President
Christie Carr
Christie Carr is an Adjunct Professor in the Student Development Department, but has also taught in the English Department at ACC and at Huston-Tillotson University. She considers herself a guide for her students in discussion-based learning.
Teaching at ACC since 2006, she created all the technology for her department and taught the first classes in online and hybrid formats.
A native Californian, she embraces the Texas lifestyle, great food, and the Austin all-inclusive culture. She and her long-time life partner (she/her) lived in San Francisco before her move to Austin, and today, she lives east of Austin in the country, embracing a different kind of life.
Before returning to school to complete her A.A. (ASL), her B.A. in English (Linguistics), and M.A. in Adult Education, she worked as a magazine photographer and a business owner. Her passions include art, photography, graphic design, as well as Fashion Design and manufacturing. She is a current member of the Lost Pines Art Center in Bastrop, Tx and a former board member of City Art Gallery in San Francisco, CA.
President Elect/VP
Amber Luttig-Buonodono
Amber Luttig-Buonodono was born near Lansing, Michigan but spent much of her childhood in the United Kingdom. She met her husband in fifth grade German class and married him much, much later in life. She studied Creative Writing at Michigan State University’s Honors College before earning her Master of Fine Arts degree in Screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin. She has lived in Austin for sixteen years and taught at Austin Community College for the past eleven years and designed and led ACC’s study abroad program to the U.K. in 2014. She currently resides in Austin with her husband and two daughters (ages nine and twelve) and spends her time teaching, writing, traveling, and reading. Currently she is practicing strict social distancing and only leaves her house to pick up groceries curbside.
Secretary
Chris De La Ronde
(No bio submitted.)
Treasurer
Charity Benford
Charity Benford has been an Adjunct Professor at ACC since 2019 but has taught as an Adjunct since 2013. Having earned two Master’s degrees and a dedicated career to higher education; Charity is excited to represent the voices of adjuncts this year.
Communications Officer
Ping Chu
Ping Chu has been teaching in the department of Psychology since 2010. She received both her master and doctoral degrees from University of Texas at Austin. She has served as a campus representative (RGC, NRG, and HLC) since September, 2012. She has also represented AFA on ACC shared governance committees such as the Academic and Student Affairs Council, Faculty Development and Evaluation Committee.
Parliamentarian
Herb Coleman
Dr. Herb Coleman is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Student Development as well as the former (now retired) Director of Campus Technology Services. A doctoral grad of the University of Texas College of Education Instructional Technology program, his dissertation was on gender role personality traits and the use of technology. He also frequently leads discussions on copyright and computer ethics. He is a member of the Consortium College and University Media Centers (CCUMC) and the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA). He has taught psychology at Austin Community College since 1989 including courses in Effective Learning, Introduction to Psychology, Human Growth and Development and Human Sexuality. He is an affiliate member of the APA, and prior member of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS) and the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapist (AASECT), a current member of the Southwest Psychological Association (SWPA) and the Texas Community College Teachers Association (TCCTA). Fascinated with technology, teaching and gender Dr. Coleman never grows tired of exploring these topics separately and where they intersect.
Immediate Past President
Don Morris
CYP Campus Rep
Michelle Iskra
Michelle Iskra is an AFA Executive Committee Representative for Cypress Creek Campus. She has been an adjunct professor at ACC for over 15 years, simultaneously teaching English Literature at Cedar Park High School. This is her third year on the AFAEC.
EGN Campus Rep
Paula King
As your AFA Campus Representative, I wish to deepen my commitment to the betterment of the college and the college community of Austin Community College.
I have been teaching Art Appreciation, collegewide, in Distance Learning at ACC for over 20 years. Prior to employment with ACC, I taught Art and Technology Applications, at Dripping Springs HS, in Dripping Springs Ind. School District. I’m certified to teach All Level Art K-12, ESL, and Technology Applications (Texas Education Agency).
I started my distance learning journey on the Pinnacle Campus in the one and only Interactive Video Classroom, Pin classroom 400, of the newly emerging Distance Learning Department. From that Pin. campus DL classroom, my live instruction was broadcasted to campus classrooms across the ACC district (Eastview, Riverside, and others). This would be a hybrid model today. Within a few years, I moved to fully online instruction. With the onset of the pandemic, my commitment to providing a quality online learning experience for students deepened, watching instructors across the country struggle to meet new demands. During this challenging time, I mentored instructors through the pivot.
I have been an active member and a presenter on the topics of online learning, instruction, and course building at TAEA, TCEA, and TxDLA conferences, as well as, presenting for ACC in past faculty trainings. I’m an active member of Quality Matters (2017). (Quality Matters is the global organization leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments.) https://www.qualitymatters.org/why-quality-matters/about-qm As a Certified QM Peer Reviewer (2019), I provide course reviews for fellow distance learning instructors at ACC and colleges across the country.
My professional development is ongoing to maintain QM credentials. My ACC Art Appreciation 1301 online course has been Internally Reviewed and certified by ACC and Nationally Reviewed and certified by Quality Matters, with a score of 100, all standards met (2022).
As a lifelong teaching professional, I am committed to providing a quality student learning environment and experience, both in the face-to-face classroom and the online classroom. My promise to my colleagues is to serve with the same commitment, as I do the students of Austin Community College.
EVC Campus Rep
Franklin Marciales
Franklin is a native of Colombia, South America, where he began his career in the hospitality and travel industry. He has traveled extensively throughout the world as well as throughout most of the United States; he has a substantial knowledge of global tourism and geography. Franklin move to Venezuela after he completed his Associate’s degree in Airlines Services Management and worked as a travel agent in the city of Valencia. He later moved to Houston, TX where he completed his Associate’s degree in Hospitality Management. He has also lived in Seattle, WA and Chicago, IL where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. In 2016 he completed his Master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism and developed his thesis on the behaviors of tourists towards sustainability in Austin. In his free time Franklin loves to read, cook, travel and watch different television shows, especially those focused on geography, travel and tourism. He is married and has two “spoiled” cats.
Education:
MBA in Sustainable Tourism. University of Salamanca. Salamanca, Spain
Bachelor’s in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Purdue University Calumet. Hammond, Indiana
Associate’s Degree in Airlines Services Management. Politecnico Grancolombiano. Bogota, Colombia
Associate’s Degree in Hospitality Management. Houston Community College. Houston, Texas
HLC Campus Rep
Sharon Simpson
Sharon Simpson has a doctorate in higher education leadership and master’s degrees in both TESOL and nutrition. She has taught in three universities, including one in South Korea where she lived for nearly six years. She has also taught at five Texas community colleges, including ACC. In addition, Dr. Simpson works as a freelance English language trainer for individuals and corporations. She has conducted, presented, and published research in South Korea and the United States. Dr. Simpson is a native English speaker with basic Spanish and Korean language proficiency. She enjoys getting to know her students, streamlining tasks, and improving her teaching skills. She is most thankful for her son and her faith.
HLC Campus Rep
Angela Smith
(No bio)
HYS Campus Rep
Royce Smith
(No bio)
NRG Campus Rep
Kevin Clark
Kevin Clark is a consultant and professor of Communication Studies at Austin Community College who helps students and professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds become more proficient and comfortable with communication on a daily basis.
Before teaching and advising in communication, Kevin studied math and philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, and the Institut Supérieur de Philosophie at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium. He was then a doctoral fellow both in Linguistics at the University of Illinois and in Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Ph.D. in Critical and Cultural Studies, with a focus on social interactions as they are formed in cultural times and spaces. He has worked as a translator, proofreader, editor, software trainer, and university course developer, and has taught at Rhode Island College, Oregon State University, and Texas State University.
In his current projects, Kevin is fascinated by the ways that older Modern and Midcentury design and typography may apply to his own formulation of EBIxD, or Empathy-Based Interaction Design, which seeks to create more human-friendly digital products and environments. He is also exploring the intersection of genius, creativity, and culture to predict the boundaries of design. Traveling to islands around the world with his husband, Mark, a composer, singer, and university music librarian, he is mapping out a topology of tourism. He is also writing trade-press books on intercultural versions of the Danish hygge, or “coziness,” and on public speaking and manners, a work tentatively entitled In a Manner of Speaking, which he hopes will bring back the word nice to its proper place as a means to living daily life.
RGC Campus Rep
Kathryn Statos
For nine years Kathy Statos has served at Austin Community College as an adjunct professor of Psychology in Austin, Texas. Currently, Kathy is in the graduate program at National American University, where she is finishing her doctorate in Community College Leadership. In 2005 she earned a Masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Louisiana Tech University, where she focused on leadership, and teams and organizations. She also has earned Bachelors in French from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. Currently, Kathy participates in the Adjunct Faculty Association at ACC on the executive council as a campus representative. Kathy is an active member in community affairs, local service organizations, and the arts. She volunteers for CASA, ECHO, and Brides against cancer. Kathy also volunteers as a job coach for autistic young adults. Since moving to Austin in 2009, she has given lectures within her community and is a strong advocate for children, citizens with disabilities, and education.
RGC Campus Rep
Lisa Marie “LMC” Coppoletto
“LMC” Lisa Marie Coppoletta began her interest in Communication Studies as an academic debater. She is the first and only woman to qualify for the National Debate Tournament from Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University. She taught and coached intercollegiate Speech and Debate at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, Texas Lutheran University, and Texas State University. She has served as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor, Central Texas College, San Antonio College. She has been Associate Adjunct Instructor – at Austin Community College, Department of Communication Studies, since 2007. She is also a communication consultant and political operative.
“LMC” is known as the Shark Lady for her work as an activist in San Marcos, Texas, for over 30 years. She is passionate about protecting Native American Artifacts, Historical Preservation, and stopping toxic runoff from road projects. She has saved many trees in San Marcos from road and development projects. She is currently working with the City of San Marcos to establish a repeater infrastructure for GMRS and ham radio operators for emergency communications if flooding or another freeze occurs.
She is practicing strict social distancing and has become a self-proclaimed vegetarian chef. She learned how to garden and pray in Latin during the pandemic.
RRC Campus Rep
Qaiser Imam
(No bio)
RVS Campus Rep
Marc Jimenez
Marc Jimenez has been a full-time staff employee with ACC since 2015, has been an adjunct faculty member for the Student Development Department since 2017, and has served as a campus representative since 2019. Currently, Marc teaches EDUC 1300, works as an Admissions & Enrollment Supervisor at HBC, is part of the Employee Emergency Fund Committee (co-chair), the Enrollment Services Committee and volunteers as an ASCENDER mentor. Outside of work, Marc enjoys hiking, football, motorcycles and taking his seven-year-old son to visit family in New York and San Diego.
RVS Campus Rep
Elizabeth Smith
(No bio)
SAC Campus Rep
Adrián de la Rosa
Adrián de la Rosa is a mitigation specialist currently with the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs (OCFW), which is a Texas state public defender office located in Austin, Texas that represents individuals sentenced to death in state post-conviction proceedings. Before joining OCFW, Adrián led the community education efforts at the Texas Fair Defense Project (TFDP), a nonprofit legal advocacy organization in Austin, Texas. At TFDP, he worked with partners across the state to educate low-income communities about their rights in the criminal justice system. Adrián is an assistant adjunct professor in the Sociology Department at Austin Community College and previously worked as a community organizer on immigrant labor and community development issues. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, a Masters degree in Sociology, and a law degree from Texas Tech University. He is fluent in English and Spanish and actively volunteers with several nonprofits in the Austin community. Adrián was recently appointed by the Austin City Council to serve on the Commission on Immigrant Affairs which advises the city council on issues of common concern to immigrants, particularly in the areas of health and human services, education, and the demographic makeup of the Austin immigrant community.
SAC Campus Rep
Aimee Irene Finney
Aimee Irene Finney joined Austin Community College in the Communication Studies department in 2016. Aimee taught high school in Austin for 23 years. Aimee has been a member of the AFAEC for four years serving the South Austin and Eastview campuses. With ACC, Aimee has participated in The Celebration of Great Teaching Retreat, Faculty Intellectual Feasts, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence Division Riverboat cruise, TLED Social Media Takeover, National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development International on Teaching and Leadership Excellence Conference, ACC Summer Institute on Active & Engaged Teaching.
SGC Campus Rep
Marissa Burrell
(No bio)
Distance Education Rep
Valeria Flint
No bio submitted
Distance Education Rep
Roy “Luke” Garza
(No bio)
Distance Education Rep
Christina Michura
(No bio.)
Distance Education Rep
John David Naranjo
(No bio)
Dual Credit/ECHS Rep
Jim Christianson
Jim Christianson is a retired attorney and CPA. He has taught as an adjunct for Austin Community College for 39 years teaching all sections of Accounting courses and Business Law in the Management Department. He has represented the Hays Campus on Adjunct Faculty Association Executive Committee (AFAEC ) for 4 years. During his time on the AFAEC he has served on the AFAEC Bylaw Committee and during the last year served on the AFAEC Compensation Committee. Presently he represents the AFAEC on the Austin Community College Curriculum Committee.
Dual Credit/ECHS Rep
Alex Watkins
Alex Watkins has taught dual credit courses in the Composition and Literary Studies program at ACC since 2020. She has been a member of the AFA Executive Council since 2021, and represents AFA on several committees, including the Information Technology Committee, Faculty Development and Evaluation Committee, and the Cross-College Communications Team.
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