Students heading to Gavilan College next week will see a number
of new faces on campus and in the classroom.
Staff Report
Gilroy – Students heading to Gavilan College next week will see a number of new faces on campus and in the classroom.
The community college has filled eight full-time faculty positions, five of which are new positions. The remaining three were vacant after previous staffers retired.
“I’m just delighted that we’re getting a greater full-time presence in the arts and social sciences,” said Fran Lozano, dean of liberal arts and sciences, in a college press release. “In addition to their dedication to teaching undergraduates, they’ll bring new ideas and energy to the college.”
Additional full-time faculty will translate to increased office hours and overall student support. Following are profiles on each of the new staffers.
Maria Amirkhanian
Amirkhanian traded her part-time post at California State University, Fresno for a full-time position as Gavilan’s music instructor. Locals may recognize the pianist who has performed at Gavilan’s annual Bach to Blues concerts.
Also, in 2006 she coordinated a piano competition for South Valley children. Amirkhanian has a doctorate in piano/performance from Moscow State Conservancy in Moscow.
Jessica Hooper
Hooper, already a part-time instructor here and at San Jose’s Evergreen Valley College, now joins Gavilan as a full-time English teacher. She has a master’s in English from San Jose State University.
John Lawton-Haehl
Lawton-Haehl, who has taught at Solano College in Fairfield and at the University of California, Davis Summer Repertory Theater, joins Gavilan as the new theater instructor. He has directed and designed costumes for numerous theatrical productions.
Lawton-Haehl has bachelor’s degrees in English and theater arts and a doctorate in theater, all from University of California, Berkeley.
Rey Morales
Morales taught part-time here and at Evergreen Valley College and now joins Gavilan as a full-time biology instructor. He earned a master’s in biology from California State University, Hayward, now CSU East Bay.
Carlton Oler
Oler, former associate professor of psychology and counseling at Alabama A University and Oakwood College in Huntsville, Ala., is Gavilan’s new psychology instructor. Oler also worked as a clinical psychologist at the Weems Community Mental Health Center in Meridian, Miss. and as a post-doctorate psychology resident for Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland.
He has spent years in private practice and in numerous clinical settings.
Johanna Stewart
Stewart, a former part-time counselor at Gavilan, will continue to counsel students and serve as advisor for to the Associated Student Body in a full-time capacity. She holds a master’s in counseling education from SJSU.
Dana Young
Young, a former part-time librarian, takes over the full-time technology post. She will help students conduct research using the Internet and electronic databases. She has master’s in library science from Texas Women’s University.
Liana Wexler
Wexler, Gavilan’s new English as a Second Language instructor, has experience in the field having worked for the Milpitas Unified School District, Gavilan and other community settings. She has a master’s in linguistics from SJSU.
