New Faculty Bring Innovation, Expertise

Six new professors on tenure track or with multiyear contracts joined the Westmont faculty this fall. Jonathan Diaz (English), Kevin McGuire (economics and business), Sara Morrisset (history) and Jada Willis (kinesiology) step into tenure-track positions. Stephanie Cowell ‘04 (chemistry), Laura Drake Schultheis ‘06 (biology) and Mike Ryu (computer science) all previously taught at Westmont and return on tenure track or with multiyear contracts.

Diaz graduated from Biola University, earned an MFA from the University of Notre Dame and expects to complete a doctorate in English from Baylor University this year. His latest research — the subject of his dissertation — examines religious identity and Latino literature. He has published a chapbook, “Rumors of Rain: poems,” and more than a dozen poems in magazines and literary journals. 

McGuire earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Oklahoma Christian University and a doctorate in business administration from the University of Oklahoma. He has published several research articles, including “Brand Animacy: Applying Linguistic Theory to Social Media Communications.” 

“I look forward to bringing the social, cultural and spiritual contexts that shape the relationship between modern marketing and society in a way students can engage with and connect to their other classes,” he says. 

Morrisset graduated from UCLA before earning both a Master of Philosophy and a doctorate in archeology from the University of Cambridge. She has conducted archeological fieldwork in the Ica Valley of Peru since 2016 and has numerous publications about the sociopolitical organization of the Ica people from 1000-1476 A.D. as well as their cultural identity, memory and political collapse. “We have also discovered aspects of daily life in the past, such as how the people who lived in the ancient city ate chili peppers and lima beans,” she says. 

Willis earned a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University before earning both a Master of Science and a doctorate in nutritional sciences from Texas Tech University. Since 2011, she has been a registered dietitian nutritionist. Before coming to Westmont, she was a tenured associate professor at Texas Christian University in the department of nutritional sciences. She holds an unpaid faculty position at the Anne Marion Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.

Cowell, who returned to her alma mater to serve in the chemistry department in 2019, will serve in a more permanent position teaching in both classes and the lab, doing pre-health and academic advising, and managing the chemistry lab. She earned a teaching credential and a Master of Science in chemistry degree at UC Irvine before teaching overseas in Ciro, Egypt, and Cape Town, South Africa. Upon returning to the U.S., she served as a teacher and science instructional coach for Environmental Charter Schools in Inglewood and Lawndale before returning to Westmont. 

Ryu, an assistant professor of mathematics and computer science, says he enjoyed serving as a visiting professor and with the Center for Applied Technology (CATLab) during the summer. He earned a Bachelor of Science in software engineering and a Master of Science in computer science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before working at a for-profit corporation in the San Francisco Bay Area

Schultheis, who came back to Westmont as an adjunct in biology in 2020, describes herself as an ecologist. “Returning has felt like coming home, and securing a tenure-track position means I can settle into exploring research and teaching practices that will benefit this community for the long-term.” Schultheis earned a master’s degree in ecology and a doctorate in plant ecology from UC Santa Barbara. 

Leanne Dzubinski, the new dean of faculty development and global education, has taught for more than 15 years, worked as a dean, and has extensive experience in Christian higher education and mission organizations. She most recently served at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky after being an interim dean at Biola. She has lived and taught internationally and is fluent in Spanish and German. 

Nicole Marsh (biology), Brett Shagena (kinesiology) and Dana Wong (nursing) will serve in full-time, one-year appointments with the faculty.