James Bunker, clinical assistant professor in the Communication Studies Department – Bunker earned a B.A. degree with a double major in communication and history from the University of San Diego, and a M.A. in speech communication from San Jose State University. He earned his Ph.D. in communication from the University of Utah with his dissertation “The Theory and Practice of Deliberative Criticism: Rhetoric, Digital Archives, New Media and Public Policy Deliberation.” His research explores the relationship between rhetoric, public advocacy, deliberative theories of civic engagement and how to facilitate democratic deliberation for the public interest. Previously, he was a visiting assistant professor at Berry College where he taught “Rhetoric and Public Address” and “Rhetoric and Social Justice.”
Christopher Finlay, assistant professor in the Communication Studies Department – Finlay earned a B.A. degree in political science from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has two M.A. degrees: in political science from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and in communication from the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a Ph.D. in communication from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011. Finlay spent the 2011-2012 academic year as a lecturer at CSU San Bernardino. He is the author of several articles and book chapters on new media and global communication. In 2009, he was a research fellow at the Reuters Institute at Oxford University, where he conducted dissertation research exploring the influence of new media protest campaigns on the construction of global media events, such as the Olympic Games. Finlay’s Olympics research has also taken him to China, where he taught a summer global communication course at Tsinghua University.
Amanda Herring, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Art and Art History – Herring earned a B.A. degree in art history and classical archaeology from Dartmouth College, and a M.A. degree and Ph.D. in art history from UCLA. Her research investigates the art and architecture of Hellenistic Greece, examining the spread of Hellenism in Asia Minor and the resultant hybrid artistic products. Focusing on the site Lagina, her current work explores how individuals’ personal interactions with sacred architecture played a crucial role in defining the space, and its meaning in the broader context, of the Hellenistic world. In addition, she has two forthcoming publications on the site Magnesia on the Meander. The first examines the site’s Sanctuary of Artemis as an expression of the city’s conflicted civic identity, while the other looks at the role that photography played in the site’s excavations. She has presented her work in a number of scholarly conferences, including at the meetings of the College Art Association and the Archaeological Institute of America.
James A. Kilcup, visiting assistant professor in the debate program – Kilcup earned a B.A. in philosophy from Seattle University and a M.A. in philosophy from Loyola Marymount University, where he has taught in the Philosophy and Communication Studies departments. He has been competing, judging, and educating in debate for the past 11 years. His competitive successes include making finals at: the U.S. British Parliamentary national championships; the Canadian British Parliamentary Championships; the Cambridge IV (twice); as well as the Yale IV. Following his 2009 graduation from Seattle University, James spent a year in Alaska coaching the Chugiak High School debate team to their first ever state title. He has recently been selected to serve as a deputy chief adjudicator for the World Universities Debate Championships to be held in Berlin this December. His scholarly work focuses on political theory and religion within the movements of 19th century German Idealism.
Rosalynde LeBlanc Loo, assistant professor in the dance program – Loo holds a B.F.A. from SUNY Purchase and an M.F.A. from Hollins University. She began her professional career with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company from 1993 to 1999, then continued with Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project from 1999 to 2002. She then danced for four years with the Liz Gerring Dance Company, while working as a freelance dancer with various choreographers including Trisha Brown, Lucinda Childs, John Jasperse, Yvonne Rainer, David Gordon, Richard Move, Larry Keigwin, Noemi LaFrance and Charles Moulton. In addition, she danced in several Metropolitan Opera Ballet productions and was invited to perform at the 2006 Salzburg Opera Festival, Austria, in Joachim Schloemer’s “Irrfahrten.” She has also worked with film directors Burt Barr, John Turturro, Gretchen Bender and Matthew Rolston, and can be seen in the short film, “Roz,” in the Janet Jackson music video, “Every Time,” and in several PBS Specials including “Still/Here,” “Free to Dance,” “Dancing in the Light,” and “A Good Man.” She was also in the feature film, “Romance and Cigarettes.” LeBlanc has written articles about her dance career for Dance Magazine and Europe’s Ballettanz. She taught dance at Long Island University for seven years while returning to work with Bill T. Jones in the re-staging of his pieces at colleges around the country.
Leon Wiebers, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance – Wiebers earned a B.A. degree from the University of Washington and an M.F.A. from UCLA in design. He has taught at CSU Sacramento and at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. This academic year, he will be on a Fulbright Fellowship to Korea. Among his recent theatre work was as a costume designer for “The Music Man” at the Glimmerglass Festival. He has designed productions in Europe and in the United States, including for the California Musical Theatre, the San Francisco Opera Center, the English National Opera, the Theatre du Chatelet, as well as the Sacramento Opera, the Getty Museum, and the Portland Center Stage. His awards include a Back Stage West Garland, an L.A. Weekly Award for “Three Sisters” at the Interact Theatre, and an L.A. Ovation Award for “Ubu Roi” at A Noise Within. He is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.
