Participating Faculty & Disciplines
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Marva Adams |
Karen Alvarez-Delfin |
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Marva Adams is a Communications Professor at Miami Dade College (MDC) and an expert in her field. For the past ten years, she has taught communication courses at MDC’s Hialeah campus. Professor Adams frequently collaborates with other campus professors to create speech events that give students the opportunity to express their opinion on current events. She loves to merge basic communication concepts with various principles of culture. Through a variety of assignments, students become effective communicators who can exceed at every level in their field. |
Dr. Alvarez-Delfin began her career at MDC in 2016. She is an Associate Professor in the Liberal Arts Department at the Hialeah campus, where she teaches Biology. Dr. Alvarez-Delfin holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Havana, Cuba. She has a Master of Science in Biochemistry from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and earned her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Florida State University. Dr. Alvarez-Delfin has incorporated environmental-oriented service-learning in many of her courses from the beginning of her tenure at MDC. She is an eager environmentalist and makes sure that her students learn and take action on the environmental issues we are facing today. For several years, Dr. Alvarez-Delfin has served as advisor for the Hialeah chapter of the YES Club, which focuses on engaging members and the community in environmental and sustainability topics. |
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Trinidad Arguelles |
Rene Barrientos |
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Dr. Trinidad Argüelles is Associate Professor of Psychology at MDC West Campus, and faculty convener for this discipline. Dr. Argüelles is a self-identified Applied Gerontologist, with vast teaching experience at FIU, MDC, and UM. At the college, she serves as IMPACT / Changemaking co-chair for West Campus. She has been active in mentoring students in undergraduate research through the School of Science (SOS) since 2014 and the Humanities Edge Grant (since 2020). Dr. Argüelles is also the founding and lead advisor for both West Campus Psychology Club and the West Campus Chapter for the Psi Beta Honor Society. Her classes have amounted to more than 9,500 hours of Academic Service and she has been awarded Faculty of the Year by ICED at the West Campus several times. Last year, Building a Better Society Through Mental Health, an agency that she created to bring awareness and advocacy for health and mental health to everyone on her campus, received ICED Partner of the Year Award. |
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Jaime Bestard |
Victoria Castells |
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| Professor of Mathematics and Statistics courses, interested in technical, social and environmental topics, data analysis and early modeling. Dr. Bestard's instruction often incorporates Problem and Project-based learning that impacts the community and the fields of employability for students. Dr. Bestard's background is in Engineering and his instruction is directed towards quantitative reasoning, scaffolding structured thinking, and solving problems. Dr. Bestard also incorporates service-learning in several courses and often collaborates with Science Clubs and Global initiatives, including the Hialeah campus' Global Citizenship Project.
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Rodolfo Cruz |
Alicia Ibarra |
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Rodolfo Cruz is an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering and Technology at MDC Hialeah Campus. He joined Miami Dade College as an instructor in 2013. Professor Cruz earned his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Florida International University in 1997, a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Florida International University in 2007 and a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University in 2012. Professor Cruz teaches a wide array of courses including programming languages (C, C++, Java, Python), Operating Systems, Internet of Things (IoT) and Cybersecurity. In addition to his regular faculty duties, Professor Cruz is the advisor of the MDC chapter of the Society of Hispanics Professional Engineers (SHPE). As SHPE advisor, Professor Cruz mentors engineering and technology students with the mission of empowering them to realize their fullest potential and help them impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development.
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Alicia Ibarra began her career at MDC in 2005. She is an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering and Technology at the Hialeah Campus. Professor Ibarra holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Florida International University. She has a Master of Science in Management Information System from Nova Southeastern University. Students in her programming courses use service-learning projects to introduce girls in high schools to learn programming concepts. Professor Ibarra has incorporated service-learning in all her courses from the very beginning. She has enjoyed doing service in her community throughout her life. She was awarded the Presidential Service Award in 2016. |
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Kelly Kennedy |
Melissa Lammey |
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Dr. Kelly Kennedy-Everett has been teaching at Miami Dade College for over 29 years. She teaches ENC 1101 and 1102 as well as Literature courses and Leadership. She is the lead Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society advisor at MDC’s Hialeah campus and currently serves on the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Program Council. She was a Salzburg Global Fellow and has been awarded the prestigious Endowed Teaching Chair twice. Dr Kennedy-Everett uses themes and real life writing situations in her courses to maintain student engagement. She is a lifelong learner, an avid reader, and often takes additional courses and training to continue her professional development and enhance her teaching practices. |
Dr. Melissa Lammey is a Professor of Philosophy at Miami Dade College’s Hialeah campus. She earned the Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Mississippi, the Master of Arts degree in Philosophy and Women’s Studies from Florida State University, then completed her PhD with a specialization in philosophy of science, also at FSU. In addition to her teaching, she has and continues to speak on topics in philosophy locally, nationally, and internationally. She is currently interested in promoting undergraduate research related to the nature of science and its intersection with ethical issues.
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Subhojit Majumdar |
Mariana Vaillant Molina |
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Dr. Majumdar was born and raised in India where he received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree in chemistry. He worked in chemical industry as a synthetic organic chemist. He came to the United States as graduate student at University of Miami where he received his PhD degree in Chemistry. Dr. Majumdar started teaching classes at MDC as adjunct faculty. Soon after, he was appointed as Assistant Professor at MDC Hialeah Campus.
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Dr. Molina is Associate Professor of Psychology at Miami Dade College's Hialeah campus. She earned a Ph.D. in psychology with a focus on developmental and experimental psychology from Florida International University and teaches various developmental and social psychology courses as well as student life skills (SLS) courses. Her teaching incorporates an understanding of and appreciation for research methods and often includes problem-based learning and service-learning experiences related to social issues. Dr. Molina is chairperson of the Student Interdisciplinary Symposium, an annual co-curricular event she helped design, showcasing students' scholarly work at MDC. Dr. Molina serves as co-advisor for the Hialeah chapter of the International Honor Society of Community Colleges, Phi Theta Kappa, and helps to mentor student members and officers with their honors programming in that role.
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Katalin Paizs |
Vivian Perez |
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Vivian Perez began working at Miami Dade College’s North Campus in 2005, and has held different teaching and administrative positions, which includes acting director of the Portfolio federal grant that facilitated resources to faculty and students at the Padrón Campus. She was a language coordinator for the School of Continuing Education and was responsible for the initial administrative start-up of Actors Arena at the North Campus. Additionally, Vivian has also taught several academic and continuing education courses at MDC campuses, as well as MDC clients’ sites, like the City of Hialeah. She has also worked at the Hialeah, West, and Kendall Campuses. Vivian can sincerely say that she has enjoyed working at MDC at every position. Vivian Perez graduated from Barry University, where she held administrative and teaching positions. She has also been an administrator and an educator at St. Thomas University, where she was a grant director for two simultaneous youth programs funded by the federal government (Upward Bound and Lead Now).
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Ileana Porges-West |
Veronica Ramsundar |
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Professor Ileana Porges-West uses innovative and holistic teaching methods to teach the English language. Porges-West teaches sections of Accent Reduction and Advanced Reading, both part of the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) curriculum. She uses traditional pedagogical approaches married with interactive out-of-classroom activities like service learning, and participation in national literacy initiatives, such as The Big Read. Porges-West earned a bachelor’s in anthropology at Vassar College, a master’s in economics from American University, and a master’s in education at Florida International University. She is currently working on a graduate certificate in earth literacy at St. Thomas University, a program developed in conjunction with MDC. In addition to her EAP classes, she has taught traditional business and banking courses and is currently teaching economics in MDC’s Virtual College. |
Veronica Ramsundar has worked in higher education for the last ten years and can say with the utmost certainty that she has found her calling. She enjoys teaching and interacting with students and can best be described as easy going and a free spirit, this is very much reflected in her educational as well as professional experience. Her educational experience is varied; she has a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management, a Master of Science in Direct Marketing, and a Doctorate in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. Very much like her education; her practical experience is also wide-ranging, she has spent time working for a lighting company, casino, city government and higher education. |
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Carlos Ruiz |
Mohammad Shakil |
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Carlos Ruiz teaches Biology and Human Anatomy and Physiology. He has contributed to discipline curriculum revisions and updates, grant proposal writing, and developing and implementing new academic programs such as a Baccalaureate Degree in Biology. With the support of Miami Dade College School of Science, Professor Ruiz developed an independent research project focused on the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression of Collagen Q. In addition, he has conducted a summer faculty-led study abroad program for Human Anatomy and Physiology that allowed him to take students to Florence, Italy, for a unique learning experience. |
Dr. M. Shakil, Ph.D., CStat & Fellow (Royal Statistical Society), PStat & Member (American Statistical Association), Professor of Mathematics, is teaching as a Fulltime Faculty (Math / Stat Professor) in the Mathematics Department of Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus. He teaches In-Person and MDC LIVE Math/Stat Courses from Algebra through Calculus, including Advanced Math Courses and Statistical Methods, which he also likes and enjoys. He holds a Master of Science and a Doctorate Degree in Mathematics, and a Master of Science Degree in Statistics. He has authored and co-authored two books and more than 100 research papers in reputable journals. His research interests are Distribution Theory, Characterizations of Distributions, Statistical Inferences, Record Values, Numerical Analysis, Fixed Point Theory, Math Education and Teaching of Mathematics. He is Editor-in-Chief of MDC Hialeah Campus Electronic Multi-Disciplinary Journal, Polygon. |
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Sherri Sinkoff |
Gregory Smith |
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Sherri Sinkoff is an Associate Professor Senior of Speech/Communications. Professor Sinkoff has been teaching Speech and Communications for most of her life and in 2014 was awarded the Jon S. and James L. Knight Foundation Endowed Teaching Chair in Communications. She always incorporates current situations happening in our world and our local communities in her classes. Professor Sinkoff's students have been preparing and presenting their academic research and service-learning presentations at the Hialeah campus's Student Interdisciplinary Symposium for several years. Her students always have a Q and A session at the end of their presentations to involve the audience. |
Greg Smith is currently an Associate Professor in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Department at Hialeah Campus. He obtained his B.S. degree from Fordham University, NY and his Doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Miami, FL. Dr. Smith’s main focus of instruction at the Hialeah Campus is chemistry and one of his passions is the exposure of incoming students to the “joy” of research and development of therapeutics. He also assists the Chair of his department with the guidance and advising of incoming STEM students prior to the beginning of their first academic year at Hialeah.
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Erick Terry |
Allison Thomas Johnson |
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Dr. Eric Terry joined the faculty of Miami-Dade College in the fall of 2016 as a professor of business management. Prior to his appointment at Miami Dade College, he spent three years at Keiser University as a Business Program Director and faculty member for both undergraduate and graduate students. He has taught the following courses at the undergraduate and graduate level: Operation Management, Supply Chain Management, International Business, Business Management, Marketing, Human Resource Management, Strategic Management, Leadership, Business Capstone, Health Care Management, Health Care Marketing, Health Care Strategic Management, and Introduction to Business. Dr. Terry holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration-Management from Northcentral University in Arizona, a Master of Arts in Business Administration from Regis University in Colorado, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Northwood University in Michigan. |
Allison Thomas Johnson is an Assistant Professor of English at Miami Dade College’s Hialeah campus. She earned her Ph.D. in English at the University of Miami, where her dissertation on the rhetoric of friendship in early modern English women’s writing earned the 2010 Best Dissertation in the Humanities Award. She has published a book chapter on the poet Isabella Whitney and presented at numerous professional conferences. Dr. Thomas Johnson incorporates inquiry-based research, service learning, and opportunities for creative expression into her English composition and literature courses. She is the Hialeah Faculty Lead for the Humanities Edge and serves on the OER Advisory Council and the Student Interdisciplinary Planning Committee. |