News Releases

For Immediate Release
For additional information: 
Barbara Kerr, APR
Executive Director of Communications and Marketing

Telephone: 360-992-2921
Email: bkerr@clark.edu

 

Clark College honors newly tenured faculty

Clark College�s newly tenured faculty members were honored at a ceremony in the college�s Gaiser Student Center on April 25.�Left to right:�Radmilla Ballada, Deborah Hendrickson, Katy Washburne, Michelle Mallory, Deena Bisig, Nicoleta Sharp and Elizabeth Ubierto.�Not pictured:�Erika Nava.

Clark College’s newly tenured faculty members were honored at a ceremony in the college’s Gaiser Student Center on April 25.  Left to right:  Radmilla Ballada, Deborah Hendrickson, Katy Washburne, Michelle Mallory, Deena Bisig, Nicoleta Sharp and Elizabeth Ubierto.  Not pictured:  Erika Nava.

Eight faculty members, who have been granted tenure
by the Clark College Board of Trustees, were honored
at a reception on April 25

 

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Eight Clark College faculty members have been granted tenure by the college’s Board of Trustees.  Radmila Ballada (Library Services), Deena Bisig (Communications Studies), Deborah Hendrickson (Nursing), Michelle Mallory (Family Life and Early Childhood Education), Erika Nava (Spanish), Nicoleta Sharp (Physics), Elizabeth Ubiergo (Spanish), and Katy Washburne (Adult Basic Education) were honored at a reception on Monday, April 25 in Clark’s Gaiser Student Center.  The reception was sponsored by the Clark College Board of Trustees and the college’s Office of Instruction.

Tenure is awarded to faculty members who have exhibited professional excellence and outstanding abilities in their disciplines.  The granting of tenure is based on the recommendations of tenure review committees to the vice president of instruction which are then forwarded to the president, who presents a final recommendation to the Board of Trustees.  Recommendations are based on self evaluations, tenure review committee evaluations, student evaluations, supervisory evaluations, and peer evaluations.  The final decision to award or withhold tenure rests with the Board of Trustees.  The trustees approved tenure for these eight faculty members on March 22. 

“These newly tenured faculty members will continue to increase the talent and reputation of our faculty who are deeply and passionately committed to excellence and student success,” said Clark College President Robert K. Knight.

“I am proud of our faculty members for this remarkable accomplishment and achievement,” said Dr. Rassoul Dastmozd, Vice President of Instruction.  He noted, “Earning tenure status is a major career milestone in a faculty member’s professional journey.  These student-centered faculty members have been recognized and celebrated by their peers and our institution for their accomplishments and dedication to teaching and learning at Clark College.  I am also grateful to each of the tenure committee members for the mentoring, guiding, and coaching that they provided to each of our new tenure recipients.”
   

About Clark College's newly tenured faculty members

Radmila BalladaRadmila Ballada, Library Services 

Radmila Ballada was appointed to the full-time tenure-track faculty position as Technical Services and Systems Librarian effective September 10, 2008. Ballada has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from University of Vermont and a Master of Arts in History and a Master of Library Sciences degree from Southern Connecticut State University. She has previous work experience with Essex High School Library, Chassman & Bem Booksellers, Brownell Library, Southern Connecticut State University, Bailey Howe Library, Champlain College Library, and Marlboro College.

Her leadership activities at Clark College include serving as supervisor   of the Library Technical Services department as well as a member of Library & eLearning Management team and member of the Technology Fee Committee.  From 2008-2010, she served on Clark’s Teaching and Learning Center Steering Committee

Ballada said, “My teaching approach is to facilitate hands-on and collaborative activities in a supportive learning environment.  I believe this approach encourages students to become engaged learners who overcome challenges through collaboration, creativity, problem-solving and lifelong learning.”

Deena Bisig Deena Bisig, Communications Studies 

Deena Bisig  was appointed to the full-time tenure-track faculty position in Communication Studies effective September 10, 2008. Bisig has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organization Communication from Dana College and a Master of Science degree in Communications Studies and Journalism from South Dakota State University. She has previous work experience with Cosmos Technology, South Dakota State University, and Clark College.

Since 2005, she has been advisor to the Alpha Sigma Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), which has been honored regionally and nationally.  She is currently serving as regional coordinator for PTK’s Greater Northwest Region.  She has served as lead contact for Communication Studies Outcomes Assessment and a committee representative for Clark’s Center for Leadership Excellence.  She was a 2008-2009 Service Learning Fellow and a graduate of the 2009-2010 Clark College Leadership Academy cohort.  She is also a member of Clark’s Honors Program committee.  Bisig was the recipient of the 2007 General George C. Marshall Public Leadership Award.

Bisig said, “I am passionate about being in the classroom; it’s my home.  I strive to engage each learner in the material, utilizing their individual learning style.   Many students do not often enjoy or look forward to speech class because of the nature of the course.  I want my students to look forward to, or at least not dread, attending.  Therefore, I work to create a learning environment where students are able to concentrate on the concepts, not the fear of competent communication whether it be in front of others, one-on-one or in groups.  My goal is to excite them about communication fundamentals and help them understand the lifelong importance of communicating effectively.”

Deborah Hendrickson Deborah Hendrickson, Nursing

Deborah Hendrickson was appointed to the full-time tenure-track faculty position as Nursing Instructor effective September 10, 2008. Hendrickson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Winona State University, a Master of Public Health degree in International Public Health from Loma Linda University and a Certificate in Missiology from Trinity Lutheran College. She has previous work experience with World Mission Prayer League, Mercy Medical Center and Clark College.

Hendrickson has worked as a nurse in a long-term care facility. She has also worked in acute care and as a staff nurse on a medical unit, specializing in oncology and hospice care.  After graduating from Trinity Lutheran College, she spent the next 13 years living and working in Kenya, East Africa. Her focus was primary healthcare in rural settings and involved training community healthcare workers, traditional birth attendants, and school children in preventative health care. She was also co-administrator for a rural dispensary in the north central region of Kenya among the Samburu/Rendille desert tribes.  At Clark, she is involved in the ongoing evaluation of the nursing program and its accreditation process. She also serves on the Hilma Speights Endowment Advisory Committee.

Hendrickson said, “I have always enjoyed learning new things and having to problem-solve my way through challenging circumstances.       I believe that is also my teaching philosophy; that is, life is full of opportunities to grow and learn and stretch and to teach another person how to do that successfully comes with great reward. All knowledge and skill is for sharing with others; it builds community.”

Michelle MalloryMichelle Mallory, Family Life and Early Childhood Education

Michelle Mallory was appointed to the full-time tenure-track faculty position as Family Life and Early Childhood Education Instructor effective September 10, 2008. Mallory has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Western Oregon State College and a Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Portland State University. She has previous work experience with Morrison Center, Special School District of St. Louis County, and Clark College.

Her leadership activities at Clark College include service as a Family Life/Parent Child (FLPC) Coordinator, a member of the Child and Family Studies administration team, and a founding member of the Association Students of Clark College (ASCC) Early Childhood Education Club.  She is a board member of the Washington State Organization of Parenting Education Providers.  She is also the designated advisor for students in the ECE Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) Program.

Mallory said, “I enter the classroom as both a learner and a facilitator.     I have the opportunity to prepare questions, activities, and environments that engage students in thinking deeply about their work with children and families.  It’s important to me that students work together and that the classroom is a place to grow our ideas, think reflectively and honor each other’s perspectives.   It is through these conversations that we learn to teach and care for children in the best way.”

Erika NavaErika Nava, Spanish

Erika Nava was appointed to the full-time tenure-track faculty position in Spanish effective September 10, 2008. Nava has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Oregon State University and a Master of Arts degree in Spanish from the University of Oregon.

She has previous work experience with Oregon State University, Linn-Benton Community College, University of Oregon, and Universidad Blas Pascal and Middlebury Language Schools. 

She shares the position of World Language Coordinator with her colleague Elizabeth Ubiergo and currently is the Spanish Club advisor. 

Nava said, “Teaching Spanish by exposing students to the many wonders of the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries is what I enjoy most.  I encourage my students to let go of their fears and inhibitions and allow themselves to make mistakes and learn from them.”

Nicoleta SharpNicoleta Sharp, Physics

Nicoleta Sharp was appointed to the full-time tenure-track faculty position as Physics Instructor effective September 10, 2008. She earned both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree in Physics from the Universitatea Alexandru Ion Cuza as well as teaching credentials from Portland State University. She has previous work experience with Portland Community College, Portland Public Schools, A. Saligny High School and SAPA Anodizing.

Sharp has been a member of the Advising Steering Committee since 2010. As part of the Math and Science Teaching (MAST) project, Sharp has been collaborating since 2009 with other Clark instructors and colleagues from Educational School District 112, Vancouver School District and Ridgefield School District to improve science teaching and science curriculum articulation. Sharp was one of the event supervisors for MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) Day 2010 and the 2011 Washington State Science Olympiad, hosted by Clark College.

Sharp said, “I use active learning strategies that allow students to construct their knowledge from hands-on activities and real observations of the physical world. My role is to guide the learning process by designing educational activities that foster active engagement, collaboration and shared learning.”

Elizabeth UbiergoElizabeth Ubiergo, Spanish

Elizabeth Ubiergo was appointed to the full-time tenure-track faculty position in Spanish effective September 10, 2008. Ubiergo has earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree in Spanish language and literature from the University of Oregon. She also attended Universidad de Valladolid, Spain and the Universidad Católica in Quito, Ecuador. Ubiergo has previous work experience with the University of Portland, Portland Community College, Chapman & Silva Translation Services, Universidad Católica—Ecuador, University of Oregon and Clark College.

At Clark College, Ubiergo serves as co-advisor of the Spanish Club.  She is the founder of  Clark’s study abroad program in Valladolid, Spain.  She is the founder of the Mesa Redonda, a series of Spanish-language roundtable discussion groups which have been held at Clark for 13 years.  She also serves on Clark’s Financial Aid Committee and Latino Celebration Month Planning Committee.

Ubiergo said, “A priest/professor friend of mine at the University of Portland once taught me this catchy phrase, ‘The best way to mingle, is to be bilingual!’ It’s so true -- one meets so many more people and learns so much more about the world by becoming bilingual.  I strive to fill my classes with examples of “el arte de converser;” we talk as much possible about meaningful topics…in Spanish!”

Katy WashburneKaty Washburne, Adult Basic Education

Katy Washburne was appointed to the full-time tenure-track faculty position in Adult Basic Education effective September 10, 2008. Washburne has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Behavioral Science from California Polytechnic State University and a Master of Arts degree in Education from the United States International University. She has previous work experience with Portland Community College, Coosa Valley Technical College, Palomar Community College, Carlsbad Flower Field, and Clark College.

Washburne is a member of Clark’s Information Technology Council, Retention Committee, and Student Conduct Committee.  She is currently participating in multiple projects helping students transition into college level classes.  In the community, she volunteers as a writer for the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and maintains a website to give hope to individuals with brain cancer

Washburne said, “I use a multi-sensory approach to teaching based on learning centered education. I include reading, writing, video, group activities and solo activities to teach new concepts and vocabulary.  I design my lessons around multiple learning styles.  First and foremost, I put myself in the place of the student and try to imagine what they are thinking and feeling as they learn new ideas.”

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