TEACHING ABOUT GLOBAL CONFLICT AND PEACEBUILDING
A Seminar for Community College Faculty
October 12-15, 2013
PARTICIPANTS
Professor Azadeh Aalai has been full time faculty with the Psychology department since 2009. She
earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at The George Washington University in Washington, DC.
her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University and her PhD in applied social
psychology from Loyola University Chicago. Her research interests include media portrayals during times
of war, media effects on public opinion, psychological underpinnings to violence, warfare, & genocide,
and cultural & gender studies. She is a regular contributor for Psychology Today, in addition to other
writing ventures. She can be reached: azadeh.aalai@montgomerycollege.edu.
Sharon Anthony is currently a Professor of English at Montgomery College, in Germantown, Maryland,
where she has worked for 12 years. During that time, she also worked as the EN101 Coordinator as
well as the Women’s Studies Coordinator for the Germantown Campus. She has taught courses
including English composition, literature, mythology, and gender studies. Additionally, she has served as
faculty advisor to various student clubs and considers herself fortunate to work with so many excellent
students and faculty at MC. Sharon has been recognized with the Outstanding Faculty Service Award,
the Germantown Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Women’s Studies Program’s “On Her Shoulders
We Stand” Award. Teaching is her passion, and her heart belongs to her family, including her two
wonderful sons, her husband, and her German shepherd. She can be reached at: Sharon.anthony@
montgomerycollege.edu.
Dr. Eric Belokon was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (a republic in the former Soviet Union), and came to
US at the age of 10. After graduating from high school, he went to UM-JMH radiology technologist
program. He worked in the field and enrolled at Miami Dade College to begin pre-med studies. While
working with CT scans and MRI, he became interested in neuropsychology. He received a BA in
psychology from Florida International University, in 1992. He earned a Ph.D. and a Psy.D. in 2001, from
Carlos Albizu University, and trained in Albert Einstein Medical College. Over the years he conducted
various researches in brain-behavior relationship, worked with department of children and families,
worked in the field of addiction, etc. He has been teaching at MDC for over ten years, and is an Associate
Professor Senior of Psychology. He teaches Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, and Human
Sexuality, as well as courses in leadership. He teaches for the Honor's and Virtual College, and is actively
involved with Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy (awarded faculty of the year award for
service learning), and is a member of the Learning Outcome College Council. At present, his interest is in
social neuroscience, and he is in a process of developing a course in Psychology of Genocide, and
exploring a program development in peace building at MDC.MDC is considered to be the largest
institution (eight campuses and numerous outreach centers - 175,000 students) of higher education in
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the United States and one of the most highly regarded colleges in the nation. He can be reached at:
ebelokon@mdc.edu.
Marcia Bronstein is a professor of English and English as a Second Language at Montgomery College.
She is a curriculum coordinator of the Global Humanities Institute at Montgomery College and the
coordinator of the college's Learning Communities Program. She can be reached at:
Marcia.Bronstein@montgomerycollege.edu.
Dr. Maria I. Bryant is Professor of Sociology at the College of Southern Maryland. She holds a Ph.D. from
American University, a Doctor of Arts from George Mason University, and is a member of the American
Sociological Association and Sociologists for Women in Society. In 2007, Dr. Bryant was honored with
the Faculty Excellence Award. In her statement about teaching, she described classroom teaching and
learning as “a systematic processes whereby the teacher and the student share knowledge and
experience.” She is a member of the American Sociological Association, Sociologists for Women in
Society and has served in the Committee on Teaching of the American Sociological Association. She is
researching the role of women in social movements in Puerto Rico and in the Arab Spring, and she is
conducting a survey about the experience of women engineers in Puerto Rico. She can be reached at:
mariab@csmd.edu.
Paul Chapman, humanities and peace studies, Valencia College. He can be reached at:
pchapman@valenciacollege.edu.
Lena Choudhary, JD, MS, RN is currently a professor of nursing for Anne Arundel Community College.
She has a bachelor’s of science in political science from Loyola College, a bachelor’s of science in nursing
from Stevenson University and a juris doctorate and masters of science in community/ public health
nursing from the University of Maryland. She has published and/or researched in the fields of nursing
simulation, horizontal violence in the workplace, environmental nursing, and global public health. Dr.
Choudhary coordinates opportunities for students to participate in humanitarian aid simulations as well
as working in the field with real patients. She can be reached at: Lchoudhary@aacc.edu.
Tina Feiger has worked full time at Santa Monica College for over 30 years. Initially she was hired as a
counselor for Students with Disabilities and then became Director of the Women's Center and Assistant
Director of Emeritus College. Having earned her Masters of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling, she
went on to complete a Doctorate degree in Higher Education, Adult development and Work from UCLA
completing a national study on Women in American Community Colleges. She now has several
responsibilities. She is one of the Student Ombudspersons mediating disputes between students and
faculty, and also teaches Lifespan Psychology, as well as works as a Transfer Counselor. Her great joy
has been to become involved with the College's Global Initiative over the last few years. In relation to
the Peace initiatives she has gone to the Global Seminar in Salzburg, as well as to the International
Institute for Peace Education in Hungary, and attended several programs through the Ahimsa program
at Cal Poly Pomona. She can be reached at: Feiger_Tina @smc.edu.
Valerie Gray, English, Harrisburg Area Community College. She can be reached at: vagray@hacc.edu.
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Lisa-Beth Harris, political science, Los Angeles Community College. She can be reached at:
Lunalbh1@gmail.com.
Andrea Haupt, political science, Santa Barbara City College. She can be reached at: abhaupt@sbcc.edu.
Author of Public Speaking in American English, Dr. Nancy Grass Hemmert received her Master’s degree
in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge and her PhD in higher education
from Capella University where she researched methods for improving institutional communication
climates in large public institutions. Dr. Grass Hemmert has been a professor of Communication Studies
for 15 years specializing in intercultural communication, public address, and communication climate.
Currently chair of the Communication and Media Studies Department at Santa Monica College, she has
been central to the development and implementation of the Global Citizenship Initiative, a service
focused study abroad program, and many other college goals and initiatives. Dr. Grass Hemmert
maintains a thriving communication consulting business serving both the public and private sectors, and
continues to lecture at California State University, Northridge in their Master’s of Public Administration
and Public Sector Management programs. She serves as Chair, Communication and Media Studies
Department at Santa Monica College. She can be reached at: grass_hemmert_nancy@smc.edu.
Stacy Korbelak is an Assistant Professor of English at Howard Community College and the coordinator of
their award-winning Global Distinction program. She is currently on sabbatical working on a project
involving the IHL curriculum. In July 2012, Governor O’Malley appointed Stacy to a five-year term on the
Anne Arundel County School Board, where she is currently serving as chair of the superintendent search
committee. For the past year, Stacy has also served on the legislative committee for the Maryland
Association of Boards of Education and as a legislative/policy analyst for the Two Year College English
Association, tracking state and county legislation of interest to the K-14 world. She can be reached at:
skorbelak@howardcc.edu.
Rita Kranidis is Professor of English and Director of the Global Humanities Institute at Montgomery
College. She has taught at the college level for over 25 years – at Montgomery College, she has served as
coordinator, program leader, and as chair of her department. In her current position, she directs the
work of a new entity at the college, created with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities. Their work includes making an impact on the curriculum, public education events, and
academic ventures overseas, in China, India, and El Salvador. Peace , justice and peacebuilding are
central to the GHIS’s work. She can be reached at: rita.kranidis@montgomerycollege.edu.
Samantha Lakin, political science, Fletcher School, Tufts University. She can be reached at:
samantha.lakin1@gmail.com
Madalina Lee is Lecturer of 20th century world history at Montgomery College, Germantown. She is a
PhD student at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) studying republican Chinese history
(1912-1949) and empire history (Chinese, Roman, Ottoman, British, U.S.). Her current research project
is on Chinese diplomacy in the U.S. before and during World War II (1935-1945). She is a former
historian at the Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State. She also received her M.A. in history
and B.S. in economics from UMCP. She believes what H.G. Wells said in 1930: people can be taught
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that the fine art of peacebuilding is more rewarding than the dark art of pulling down one flag in order
to hoist another. She can be reached at: LeeMadalina@hotmail.com.
Tülin Levitas was born and raised in Izmir, Turkey. She received all of her higher education in the United
States and holds two master degrees: an M.A. from Boston University in philosophy with a historical
emphasis and an M.A. from the University of Maryland in philosophy with an analytic emphasis. She has
taught in the philosophy program at Montgomery College for the past twenty years. Her interest in
peace and justice studies was sparked when a Fulbright-Hays grant took her to South Africa in 2004 and
she became acquainted with the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Ever since then, she
has been active in the Peace and Justice Studies Community at Montgomery College and she has created
two honors courses in that area: “Concepts of Forgiveness,” based on the South African Model, and
“Concepts of Social Justice.” She is currently working on developing an introductory course on peace
and justice at Montgomery College, and holds a grant from the United States Institute of Peace for
Peacebuilding Support in Public Education. She can be reached at:
Tulin.Levitas@montgomerycollege.edu.
Carolin McManus teaches courses in culture, film, and world religions on the Leonardtown campus of
the College of Southern Maryland. She also co-coordinates CSM's travel-study program to Belize and
serves as faculty coordinator for travel-study programs. She developed an array of courses, including
Latin American Film and Literature, Ethnic American Literature, Advanced Film, and cultural courses
addressing various regions, such as Latin America, Puerto Rico, Belize, and Asia, inspired by informative
childhood years in Thailand. In support of her courses she travels to Latin America frequently where she
has enjoyed homestays with Latin American families in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Dominican
Republic, and Honduras. She views students' preparation as global citizens as a critical and largely
under-addressed aspect of community college curricula, thus her interest in the Global Conflict and
Peacebuilding Seminar. Her duties within the Literature and Language Division include the exciting and
timely opportunity of coordinating the re-development of the cultural studies degree. She can be
reached at: carolinm@csmd.edu.
Eric Minzenberg, anthropology, Santa Monica College. He can be reached at:
minzenberg_eric@smc.edu.
Aned Muniz Gracia, modern languages, Santa Monica College. Aned can be reached at:
muniz_aned@smc.edu.
William Primosch is currently an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Northern Virginia Community
College in Alexandria, Virginia, and Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. He teaches courses in
international conflict resolution, peace and stability operations, international relations and global affairs.
Prior to teaching, he was a career U.S. diplomat serving in Bangkok, Belgrade and London. In
Washington, he held positions responsible for U.S. relations with Europe and China at the State
Department and received an appointment to the National Security Council staff under President George
Herbert Walker Bush. Following retirement from the State Department, he became the Senior Director
for International Business Policy at the National Association of Manufacturers. He holds a Master of Arts
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Degree in International Affairs from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Political Science from the University of Notre Dame. He can be reached at: wprimosch@nvcc.edu.
Pat Ruppert, philosophy and women’s studies, Montgomery College. She can be reached at:
patricia.ruppert@montgomerycollege.edu.
Alonzo N. Smith has spent a total of four years living in Africa, during the 1960s as a Peace Corps
Volunteer, and during the 1990s as a project director and country representative for Africare, a
Washington-D.C.-based NGO. He has also worked as a curator at the Smithsonian Institution’s National
Museum of American History, where he was one of two curators for a 50th anniversary exhibition,
“Separate Is Not Equal: Brown v. of Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.” Currently on the faculty of
the History/Political Science Department of Montgomery College, Rockville, he teaches courses in
African, African American, and United States history, and a new course on Global Human Rights. He is
the author of two illustrated histories; Visions of Freedom on the Frontier: African Americans in
Nebraska (2002), and Empowering Communities, Changing Lives: The National Urban League, 1911-2011
(2011). He can be reached at: Alonzo.smith@montgomerycollege.edu.
Professor Karl Smith completed his undergraduate studies at Wayne State University in Detroit,
Michigan. He has a MA in political science with a specialization in international relations from
Northeastern University and an MA in ESL from Simmons College in Boston. He has taught ESL and EFL
courses in Mexico, Switzerland and Boston and has also taught developmental writing, sociology, and a
variety of history and political science courses at community colleges since 1996. Professor Smith came
to the faculty of Montgomery College in 2004. In his time at Montgomery College he has been an
instructor for the Renaissance Scholars Program and the Cambridge Summer Seminar for MC honors
students at University of Cambridge. He also won a Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship in 2010. Since 2007
he has been the co-chair of the Social Sciences Department at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus. He
can be reached at: karl.smith@montgomerycollege.edu.
Danielle Stescki is an associate producer at Montgomery College Television, Rockville-MD and a
multimedia journalist at Voice of America, Portuguese to Africa Service. She received her B.A. in
Journalism from Faculdade Assis Gurgacz in Brazil and her A.A.S. in Television at Montgomery College.
Danielle produces, writes, shoots, and edits her own videos. She has produced a short documentary
about the Common Thread Project, a semester-long educational program developed by the Renaissance
Scholars Honors Program inspired by the stunning novel "In the Shadow of the Banyan", written by
Cambodian American writer Vaddey Ratner.http://youtu.be/nsCHQBIEYRk. She can be reached at:
danielle.stescki@montgomerycollege.edu.
Rosalina Tellez Beard, Spanish, Harrisburg Area Community College. She can be reached at:
Rbeard@hacc.edu.
Laura White is an organizational development specialist at Montgomery College, in the Center for
Professional & Organizational Development, part of the office of Human Resources, Development and
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Engagement. CPOD provides training for employees from initial orientation to career management,
supervisory skills, leadership, conflict resolution and intercultural competence. She’s been with the
College for 12 years. She can be reached at: laura.white@montgomerycollege.edu.
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