Getting to Know Chatham's New Professors, Part 2
Fall 2020 isn’t just the first term for our first year and transfer students: a whole new class of professors are getting acquainted with the ChathamU community as well. As vital mentors of students’ academic growth and success, Chatham faculty members are some of the most important people you’ll get to know on campus. Join us for part 2 of Getting to Know Chatham’s New Professors, as we get acquainted with a new crew of Chatham experts:
JOSEPH AMODEI, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF IMMERSIVE MEDIA
Tell us some of your favorites
Movies/TV: Slay the Dragon, Schitt’s Creek, Star Wars, and New Girl reruns
Destination to travel: The Eastern Shore of Virginia, NYC, Berlin, and my home state of North Carolina
Hobbies: Activism, guitar, cooking, critical theory reading groups
How did you first become interested in your field?
It wasn’t until my time in undergrad that I really fell into art, theater, and technology. I believe in art as a powerful force for creating justice-oriented futures and once I found out how expansive art-making practices can be, I never looked back. My first art form was in lighting design for performance, and that eventually led me into the field of emerging and immersive media arts.
What are you most looking forward to about teaching at Chatham?
The students! I love teaching. A few of my undergraduate professors really opened the conceptual doors of possibility for me and it changed the direction of my life. At Chatham I hope to pass that pedagogical inspiration forward.
Can you tell us a little bit about the kind of research you do / what you’re currently working on?
My work combines innovative technology, extensive research, and hope for alternate futures to invite audiences into a communal process of debriefing and re-learning. Currently, I am working on a project about gerrymandering in PA and NC (www.packingandcracking.com) and exploring various depth-capture technologies for an AR/VR project that explores memory and the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
What is something students can look forward to in your classes, whether in person or virtual?
Students can look forward to a hands-on and personalized approach (even in digital spaces) when it comes to learning how to incorporate technology into art and design. We will get weedsy about design processes, theoretical ramifications of technology, and the tools for making immersive experiences.
TELL US SOME OF YOUR FAVORITES
Movie: Cool Runnings
Destination to travel: Anywhere in the Caribbean. I love being on the beach
Hobbies: Traveling, running, and spending time with my family
How did you first become interested in your field?
During my senior year of high school, I was injured and had to attend physical therapy. My physical therapist suggested looking into athletic training because of its rehabilitation component.
Can you tell us a little bit about the kind of research you do / what you’re currently working on?
Most of my research as been concussion-based: primarily focused on its effects on academics and return-to-learn protocols as well as concussions within learning-disabled populations. I have presented on the topic nationally and had my research published in 2019. Currently, I am switching my focus to individuals with intellectual disabilities and the effects of COVID-19 from a mental perspective within this population. I am hoping to look at the mental wellness aspect and mental capacity changes.
Dr. Mindi Hilborn, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ATHLETIC TRAINING
What is something students can look forward to in your classes, whether in person or virtual?
I strive for my lectures to be interactive and include examples from my personal experiences that differ from those within the textbooks. If I can get students up and moving, I try to do this every 15-20 minutes. In the virtual format, we do a lot of breakout groups and discussions to support the information so that students have a better understanding. My learning management system (LMS) is always organized to help students easily access useful materials and regularly updated.
Anything else you’d like to highlight?
I am a board member for the Down Syndrome Association of Pittsburgh (DSAP). This group primarily raises funds for the Down Syndrome Center which operates out of Children’s Hospital. Additionally, education, support, and information are provided to families and individuals with Down Syndrome. There are several events throughout the year to fundraise for this philanthropy while engaging with a wide range of ages. As an athletic trainer, I provide medical services during the Special Olympics- Winter Games to ensure the health and safety of the athletes while they compete in sports such as alpine skiing, snowshoe, cross country skiing, and snowboarding. The Down Syndrome community is one that I hold near and dear to my heart having grown up with two uncles with Down Syndrome.
Dr. Andrea Stevens, visiting assistant professor of neuroscience
TELL US SOME OF YOUR FAVORITES
Movie: Aladdin
Destination to travel: Hatteras Island, North Carolina
Hobbies: Hiking, reading, spending time with my family
How did you first become interested in your field?
As a kid, my family and I spent a lot of time outdoors, where I was always interested in exploring and learning more about the environment around me. During undergrad, I volunteered in a Malaria-based research lab and fell in love with the idea of doing biomedical research.
Can you tell us a little bit about the kind of research you do / what you’re currently working on?
I study the role of neuroinflammation in neurological (or nervous system) diseases. Neuroinflammation involves both the nervous and immune systems and is marked by the infiltration and activation of immune cells, neurons, and glial cells, all in a way which causes a complex cascade of tissue swelling, breakdown, and regeneration of nerves upon injury. I am currently working on the role of an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) loaded nanoparticle that specifically targets an immune cell known as a macrophage after the sciatic nerve is injured in a rodent model of chronic pain.
What is something students can look forward to in your classes, whether in person or virtual?
Learning about the newest and most relevant techniques used to study the molecular underpinnings of neurobiological disease as well as the pathophysiology of neurological disease.
What are you most looking forward to about teaching at Chatham?
Spending time in the neuroscience lab with students examining human brain specimens! And of course, working with the graduate students and helping them orient their future careers and academic goals.
Anything else you’d like to highlight?
Prior to completing my PhD in Neurobiology, I received my Master of Science in Biology here at Chatham. I will now have the pleasure of teaching new students in this same cohort and cannot wait to be a pivotal part of their experience at Chatham as my professors were to me!
Special thanks to all of the new faculty members who participated.
