Assessment Coordinator
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-219D
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3251
Rio E-Mail: TCallinan@riohondo.edu
Tom Callinan received his M.A. in English from California State University, Long Beach. He has taught reading enrichment, methods of structural analysis, and basic study skills to students of all ages through a private reading company in California, as well as in Oregon, Arizona, Michigan, and the Washington D.C. area. He has also taught composition at Mt. San Antonio College, Fullerton College, and Rio Hondo. He joined the Communications faculty full time in the Fall of 2001 and teaches courses in both composition and literature.
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Marie Eckstrom
Writing Workshop Coordinator
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-217C
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3262
Rio E-Mail: MEckstrom@riohondo.edu
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Theresa Freije
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-217F
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3261
Rio E-Mail: TFreije@riohondo.edu
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Edward Ibarra
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-219D
Phone: (562) 463-3117 Ext. 3117
Rio E-Mail: EIbarra@riohondo.edu
Edward Ibarra was born in East Los Angeles, California, and was raised in East Los Angeles and Montebello, California. He attended UCLA and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He attended graduate school at USC and earned graduate degrees in English, specializing in American Literature. His dissertation explored some of the connections between American writer Herman Melville and German Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant. In his spare time, Edward likes to read, watch, and explore the arts.
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Lily Isaac
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-219E
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3252
Rio E-Mail: LIsaac@riohondo.edu
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Muata Kamdibe
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-219F
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3005
Rio E-Mail: MKamdibe@riohondo.edu
Born and raised in the southeast section of Washington, D.C., Muata Kamdibe received his Bachelors of Arts degree in English, with a minor in Communications Arts, from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, his Masters of Arts Degree in Comparative Black Literature from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and he is currently ABD (All But Dissertation) from Howard University’s Department of African Studies. Before coming to Rio Hondo. Mr. Kamdibe taught Freshman Composition, African American Literature, and African Literature at the University of Maryland College Park and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He has been teaching Developmental Composition, Freshman Composition, and literature at Rio Hondo since 1998. His research interests include Africana World cinema(s) and literature(s), the Black Arts Movement, and Spanish-speaking cultures of African descent. In his spare time, Mr. Kamdibe enjoys salsa dancing, playing the congas, reading, listening to various types of music, and gardening; he is also a borderline boxing fanatic.
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John Marshall
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-217A
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3248
Rio E-Mail: JMarshall@riohondo.edu
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Jim Matthis
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-219F
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3005
Rio E-Mail: JMatthis@riohondo.edu
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Lynette Nyaggah
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-219E
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3252
Rio E-Mail: LNyaggah@riohondo.edu
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Mary Ann Pacheco
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-219C
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3249
Rio E-Mail: MPacheco@riohondo.edu
Mary Ann Pacheco was born in Tucson, Arizona, and grew up in southern California. She received her BA in English and Ethnic Studies from USC and her MA in English from UCLA. She has been a teacher of English at Rio Hondo College in Whittier for over twenty-five years. She has taught the full range of composition classes as well as grammar and literature classes, including British literature, American literature, Chicano literature, Shakespeare, and Mexican literature in Translation. She also has been the coordinator of the Writing Workshop and the coordinator of the English Placement Test. As a teacher leader, Ms. Pacheco has served as president of her local CTA chapter (the Rio Hondo College Faculty Association), the Rio Hondo College Academic Senate, and the statewide CTA Community College Association. For ten years, she represented higher education on the CTA Board of Directors. For three years, she represented higher education on the NEA Board of Directors. Currently, Ms. Pacheco represents higher education on the CTA/ABC/Political Allocations Committee. She also served on the Board of Directors of the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education, the NEA’s foundation, for ten years. She has served as chair of the CTA Hispanic Caucus and co-chair of the CTA Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee. She currently is vice-chair of the NEA Hispanic Caucus and serves on the NEA Minority Affairs Committee. She has been honored with the CTA César E. Chávez Si Se Puede Human Rights Award and the James Davenport Award of the National Council for Higher Education. In addition, Ms. Pacheco is a member of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Whittier, CA where, for many years she was a teacher in the pre-school Sunday School program and member of various singing groups. Much of her time now is devoted to caring for and enjoying her Chihuahua/rat terrier-mix dog, Little Girl.
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Kenn Pierson
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-217E
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3260
Rio E-Mail: KPierson@riohondo.edu
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Beverly Reilly
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-217C
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3262
Rio E-Mail: BReilly@riohondo.edu
Beverly Reilly was born in Detroit, Michigan, and received her Registered Nurse education there. After moving to California and working as a hospital nurse while marrying and raising four children, she decided to return to college for a BS in Nursing. A counselor at CSU Long Beach pointed out that she was missing some general education classes, all in English and literature, and suggested she take these classes at a community college. Taking this advice, she attended Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, read and fell in love with authors such as Mary Rowlandson, Walt Whitman, and William Faulkner. It was then and there that Beverly changed her major and never looked back. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of California, Irvine, and her Master of Arts in English literature--emphasis on American literature--from California State University, Long Beach. She worked as adjunct faculty at several community colleges in the area from 1993 until 1998, at which time she was hired full time at Rio Hondo College. She believes there is nothing as powerful and life-changing as the educated, skillful use of language, and this philosophy is the basis for all levels of all classes she teaches: composition, literature, and creative writing.
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Barbara Salazar
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-219E
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3266
Rio E-Mail: BSalazar@riohondo.edu
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JoAnn Springer
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-219C
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3256
Rio E-Mail: JSpringer@riohondo.edu
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Dana Vazquez
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-217B
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3257
Rio E-Mail: DVazquez@riohondo.edu
Dana Marie Vazquez has been working full-time at Rio Hondo College since 1995, teaching courses in literature, composition, and English as a Second Language. She has employed Web Pages, computers and the Online Discussion Forum in her classes since 1995.
Educational Background:
BA in English CSU, Chico
MA in English CSU, Sacramento
TESOL Certificate UC, Irvine.
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Ralph Velazquez
Department: English and Literature
Office: A-219F
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3005
Rio E-Mail: RVelazquez@riohondo.edu
Ralph Velazquez was born in Artesia, California, but he has been a resident of Norwalk for over thirty years. He was interested in law enforcement and received his AA degree in administration of justice from Cerritos College. Later, he developed a true interest in literature and the arts. Mr. Velazquez then transfered to Cal State Long Beach where he received his BA in English education and his MA in English Literature, specializing in twentieth-century American literature. He is now delighted to be teaching all levels of English here at Rio Hondo College. Besides teaching, he also enjoys writing, working out, watching movies (his favorite movie is Apocalypse Now) and sports, of which boxing is his favorite.
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Angela Rhodes
Department: English and Literature
Office: A219-A
Phone: (562) 692-0921 Ext. 3253
Rio E-Mail: arhodes@riohondo.edu
Angela Medina graduated from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in June 2003 with a double concentration MA degree in TESL and Literature. She enjoys teaching both ESL and English at Rio Hondo College. She has traveled to China multiple times and taught all levels of students (preschool to university) and absolutely loved every minute of it. Angela is a regular presenter at regional and state level CATESOL conferences as she enjoys staying active in her field and sharing new ideas with colleagues. Angela’s professional writing has been published in CATESOL News and Language Magazine. When time permits, Angela’s hobbies include, but are not limited to, reading, camping, swimming, traveling, writing and spoiling her niece, Alexys. Angela truly loves teaching and feels it is what she was destined to do.
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