications Education – U. of Washington; MAEd, Learning Resources – U. of Washington; MAEd, American Indian Studies, Native Worldview & Philosophy, Traditional Teaching Methodologies – Antioch University, Seattle
Professional experience
James is currently an Adjunct Professor of Education at Antioch University. He was a teacher in the Bellevue Public Schools, 1972-2012, teaching English and Social Sciences at all levels. Prior to that he was a Vietnam Era Marine Corps Aviator, 1968-1972.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from professional experience
He has served on the Eastside Native American Education Consortium for 35 years, providing outreach to over 250 Native families in the Bellevue, Lake Washington, and Northshore School Districts.
Special Achievements and Honors
He has two published books: Back to the Blanket: A Native Narrative of Discovery, a seven-generation narrative that chronicles his Ojibwe family within the context of the subjugation of his people; and The Native American Experience: Looking Through Indigenous Eyes, a companion text for his university class that includes issues of American Indian Studies, Native Worldview & Philosophy, and Traditional Teaching Methodologies.
Personal interests
He is a mixed-breed Anishinaabe/Ojibwe originally from the White Earth Reservation in Northern Minnesota. He is proud to have been raised in Native ways by his parents. He brings a passion of informing both Natives and non-Natives alike about the Native American Experience.
In Memoriam – John Whitmer, beloved TELOS instructor, died on January 13, 2016.
Teaching for TELOS – since 1992
Course taught in TELOS program
The Geology of our Remarkable Cordillera
Educational background
Dr. Whitmer spent one year at Montana State College, Bozeman and two years at Oregon State College, Corvallis. He entered the University of Oregon Medical School in 1946. He completed the requirement for BS in Zoology from Oregon State College in 1948 and was granted an M.D. degree in 1950.
Professional experience
John worked as a physician starting out in General Practice and was self-employed from 1951 to 1955. Later, he became the Director of the Student Health Service at the University of Wyoming from 1955 to 1961. Next, he worked as a Resident in Psychiatry at Stanford Medical Center & Veterans Administration Hospital, Palo Alto, California from 1961 to 1964. From 1964 to 1984, he was a Staff Psychiatrist at the Veterans Administration Hospital, American Lake, Tacoma until he retired. Then he worked as a Psychiatry Consultant to the Washington State Office of Disability Insurance, Tumwater, WA from 1988-1991.
Experience related to course topic if different from professional experience
He has been seriously interested in geology since age fourteen, but never considered geology as a way to make a living. When his medical credentials were established, he devoted his spare time to the study of geology. Being a person in love with the crust of the Earth, he started mountain climbing, with particular attention to the glaciers and glacial land forms. While working at the University of Wyoming he studied Geomorphology, Paleontology & Structural Geology for credit. By means of field trips, he acquired considerable understanding of Plate Tectonics and the geology of the western United States, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia, New Zealand, and Iceland. He has experienced several earthquakes, including the 1949, 1965 and 2001 events.
Special Achievements and Honors
He has been a member of the Northwest Geological Society (Seattle) since 1965. He edited the monthly newsletter for that society for twenty years. His efforts were so much appreciated that on three occasions he was awarded the “Tool of Geology” plaque for outstanding service to the geological community. Over the decades, he participated in most of that Society’s field trips in Washington and British Columbia. In 2006 he organized an outstanding field trip for that society, and was subsequently elected President of the Society for a one-year term.
Personal interests
Born in Spokane, WA, he witnessed years of controversy over the building of Grand Coulee Dam, which kindled his interest in Geology and in the Lake Missoula Floods. He moved to Billings, Montana in 1938.
Jim Wilke
Length of time teaching for TELOS –since Winter 2016
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
Jazz, Then and Now
Educational background:
University of Iowa, 1954-1959, BA,in Speech / Radio-TV-Film
Professional experience:
Jim is a veteran radio broadcaster (KING-FM, KBCS, KUOW, PRI, KPLU) who has been involved in both jazz and classical music all his professional life. His award-winning radio program “Jazz After Hours” on Public Radio International was carried each weekend by more than 70 stations from 1984-2014. He is still producing his long-running show “Jazz Northwest” on KPLU – jazznw.org. He is also a recording engineer, writer, member of The Recording Academy and Jazz Journalists Association.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience
He has taught Jazz History classes at both Bellevue (Community) College and at The Cornish College of the Arts.
Special Achievements and Honors
Jim has produced live radio shows with Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles and many others. He has been named one of the top jazz radio producers nationally by JazzTimes and the Jazz Journalists Association. He is in the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame and several musicians have composed songs in his honor.
Personal interests
Jim is interested in theatre, sailing, hiking, and tennis.
John (Clint) Work
Length of time teaching for TELOS –starting Spring 2016
Course(s) taught in TELOS program:
The US in East Asia: Foundations, Transitions, & Trends
Educational background:
Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS), University of Washington, September 2014 –present
Completing predoctoral coursework, focused in research methodologies and Korean Studies University of Chicago, Master of Arts (MA), International Relations 2012 – 2013
Boston College Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science and History 2002 – 2006
Professional experience:
After graduating with a BA, Clint Work spent a year as a history teacher at the Salisbury School (Connecticut) and followed that with two years as a commodities trader at the Chicago Board of Trade. Teaching English in Korea for almost three years resulted in an interest in East Asian issues and a return to school for an MA after which he worked as a Research Assistant for the International Crisis Group, also in Korea where he focused on Chinese, Japanese, and Korean security relations, economic reforms, intelligence capabilities and space programs. While at the International Crisis Group and since beginning doctoral coursework, he has written numerous articles, many for the Diplomat magazine.
Special Achievements and Honors
Clint served as Rapporteur at 2014 Asan Plenum, Asan Institute of Policy Studies, April 2014 – April 2014 (1 month), |Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea. The Asan Plenum is an annual gathering of leading experts and scholars to discuss the pressing challenges facing the world. As a rapporteur, in addition to attending multiple sessions during the plenum, he wrote session sketches for two panels, including “Back to History in East Asia” & “The New Asian Economic Order.” These session summaries were utilized by local, regional and global media in their coverage of the plenum. Following the plenum, he wrote longer, more detailed descriptions of each panel to be published in the Asan Plenum 2014-Proceedings.
Clint has also been honored as the recipient of the competitive Richard B. Wesley Endowed Ph.D. Fellowship at the Jackson School, which is given to students to work specifically in the foundational fields of PVS (Peace, Violence, and Security) and/or SMS (States, Markets, Societies) in combination with one or more of the major powers of Asia.
Personal interests
He was born in Chicago and moved with his family to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and then Tucson, AZ during his adolescent years. He attended prep school in Connecticut for all four years of high school, and went to Boston for college. He has since lived in Chicago and Seoul, South Korea, and now resides in Seattle with his girlfriend and two cats.
Gordon Young
Teaching for TELOS – since Winter 2016
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
Computer Basics: Windows 10
Microsoft Word for the Home User
Powerpoint 2016
Educational background
BA in Production, U of W, 1958; 400+hours of computer related training during tenure at The Boeing Company
Professional experience
USAF 1951-1954; Retired from the The Boeing Company after 37years, 1958-1995. While there he worked in a variety of positions: Industrial Engineering Organization, 14 years; Commercial and Helicopter divisions, Program Management Office for Boeing Hydrofoils, five years, Computing support organization for B-2 program, one year, Computing support organizations for Boeing Manufacturing, Finance and Engineering, Computing support for the 777 program and for the Everett site programs.
Experience related to course topic(s) if different from Professional experience
Gordon Young has worked with computers since 1958. He joined SeniorNet of Puget Sound in 2000: While there he served as class assistant for two years; developed class materials and instructed Word classes, eight to nine years through May 2014; developed class materials and instructed photo editing classes using Photoshop Elements, 2007-2014. He was also facilities manager for 20 computers, three printers, plus other related tasks, 2008-2011.
Currently a member of: KEGS (Komputer Enthusiasts of Greater Seattle), STPS (SeniorTech of Puget Sound), EGS (Eastside Genealogical Society, Computer Special Interest Group).
Personal interests
Gordon was born in Seattle and moved to Bremerton in 1943 where he graduated from Bremerton HS in 1950. He married in 1968 and has two children and one grandchild. His interests include photography, computers, general technology, collecting fonts, and automobiles.
Craig ZumBrunnen
Length of time teaching for TELOS – since Fall 2015
Course(s) taught in TELOS program
What’s All the Heat about Climate Change?
Educational background
Craig received a B.A. cum laude in geology with minors in mathematics, chemistry, zoology and history from the University of Minnesota in June 1966. Although accepted into the University of Minnesota′s Medical School, he chose instead to accept a five-year NDEA Fellowship in Geological Sciences at the California Institute of Technology. While at Caltech he also began studying Russian language and became very interested in interdisciplinary environmental and social sciences and their roles in alternative approaches to economic-ecologic development. After receiving his M.S. degree in geological sciences in June 1968, he resigned his fellowship at Caltech and was accepted into the doctoral program in geography at U.C. Berkeley where he focused his studies on environmental problems in the former Soviet Union, especially water pollution problems.
Professional experience
He is currently Professor Emeritus, University of Washington, Department of Geography, after teaching in the Geography department there from 1977 to 2014, the Departmental of Environmental Studies from 1989 to 2004, and the Jackson School of International Studies from 1977-2014. He was a member of the Department of Geography faculty at Ohio State University From September 1972 until June 1977 and taught two summer courses at UC Berkeley in 1974. He is still an affiliate professor at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Pt. Elizabeth South Africa since 2004.
Special Achievements and Honors
He is the author and editor of, and contributor to, a number of books including Urban Ecology: An International Perspective on the Interaction of Humans and Nature and Urban Geography in the Soviet Union and the United States.
Personal interests
He grew up on a small farm about fifty miles northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota. There he started driving tractors for threshing crews in 1950 and did field work on the farm all the way through college and his first two summer breaks while he was in graduate school. In the summers he also worked as an electrician for his father’s business and did woodworking and machinery mechanics. In high school football he was a linebacker and he also played basketball and during the summer he water skied nearly every weekend. His father was an avid conservationist and co-founder of one of the first county park systems in Minnesota. His father’s influence and his rural background and diverse interests ultimately led him to the fields of earth science and for the past fifteen years a focus on the problems associated with energy resource development and use and human-induced climate change.