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MDC Digital Commons
| Darrell Arnold Arts & Philosophy, North Campus |
JJ Colagrande English & Communications, Kendall Campus |
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Darrell Arnold is editor of Critical Theory and the Thought of Andrew Feenberg (Palgrave/MacMillan) and Traditions of Systems Theory (Routledge). He has translated numerous works from German into English, including Naturalistic Hermeneutics (Cambridge UP) and Media of Reason (Columbia UP). Darrell served as editor of Humanities and Technology Association (HTA) journal, The Humanities and Technology Review, from 2012 to 2014 and as president of the HTA from 2014 to 2019. Before coming to MDC, Darrell was a faculty member at St. Thomas University, where he also served as program coordinator and one year as interim dean.
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J.J. Colagrande is an Assistant Professor at MDC, Kendall. He is the author of several novels, including Headz and Decò 2.0. Colagrande has written about Miami culture for almost twenty years, first with The Miami Herald, then Miami New Times and Huffington Post. He is also the publisher of Jitney Books. |
| Maria Garcia World Languages & Communications, Hialeah Campus |
Victor Gomez Arts & Philosophy, North Campus |
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Wonder seeker, science enthusiast and bibliophile Maria Alina Garcia has been a professor at the Hialeah Campus for 18 years. Professor Garcia is a dedicated and fervent educator with a passion for language acquisition and the transformative power of education. Professor Garcia incorporates educational technology to engage students as it can help to make learning more interactive and dynamic. She teaches ENC 1101 and ENC 1102. As an immigrant herself, Professor Garcia brings a unique perspective to her teaching and understands the value of education for individuals and communities. Professor Garcia is committed to making a difference in her students' lives and helping them to achieve their goals. Opportunity truly does change everything, and Professor Garcia is dedicated to that mission. |
Victor Gomez is a dedicated and passionate artist and professor. As a BFA student at Temple University, he interned at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Education Department. He worked with the Education Department, teaching sculpture to enrolled students. While in pursuit of his MFA at Hunter College, he did the same at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The combination of teaching and study abroad programs, granted Professor Gomez direct access to the Historical Art that was being referenced throughout his courses. Accepting a faculty appointment at Miami Dade College has been a wonderful opportunity to implement all of these experiences. |
| Sarah Jacob Arts & Letters, West Campus |
Shannon Kennedy Communications, Humanities, & Social Sciences, Homestead Campus |
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Sarah Jacob, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Miami Dade College’s (MDC) West Campus, is a proud alumna of MDC (Wolfson Campus). She graduated with her AA in 1997 before earning a BA in Philosophy from Florida International University (FIU) in 2000. Following her studies Sarah worked as the Marketing Director for a wellness company for over fifteen years before returning to FIU’s philosophy department to earn her MA in Liberal Studies (with a focus on environmental philosophy). Sarah is currently finishing her Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of South Florida, writing her dissertation on the Buddhist influences on Nietzsche’s philosophy of the future. Sarah has been teaching at Miami Dade College since 2013 and has been full time since 2017. She serves on the Earth Ethic Institute Council, co-Advises for the YES! Club and the Nothing Café Philosophy Club. She also serves as a faculty lead for Humanities Edge. |
Dr. Shannon Kennedy is an Associate Psychology Professor at Miami Dade College, Homestead Campus. There, she teaches a variety of introductory and elective psychology courses, including psychology of genocide and human sexuality. She is also the advisor to the Psychology Club and the award-winning Estuaries art and literary magazine. A native of Illinois, Dr. Kennedy has been in Miami for thirteen years where she pursued her graduate studies. Dr. Kennedy holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies. At the graduate level, she has a Graduate Certificate in Gender and Women’s Studies and a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Florida International University. Her doctorate is also from FIU in developmental psychology, focusing on emerging adults (18–25-year-olds) and intimate partner violence. She has published in the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences. When not working, Dr. Kennedy enjoys time with her husband and two daughters, especially enjoying the Miami weather at the beach. |
| Jairo Ledesma Communications, Humanities, & Social Sciences, Homestead Campus |
Michael Lenaghan Social Sciences Department, North Campus |
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Jairo Ricardo Ledesma is a Professor of History and Sociology at Miami Dade College’s Homestead campus. For over twenty years, he has worked at private and public institutions serving in different higher education roles, including student counselor, career counselor, academic adviser, Grant Director, and as an adjunct instructor. Professor Ledesma holds a Bachelor of Science in communications and a Master of Arts in sociology from St. John’s University in New York City. He also holds a Master of Arts in history and is currently a third-year history Ph.D. student at Florida International University. Throughout his career, Professor Ledesma has worked with underrepresented groups. The hundreds of students he has advised or taught are now industry leaders or educators throughout the world. He is former USDA Kika the la Garza Fellow, and a Humanities Edge Grant recipient where he led undergraduate students in historical research. Currently he is a board member of the Homestead City Hall Museum, sits on the F.I.U Statewide Federal Government Conference committee, and is the Chair of the Hispanic Heritage Month committee.
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Eight-time NEH Summer Workshop Fellow and Endowed Chair of Teaching Excellence Professor in Political Science and International Relations, Dr. Lenaghan invites scholars to engage in exploration of literature that relates to each one’s special interests, aspirations. Presuming each student brings a unique genius to a course or seminar, he invites each to identify books, creative or performing arts or sources of ideas, insights and inspirations by which to make the learning community more meaningful. And by research, reading, writing, oral presentation or graphic representation each make the whole of the course experience greater than the sum of its parts.
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Carmen Lopez |
Teresa Mitchell |
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Dr. Carmen Lopez is an Associate Professor at the Wolfson Campus. She earned a B. A. and M. A. at Florida International University and holds a PhD from the University of Miami. She teaches courses in American, World and Holocaust history for the Department of Social Sciences, the Honors College and MDC Online, where she serves as the developer for history courses. She also co-chairs the campus Impact Team and is a faculty co-facilitator for the Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy. She also serves on the Diverse Voices Committee as well as the Project Based-Learning Task Force. She has published articles in Tequesta Journal and History Miami Magazine and has worked several times with Cengage Publishing to revise their Global Americans textbook and create supplemental instructional materials. Most recently, she led the effort to add the History of Women in the United States to the course offerings at Miami Dade College. |
Dr. Terri Mitchell, Associate Professor of Music at MDC West, is an accomplished flutist and a consummate musician and educator. Dr. Mitchell teaches Music Appreciation, Jazz and Popular Music. She is also the UFMDC Vice President for West Campus. In addition, she is the advisor for the Dialogues for Democracy Club at MDC West Campus. She is also co- advisor for the Creative Arts club with Professor Gittings. She received her Doctorate in Music from the University of Miami in 2003 where she received the Award for Academic Achievement and won the Concerto Competition in her first year at the University. She has lectured on musicians’ health, the subject of her doctoral research, at the University of Miami and at the Florida Flute Fair as well as in Brazil. She has played with orchestras throughout the United States and Europe and has performed solos with the Alhambra Orchestra, the Ars Flores orchestra and the University of Miami Symphony Orchestra. She was awarded the SGI Renaissance Award in 2004 for her contributions to the community within the field of music. She is also a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, the music honors society. |
| Ray Morales Arts & Philosophy, Kendall Campus |
Emily Sendin Communications, Arts, & Philosophy, Padrón Campus |
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Ray Morales has been an active ceramics artist and a Professor of Art at Miami Dade College for over 20 years. His expertise in the field of ceramics range from creating both functional and sculptural forms, glaze chemistry, firing kilns, and developing a range of clays. His artworks are widely sought out and are held in collections all over the world. As a professor, Ray Morales has built curriculums that attract members of the community as well as traditional students. His teaching methodology focuses on putting theory into tangible action and creative problem solving.
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Emily Andrea Sendin is a professor of English, literature, and creative writing at Miami Dade College with over two decades of teaching experience. She is a two-time Endowed Teaching Chair and Fulbright Scholar. Her areas of expertise are African American literature, feminist, gender, and postcolonial theories and media studies. She teaches global sustainability and Earth literacy studies, service-learning and Honors College courses. She is the founding advisor of Urbana, the award-winning literary and arts magazine of the Padrón Campus, which she advised for 15 years. She is also the founding advisor of Gamma Eta, the Padrón Campus chapter of Sigma Kappa Delta National English Honor Society. In 2009, she founded FNE International’s Tengo un Sueño and Hermandad MaryKnoll High School supporting the educational journeys of youth in rural Nicaragua for the past 14 years. Her life’s passions are teaching, writing, traveling and serving. |
| Brinda Surendar Arts & Letters, West Campus |
Sabrina Walters English & Communications, North Campus |
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| Prof. Surendar teaches Composition & Writing and Literature at the West campus. Originally from India, she comes with more than 20 years of work experience in both the Corporate and the educational sectors. She has 2 Masters Degrees in English with one from her native country of India and the other from the State University of New York in Albany. Very passionate about literature, Prof. Surendar specializes in 18th century British writing and Gothic Literature. Prof. Surendar joined MDC in Jan 2017 as a full-time professor and has since then set up the English Department at MDC-West and founded Words Are Us- The Literature Club of West campus. Since its inception in Fall 2018, the Literature Club has organized several events promoting writers and iconic texts to the students of the campus. She created their signature event called the Lit Fest which is a theme-based literature festival that is open to all campuses of MDC. Eager to learn new things, you will find Prof. Surendar trying something new every semester. |
Dr. Sabrina Walters is a Professor in the English and Communications Department at Miami Dade College, North Campus. Her research has centered on the plight of African American males in higher education. She has focused on coping mechanisms employed by African American males to determine specific strategies associated with the achievement outcomes among Black males at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs). Prior to joining Miami Dade College, Dr. Walters was a reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Sun-Times, and the Miami Herald. She is a recipient of an Education Writers Association fellowship and a National Press Foundation fellowship, which allowed her to travel to Mexico to study Spanish. Dr. Walters attended the University of Miami where she completed her doctoral studies in Higher Education Leadership. She also earned a BS in Journalism from Michigan State University and MS in English Education from Nova Southeastern University. |
