The Board of Trustees approved two associate professors for tenure and approved 13 assistant professors for tenure and promotion to associate professor in February 2022, with changes effective as of July 1. Dean of the Faculty Emily Chan, in her presentation of these faculty members to the board, highlighted the “immense talent and scholarly achievement from their areas of study” and praised their “commitment to the success and well-being of all students through their innovative and student-centric pedagogies.”
The CC faculty members awarded tenure are Associate Professor of Human Biology and Kinesiology Anthony Bull and Associate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Janet Burge.
Anthony Bull, Associate Professor of Human Biology and Kinesiology
Bull challenges his students with complex topics in human physiology and kinesiology while maintaining flexibility to adapt to emerging questions that are of interest to students in each class. Students especially appreciate learning to use an evidence-based approach to critically evaluate popular and “novel” health and wellness trends. These skills are honed through the many ways that Bull employs active learning strategies in labs and assignments, such as the Energy Balance Dietary Analysis Lab and the Maximal Field Test and Oxygen Consumption Lab. These creative learning opportunities build on his experience as a scholar who studies the physiology of fatigue mechanism, skeletal muscle anatomy, and molecular-level analyses of fatigue. Bull received his Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and his B.S. in business administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Janet Burge, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science
Burge rewrites the cultural norms of a stereotypical computer science classroom and puts the goal of inclusion at the center of her teaching. She draws from the empirical literature on effective pedagogies and adapts them for the introductory Computational Thinking and Introduction to Computer Science courses, taking pedagogical risks to create learning environments that are welcoming to the novice and inclusive to those from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the field of computer science.
Burge has a three-pronged research program, focusing on software engineering, artificial intelligence in design, and computer science education. In an ongoing research program with student collaborators, Burge’s team studied rationale extraction from existing documents through machine learning and natural language processing. She received her M.S. and her Ph.D. in computer science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and her B.S. in computer science from Michigan Technological University.
Tenure and promotion to associate professor awardees are:
| Department | Faculty Member(s) |
|---|---|
| English | Natanya Pulley |
| Feminist and Gender Studies | Nadia Guessous |
| History | Amy Kohout, Purvi Mehta, and Jamal Ratchford |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | Beth Malmskog and Molly Moran |
| Molecular Biology | Sara Hanson |
| Organismal Biology and Ecology | Rachel Jabaily |
| Psychology | Jason Weaver |
| Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies | Dwanna McKay and Jamal Ratchford |
| Sociology | Vanessa Muñoz |
| Southwest Studies | Karen Roybal |
English
Natanya Pulley, Assistant Professor of English
Pulley’s classroom is an inquisitive, challenging, yet safe space for students to grow as writers and to discuss complex and charged topics. She teaches contemporary fiction and nonfiction in courses such as Literature by Native American Writers, Experimental Forms in Ethnic Literature, and Topics in Native American Literature. Pulley’s work includes nonfiction, creative nonfiction, fiction, lyrical essays, and poetry, encompassing both traditional storytelling and radical departures from tradition, celebrating hybrid forms that are deeply contemporary. Pulley is also the founding editor of the Hairstreak Butterfly Review. She has recently been named a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts fellowship — one of 35 writers who were recognized with this prestigious award. Pulley’s Ph.D. in English and fiction writing and her B.A. in English are from the University of Utah.
Feminist and Gender Studies
Nadia Guessous, Assistant Professor of Feminist and Gender Studies
Gessoes’ students describe the learning experiences in her courses in transnational, Middle Eastern, and Islamic feminist and gender studies as transformative. She invites students to situate the readings theoretically, geographically, and historically, while at the same time traversing the space between text-centric and student-centric approaches using a diversity of pedagogies. As an instructor and mentor, she models scholarly engagement with complex materials that challenge students to reevaluate their own assumptions and positionality.
Guessous’s research examines the assumptions of secularism through long-term ethnographic research with Moroccan leftist feminists and their exclusion of veiled Moroccan women. Her research offers insights into longstanding debates about gender and Islam in the region. She received her Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia University. She was a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, and before that a Faculty Fellow and Director of Graduate Studies at the Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at New York University.
History
Amy Kohout, Assistant Professor of History
Kohout designs learning environments that use the narrative form to study history from relevant primary documents. Kohout empowers students to lead discussions from a position where multiple views for understanding history is the norm. She crafts multisensory modes of learning using written texts, discussion, visual arts, and contemporary, web-based narratives.
Kohout’s scholarship was recognized by a national fellowship, the David J. Weber Fellowship at Southern Methodist University. She used the fellowship to complete her manuscript, “Taking the Field: Soldiers, Nature, and Empire on American Frontiers,” which will be published by the University of Nebraska Press, one of the top presses in the field of history of the U.S. West. She earned her B.A. in history from Yale University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Cornell University.
Purvi Mehta, Assistant Professor of History
Mehta developed a robust South Asian curriculum within the History Department and created numerous new courses, such as History of Gender and Sexuality in South Asia, History of Modern South Asia, and Human Rights: Histories, Theories, and Debates. Her teaching and scholarship are strengthened by interdisciplinary studies in related disciplines such as Asian studies, feminist and gender studies, race, ethnicity, and migration studies, and anthropology. She has published articles on transnational Dalit rights and activism, as well as caste discrimination.
A national expert on these matters, she serves on the board of the International Commission for Dalit Human rights. Mehta has a B.A. in Asian and Middle Eastern languages and cultures from Barnard College, an M.Sc. in South Asian politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and a Ph.D. in history and anthropology from the University of Michigan.
Jamal Ratchford, Assistant Professor of History and Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies
Ratchford uses a variety of pedagogical techniques, ranging from bringing in nationally renowned scholars and practitioners as guest speakers, archival research at the CC Special Collections, and field trips to museums in Denver. His inviting and engaging classroom environment promotes critical thinking. His courses — such as Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity, African American History in the West, and American Sport and Society — are cornerstones in the curriculum for History and REMS.
Ratchford’s scholarship focuses on protest and sports, critically analyzing the discourses of integration and meritocracy. He has been interviewed by media organizations such as National Public Radio and The Guardian. Ratchford received a B.A. in African American studies from Morehouse College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Purdue University.
Mathematics and Computer Science
Beth Malmskog, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science
Malmskog teaches introductory-level courses such as Calculus and Linear Algebra as well as upper-level courses such as Graph Theory and Number Theory. She uses proven pedagogies such as mastery-based assessments and invests in building personal relationships with her students so that they gain intrinsic motivation and curiosity to study difficult subjects. Her scholarly achievement ranges from pure mathematics to speech recognition to analyses of gerrymandering.
Students are active research collaborators on Malmskog’s team and they have started parallelizing an algorithm to create unbiased redistricting plans. Malmskog was recently awarded an NSF Launching Early Academic Pathways grant that will support ongoing research in gerrymandering and redistricting. Her M.S. and Ph.D. in mathematics are from Colorado State University; she also has a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Wyoming.
Molly Moran, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science
Moran brings multiple teaching methods into the mathematics classroom. Her student-centered approach enhances learning in introductory Calculus and Statistics and all the way to advanced courses in Topology and Real Analysis. In the course Linear Algebra she incorporates the visual arts in the teaching of the concept of mathematical abstraction.
Her teaching has been recognized by the Mathematical Association of America Rocky Mountain Section, which honored her with their Early Career Teaching Award. Moran publishes research in the topology subfield of geometric group theory. In her recent interdisciplinary research with students, they applied topology to the analyses of fluctuations in oil market prices. Moran received her Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; she is a 2009 graduate of Colorado College, where she majored in mathematics.
Molecular Biology
Sara Hanson, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology
Hanson transforms the biology classroom into a space for multidisciplinary learning and exploration. Her course materials and activities help student develop mastery of complex molecular biology concepts. Creativity is core to her pedagogy: for example, her students turned a genome sequence into a musical score. She also emphasizes the importance of science communication in her classes and provides opportunities for students to develop this skill.
Hanson conducts research in areas that touch on molecular biology, genetics, genome biology, and evolution, providing a breadth of research opportunities for students. Currently, the Hanson lab is investigating the evolution of regulatory pathways that control fused sexual cycles in yeast. Hanson received her Ph.D. from the Interdisciplinary Program in Genetics at the University of Iowa, and a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in chemistry from Buena Vista University.
Organismal Biology and Ecology
Rachel Jabaily, Assistant Professor of Organismal Biology and Ecology
Jabaily energizes her classroom with active, inquiry-based, and hands-on learning as she shares her passion for botany and evolutionary biology with students. While instilling a sense of wonder and curiosity for botanical science, she also engages in critical interdisciplinary conversations about the legacy of inequalities and oppression in science. In addition to core courses in the department such as Evolution and Biology of Plants, she also enriches the curriculum with creative multidisciplinary courses such as Evolutionary Medicine and mentors and collaborates with student researchers. She is the only U.S. professor researching extensively on the Australian Fanflower family (Goodeniaceae, with 800+ species) and the Neotropical Pineapple family (Bromeliaceae, with 3,000+ species). Jabaily received her Ph.D. in botany from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her B.S. in botany from the University of Wyoming.
Psychology
Jason Weaver, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Weaver cultivates engaged and inclusive learning communities in his classes, whether they be introductory quantitative methods courses, interdisciplinary courses such as Japanese Americans During WWII, or advanced research seminars such as Political Psychology. He designs learning experiences on topics around race and ethnicity by incorporating storytelling, creativity, and visual literacy. Weaver collaborates extensively with students, and his research in social psychology focuses on sexuality and queerness, and political attitude and behavior.
His most recent article, “Masking our Risky Behavior: How Licensing and Fear Reduction Reduce Social Distancing Behavior,” uncovers counterintuitive findings about how effective promotion of health precautions can at times reduce adoption of health protective behaviors. His Ph.D. in social psychology is from the University of Minnesota, and his B.A. in psychology is from Carleton College.
Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies
Dwanna McKay, Assistant Professor of Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies
McKay designs courses in Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies and Indigenous Studies that provide students with a substantive background in the history, sociology, and politics of indigeneity, race, ethnicity, and gender. She makes use of the discomfort these topics create and challenges her students to confront their own preconceptions about identities, social structures, and self-perceptions. Her classes deepen students’ cultural and historical understanding and create experiences that challenge assumptions about student worldviews.
Last year, McKay published “Real Indians: Policing or Protecting Authentic Indigenous Identity?” which increased the visibility of Indigenous approaches in sociology, inserting epistemological, theoretical, and methodological Indigenous models within the contemporary sociologies of race and ethnicity. McKay’s Ph.D. in sociology is from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, her M.S. in sociology from Oklahoma State University-Stillwater, her M.B.A. in management science from East Tennessee State University, and her B.A. in political science from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Jamal Ratchford, Assistant Professor of History and Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies
Ratchford uses a variety of pedagogical techniques, ranging from bringing in nationally renowned scholars and practitioners as guest speakers, archival research at the CC Special Collections, and field trips to museums in Denver. His inviting and engaging classroom environment promotes critical thinking. His courses — such as Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity, African American History in the West, and American Sport and Society — are cornerstones in the curriculum for History and REMS.
Ratchford’s scholarship focuses on protest and sports, critically analyzing the discourses of integration and meritocracy. He has been interviewed by media organizations such as National Public Radio and The Guardian. Ratchford received a B.A. in African American studies from Morehouse College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Purdue University.
Sociology
Vanessa Muñoz, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Muñoz creates inclusive classrooms where her students’ biography is the center of learning. As a teacher-scholar in sociology, the courses she offers — Inequality in the U.S., Sociology of Body and Health, Sociology of Family, Qualitative Methods — reflect her research in complex dynamics at the intersection of parenting, food, risk, and medicine. She structures her classes to center the voices of the marginalized — students of color, first-generation college students, and any who are introverted and still learning about speaking up in discussions in the classroom.
Muñoz’s scholarship presents the novel idea of collective adherence regarding children with food allergies. This research is gaining importance because of its implications around vaccine resistance, and individual versus community response to public health policies during the pandemic. Muñoz received her B.A. in international studies and Spanish from Emory University, her M.A. in sociology from the University of Maryland, and her Ph.D. in sociology from Brandeis University.
Southwest Studies
Karen Roybal, Assistant Professor of Southwest Studies
Roybal draws upon a traditional Chicana feminist framework in her teaching, employing a range of pedagogical strategies that weave in the discourse methods from history, ethnic studies, and literature. In doing so, she creates a learning environment that is anti-oppressive and enriches the curriculum in Southwest studies; Chicanx studies; race, ethnicity, and migration studies; and cultural studies. She uses object-based learning, poetry, visual objects, and memory boards along with carefully curated texts to foster critical and transdisciplinary inquiry.
As a scholar, Roybal is recognized for her work on 19th and early- to mid-20th century Southwest borderlands through her analyses of testimonios from Mexicanas in historical and literary contexts, and of the archive as practice and theory. Roybal holds a Ph.D. in American studies from the University of New Mexico with specializations in Southwest studies, Chicanx and Latinx literature and history, and cultural studies. She also has an M.A. in communication studies from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and a B.A. in journalism, mass communication, and advertising from the University of New Mexico.
