Thirteen New Faculty Join Albright

Thirteen new full-time faculty members from various parts of the United States have joined Albright College this year. Record enrollment of traditional students, as well as growth of the Graduate and Professional Division, has prompted the need for additional faculty.

Albright’s new faculty

Derrick R. Calandrella, Ph.D. of Reading, Pa. has been appointed assistant professor of philosophy. Previously, he served as an instructor at the Penn State York Campus. Calandrella specializes in 19th and 20th century continental philosophy. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from The Pennsylvania State University, and completed a research fellowship at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universitat in Mainz, Germany.

Russell Ford, Ph.D. of Swarthmore, Pa. joined Albright as assistant professor of philosophy. Ford previously served as an adjunct assistant professor at Villanova University in Philadelphia. He recently wrote a translation of Un si funeste desir by Pierre Klossowski, which is under consideration at SUNY Press. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from The Pennsylvania State University.

Jennifer L. Koosed of Nashvile, Tenn. joined Albright as assistant professor of religious studies. Koosed, a Ph.D. candidate at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, previously served as an instructor in biblical criticism at Vanderbilt. She has co-written and edited several publications including "How the West Was Not One: Delilah Deconstructs the Western."

Jeffrey Lentz, M.M. of Wyomissing, Pa. returned to Albright as an artist in residence in theatre and music. Lentz, a 1985 graduate of Albright, is an actor and singer whose repertoire includes major roles with the New York City Opera, Phantom of the Opera (Toronto), and PBS’s Great Performances. He has guest directed theatre productions at Albright since 1987 and has taught at Yale University School of Music, Muhlenberg College, Amherst College, and the Royal Academy of Music in London. Lentz received his M.M. in performance from Yale University School of Music.

Julia Matthews, Ph.D. of Smyrna, Ga. joined Albright as associate professor of theatre. Matthews previously served in a dual capacity as associate professor of theatre and assistant dean of the School of the Arts at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. She is the co-author of A Guide to Scenes and Monologues from Shakespeare and his Contemporaries, and has performed and recorded as soloist and chorister with numerous groups in the U.S. and abroad. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Warwick in England.

Stephen G. Mech, Ph.D. of Memphis, Tenn. will join Albright in January 2003 as assistant professor of biology. In addition to serving as visiting assistant professor of biology at the University of Memphis, Mech is currently conducting research in several areas including population dynamics of vertebrates in flood plains. He is also developing and using genetic techniques to determine paternity in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Mech received his Ph.D. in zoology from Washington State University.

Jody W. Menon, J.D. of Blandon, Pa. joined Albright’s Graduate and Professional Division as an instructor of philosophy in the Accelerated Degree Completion Program. Prior to joining Albright she practiced law at Neubert, Pepe & Monteith, P.C. in New Haven, Conn. She specialized in areas including health law, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, commercial litigation and transactions, and landlord-tenant law. She received her J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

Yuko Oda, M.F.A. of Providence, R.I. joined Albright as assistant professor of digital media. Oda previously worked at the Rhode Island School of Design as a graduate liaison, teaching assistant and computer assistant while she pursued her M.F.A. in sculpture. She has also served as an art teacher in Tokyo, Japan and has exhibited in both the U.S. and Japan. Oda is fully bi-lingual in English/Japanese and proficient in Spanish.

Marta Ramirez-Rodenas, M.A. of Pottstown, Pa. is serving as an instructor in languages. Prior to joining Albright, Ramirez-Rodenas was a Spanish instructor at the University of Delaware in Newark, Del. where she received her M.A. in pedagogy and foreign languages. She specializes in Spanish, German and English, and has studied in Spain, Belgium, Germany, Scotland and Austria.

Janice Rodriguez, M.A. of West Lawn, Pa. returned to Albright as an instructor in Spanish. Rodriguez previously served as assistant professor and coordinator of foreign languages at Reading Area Community College, and was an adjunct instructor at Albright from 1989 to 1994. She received her M.A. in Spanish from the University of Pennsylvania.

Monibo Sam, Ph.D. of Willington, Conn. joined Albright as assistant professor of sociology. Sam previously served as assistant professor of sociology at Eastern Connecticut State University. Prior to coming to the United States he served as head of administration for the Directorate for Social Mobilization (MAMSER) in Rivers State, Nigeria. Sam received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Connecticut.

Thomas Steinbruck of New York, N.Y. is serving Albright as an artist in residence and will chair the Fashion Merchandising & Design Department. Steinbruck was president of Thomas Steinbruck Design, Inc. in New York until February 2002. As president, he placed the "Thomas Steinbruck" line in 50 stores worldwide and worked closely with celebrities such as Susan Sarandon, Cindy Lauper, Molly Shannon and Destiny’s Child. He received a B.A. in international business administration from the International School of Business Management in Nuremberg, Germany and a diploma in fashion design from Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Paris, France. He is fluent in German, French, English and Italian.

Lara Wittels, M.S. of Reading, Pa. joined Albright as an instructor in biology. Wittels, a 1998 Albright College graduate, previously served as laboratory instructor and teaching assistant at Pennsylvania State University. She has also worked as a laboratory technician for Blue Marsh Laboratories, Inc. Wittels earned her M.S. in ecology from Pennsylvania State University.