Faculty Experts Directory

Pacific University's outstanding faculty is comprised of professors who are prominent experts in their respective fields of study and research. News media members needing assistance in reaching an expert, or have a topic not listed, are encouraged to contact us at news@pacificu.edu.

Photograph of Professor Bove.

Professor Bove received his Ph.D. from Boston University and specializes in Victorian literature and culture, British Romanticism, and critical theory.

Dr. Bzowyckyj's research and clinical interest areas include diabetes, cardiovascular risk reduction, motivational interviewing, integrating clinical pharmacists within primary care practices, leadership development, the economics of healthcare, and working with underserved patient populations.

Brendan Stamper's research is focused on projects that utilize comparative genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approaches to identify pathways critical to propagating or preventing liver injury. 

A professor in the English Department, Darlene Pagán teaches creative writing and contemporary literature. She is an Associate Editor in Poetry for Airlie Press, and her publications include poetry (Setting the Fires and Blue Ghosts) and essays. She's at work on a memoir, The Safest Place to Fall, as well as a novel.

Photo of Eddie Saito

Dr. Saito's research and clinical interest areas include diabetes, cardiovascular risk reduction, asthma/COPD/tobacco cessation, integrating clinical pharmacists within primary care practices, advancement of comprehensive primary care, pharmacy residency training, and working with underserved patient populations.  He maintains a clinical practice at a local federally-qualified health center where he works as part of an integrated, interprofessional care team and has prescriptive authority to manage chronic diseases through collaborative practice agreements.  In addition, he coordinates pharmacist involvement in seasonal and migrant farmworker outreach events in the summer.

Ellen Margolis serves as chair of Theatre & Dance and director of Theatre. Her classes include all levels of acting, playwriting, directing, audition techniques, phonetics & dialects, among others. She holds an MFA in acting from the University of California at Davis and a PhD in theatre history from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Erica Kleinknecht specializes in autobiographical memory and the way in which social context shapes what adults report when constructing autobiographical narratives.

James B. Lane teaches in the School of Professional Psychology and supervises the Pacific Psychology & Comprehensive Health Clinics.

Dr. Fortner's practice and research interests include pharmaceutical compounding, patient-centered care in the community setting, and pharmacist provided clinical services. He maintains a practice site at an independent community pharmacy which also specializes in non-sterile compounding and long-term care medication preparation.​

Jeff Seward is a former political reporter and documentarian who now teaches in Politics & Government.

Jim Moore teaches a variety of international classes at Pacific University, as well as courses in state and local politics, in which he is a noted expert.

Boykoff Headshot Image
Jules Boykoff is a former professional and Olympic soccer player, teaches on politics and dissent, and is an international expert in sports politics.
Photograph of Professor Mitra.

Professor Mitra is the Director of Creative Writing, teaching writing and literature courses for the English Department. There, she also serves as co-editor-in-chief of Silk Road Review: A Literary Crossroads and PLUM: Pacific's Literary Undergraduate Magazine. (On sabbatical spring 2020.)

Laura Edwards-Leeper supervises students on the child team at the Pacific Psychology Clinic. Her interests include gender identity issues, disorders of sexual development, and eating disorders among children and adolescents.

Dr. Suzuki’s practice and research interest areas include global pharmacy education, hepatology/gastroenterology, and pharmacokinetics/pharmacogenomics from a perspective of an ambulatory care pharmacist.  Interest areas include hepatology, gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic disorders, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics, and active learning techniques.

Michael Burch-Pesses is director of bands at Pacific University. He teaches conducting, music education and MIDI technology. His enjoyed a distinguished career as a bandmaster in the U.S. Navy and is conductor of the Oregon Symphonic Band.

Phil Ruder is a two-time winner of the Trombley Award for Teaching Excellence at Pacific University, voted on by students.

Ramona Ilea is a Professor of Philosophy and the Director of the Center for a Sustainable Society at Pacific University. She has been at Pacific since 2006 and often teaches Environmental Ethics, Animal Ethics, Biomedical Ethics, and Logic classes. She won the President’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Dr. Zúñiga will be taking a leave of absence for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Dr. Ruth Zúñiga's interests include integrated health care, behavioral health interventions for diabetes care, cross-cultural and Latinx psychology, multicultural competency, cultural adaptations, mindfulness and mental health seeking behaviors

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