To meet the demands of a growing student enrollment and an expanding campus, Oregon State University - Cascades welcomed eight new members to the teaching faculty this fall. The new faculty will teach courses to the new cohorts of first-year and sophomore students, as well as upper level courses.
The new members of the faculty are:
Yong Bakos - Bakos is an instructor in the computer science program. Prior to joining OSU-Cascades he helped cultivate the Center of Creative Computation at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and served as the assistant department head of the electrical engineering and computer science department at the Colorado School of Mines, where he taught for six years. An Ohio native, he earned a bachelor’s degree in art theory and practice from Northwestern University and a Master of Science in software engineering from Regis University.
Pablo Baldivieso - An instructor in statistics, Baldivieso comes to OSU-Cascades via Portland where he taught at the University of Portland and Portland State University. Originally from Bolivia, Baldivieso earned his Ph.D. from Portland State University in mathematical sciences. His research interests are in dynamical systems and estimation theory. He is bilingual and interested in improving the success of underrepresented students in his field.
Tim Burnett – Burnett is an instructor of kinesiology at OSU Cascades. Originally from California, he received a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from California State University, San Marcos and a Master of Science in exercise physiology from San Diego State University. His doctoral work in human bioenergetics was performed at the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University. His research was funded through the National Institute of Health and focused on the loss of skeletal muscle size and function during aging, and how lifelong aerobic exercise affects this process.
Jana Clemons – Clemons is joining the OSU-Cascades Master of Arts in Teaching program on a full-time basis after serving as an adjunct instructor since 2010. She is the cohort lead for the secondary teaching program and brings more than 20 years of experience teaching and mentoring within public schools.
Jenna Goldsmith - Goldsmith teaches writing and composition. Prior to coming to OSU-Cascades she taught first-year writing, creative writing and literature at the University of Kentucky and Illinois State University, where she completed a Master of Arts. At the University of Kentucky, she earned her college’s Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. She received the inaugural Kentucky Writers Fellowship for Innovative Poetry from Louisville's Baltic Writers Residency. She is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships from the Acorn Equality Fund for LGBT researchers, the University of Kentucky Women's Club, and the Lexington Herald-Leader.
John Griffis - Griffis is an instructor in mathematics. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematical sciences from the University of Memphis, and both a Master of Science in physics and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Texas at Arlngton. Griffis will teach 100- and 200-level mathematics courses for a wide variety of our majors. His research investigates representations of the symmetries found in quantum field theory.
Amy Watson – Watson joined OSU-Cascades as an assistant professor in the business program. She received a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Arkansas, where her research focused on consumer behavior, product evaluation and decision-making, and branding. Prior to earning her doctoral degree, she had a career in food advertising working for clients including PepsiCo, Tyson and Mars, Incorporated.
Becca Webb - Webb is an instructor in the energy systems engineering program and serves as the lead for the degree program. Prior to joining OSU-Cascades, Webb was an associate professor in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She previously worked as a research and development engineer at Agilent Technologies, and as a senior engineer at Directed Energy Solutions. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Rhode Island, a master’s in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from OSU.
About OSU-Cascades: Oregon State University’s campus in Bend, Ore. features outstanding faculty in degree programs that reflect Central Oregon’s vibrant economy and abundant natural resources. Nearly 20 undergraduate majors, 30 minors and options, and four graduate programs include computer science, energy systems engineering, kinesiology, hospitality management, and tourism and outdoor leadership. OSU-Cascades expanded to a four-year university in fall 2015; its new campus opened in fall 2016.