JUNE 2020 citruscollege.edu CITRUSSPECIAL EDITIONVIEW TENURED FACULTY AND RETIREES CELEBRATION Receiving tenure and concluding educational, professional privilege to congratulate the a long career are two significant and personal goals. Each 20 faculty members receiving moments in academia. Every of this year’s honorees has tenure and the 21 faculty and year, Citrus College hosts a used his or her impressive staff members celebrating their special reception to celebrate knowledge and expertise to retirement this year. Thank you those members of our ensure that Citrus College is a for your dedication, hard work community who have reached place where student success and unique contributions to these professional milestones. thrives. Whether they are Citrus College. We hope that the While the current public health concluding a successful career path ahead of you is meaningful, crisis has dictated a change in or achieving a professional and we know that your future will plans, our desire to recognize goal, these knowledgeable hold additional opportunities to this year’s honorees remains the faculty members and dedicated serve others and reflect on your same. For this reason, we are staff members have invested accomplishments. dedicating the last issue of the their time, talent and effort into Once again, congratulations Citrus View for the 2019-2020 making a difference in the lives on reaching these significant academic year to newly tenured of innumerable students. For career milestones and thank faculty members, as well as this this, we are grateful, and we you for your role in making year’s retirees. commend you! Citrus College a leader in At Citrus College, we know that On behalf of the Citrus higher education! faculty and staff are the key Community College District Dr. Geraldine M. Perri, to creating an environment in Board of Trustees and the entire Superintendent/President which students realize their college community, it is my 2020 CITRUS COLLEGE TENURED FACULTY 2020 CITRUS COLLEGE TENURED FACULTY JORGE ACOSTA NICHOLE ARY Counseling Communications Jorge Acosta says his professional During the four years she journey at Citrus College has taken has served as a full-time him places he never thought communications faculty member possible. “I have always worked at Citrus College, Nichole Ary in and around counseling and has been quite busy. In addition student services, but it was an to expanding her skills to include exciting opportunity to be hired as online teaching and effectively a counseling faculty member and launching a new intercultural to serve as a liaison to the nursing communication course, she program,” he said. “Collaborating has also served on the faculty with departments to perfect systems associated with the development committee, student services committee implementation of AB 705 has allowed me to build bridges and online education committee. In addition, she has and foster relationships with colleagues and students spent time as the co-advisor to the Citrus College Speech alike.” Although he was hired as a tenure-track counselor Club. “Receiving tenure means everything to me,” she in 2016, Mr. Acosta has worked at Citrus College for 10 said. “During my first semester attending Orange Coast years. His previous positions include serving as an instructor College, I realized that I wanted to be an instructor. for the Early College program, as a liaison for school This has been my dream come true.” Prior to joining the relations and outreach, and as an adjunct counselor. Mr. college community, Ms. Ary served as an adjunct faculty Acosta holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree member at Cypress College, Orange Coast College, from California State University, Long Beach. Chapman University and California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in speech communication from CSUF. DR. CATHRINE BESANCON DAWN BREWSTER Art Registered Dental Assisting Receiving tenure fills Dr. Cathrine Dawn Brewster says student Besancon with a sense of success makes her job rewarding. belonging. “I know my future will “I love getting messages from be at Citrus College,” she said. graduates saying they passed “This makes me think beyond what their state exams or were hired I want to do in my classes and in dental offices,” she said. Ms. inspires me to consider how I can Brewster joined the Citrus College contribute to my division and to community as an instructor and the college as a whole.” During program administrator for the the four years she has taught art registered dental assisting (RDA) history at Citrus College, Dr. Bensancon created and now program in 2016. Prior to Citrus College, she taught at serves on the art gallery committee. She was also chosen Chaffey College, Moreno Valley College, Pasadena City to serve as the faculty co-chair on the accreditation College and Cerritos College. She also directed and committee. Prior to Citrus College, Dr. Bensancon worked coordinated the dental assisting programs at American as a visiting professor at Lake Forest College and as an Career College, Baldy View ROP and Southeast ROP. In adjunct instructor at Pasadena City College and at addition to teaching, Ms. Brewster spent time working as the University of Southern California (USC). She holds a a registered dental assistant and orthodontic assistant bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los at four different dental practices. A graduate of the Angeles, as well as a master’s degree and Ph.D. from USC. RDA program at Baldy View ROP, she received a dental services teaching credential from the University of San Diego. Ms. Brewster also holds an associate degree and bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix. 2 CITRUSVIEW 2020 CITRUS COLLEGE TENURED FACULTY DALVIR DHILLON DR. MARTIN FARNUM Licensed Vocational Nursing Chemistry Dalvir Dhillon says knowing that Dr. Martin Farnum says that her students leave Citrus College student engagement is the most with a good foundation in the important focus of his teaching nursing profession is her greatest style. “The students need to accomplishment as a faculty remain engaged in answering the member. “The most rewarding important questions about why part of this job is the satisfaction something happens,” he said. After I gain knowing that my students holding an adjunct position for are fulfilling their educational several years, Dr. Farnum joined and career goals,” she said. the college’s natural, physical and Prior to becoming a full-time faculty member in the health sciences division as a full-time chemistry instructor health sciences department, Ms. Dhillon had worked in 2016. Prior to Citrus College, he held adjunct positions at as an adjunct instructor for seven years. She has also Mt. San Antonio College, Norco College, San Bernardino held nursing positions at East Valley College and REACH Valley College and Mt. San Jacinto College. His teaching Centers. In addition, her professional experience includes experience also includes time spent at Cypress College, serving as an infection control unit manager at the as well as Fontana High School and Hamilton High Glendora Grand skilled nursing facility and holding several School. Dr. Farnum is an experienced biochemist, having registered nursing positions at San Dimas Community conducted extensive research and published several Hospital, Methodist Hospital of Southern California and papers in the field. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Beverly Manor Convalescent Hospital. A graduate of chemistry and biological sciences from the University of Panjab University in Chandigarh, India, Ms. Dhillon holds California, Irvine. He also holds a Ph.D. from the University several nursing certifications and a bachelor’s degree of California, Berkeley. in nursing. JANA FOSSUM DR. NICHOLAS HENSON English English Jana Fossum loves watching her Dr. Nicholas Henson feels students begin to recognize their accomplished every time his own abilities. “They come from students rise above their own so many different backgrounds, expectations and excel in class. and I enjoy watching them bring “I primarily teach composition their own experience into the courses, and my favorite moments classroom,” she said. “When they are when students latch onto a do this, it enhances their own research subject or text, explore it educational experience, as well as deeply, and begin to write about the experience of their peers.” After it,” he said. Dr. Henson has been working as an adjunct faculty member for several years, teaching English as a full-time faculty member at Citrus Ms. Fossum joined the college’s language arts program as College for four years. Prior to obtaining this position, he a full-time faculty member in 2016. Prior to Citrus College, taught at the college in an adjunct capacity. He also she had an adjunct faculty role at Fullerton College, held adjunct positions at Woodbury University and the and she also spent time as a tutor for Mt. San Antonio University of Oregon. In addition to teaching literature College and California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). and writing at the college level, Dr. Henson was the chair In addition, she has facilitated writing workshops and of the Windward School English Department and has presented papers at statewide and national conferences. published several literary articles and papers. He holds a Ms. Fossum holds an associate degree from Citrus bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis, College, a bachelor’s degree from Pitzer College and a as well as a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University master’s degree from CSUF. of Oregon. JUNE2020 3 2020 CITRUS COLLEGE TENURED FACULTY AMANDA KELLER KONYA SOPHIA LEE Photography Mathematics Amanda Keller Konya’s goal in the Sophia Lee wants her students to classroom is to provide students gain a strong sense of belonging with a positive environment. “I in college. “The most rewarding work at developing a safe and part of my job is making students supportive community with an feel valued in the classroom,” she emphasis on student-centered said.