Spring 2020 Faculty
Jamie Ackerman
Jamie Ackerman has been playing guitar and studying music for 62 years. He has been a member of OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) for five years.
COURSE: TED Talks and MoreCOURSE: From Swing to Rock and Roll
Alfredo Arroyo
Alfredo Arroyo is a graduate of The Citadel, the DEA/FBI Academy and other police, military, and intelligence schools. His career includes numerous domestic and foreign assignments with INTERPOL in Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
COURSE: Confessions of an EnforcerCOURSE: The Enforcers
Steve Barowsky
Steve Barowsky is a teacher in T’ai Chi and related Taoist mind-body arts. He has pursued this path both traditionally and innovatively for almost thirty years and has developed a philosophical understanding of the skills involved in both the practice and teaching of these arts. He has attended workshops and classes with many notable masters and teachers, and trained extensively in private lessons with Master Kuo Chun Mao in Chen-style t’ai chi solo form, two-person practices, chi gung, and meditation.
COURSE: Grasping the Sparrow’s Tail: A Moving Meditation for SeniorsMary Benanti
Mary Benanti is a writer and a retired associate professor in interdisciplinary studies. As a journalist, Benanti covered politics and government in El Paso, Washington D.C., and Colorado. She was also the Editorial Page Editor at the El Paso Times from 2003-2004. She continues to teach classes in women, politics, and gender studies at New Mexico State University. Her interests are politics, government, and the U.S.-Mexico border culture.
COURSE: Where Do We Go From Here?Marie Bilgrien
Marie Vianney Bilgrien studied in Rome and received a degree in Ethics. She likes to read, exercise, travel, and avoids most social media including Facebook. Bilgrien loves doing research and has taught creative writing at grade school, high school, and university levels.
COURSE: Sisters or Nuns: A Brief History
Jesús Burciaga
Jesús Burciaga has a B.A. in Mass Communication from UTEP. He is an El Paso native who was raised in Ciudad Juárez and retired from the Instituto Tecnologico de Ciudad Juárez (ITCI) faculty after 30 years of teaching. As a journalism professional, Burciaga has worked for the Secretariá de Economía in Mexico City, El Fronterizo, Universidad Autonóma de Chihuahua, and ITCI in Ciudad Juárez. He is a member of the Sociedad Mexicana de Geographía y Estadística, Centro de Estudios Guadalupanos de la Basilica and Sociedad Chihuahuense de Estudios Históricos.
COURSE: A 500 Años de la Reforma de Fray Martín Lutero
Jacqueline Cordova
Jacqueline Cordova is a certified health nutrition coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York and the Living Foods Institute in Georgia. She has three years’ experience coaching clients individually, as well as seven years’ experience teaching workshops and classes. Cordova majored in Computer Information Systems from the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1994, and owns Green Ingredient Express, a health-conscious restaurant located in west El Paso. She has been a guest speaker for various local events including the Wise Latinas Summit, El Paso Museum of History: Healthy Thanksgiving Workshop, Rio Grande Cancer Foundation: Keep on Dancing, Femfessionals El Paso, El Paso Community Foundation: Cultivate Forum, and the Autism Society of El Paso. She has also participated in nutrition and food preparation workshops at EPCC and the Downtown Artist and Farmers Market.
COURSE: Healthy Plant-Based Cooking: Session 1COURSE: Healthy Plant-Based Cooking: Session 2
Everett Dague, Ph.D.
Everett Dague received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in History from the University of South Carolina and his Ph.D. at Florida State University. He has taught at Benedictine College in Kansas and Southern New Hampshire University. Dague is also the Command Historian for the U.S. Army's Sergeants Major Academy and NCO Leadership Center of Excellence.
COURSE: Pacific War II: Japan and the Pacific 1938-1946COURSE: Nazis, Fascists and Bolsheviks: Totalitarian States Before World War II
Nicholas Dahle
Nicholas Dahle is a student at The University of Texas at El Paso. He is currently majoring in art history with a minor in history. He has taught the following courses for OLLI in the past: The Art of China; The Art of Versailles; The Art of Gardens; The English Country House; The Art of Japan; and the Art of Polynesia. Dahle hopes to attend law school and specialize in art law.
COURSE: The Art of VersaillesCOURSE: Buddhist Art: Art of Enlightenment
Catherine Dickason
Catherine Dickason has a B.S. in Education/Health/Physical Education and a Master of Education/Reading from UTEP. She has taught in El Paso public schools for 35 years and currently teaches English part-time at UTEP and EPCC. Dickason is an avid history and literature buff who is involved in Community Theater as a musician and an actor.
COURSE: Explore Heroes From the Great Depression Through the Greatest GenerationCOURSE: The Circle of Life Through Film
Fred Eiland
Fred Eiland is a real estate broker by trade who has always had a love affair with photography. He has led the Photography Club of El Paso for the past two and a half years and has exhibited his photos here in El Paso, TX, England, and North Wales. His photos will be displayed at the International Museum of Art for this year's “Eye of the Camera” Exhibit. Eiland is also a long-time OLLI member and recently exhibited his photos in the OLLI Vision Exhibit at the Student Union Gallery.
COURSE: Basics of Digital PhotographyCOURSE: Digital Photography Basics: Capturing the Picture
Mimi Gladstein
Mimi Gladstein is a professor of English and Theatre Arts, the author of five books and co-editor of two. She was also a founding member and the first director of UTEP’s Women's Studies Program, has taught several OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) classes through the years and been on OLLI’s board. Gladstein has been named to the The El Paso County Historical Society’s Hall of Honor.
COURSE: Women Writers From Behn to Rand
Golden Age
Golden Age instructors are expert physical fitness trainers who have graduated with degrees in exercise science. All have extensive backgrounds in training multiple adults ages 50 and over and are currently employed in UTEP's Golden Age Physical Fitness Program.
COURSE: Physical Fitness With Golden Age-TuesdaysCOURSE: Physical Fitness With Golden Age-Thursdays
COURSE: Physical Fitness With Golden Age-Tuesdays
COURSE: Physical Fitness With Golden Age-Thursdays
Monica Gomez
Long-time El Pasoan Monica Gomez has made her living in the arts and broadcasting. As a performing songwriter, she traveled extensively and released three CDs of original songs. Her writing has been published in numerous anthologies, including Red Boots & Attitude: The Spirit of Texas Women Writers. The El Paso Writers League twice awarded Gomez the “Best of Best” poetry award and her work was featured on NPR's Themes and Variations. Published in 2012 and now available in English and Spanish, Gomez’s creative writing workbook, EXPRESSERCIZE: Write Answers, contains more than 100 exercises in expression and self-discovery distilled from decades of personal experience. She was inducted to the El Paso Commission for Women's Hall of Fame for her work as a news reporter for KVIA, Channel 7. As host of State of the Arts, a weekly radio program on NPR affiliate, KTEP 88.5, for several years, she interviewed a spectrum of local and visiting artists about their lives and work. As a motivational speaker and teacher of creative writing and martial arts, Gomez has worked with diverse populations, from youth to the elderly and incarcerated juveniles to military veterans. She has studied the internal martial art of t'ai chi with masters from around the globe, including Chinese Grand Master Zhu Tiancai, one of the four Tigers of Chen Village. Monica's workshops invigorate, entertain and inspire participants to practice the literal creative power of writing to make positive changes in their lives.
COURSE: Wellness From Within: Ongoing Workshop SeriesCOURSE: Wellness from Within: Ongoing Workshop Series
Armando Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Dr. Armando Gonzalez-Stuart is a researcher in Herbal Safety with UTEP’s School of Pharmacy and also teaches herbal medicine at EPCC. Gonzalez has two doctoral degrees, one in Interdisciplinary Health Science and another in Alternative Medicines. His main interests include phytotherapy, Ayurveda, and Chinese herbal medicine.
COURSE: Medicinal Herbs and Spices
COURSE: Hemp and Marijuana
John Groves
John Groves has been a lifelong naturalist with a particular interest in birds. An El Paso resident for many years, he knows the avifauna of the area and where to look for birds. He has traveled extensively in pursuit of birds and, occasionally, gets good photographs. When not birding, Groves plays in the El Paso and Las Cruces Symphony Orchestras.
COURSE: Looking at Birds, Our Most Visible Wildlife
Grace Haddox
Grace Haddox is a UTEP graduate with a Master of Arts in English and American Literature. She teaches research and British literature at El Paso Community College and has also been teaching at OLLI since 2002. During the 2009-2010 school year, she was awarded the Faculty Achievement Award at EPCC and the NISOD Excellence Award from The University of Texas at El Paso.
COURSE: William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the ShrewCOURSE: Gothic Literature
Romy Hawkins Saenz
Romy Hawkins Saenz is a master of the metal embossing (repujado) art form and received a certification in it from UACJ, Mexico. Hawkins Saenz is a native of Sinaloa, Mexico, and has learned her artistry in Germany and Guadalajara, Mexico. She has taught repujado for OLLI for over eight years; she has also taught for P3. Her work has been exhibited in private collections, juried shows, and in art museums both locally and nationally. She was inducted into the 2019 El Paso Women's Hall of Fame for Arts by the El Paso Commission for Women.
COURSE: Metal Embossing/RepujadoCOURSE: Metal Embossing/Repujado
Alvino Hernandez
Alvino Hernandez is an Associate Professor of Government at El Paso Community College and has taught there for 10 years. Prior to teaching at EPCC, he worked at the El Paso Sheriff's Office for 26 years and retired from there as a division commander. Hernandez holds an associate’s degree from NMMI, a bachelor's degree from UTEP, and a master's degree from NMSU.
COURSE: Oh No… It’s Government!
Paul Huchton M.D.
Dr. Huchton was in pediatric practice for 50 years with an outstanding group of second- and third- generation patients. Upon retirement, he and his wife traveled to China where he photographed the country and its people.
COURSE: China: Yesterday and Today
Robert Jacobs
Robert Jacobs, M.D. is a recently retired surgeon who practiced locally from 1978-2016. He studied violin for seven years and taught himself guitar at a young age. Throughout college and medical school, Jacobs played in bluegrass and folk music groups. While living in Greenwich Village, he also performed in coffee shops, bars and at private parties. Jacobs has a large passion for music, but an even greater passion for sharing his love of music with others.
COURSE: Continuing Folk Guitar
Erica Lynn James
Erica Lynn James is a recent graduate from the University of California, Riverside, with a background in playwriting. She holds a B.A. in Theatre: Writing for the Performing Arts.
COURSE: Behind the Scenes: Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
Terrence Johnson
Terrence Johnson is a former UTEP football player; he is also a personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, weight-loss management specialist, and health and wellness coach who is certified in all these individual areas. Johnson has taught PE and has been an Athletic Director for over 12 years. Johnson created Empowerment Health & Wellness in 2004 with his wife to develop sports and wellness camps. Their incentive-based educational programs and health programs are available at local schools and nonprofit organizations. Empowerment Health and Wellness has worked with The University of Texas at El Paso; Family Service of El Paso; NFL player, Ray Mickens, New Orleans Saints coach, Brian Young; and Seattle Seahawks starting center, Justin Britt.
COURSE: Empowerment: The Ol’ School Way of Living in Modern TimesCOURSE: Empowerment: Age Has Nothing to Do With It! – Anti-Bullying
Lin Bentley Keeling
Lin Bentley Keeling is a nationally recognized fiber artist who creates abstract fiber artwork in two and three dimensions. Her designs are influenced by jazz, ambient and classical music, as well as forms and colors found in the natural world. Keeling grew up in Arizona where she studied music and became interested in Native American weaving and basketry. She earned a B.A. at UTEP and an M.A. at NMSU, both in Anthropology. Visit www.linbentleykeeling.com to view her work.
COURSE: Tapestry Weaving: Painting With ThreadsCOURSE: Tapestry Weaving: Painting With Threads
Kathleen Key
Kathleen Key graduated from UTEP with an English Literature and History degree. She has a master's degree in Art History from University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Key has taught art history and history of fashion since 1986. She and her husband, Bill, lived in Cairo, Egypt for 20 years before moving to the Mesilla, New Mexico area. She has taught the Entering Student Program at UTEP for five years and has been an OLLI instructor for two years.
COURSE: Great Artists of 17th Century Baroque ArtCOURSE: Women Artists of the 20th Century: Dada and Surrealism Movements
Tony Kruszewski
Political science professor Z. Anthony “Tony” Kruszewski, Ph.D., officially retired after 50 years of teaching, 46 of which were spent at The University of Texas at El Paso. Born in Warsaw, Poland, he is known as “a walking institution” and for his dedicated work in his adopted community, including his service for the El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center and other causes.
COURSE: What’s Going On in the World and Why
John Kuberka
With over 20 years of teaching experience, John Kuberka has taught yoga to people of all age groups and physical abilities. This includes nine years serving as a movement therapist for the Warrior Resilience Center, a clinic on Ft. Bliss that focuses on treating active duty soldiers with PTSD, TBI, and various physical limitations.
COURSE: Chair Yoga: Session 1COURSE: Chair Yoga: Session 2
Ron Lambert
Ron Lambert has a B.S. in Education and TEA Teaching Certificates for all levels of Life-Earth Science and Secondary Life-Earth Science. He has completed the NASA's NEWMAST training program and taught 23 years of high school astronomy.
COURSE: Astronomy: Survey of the Universe
Young Woo Lee
Young Lee is a photography instructor for UTEP’s Professional and Public Programs and EPCC’s Continuing Education. He is also a well-known wedding and portrait photographer. Lee learned how to take great photographs through the American Nikon School and the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). He loves photography and teaches students how to use the camera with confidence and maximum efficiency.
COURSE: Easy Smartphone PhotosCOURSE: Easy Photoshop
Aurolyn Luykx
Dr. Luykx is a cultural anthropologist whose interests include questions of sustainability and culture change in late capitalism/post-industrial societies. Her previous OLLI courses included "Documentaries and Discussion", "Endangered Languages", and "How to Think About Weird Things".
COURSE: Documentaries and DiscussionCOURSE: Climate Breakdown: Myth, Realities, Threats, and Solutions
Anita Mannsbart
Anita Mannsbart, Ph.D. is a psychologist and professional master coach with 28 years of experience in companies like Kellogg's, Mercedes, and BMW. She has taught in universities around the globe including Munich, Barcelona and Mexico City.
COURSE: Happiness Across Cultures
Hal Marcus
Hal Marcus, a native-born El Pasoan, has been painting for over 40 years and established the Hal Marcus Gallery in 1995. A driving force in the art scene, he is an El Paso Artists’ Hall of Fame inductee.
COURSE: Hal Marcus Gallery Tour
Charles Martin
Charles Martin, Ph.D. is a recently retired history professor from UTEP. His studies emphasize civil rights history, Texas history, sports history, and American history.
COURSE: Myths and Realities of Texas History to 1900COURSE: History of American Immigration to 2001
Raafat Maximos
Raafat Maximos graduated from Cairo University with a law degree and later studied at the Academy of Fine Arts. After moving to the United States in 1980, Maximos pursued a graphic arts degree in Chicago and then worked as an art director at an advertising firm for many years. His passion led him to open gallery locations in Austin and El Paso, Texas.
COURSE: Portrait Painting in Oils
Keely McDonald
Keely McDonald taught art in public schools for 26 years. She began painting with watercolors 12 years ago, and learned from long-time Texas artist, Bill Bissell.
COURSE: Watercolor Painting
Albert Mendoza
Born in Mexico, Albert Mendoza grew up around archeological sites and is a self-made Aztec history student. He earned an Associate Degree in Mid-Management from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas and a Bachelor in Multidisciplinary studies from The University of Texas at El Paso.
COURSE: The Conquest of Old Mexico by Hernán Cortés
Davinia Miraval
Davinia Miraval studied Graphic Communications at Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México (UNAM) in 1998. That same year, she came to the United States to continue her studies, and in 2005, she received a B.F.A. with a concentration in metals at UTEP. Miraval has since received several awards including Best Painting Award of Excellence in Metals and the student scholarship from the Women's Jewelry Association, Inc. In 2007, she received her Master of Arts in Metals and Painting.
COURSE: Painting Abstracts Plus Color TheoryCOURSE: Basic Techniques in Calligraphy to Create Art
Ruby Montana
Ruby A. Montana is currently a lecturer in the Department of Humanities at The University of Texas at El Paso; her work focuses on modern cultural revolutions and the impact of technological advancements on Western cultural issues. She was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, and received her B.A. in English and American Literature as well as her M.A. in Philosophy from UTEP. Her areas of interest and research include Embodied Cognition and Aesthetics. Montana is also an instructor of Philosophy and Ethics at El Paso Community College.
COURSE: Great Women PhilosophersCOURSE: Logic 101: Critical Thinking Skills in the Era of “Fake News”
Fred Morales
Fred Morales is a researcher and author of 36 books about El Paso/Juárez history. He conducts over 100 different walking tours in El Paso County and in Cuidad Juárez, and participates in historical exhibits at the El Paso Public Libraries.
COURSE: History of the El Paso/Juárez Region 1400-1900COURSE: History of the El Paso/Juárez Region 1900 to 1968
James Mortimore
James Mortimore is a graduate of The University of Texas at El Paso with an honors degree in British and American Literature. He is a teacher, writer, and lecturer known to many in the OLLI community where he has lectured on cultural, political, and literary topics.
COURSE: The Birth of Modern American Politics: The Election of 1828COURSE: The Epic Struggle: American Politics 1830-1850
Nancy Natalicio
Nancy Natalicio has a B.A. and M.A. in English as well as an M.A. in Educational Psychology and 34 hours of creative writing. She has taught memoir writing for ten years and has a passion for hearing the stories of others.
COURSE: Writing Your Memoir
Veronica Ortega
Veronica Ortega is a licensed massage therapist and a quantum aroma therapist. Her goal is to educate people on the importance of preventative health care. Ortega looks at the whole person and body when creating a protocol of bodywork and aromatherapy.
COURSE: Aromatic ReflexologyCOURSE: Natural Relief for Arthritic Hands and Feet
John Pearson
John Pearson has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Illinois, and has worked in Campus Ministry, child support enforcement, and retail inventory. Pearson has also taught chess to unaccompanied minors and is a big film buff.
COURSE: Herbert Hoover, Who Knew?COURSE: Foreign for Some: Movies From Around the World
Maria Perez
After 35-plus years of involvement in pastoral ministry, social work, case management, advocacy, networking, and social work education, Maria Perez now dedicates her time to several projects stemming from her social work expertise, including social justice. She is part of a women writers group addressing immigration issues in various written forms. As a person with a disability since toddlerhood, Perez continues to be an advocate on disabilities rights and serves as consultant to nonprofits and for-profits that serve individuals with disabilities, the LBGT+ community, and other minority groups.
COURSE: Brief History of the Civil Rights Movement and Persons With Disabilities
Rosario Ponte
Rosario Ponte is an El Paso artist who is originally from Venezuela. She specializes in portraiture, landscapes and still life. A graduate of the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, Ponte completed advanced studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She has studied under nationally acclaimed artists Aleksander Titovets and Daniel Greene. Ponte has been painting for over 25 years and has won prizes for her oil paintings, which have been exhibited nationally and internationally. She has taught art classes for OLLI for two years.
COURSE: Still Life and Landscape Oil Painting
Sylvia Portillo
Sylvia Portillo was born in Argentina to Italian immigrants and learned the Italian language at an early age. She continued her education in languages in Argentina, Brazil, and Italy and worked as a translator and interpreter for the USAF in Italy, Germany, and the U.S.
COURSE: Progetto Italiano Corso Multimediale di Lingua e Civiltà Italiana: Session 1COURSE: Progetto Italiano Corso Multimediale di Lingua e Civiltà Italiana: Session 2
Phyllis Price
Phyllis Price has been a certified ashtanga yoga teacher since 1981. She has studied and taught various styles of yoga including vigorous ashtanga, vinyasa, chair, pregnancy, and cancer-survivor practices. She offers her classes at The University of Texas at El Paso, New Mexico State University, various El Paso clubs and studios, and also offers private classes. She is a registered E-RYT 200 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance) and LifeForce Yoga for Depression and Anxiety (LFYT) teacher, and has been an OLLI instructor since 2010.
COURSE: Easy Vinyasa Yoga: Session 1COURSE: Easy Vinyasa Yoga: Session 2
Lynn Provenzano
Lynn Provenzano has facilitated personal and professional develpment for more than 25 years in corporate, community, and nonprofit groups. She has worldwide cross-cultural experience, and specializes in interpersonl skills, creative energy work, meditation, and motivation. Provenzano is a MCKS Panic Healing practitioner/facilitator and devotee of T’ai Chi and qigong. She is co-founder of the nonprofit Lotus Integrated Group for Health and Transformation (L.I.G.H.T.) and presides over the nonprofit El Paso Society for Musicians of the Future.
COURSE: Meditation: The Mind and VisualizationCOURSE: Meditation With the Four Agreements
Rev. Alfred Reeves
Rev. Alfred Reeves has a bachelor of arts degree from Penn State University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He also holds a Bachelor of Metaphysical Science from the University of Metaphysics and is an ordained minister. He is currently working on his Ph.D. at the University of Sedona and is a certified Life Purpose coach, a Reiki master, a retired captain of the Air Force, and a retired engineer.
COURSE: Mind, Body, and Spirit Transformation
Cesar Rivera
Cesar R. Rivera has a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Master in Interdisciplinary Studies from The University of Texas at El Paso. He taught bilingual literacy for two years and has taught philosophy at local colleges and universities for almost two decades. He now teaches philosophy and ethics at El Paso Community College, and a course on religion and the law in UTEP's Religious Studies Program. Rivera has been an OLLI instructor since August 2018.
COURSE: Borges’ Use of Nietzsche Against FascismCOURSE: Gender Equality and the Law
Claudia Rodriguez
Claudia Rodriguez is an entrepreneur in the health industry and helps people improve their health with easy-to-integrate strategies. She is certified as a Health and Nutrition Advisor by Sanoviv Medical Institute, one of the most important holistic hospitals in the world and promotes health through her two passions of writing and speaking.
COURSE: Five Simple Habits for Ultimate HealthCOURSE: Simple Skills That Will Increase Your Happiness
Kellie Rumba Rattay
Kellie Rattay is a soprano from Indiana; she moved to El Paso in 2013 with her husband, Czech conductor, Bohuslav Rattay, when he began his tenure as music director for the El Paso Symphony Orchestra. She strives to promote music and art throughout her community.
COURSE: About the VoiceCOURSE: Side By Side: English and Italian Opera
Natalia Savchenko Ph.D.
Dr. Natalia Savchenko has 30 years’ experience teaching cultural history, communications, social sciences, humanities, applied arts, cinema, literature, and music seminars. She also has experience conducting tours and virtual tours of cities and museums. Savchenko holds a doctorate in Philosophy and Literature from the University of the former Soviet Union.
COURSE: From the Baltic Sea to the Bering StraitCOURSE: War and Art
Steve Schiller
Steve Schiller is currently the second trumpet of the Las Cruces Symphomy. He is a former member of the Cleveland Symphony, National Ballet of Canada, the Springfield Massachusetts Symphony, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. He has performed with the Boston Symphony, Metropolitan Opera, and in New York City Broadway musicals. Schiller was also a former faculty member at the New England Conservatory of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Westfield (MA) State College.
COURSE: Great Composers of the Late Romantic/Early 20th Century PeriodCOURSE: Even More Popular Music of the 50s, 60s, 70s: A Sing-Along Class
Hector Serrano
Hector Serrano has taught theater and English for 50 years in public schools, The University of Texas at El Paso, and most recently, at El Paso Community College. He has a master's degree in English Literature from UTEP and has studied at the Pasadena Playhouse, Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, New York University and the University of London. To date, he has directed over 200 theater productions. Serrano created the outdoor drama, Viva El Paso! in 1978 and has directed it for 25 seasons. He also founded the Shakespeare on the Rocks Theater Festival and continues as its artistic director.
COURSE: Music, Theater, and Dance in El Paso
Linda Shubeck
Linda Shubeck's mother taught her to knit when she was seven, She taught herself how to crochet at age ten and has been crocheting for at least 40 years.
COURSE: Crochet Therapy
Jim Smith
Jim Smith is a former high school history teacher who has been recognized as the New Mexico Teacher of the Year and as a finalist for the National Teachers Hall of Fame. Smith now works as an education consultant, presenting to teachers and administrators throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. His online class at Rice University, titled "The Art of Teaching History," recently reached over 5,000 teachers in 135 nations. He has made numerous presentations on music history in community education programs at New Mexico State University, Western New Mexico University, and Rice University. Smith has also taught many classes for OLLI at The University of Texas at El Paso for the past eight years.
COURSE: Listening to the Beatles as an Introduction to Music History
Viridiana Vidaña
Viridiana Vidaña better known as V, is 31 years old and teaching is her life. She received a bachelor's degree in Spanish with a minor in Secondary Education for Modern Language majors and a master's in Latin American Literature, both from The University of Texas at El Paso. She is certified by the Texas State Board of Education as a Spanish EC-12 educator and has over seven years of teaching experience. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in teaching, learning, and culture under the strand of literacy and biliteracy. Vidaña loves reading, watching lucha libre, playing the guitar and cooking five-minute rice in two minutes.
COURSE: Conversational Spanish: Building a Real-Life BridgeCOURSE: A Tour of the Spanish Language Through Music: Lyrics of the Heart
Leanne Von Mittenwald
Leanne Von Mittenwald has over 30 years of experience teaching theatrical arts and education. Her approachable and encouraging attitude compels her students to let go and explore their inner child. She is a published playwright who has directed over 30 plays, and has a true passion for teaching and learning.
COURSE: Mel Brooks MarathonCOURSE: Unlikely Friendships in Films
Ian Wilson
Ian Wilson lived in Brazil for almost 14 years. He grew up in Rio de Janeiro listening to all forms of Brazilian music. As an adult, he returned to Brazil with the Peace Corps and gained an even greater appreciation for the many forms of music in a country known for its soccer, coffee, and samba.
COURSE: The Instruments of Brazilian Samba
Dee Woo
Dee Woo has been in the broadcasting business for over thirty years and is known for his presence on KTEP, UTEP's public radio station. Woo has a degree in Mass Communication from UTEP, has worked in television for Channels 4 and 9 in El Paso, and was a radio consultant in Arizona for a few years. Woo is also a freelance photographer and collector of sorts, with a love for music.
COURSE: From Big Bands to Bebop and Beyond
