Career Track Faculty Spotlights
Academic Year 2023-2024
The Faculty Senate Executive Committee and the Faculty Senate Council for Career Track Faculty Issues is proud to feature the following Career track faculty for our bi-annual Career Spotlight. Chairs and colleagues nominated the faculty below for public recognition of their professional dedication to the university, highlighting examples of the significant teaching, research, and service contributions non-tenure track faculty provide to the NAU community and beyond.
Dr. Sneha Vissa; Biological Sciences; Assistant Teaching Professor.
Sneha teaches ~750 students per semester and has mastered large class structures. Somehow, she still finds time to mentor students individually through an innovative TA program, publish and present research projects, and lead her department’s inclusivity efforts. Sneha’s exceptional work has far reaching impacts across NAU!
Sneha is an advocate for breaking down unjust systems of oppression in academia and is actively working to rebuild a structure of justice and inclusion in the classroom. *Some* of the work she is involved in includes spearheading the Biological Sciences Inclusive Excellence Committee, serving as a Co-PI on two institutional grants focused on increasing student success and retention (with a focus on marginalized and underrepresented student groups) in BIO courses, representing BIO in NAU’s Inclusive Excellence Action Plan Committee, participating actively in the Commission on the Status of Women, and most notably, bringing these inclusive practices into the classroom. Sneha is truly a person of action and impact and is deserving of a bright spotlight shining on her stellar work!
Sneha is committed to inclusive teaching practices by spearheading the Biological Sciences Inclusive Excellence Committee to develop resources and policies to promote inclusive excellence for the past 2 years. Also, she is a co-PI on two Elevating Excellence grants with a team of teaching professors from Biological Sciences to focus on marginalized and underrepresented student success and retention and improving chemistry literacy in introductory classes. Finally, Sneha represents Biological Sciences and CEFNS in Justin Mallet’s Inclusive Excellence Action Plan Committee.
Dr. Amy Armstrong-Heimsoth OTD, OTR/L, BCP Associate Clinical Professor Department Chair Occupational Therapy
Amy, a dedicated member of NAU’s OT program for nearly a decade, excels in her creation of the entire pediatric content for the program and fostering numerous community partnerships. Her commitment to research is evident through her prolific publications and her role as a mentor for the Institute for Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health. She also has earned a graduate certificate from the ITR program and serves as a role model for OT engaging in this level of scholarship. Amy’s tireless advocacy efforts have resulted in her securing significant grant funding (AOTF 50K), a large Vitalyst Grant for system change to support her work with youth transitioning out of foster care. Her collaborative approach and pursuit of excellence elevate both her research endeavors and the field of occupational therapy as a whole are evident in her teaching, service, and scholarship.
Dr. Armstrong-Heimsoth has worked at NAU for eight years as a faculty member, helping develop the occupational therapy program, and is now the program’s department chair. Dr. Armstrong-Heimsoth is a phenomenal faculty member who has created learning opportunities that take students out of the classroom to receive hands-on experiences, such as the opportunity for her graduate students to work with youth in the foster care system or a field trip to work with kids who have complex needs and abilities. Additionally, her scholarship has exceeded her allotted time (10%), such as publishing in peer-reviewed journals, completing state and national presentations, and receiving grant funding. She is making a local and national impact on youth who are aging out of foster care and defining the emerging practice of the role of occupational therapy in working with this population.
Dr. Ali Conant, NBCT- College of Education- Teaching and Learning- Associate Teaching Professor
Dr. Ali Conant stands out as an exemplary faculty member within the Career Track program, demonstrating a remarkable commitment to enriching the educational experiences of teacher candidates. Overseeing two BSEd teacher preparation cohorts across Yavapai County and Glendale, Dr. Conant goes above and beyond by fostering community connections beyond the classroom. Notably, she provides opportunities for engagement in international conventions, local events such as the SciFi-Tech Fest, NAU Learning Showcase, and community initiatives like book drives with the Lion’s Club, and literacy and math nights in partnering schools. Serving as co-president of COE-College Council and co-chairing various committees, Dr. Conant plays an integral role in shaping the academic landscape. Her involvement in organizations like Imagination Library of Prescott and AZASCD further underscores her dedication to advancing educational initiatives. As the organizing secretary for ARAMID, she actively contributes to globalizing the education conversation. Dr. Conant’s unwavering focus on student-centered approaches and forward-thinking mindset make her an invaluable asset, embodying the true spirit of teaching, collaboration, and innovation.
Jeff Rushall, Mathematics and Statistics, Flagstaff Mountain, CEFNS, Teaching Professor
Jeff has had a huge impact on undergraduate and graduate students in our department since 1997. In more recent years he’s supported graduate students by serving as the GTA Coordinator for our department, preparing GTAs for their teaching duties and providing guidance for them as they simultaneously navigate their student roles. He impacts undergraduate students all over campus by training their math instructors and impacts undergraduates majoring in mathematics specifically by advising 2-4 students annually in research. Jeff also facilitates FAMUS (the Friday Afternoon Mathematics Undergraduate Seminars) weekly where students are presented with mathematics topics that pique their curiosity. Jeff is a true model for elevating excellence within a university department, impacting undergraduate students, graduate students, and his colleagues alike!
Kara Ahearn, MSW Assistant Clinical Professor Department of Social Work College of Social And Behavioral Sciences Yuma Campus
Kara is one of the hardest working professors I know. Her passion for social work education is unparalleled. Kara works in all aspects of a faculty role in Yuma. From coordinating program needs to mentoring each student individually to passionate recruitment efforts for social work education in Yuma and beyond, Kara’s goal is to make sure each student sees their worth and professional potential through achieving a social work degree. She is tireless in all she does, and her current work on a doctorate also highlights her love of social work education, specifically helping community college transfer students reach their goals.
Spring 2022 Career Track Spotlights Accordion Closed
Kristie Wright
Assistant Clinical Professor
School of Nursing
I have been a nurse since 2010 and teaching for NAU since 2014. I have worked as a labor and delivery nurse for 11 years and I love it. I started as an adjunct teaching OB/Peds clinical at NAU-Yuma. I took a full-time assistant clinical professor position in Fall 2016 and never looked back. Since becoming full-time at NAU I have taught pathophysiology, pharmacology, OB, and Peds. I have always had a passion for teaching and knew academia is where I wanted to be. I am on the annual review committee, program evaluation committee, and search committee. I completed the NAU ACUE program in 2020. I was the local Rio Colorado CH. 7 Arizona Nursing Association President until January 2022 and the Vice-President prior to my presidency. I volunteer for the local high schools to discuss “being a nurse” as well as the School of Nursing at NAU. I have stepped up for the last year to teach Tucson as well as Yuma students and I am teaching an additional clinical due to the other instructor breaking her foot. I am also a course lead for NUR 371 and NUR 411 for all three campuses. Teaching and Nursing is my passion and I absolutely love what I do.
Stephani Williams
Associate Chair, Criminology & Criminal Justice
Principal Lecturer, Criminology & Criminal Justice
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Stephani Williams took over as Associate Chair in the middle of the fall semester when Associate Chair, Lynn Jones was promoted to Associate Dean. As noted below, Luis Fernandez, CCJ Chair, was then selected as HSI Advisor at the beginning of the spring semester, so it has been a year of adjustments.
Stephani is enjoying her new administrative role which has included course scheduling, hiring of PT faculty, and facilitating the CCJ Tenure Track search this spring. Stephani is also the Chair of our elected CCJ Policy and Planning Committee and serves as the CCJ Internship Director to support students in their professional development and community engagement. Stephani continues to balance these administrative and service roles with her ongoing commitment to teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom and working collaborating on various research projects with students outside of class.
In addition to her commitment to the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and NAU, Stephani has a longstanding commitment to professional service as an active member of the Society for the Study of Social Problems where she is currently serving as the Vice-President Elect and is also serving on the Search Committee for that organization’s next Executive Officer.
Andrew Dzeguze Ph.D./J.D.
Lecturer
Pre-Law Advisor
Politics and International Affairs
Drawing on his background in law, public policy and political science, Dr. Dzeguze provides students with a broad range of learning experiences in and out of the classroom. His classes range from large in person Introduction to Political Science sections to small online graduate courses in Public Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation. He also serves as the Politics and International Affairs Department’s Pre-Law Advisor and the Faculty Advisor to the NAU Mock Trial Team.
In all of Dr. Dzeguze’s courses, students are engaged in active learning that challenges them to reflect critically on both the material and their relation to it. In Introduction to Politics students work on writing effective thesis statements, but also participate in a simulated society over several weeks to see how political concepts play out in practice. In Constitutional Law, students discuss Supreme Court precedent, write legal analyses of hypothetical scenarios based on real world controversies and critically assess the normative role of the Court. In a junior writing seminar, he challenges students to read research articles in a wide range of social science traditions while learning how to meaningfully critique them and spot gaps in the literature that further research could fill. In turn, in the Political Science capstone course Dr. Dzeguze provides scaffolded experiences in class and meets with students individually to guide them through the conceptualization and execution of a research project.
Outside of the classroom, Dr. Dzeguze’s service also seeks to help students develop a stronger sense of who they are and the careers they may want to pursue after NAU. As a pre-law advisor he helps students learn about everything from course offerings to their own values as they decide if law school is a good choice for them and provides them with opportunities to develop connections with practicing lawyers. As the advisor and coach of the award-winning NAU Mock Trial Team, he teaches students about the rules of evidence and building effective trial presentations not just to compete but to provide a foundation for their future career paths in or out of the legal profession. Everything Dr. Dzeguze does is in service of to helping every student be better prepared for the next step in their academic and life journeys.
Christi Carlson
Senior Lecturer
Department of History
I have the amazing privilege of being born and raised in Flagstaff, AZ. After graduating from NAU with a B.S. Ed. in History and Social Studies education, I spent ten years teaching at the secondary level in public schools. Upon completion of my M. Ed. in Secondary Education, I was lucky enough to return to NAU, and now serve as a senior lecturer in history and social studies education. I currently teach HIS 407: Practicum in the Schools, and HIS 430: Methods for Teaching Government and Economics, in addition to serving as the interim director for the History and Social Studies Secondary Education program. Part of my work includes placement of practicum students in the local schools for fieldwork experiences. I collaborate with practicing teachers to form positive teaching opportunities for our teacher candidates, as well as supervise student teachers and mentor students through the program. I have presented at a wide variety of conferences including the National Council for Social Studies, National Council for History Education, Arizona Council for History Education, Arizona Council for Social Studies, and the Western History Association. I currently serve as the secretary for the Arizona Council for History Education, a member of the teacher advisory council for the Arizona Council on Economic Education, and assist the Arizona Historical Society in facilitating the yearly National History Day competition.
Neal Galloway
Lecturer
School of Art
College of Arts and Letters
Neal Galloway is a Foundations Lecturer in the School of Art. Foundations art courses (such as Introductory Drawing or 2D- and 3D-Design) are often students’ first experience with college-level art. As such, Galloway makes sure to encourage student interest in art wherever it originated–often from anime, cartoons, doodles, or video games–while also challenging them to quickly develop both technical and conceptual skills. Galloway believes that art as a method of learning is very diverse. This versatility affords art the ability to communicate an infinitely broad range of ideas and emotions, and thus catalyze student engagement and self-motivation in unique ways. Allowing students to work within the confines of a particular assignment but still find something about which they are enthusiastic is central to Galloway’s method of creating a fulfilling and productive art education experience. Also important to his pedagogical strategies are using art to embrace student curiosity, develop empathy, and deepen resiliency in the face of failure which itself is an inevitable part of the creative process.
Galloway also proactively developed effective methods for teaching studio art material online throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He developed unique ways to utilize video equipment and demonstrate difficult art techniques to his students through Zoom and pre-recorded video demonstrations. He also generously shared this material with colleagues through peer mentoring and workshops within the School of Art.
Finally, Galloway continues to exhibit his own artwork on a wide variety of environmental issues. Most recently his artworks Flood Lines and Groundwater explore the politics and environmental realities of water management in the Southwest. These art pieces were part of a touring exhibition called Parched: The Art of Water in the Southwest which received both the 2021 Viola Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Visual Art” as well as the NAU Research and Creative Activity Award for “Most Significant Artistic or Creative Work.”
Spring 2022 Career Track Spotlights Accordion Closed
Kristie Wright
Assistant Clinical Professor
School of Nursing
I have been a nurse since 2010 and teaching for NAU since 2014. I have worked as a labor and delivery nurse for 11 years and I love it. I started as an adjunct teaching OB/Peds clinical at NAU-Yuma. I took a full-time assistant clinical professor position in Fall 2016 and never looked back. Since becoming full-time at NAU I have taught pathophysiology, pharmacology, OB, and Peds. I have always had a passion for teaching and knew academia is where I wanted to be. I am on the annual review committee, program evaluation committee, and search committee. I completed the NAU ACUE program in 2020. I was the local Rio Colorado CH. 7 Arizona Nursing Association President until January 2022 and the Vice-President prior to my presidency. I volunteer for the local high schools to discuss “being a nurse” as well as the School of Nursing at NAU. I have stepped up for the last year to teach Tucson as well as Yuma students and I am teaching an additional clinical due to the other instructor breaking her foot. I am also a course lead for NUR 371 and NUR 411 for all three campuses. Teaching and Nursing is my passion and I absolutely love what I do.
Stephani Williams
Associate Chair, Criminology & Criminal Justice
Principal Lecturer, Criminology & Criminal Justice
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Stephani Williams took over as Associate Chair in the middle of the fall semester when Associate Chair, Lynn Jones was promoted to Associate Dean. As noted below, Luis Fernandez, CCJ Chair, was then selected as HSI Advisor at the beginning of the spring semester, so it has been a year of adjustments.
Stephani is enjoying her new administrative role which has included course scheduling, hiring of PT faculty, and facilitating the CCJ Tenure Track search this spring. Stephani is also the Chair of our elected CCJ Policy and Planning Committee and serves as the CCJ Internship Director to support students in their professional development and community engagement. Stephani continues to balance these administrative and service roles with her ongoing commitment to teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom and working collaborating on various research projects with students outside of class.
In addition to her commitment to the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and NAU, Stephani has a longstanding commitment to professional service as an active member of the Society for the Study of Social Problems where she is currently serving as the Vice-President Elect and is also serving on the Search Committee for that organization’s next Executive Officer.
Andrew Dzeguze Ph.D./J.D.
Lecturer
Pre-Law Advisor
Politics and International Affairs
Drawing on his background in law, public policy and political science, Dr. Dzeguze provides students with a broad range of learning experiences in and out of the classroom. His classes range from large in person Introduction to Political Science sections to small online graduate courses in Public Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation. He also serves as the Politics and International Affairs Department’s Pre-Law Advisor and the Faculty Advisor to the NAU Mock Trial Team.
In all of Dr. Dzeguze’s courses, students are engaged in active learning that challenges them to reflect critically on both the material and their relation to it. In Introduction to Politics students work on writing effective thesis statements, but also participate in a simulated society over several weeks to see how political concepts play out in practice. In Constitutional Law, students discuss Supreme Court precedent, write legal analyses of hypothetical scenarios based on real world controversies and critically assess the normative role of the Court. In a junior writing seminar, he challenges students to read research articles in a wide range of social science traditions while learning how to meaningfully critique them and spot gaps in the literature that further research could fill. In turn, in the Political Science capstone course Dr. Dzeguze provides scaffolded experiences in class and meets with students individually to guide them through the conceptualization and execution of a research project.
Outside of the classroom, Dr. Dzeguze’s service also seeks to help students develop a stronger sense of who they are and the careers they may want to pursue after NAU. As a pre-law advisor he helps students learn about everything from course offerings to their own values as they decide if law school is a good choice for them and provides them with opportunities to develop connections with practicing lawyers. As the advisor and coach of the award-winning NAU Mock Trial Team, he teaches students about the rules of evidence and building effective trial presentations not just to compete but to provide a foundation for their future career paths in or out of the legal profession. Everything Dr. Dzeguze does is in service of to helping every student be better prepared for the next step in their academic and life journeys.
Christi Carlson
Senior Lecturer
Department of History
I have the amazing privilege of being born and raised in Flagstaff, AZ. After graduating from NAU with a B.S. Ed. in History and Social Studies education, I spent ten years teaching at the secondary level in public schools. Upon completion of my M. Ed. in Secondary Education, I was lucky enough to return to NAU, and now serve as a senior lecturer in history and social studies education. I currently teach HIS 407: Practicum in the Schools, and HIS 430: Methods for Teaching Government and Economics, in addition to serving as the interim director for the History and Social Studies Secondary Education program. Part of my work includes placement of practicum students in the local schools for fieldwork experiences. I collaborate with practicing teachers to form positive teaching opportunities for our teacher candidates, as well as supervise student teachers and mentor students through the program. I have presented at a wide variety of conferences including the National Council for Social Studies, National Council for History Education, Arizona Council for History Education, Arizona Council for Social Studies, and the Western History Association. I currently serve as the secretary for the Arizona Council for History Education, a member of the teacher advisory council for the Arizona Council on Economic Education, and assist the Arizona Historical Society in facilitating the yearly National History Day competition.
Neal Galloway
Lecturer
School of Art
College of Arts and Letters
Neal Galloway is a Foundations Lecturer in the School of Art. Foundations art courses (such as Introductory Drawing or 2D- and 3D-Design) are often students’ first experience with college-level art. As such, Galloway makes sure to encourage student interest in art wherever it originated–often from anime, cartoons, doodles, or video games–while also challenging them to quickly develop both technical and conceptual skills. Galloway believes that art as a method of learning is very diverse. This versatility affords art the ability to communicate an infinitely broad range of ideas and emotions, and thus catalyze student engagement and self-motivation in unique ways. Allowing students to work within the confines of a particular assignment but still find something about which they are enthusiastic is central to Galloway’s method of creating a fulfilling and productive art education experience. Also important to his pedagogical strategies are using art to embrace student curiosity, develop empathy, and deepen resiliency in the face of failure which itself is an inevitable part of the creative process.
Galloway also proactively developed effective methods for teaching studio art material online throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He developed unique ways to utilize video equipment and demonstrate difficult art techniques to his students through Zoom and pre-recorded video demonstrations. He also generously shared this material with colleagues through peer mentoring and workshops within the School of Art.
Finally, Galloway continues to exhibit his own artwork on a wide variety of environmental issues. Most recently his artworks Flood Lines and Groundwater explore the politics and environmental realities of water management in the Southwest. These art pieces were part of a touring exhibition called Parched: The Art of Water in the Southwest which received both the 2021 Viola Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Visual Art” as well as the NAU Research and Creative Activity Award for “Most Significant Artistic or Creative Work.”
Fall 2021 Career Track Spotlights
Feedback or questions about Career Track topics at NAU? Contact the Faculty Senate Council for Career Track Faculty Issues at Faculty.Senate@nau.edu