Welcome New 2023-2024 Faculty
Join Pacific University in welcoming 21 new faculty members to Boxer Nation. We are grateful to have them here to share their knowledge and expertise in healthcare, education, business and the liberal arts. Be sure to get to know them from these profiles and then say hello when you see them on the Pacific campus!
View a complete list of "New Faculty Bios 2023-2024" on the Faculty Senate webpage.
College of Arts & Sciences
James B.C. Busby, M.F.A. - Assistant Professor of Art
Jim completed his B.A. in Art, from Linfield University in 2001. He received an M.A. in Art, from the University of Iowa in 2013; followed by an M.F.A. in Art in 2014. He graduated A Creative Writing major from Idyllwild Arts Foundation, where Greg Kennedy, his first clay instructor, introduced him to Saggar, Cone 10 Reduction, Woodfire Salt, Raku, and Naborigama kilns in 1994. He has attended six colleges, studying with Richard White, Ron Evans, worked closely with Nils Lou, and apprenticed to Jeff Shapiro. A published woodfire potter, kiln, and titanium bike frame builder; he enjoys Motec, and mountaineering. This year he joins Pacific in a term contract.
Nazan Cetin, PhD- Assistant Professor of Social Work
Nazan Çetin earned her PhD in Social Work and Social Research from Portland State University in 2022 and her MSW from New Mexico Highlands University in 2013. Nazan also holds a BA in Psychology from the University of New Mexico. Nazan’s work centers on improving psychosocial support services and programs for children and adolescents experiencing chronic physical health conditions. She has particular expertise in cancer and psychosocial oncology. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Nazan has worked with children, adults, and families in child welfare and community mental health.
Frederic Liebrand, PhD– Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics
Fred received his bachelor's degree at Southern University and completed his MS and PhD at Purdue University in 1990. His emphasis is in quantum field theory, particularly the electroweak and Higgs sectors. Fred spent 30 years teaching at Walla Walla University, leaving at the beginning of the COVID shutdown. In recent years, he continued to teach at Whitman College, Seattle University and Wenatchee Valley College. Professionally, Fred’s emphasis has centered on renewable energy technology and in developing upper division lab activities to accompany traditionally theoretical courses. He is also nearly finished authoring a complete textbook on Optics, which is an often-neglected part of physics education but a major source of industrial positions for majors. This year Fred joins Pacific in a term position.
Miranda Pollock, M.F.A.- Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
Miranda completed her B.F.A in pre-graduate studies studio art in 2001 and received her M.F.A. in graphic design in 2003 from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology in 2022 from the Northcentral University. Miranda’s work bridges visual communication and psychology; specifically, she examines the cognitive and emotional responses to visual stimuli and the formation of beliefs. Her work as a digital artist has involved the design and use of games as learning tools and the relationships between typography and image in visual storytelling. She is interested in interdisciplinary collaboration. This year she joins Pacific in a full-time tenure-track position.
College of Education
Amber Holton-Thomas, PhD, Assistant Professor, Tenure-track
Dr. Amber Holton-Thomas (she/her/ella) is an Assistant Professor in the PhD in Education and Leadership program. Her research and teaching focus on equity and access for underrepresented students in higher education and includes an emphasis on public policy at the federal level (Pell Grants, Immigration, SNAP, TANF). She also has interests in critical quantitative methods, age diversity and parenting students in higher education, and dynamics of power in leadership. Dr. Holton-Thomas was previously employed in Student Affairs and her most recent role was serving as the Inaugural Director of the First-Gen+ Center within the Division of University Life at George Mason University, centering support, advocacy and success of first-generation college students. Dr. Holton-Thomas grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and is a proud first-generation college graduate and the only member of her family to hold a Doctor of Philosophy degree. She enjoys international travel, running, writing, baking, and spending time with her family.
Deepa Srikant, PhD, CCC-SLT, Assistant Professor, Tenure-Track
Deepa Srikant serves as an assistant professor within the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Her interest lays in the domains of bilingualism, dementia, and cognitive communication abilities. Her long-term objectives are to continue to study the impact of bilingualism and multilingualism in language preservation and attrition in healthy elderly and persons with neurogenic communication disorders. Her research aims to create awareness on symptoms of cognitive decline in elderly at the earliest stage possible and use strategies to reduce the progression of cognitive linguistic decline.
College of Business
Lena Cavusoglu, PhD, Assistant Professor
Dr. Lena Cavusoglu is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the College of Business, Pacific University. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate students a spectrum of marketing courses. These encompass foundational subjects like Principles of Marketing and Marketing Research alongside specialized areas such as Social Media Marketing and Digital Marketing. A significant portion of her research is on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in marketing, specifically in creative industries such as media (advertising, movie, and social and digital media), entertainment, and fashion. Through her work, she aims to reveal the obstacles faced by underrepresented, marginalized, and disadvantaged communities and usher in a new era of DEI in marketing. She envisions that the improved marketing practices will enable a more egalitarian world by bringing diverse voices into production. Her scholarly contributions have been published in pioneering peer-reviewed journals, including but not limited to the European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Behavior, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Consumer Marketing, and the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. Dr. Cavusoglu's dedication to research extends to her active participation in prominent academic gatherings. Her work has been presented at prestigious conferences, including the Advances in Consumer Research (ACR) conference, Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) conference, European Marketing Academy conference (EMAC), Netnocon, Advances in Digital Marketing and E-commerce conference and the Recent Advances in Retailing and Consumer Science (RARCS).
College of Health Professions
School of Physician Assistant Studies
Dennis Phrasavath, MCHS, PA-C - Assistant Professor
Dennis Phrasavath joined the Pacific University School of Physician Assistant Studies in May of 2023 as clinical faculty with primary responsibilities of clinical curriculum development and delivery, student support and assisting in the didactic phase of training as needed. His personal academic interests lie in clinical decision making, simulation, and ultrasound. Dennis also maintains clinical practice in the emergency department at Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital in Washington state. He trained at the University of Washington MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program in Seattle and completed post-graduate fellowship training in Emergency Medicine at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in San Bernardino, Calif. Prior to practicing medicine, he worked as a registered nurse in Phoenix.
Adam Churey, MMS PA-C – Assistant Professor
Professor Churey joined the didactic faculty at Pacific University in 2023. Prior to joining the faculty, he practiced full time in Emergency Medicine and in Urgent Care and continues to practice in Urgent Care on a per diem basis. Originally from upstate New York he moved to Oregon in 2014 following graduation from the PA program at Midwestern University in Glendale Arizona. In his free time, he enjoys running, hiking, skiing, and taking his two dogs swimming or to the dog park.
Jessica Schlump, MS PA-C- Assisant Professor
Jessica Schlump joined the Pacific University School of Physician Assistant Studies in 2023. She has been in practice since 2005 working mostly in Orthopedic Surgery, focused on Pediatric Ortho and continues a part time role. She enjoys working with kiddos and families through an otherwise scary time, and helping them return to active fun humans. Her other areas of interest include Medical Ethics. She can often be found outside, trail running, skiing, backpacking, traveling and planning her next adventure with friends and her four legged sidekick, Ruthie.
School of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training
June Kume, PT, PhD, MSPT, GCS - Associate Professor
Dr. Kume is a board-certified specialist in geriatric physical therapy. She is an alum of the Parkinsons Foundation PT training program (2022) and a graduate of the APTA Education Leadership Fellowship (Class 2022). Dr. Kume is also a PhD-trained physiologist who completed her postdoctoral fellowships in the Neurosurgery dept. of NYU Medical Center. Her clinical and research interests are in the areas of geriatric physical therapy, Parkinson’s disease, and PT education. She is an active member of the APTA.
Michele Ann Catena, PT, DPT, PhD- Assistant Professor
Dr. Catena is a physical therapist and researcher. She received her DPT from Rutgers University (formerly UMDNJ) in Newark, NJ and has practiced in school-based, acute care, and natural environment settings. Dr. Catena received her PhD from Oregon State University in Kinesiology with the Adapted Physical Activity option. Her research interests include caregiver education interventions, health behavior change theory, exploring the relationship between self-directed mobility and development in young children with and without disabilities, and the intersection of disability and assistive technology.
School of Occupational Therapy
Amanda La Bonte, OTD, OTR/L, ECHM – Assistant Professor
Dr. La Bonte is an Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for Pacific's School of Occupational Therapy. Dr. La Bonte’s practice experience includes working as a traveler in a wide variety of settings treating older adults and especially those in underserved communities. She holds her Executive Certificate in Home Modifications (ECHM) and her background includes working for several Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to support older adults. Her scholarship focuses on increasing independence, access, and success for students and faculty, older adults, and those experiencing disability.
Alyssa Phillips, CScD, MOT, OTR/L – Assistant Professor
Dr. Phillips joined the School of Occupational Therapy as the Clinical Education Coordinator and Assistant Professor in 2023. Dr. Phillips received her master’s degree from Saint Francis University and her Clinical Science Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh where her primary focus was adolescent chronic pain management. Clinically she applies her lens of chronic pain and symptom management to upper extremity, industrial, and neurological rehabilitation.
Lisa Porter, Phd, OTD, OTR/L – Assistant Professor
Dr. Porter is an occupational therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience. She received her master's in Occupational Therapy from Rockhurst University and her OTD and PhD from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. She holds advanced training in Sensory Integration (SIPT), Interpersonal Neurobiology, SOS Approach to Feeding, and Higher Education Teaching.
School of Audiology
Jennifer Ratigan, AuD – Assistant Professor
Dr. Jennifer Ratigan joined the Pacific University School of Audiology in August of 2023. Dr. Ratigan received her bachelor’s degree in Special Education from the University of Arizona before completing her Doctorate of Audiology at Gallaudet University, and residency at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. A licensed audiologist with 20 years of experience, she has expertise in diagnostic audiology, cochlear implants, and rehabilitation as well as curriculum and teaching. She has worked in private audiology practices, as a Clinical Associate Professor at Arizona State University, and adjunct faculty at A.T. Still University of Osteopathic Medicine and Pacific University.
School of Graduate Psychology
Robert Harris, PhD – Professor, PsyD Program Director
Dr. Harris is a 1986 graduate of the doctoral program in clinical psychology at the University of Kansas. He completed his clinical residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He has spent the last 29 years in academia at the University of Missouri – St. Louis and with the California School of Professional Psychology/Alliant International University - Fresno. In those settings, he has been an instructor and clinical supervisor, training clinic director, program director and associate director of clinical training. He practiced as a psychologist and clinical supervisor for 26 years, providing psychological assessments and psychotherapy to children, adults and families. He has taught Intellectual and Personality Assessment since 1994. His current research interests concern errors in the administration and scoring of the Rorschach using the R-PAS method. In SGP, Dr. Harris serves as the Program Director for the PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology.
School of Pharmacy
Dr. Nathan Doctor, PharmD –Assistant Professor
Dr. Doctor received his PharmD in 2021 from Purdue University College of Pharmacy in West Lafayette, IN and he completed his PGY-1 Residency at Community Health Network in Indianapolis, IN in 2022. Dr. Doctor's practice interests are in ambulatory care pharmacy, where he helps patients manage their chronic disease states, such as diabetes and hypertension. He assists patients in making positive behavior changes to improve their health and wellbeing. His research focus is in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), which is the study and implementation of innovative teaching methods to improve student learning. He is particularly interested in studying the factors that affect a pharmacy student's growth of their professional identity as a pharmacist and trying new methods to assist in that professional development.
Dr. Alina Yanovich, PharmD–Assistant Professor
Dr. Yanovich received her PharmD from Washington State University, Spokane, WA in 2018, as well as completed her PGY-1 and PGY-2 Residencies there from 2018 – 2020. Her research interests include projects and initiatives contributing to the areas of pharmacy education, mentoring, professional growth and development in pharmacy, pharmacy practice and research, as well as pharmacy care in rural populations. Dr. Yanovich also has a strong interest in pharmacy care of ethnic minorities, immigrants, and refugee populations.
School of Healthcare Administration & Leadership
Deepa Srikant, PhD, CCC-SLP – Assistant Professor
Deepa Srikant joins the School of Healthcare Administration and Leadership as part of a joint-appointment with the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Doctor of Science program. Her interest lays in the domains of bilingualism, dementia, and cognitive communication abilities. Her long-term objectives are to continue to study the impact of bilingualism and multilingualism in language preservation and attrition in elderly and persons with neurogenic communication disorders. Her research aims to create awareness on symptoms of cognitive decline in elderly at the earliest stage possible and use strategies to reduce the progression of cognitive linguistic decline. While her appointment will primarily be in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Dr. Srikant will also provide doctoral project supervision for the Doctor of Science program beginning in Spring 2024.
College of Optometry
Matthew Truong, OD- Assistant Professor
Dr. Matthew Truong received his Bachelor of Science in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Business Foundations from the University of North Texas. He then graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston College of Optometry, receiving the COVD Excellence in Vision Therapy Award, the William Feinbloom Low Vision Award, and the Outstanding Grand Rounds Presentation Award. Upon graduation he completed the Pediatric Optometry - Vision Therapy and Vision Rehabilitation Residency at Pacific University College of Optometry. He is also a member of the Oregon Optometric Physicians Association (OOPA) and the Texas Optometric Association (TOA). Dr. Truong joins the College of Optometry as an Assistant Professor.