2019-2020 New Faculty Cohort
Asaf AngermannCOMPARATIVE HUMANITIES |
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Barry DentonCRIMINAL JUSTICE As a member of the Department of Criminal Justice, I bring over 25 years of law enforcement experience to the university. A retired Commander of the Louisville Metro Police Department, I began my career working in the patrol divisions, was a detective, a member of the Training Academy, a Traffic Unit platoon leader, a team leader for the Joint Emergency Services Unit and Commander of the Bomb Squad. Educationally, I have a bachelors in criminal justice and a masters in police administration from the University of Louisville, a masters in emergency management and terrorism from the American Military University and a doctorate in organizational leadership from Spalding University. |
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Elise FranklinHISTORY I study French empire and decolonization with an emphasis on gender, race, and family migration. Outside of work, I like to cook and bake, take road trips, imagine that I'm a cultural critic who could write for the New Yorker, and watch television of varying production value and prestige. After seven years in Boston and two years in southwest Louisiana, my family and I are excited to be in Louisville. |
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Dan HanMATHEMATICS Dan Han works in probability and statistics area mainly. She is interested in applying probability and statistics to solve questions in other fields. She has collaborated actively with researchers in several other disciplines such as public health, social science and finance. Dan likes running, hiking, listening to music and reading books. |
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Jill HoladayFINE ARTS |
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Dae-Sung HwangboBIOLOGY |
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Laura Busse McGarityFINE ARTS I'm an interior designer by trade (2019 is my 20th year in the profession!) but also a restaurant owner by night. My chef husband, Dallas McGarity and I created the Fat Lamb Modern Kitchen & Bar 3 years ago in the highlands. Last year we purchased Portage House on the river in Jeffersonville. I am passionate about my profession of interior design and am happy to be back in the university setting after a long hiatus after becoming a mom. My kids, Davis (8) and Lucie (6) are a big part of my life outside of work. They are super involved in sports and activities so I spend my evenings and weekends at ball fields and dance auditoriums. I love to swim and try to get to the pool 3 days a week at Lakeside. I enjoy sewing, photography, and traveling abroad. My academic research interests include color theory, senior living design, sustainability and office design. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues in the future as evidence-based design is my passion. A few fun facts: I studied Russian in both high school and college with my first time abroad being 9 weeks in Russia, I was a vegetarian for 30 years but now eat fish, I have a dream of publishing children's books and I got married at the Palace Theater on 4th street. |
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Kalasia OjehPAN-AFRICAN STUDIES |
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Rachel M PiggBIOLOGY |
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Maegen RochnerGEOGRAPHY & GEOSCIENCES Research and Academic Interests I am a geographer and dendrochronologist (tree-ring scientist) teaching and conducting research as a professor of geography at UofL. My past and current research has focused on the use of tree-ring data to reconstruct past climate and environmental conditions. More specifically, my dissertation research used tree rings in relic and living whitebark pine and Engelmann spruce to investigate climate change and disturbance in the Beartooth Mountains of Northwest Wyoming. My master’s thesis research used tree-ring evidence to reconstruct the history of a debris slide scar on Mt. Le Conte, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I also enjoy research in dendroarchaeology, or using tree-ring patterns to date historic frame structures, log cabins, canoes, and most anything made out of wood. I have assisted my colleagues in other fields of dendrochronology, including fire history studies, climate reconstruction, ecology, stand dynamics, and more. More broadly, I also specialize in geomorphology, biogeography, and climatology. As a tree-ring scientist in Louisville, I am interested in initiating local research projects focused on (1) urban forests and their responses to climate change and urban heat islands, (2) tree-ring dating of local historic resources, such as cabins, buildings, and artifacts, (3) pollution and invasive species, and (4) spatial differences in tree species and ages used in urban forests and parks (socioeconomic influence?). I envision projects in Cherokee and other metro parks, as well as in Jefferson Memorial Forest and Bernheim Research Forest. All of the above projects could foster collaboration with specialists from other departments, such as Urban and Public Affairs, Anthropology, History, Biology, and more, as well as with local officials and community organizations. Such research could easily be incorporated into project-based learning in a variety of courses, as well as into original research projects conducted by undergraduate and graduate students. More recently, I have begun to investigate research opportunities in the realm of Critical Physical Geography, more specifically research that examines (1) perceptions of iconic and disappearing species and the valuation of some species over others, and (2) stakeholder-scientist communication and collaboration. Hobbies and Other Interests In my spare time, I enjoy escaping for "mountain therapy" as often as possible, although this is harder in Kentucky than it was in east Tennessee. In addition to hiking, I also enjoy camping, fishing, biking, rock climbing, exploring, traveling, and trying new things. I’m happy to give, and take, recommendations for outdoor recreation in and around Louisville and S. Indiana. I have an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts, so I’m also a foodie who loves to try new foods and beverages around the city of Louisville and beyond. In addition to my love for the outdoors, I also have an avid interest in science writing and photography. I dabble in these things occasionally. Broader Research Interests
Education
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Glenn TrujilloPHILOSOPHY Boomer Trujillo studies ethics, especially puzzles that relate to how we can live better. Most recently, that means he's studied playfulness and friendship. But it's also meant studying things like horror film or the psychology of happiness. When not preparing for class or writing, which is more often than he should admit, he spends his time with his dog, Lala, usually watching Star Trek or The Office on repeat. Guinan and Dwight are his favorite characters, respectively. Sometimes he even writes microfiction. When he gets out of the house, it's usually to indulge in good food, drink, coffee, or live music in the forms of metal or jazz. |
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Jerome WillsTHEATRE ARTS |
