{"id":641,"date":"2018-10-07T14:26:27","date_gmt":"2018-10-07T20:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/afa\/?page_id=641"},"modified":"2025-11-02T14:35:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T20:35:27","slug":"gallery","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/afa\/gallery\/","title":{"rendered":"AFAEC Members"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

President
<\/strong><\/h4>\n

“LMC” <\/strong>Lisa Marie Coppoletta<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n

Lisa Marie Coppoletta, known as “LMC<\/span>,” developed her interest in Communication Studies through her experience as an academic debater. Notably, she is the first and only woman to qualify for the National Debate Tournament from Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University.\u00a0LMC<\/span>\u00a0has taught and coached intercollegiate Speech and Debate at various institutions, including the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Texas Lutheran University, and Texas State University. Additionally, she has served as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Central Texas College, and San Antonio College. Since 2007, she has been an Associate Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Communication Studies at Austin Community College.\u00a0LMC<\/span>\u00a0also works as a communication consultant and political operative.<\/p>\n

In the San Marcos, Texas area,\u00a0LMC<\/span>\u00a0is known as the Shark Lady due to her more than 33 years of activism. She is dedicated to protecting Native American artifacts, historic preservation, and preventing toxic runoff from road projects. Her efforts have led to the preservation of many Heritage Live Oaks threatened by development.<\/p>\n

LMC<\/span>\u00a0holds a General Class operator license for ham radio, a General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) license, and is an enthusiastic QRP CW operator specializing in low-power Morse code.<\/p>\n

Her hobbies include documentary filmmaking, photography, and building antennas for ham radio, and studying Ecclesiastical Latin.<\/p>\n

LMC<\/span>‘s blog for AFA work is located at\u00a0https:\/\/www.lmcsharklady.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

President Elect<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Michelle Iskra<\/strong><\/p>\n

Email<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

(No Bio)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h4>\n
\n

<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Past President
<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Amber Luttig-Buonodono<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/h4>\n

Amber\u00a0Luttig-Buonodono\u00a0was born near Lansing, Michigan but spent much of her childhood in the United Kingdom.\u00a0 She met her husband in fifth grade German class and married him much, much later in life.\u00a0 She studied Creative Writing at Michigan State University\u2019s Honors College before earning her Master of Fine Arts degree in\u00a0Screenwriting\u00a0at the University of Texas at Austin.\u00a0 She has lived in Austin for sixteen years and\u00a0taught at Austin Community College for the past eleven years and designed and led\u00a0ACC’s\u00a0study abroad program to the U.K. in 2014.\u00a0 She currently resides in Austin with her husband and two daughters (ages nine and twelve)\u00a0and 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.<\/p>\n

\n

\"alt<\/h4>\n

Secretary
<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Chris De La Ronde<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/h4>\n

(No bio)<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

Communications Officer
<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Marissa Burill<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

Parliamentarian
<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Herb Coleman<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/h4>\n

Dr. Herb Coleman is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Student Development as well as the former (now retired) Director of Campus Technology Services.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

Treasurer<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Becky Villarreal<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/h4>\n

For 25 years, I’ve taught English at ACC, primarily at Cypress Creek and online. I enjoy spending time with my family, going to the theater and movies, traveling, reading, writing, and swimming. Recently, I’ve focused on advocacy at the capitol: public education, human rights, DEI, and gun safety. About 20 years ago, as secretary of AFA, I spearheaded an effort at the Texas Legislature to allow long-serving adjunct faculty in community colleges to obtain health insurance by joining each college’s group plan. When Obamacare went into effect 10 years later, hundreds of adjuncts at ACC received paid (or partially paid) health insurance and retirement benefits because of our call to action. As a campus rep, my goal is to continue fighting for adjuncts– whether it’s access to benefits, fair pay, campus safety, diversity, equity, or inclusion.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"Cypress Creek Rep<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Chandra Vanajakshi<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n

I am an astrophysicist and was a research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center Space Sciences<\/span><\/p>\n

Division, in Moffett Field, California before moving to Texas. My field of research dealt with the Origin of<\/span><\/p>\n

the Solar System, Star Formation etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, I teach Physics and Astronomy at ACC. I teach Astronomy, Astrophysics, Physics, Mathematics<\/span><\/p>\n

and Statistics at other colleges.<\/span><\/p>\n

My experience includes:<\/span><\/p>\n

Teaching:<\/span><\/p>\n

o 25+ years teaching at universities and colleges in the Bay Area and Texas<\/span><\/p>\n

o 15+ years teaching Online Asynchronous and Synchronous classes; 20+ years teaching face-to-<\/span><\/p>\n

face classes and labs<\/span><\/p>\n

o Subjects: Astronomy, Mathematics, Astrophysics, Physics<\/span><\/p>\n

o Course Management Systems: Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle<\/span><\/p>\n

Research:<\/span><\/p>\n

o Astrophysics <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Distance Education Rep<\/strong>\"\"<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Roy “Luke” Garza<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n

(No bio)<\/p>\n

\n

Distance Education Rep<\/strong>\"\"<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Don Morris<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n

(No bio)<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

Distance Education Rep
<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Paula King<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n

As the Adjunct Faculty Association Distance Education Representative, I\u2019ve proudly dedicated over 20 years to serving our students and contributing to the growth and excellence of Austin Community College\u2019s academic community.<\/p>\n

My distance education journey began at the Pinnacle Campus, where I pioneered the Interactive Video Classroom, which later evolved into the hyflex\/hybrid model popular today. The pandemic further strengthened my commitment to creating high-quality online learning environments for all students, mentoring instructors nationwide, and reinforcing my dedication to serving fellow adjuncts at Austin Community College through the Adjunct Faculty Association.<\/p>\n

In this role, I am committed to serving our Association with the same passion, drive, and dedication that I bring to teaching our students\u2014whether in the online space or the face-to-face classroom.<\/p>\n

I am devoted to promoting opportunity, fairness, accessibility, and inclusion for adjunct faculty within the broader college community. To support this mission, I actively listen to constituents, host both in-person and virtual Campus Meet and Greets, and serve on college committees to ensure the adjunct perspective is well represented.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"Dual Credit\/ECHS<\/h4>\n

Andrew Costigan<\/p>\n

Email<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

(No Bio)<\/p>\n

\n

Dual Credit\/ ECHS<\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\n

Aimee Irene Finney<\/strong><\/p>\n

Email<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Aimee Irene Finney joined Austin Community College in the Communication Studies department in 2016.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

Dual Credit\/ECHS Rep
<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Kathryn Statos<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/h4>\n

Since 2009, Kathy Statos has served at Austin Community College as an adjunct professor of Psychology. Kathy earned a Bachelors in French from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois.\u00a0\u00a0She earned a Master of Arts in Industrial Organizational Psychology with a focus on leadership, teams and organizations from Louisiana Tech University, and a doctorate in higher education administration with a specialization in community college leadership from National American University.\u00a0\u00a0Kathy has been faithfully serving as a campus representative since 2016 and has participated and chaired many committees and work groups including: administrative rules, bylaws, compensation, and estaffing.\u00a0\u00a0Additionally, 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, she has given lectures within the community and is a strong advocate for children, citizens with disabilities, and education.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/h4>\n

EVC Campus Rep
<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Franklin Marciales<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
\u00a0<\/h6>\n
\u00a0<\/h6>\n

Franklin is a native of Colombia, with a diverse and comprehensive background in both hospitality management and education. He earned his Bachelor\u2019s degree in Hospitality Management, an MBA with a focus on Sustainable Tourism, and a doctoral degree in Education. With a deep passion for global cultures, hospitality, travel, and tourism, Franklin has been dedicated to sharing his expertise and ideas with his students for the past 7 years. His experience in the industry spans various roles, including travel agent, airport operations, restaurants, hotels, and resorts. With a focus on cultural tourism and human geography, Franklin remains committed to teaching hospitality travel and tourism and inspiring the next generation of professionals in the field.<\/p>\n

Franklin is a research enthusiast who has dedicated his academic career to understanding human behavior and its impact on sustainability. During his master\u2019s program, he conducted research on the behaviors of tourists towards sustainability in Austin, Texas, and wrote his thesis on the topic. Building on this foundation, he went on to pursue his doctoral studies where he explored the attitudes and behaviors of faculty toward students with disabilities at the Austin Community College. His dissertation shed light on the complexities of faculty-student interactions and provided valuable insights for creating a more inclusive learning environment. With his unique blend of research expertise and passion for sustainability and teaching, Franklin is poised to make a meaningful contribution to the field.
Education:
Doctor of Education. Benito Juarez University. Puebla, Mexico.
MBA in Sustainable Tourism. University of Salamanca. Salamanca, Spain
Bachelor\u2019s in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Purdue University Calumet.
Hammond,
Indiana
Associate\u2019s Degree in Airlines Services Management.
Politecnico Grancolombiano. Bogota, Colombia
Associate\u2019s Degree in Hospitality Management.
Houston Community College. Houston, Texas<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/pre>\n
\n
\"\"EGN Campus Rep
<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Sharon Simpson<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
(No bio)<\/p>\n
\n
\"\"<\/h4>\n
HYS Campus Rep
<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Angela Smith<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
(No bio)<\/p>\n
\n
\"\"HLC Campus Rep<\/strong><\/p>\n
Reno Dudley<\/strong><\/p>\n
Email<\/a><\/p>\n
(No Bio)<\/p>\n
\n
\"\"HLC Campus Rep<\/strong><\/p>\n
Charity Benford<\/strong><\/p>\n
Email<\/a><\/p>\n
(No Bio)<\/p>\n
\n
\"\"<\/h4>\n
NRG Campus Rep<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Kevin Clark<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
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 Sup\u00e9rieur de Philosophie at the Universit\u00e9 Catholique de Louvain in Belgium.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 He is also exploring the intersection of genius, creativity, and culture to predict the boundaries of design.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 He is also writing trade-press books on intercultural versions of the Danish hygge<\/em>, or \u201ccoziness,\u201d and on public speaking and manners, a work tentatively entitled In a Manner of Speaking<\/em>, which he hopes will bring back the word nice<\/em> to its proper place as a means to living daily life.<\/p>\n
\n
\"Ping<\/strong>RGC Campus Rep<\/strong><\/p>\n
Ping Chu<\/strong><\/p>\n
Email<\/a><\/p>\n
(No bio)<\/p>\n
\n
\"\"<\/h4>\n
RRC Campus Rep
<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Qaiser Imam<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
(No bio)<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\"\" RRC Campus Rep<\/strong><\/p>\n
Queen Samantha Ackers<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 (No bio)<\/p>\n
\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
\u00a0 RVS Campus Rep<\/h4>\n
David Albert<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
(No bio)<\/p>\n
\n
\"\"<\/h4>\n
Riverside Campus Rep
<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Christina Michura<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
(No bio)<\/p>\n
\n
\"\"<\/h4>\n
SAC Campus Rep
<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Adri\u00e1n de la Rosa<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
Adri\u00e1n 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. \u00a0Before joining OCFW, Adri\u00e1n led the community education efforts at the Texas Fair Defense Project (TFDP), a nonprofit legal advocacy organization in\u00a0 Austin, Texas.\u00a0 At TFDP, he worked with partners across the state to educate low-income communities about their rights in the criminal justice system.\u00a0 Adri\u00e1n 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Adri\u00e1n 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.<\/p>\n
\n
\"alt<\/h4>\n
\u00a0<\/h4>\n
SGC Campus Rep
<\/strong><\/p>\n
Gretchen Harries<\/strong><\/p>\n
Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
(No bio)<\/p>\n
\n
\"\"Workforce<\/h4>\n
Jim Christianson<\/h4>\n
Email<\/a><\/h4>\n
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.\u00a0 He has represented the Hays Campus\u00a0 on Adjunct Faculty Association \u00a0Executive Committee (AFAEC\u00a0) for 4 years.\u00a0 During his time on the AFAEC\u00a0he \u00a0has served\u00a0on the AFAEC\u00a0Bylaw Committee and during the last year served\u00a0 on the AFAEC\u00a0Compensation Committee. Presently\u00a0he\u00a0represents the AFAEC on the Austin Community College Curriculum Committee.<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President “LMC” Lisa Marie Coppoletta Email \u00a0 Lisa Marie Coppoletta, known as “LMC,” developed her interest in Communication Studies through her experience as an academic debater. Notably, she is the first and only woman to … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4156,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":26,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-641","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/afa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/afa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/afa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/afa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4156"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/afa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/afa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/641\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/afa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}