Office of Instruction and Student Development Update-Week 13-April 22, 2016
Professional Development
Dr. Darrick Smith’s engaging presentation Friday morning identified issues impacting retention,
persistence and completion among underrepresented students in the California Community
Colleges. Taking an historical and sociological perspective, Dr. Smith noted the significant
challenges facing California Community Colleges in providing equity in a society with
significant structural problems that marginalize people and chronically underfunds open access
colleges. He also discussed the additional challenges facing College of the Redwoods in serving
students in Del Norte and Humboldt counties, ranked near the bottom in State health outcomes.
Dr. Smith’s presentation should promote District-wide conversations in the weeks and months to
come.
Cindy Hooper Sabbatical
Professor Cindy Hooper’s $4,352 grant request was approved by the McLean Foundation on
Thursday. This grant brings the total funds available to $18,160. According to Cindy, “This
project’s outcomes include a properly restored, rehoused, and professionally displayed collection
of beautiful and very culturally significant Native American artworks and traditional regalia for
both our students and our community to learn from and enjoy...The Redwoods Collection of
Native American Baskets and Regalia comprises 212 examples of art and ceremonial objects
from the Yurok, Hupa, Karuk, Wiyot, and other tribes of the Pacific Northwest region. Our
collection features technically and artistically outstanding works of hand-woven basketry for
both ceremonial and daily use, and dates from the late nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries.”
Associate Deans
The 2016-17 appointments of Associate Deans is complete. Michael Dennis and Bob Brown will
continue as Associate Deans. Cindy Hooper is the new Associate Dean in Arts and Humanities,
while Diqui LaPenta will serve as the Associate Dean in Math, Science, and Behavioral and
Social Sciences. We are grateful for this year’s work by all of the Associate Deans, and
especially Kerry Mayer and George Potamianos who have accepted significant re-assignments in
Professional Development and Accreditation, respectively.
Faculty Appointments
Bernadette Johnson (pending Board approval) has been appointed as Assistant Professor of
Counseling at Del Norte beginning July 2016. Bernadette is a therapist at Remi Visa Inc., a
youth and family service provider located in Crescent City. She has been an associate faculty
counselor at the Del Norte educational center. Bernadette has an MA in counseling and MBA in
business administration from the University of Phoenix, and a BA in interdisciplinary studies
with an emphasis in communications, from Humboldt State University. She began her college
studies at CR where she received an AA degree.
Cheryl Norton (pending Board approval) has been appointed as Assistant Professor of
Counseling (EOPS/CARE) beginning July 2016. Cheryl has been employed as an associate
faculty in counseling for EOPS/CARE since 2014. She was non-tenure track faculty in
CalWORKS at Butte College for 13 years. Cheryl has an MA in psychology – counseling from
Chapman University and a BA in speech communication from Western Washington University.
Spotlight on Associate Faculty
Katie Sharp (MSW, ASW) teaches courses in Native American Studies. She is indigenous to
this area, being Yurok, Karuk, Redwood Creek and Hupa. Her adopted great grandfather was
Wiyot. She went to Eureka City Schools and graduated Humboldt State University with honors.
Katie published a few books with an emphasis in paradigm shifts, social work, and indigenous
studies. After owning her own business as a paralegal, she found that she wasn't helping people
in the way she knew they needed help so she returned to school, and has worked in public
services, tribal services, and private industry. She loves teaching, not only because it's an art, but
it's also a duty to open up ideas and provide different methodology for others to comprehend the
information. There are many intelligences in the world, and all can be honored in a dynamic
curriculum. One of her favorite things to do is to gather agates along the shores.
Leah King teaches nutrition and has been a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist since 1994. Her
degree is from the University of Minnesota. She served in the Peace Corps in Nepal from 19951997 and has been living in Humboldt County since 2001. Leah has a broad base of professional
experience, including working with migrant farmworkers in Santa Cruz County, working
at United Indian Health Services in Humboldt County, and working for the Department of
Veterans Affairs. Leah enjoys cooking and outdoor activities, including backpacking, paddle
boarding and mountain biking.
Amanda Singleton teaches Guidance classes for adults with disabilities. Amanda was born in
Fort Carson Colorado and throughout her childhood lived in many places including Texas,
Alabama, Nevada, Oregon, and more than six different cities here in California. She has lived in
Humboldt for most of her adult life. She graduated from Fortuna Union High School in
1996. She first attended Butte College and thought she wanted to become a lawyer, until she
took an art history course her first year in college. While, she didn't immediately change her
major to art history, she knew she wanted to pursue a different path. She returned to Fortuna and
attended College of the Redwoods and then transferred to Humboldt State. She got her bachelors
from HSU in Art History. She also has a certificate in Museum and Gallery practices as well as
a background in classical studies. She currently lives in Fortuna with her husband, their three
beautiful children, two cats, and a dog.
Have a wonderful weekend!