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Advisory Councils

The CAH Faculty and Staff Advisory Council provides guidance, feedback, and support to the directors. Its members are drawn from departments and units across campus in the arts, humanities, and adjacent fields.

 

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Andrew Ishak

Communication

Andrew is interested in questions around culture, time, teams, and communication. His recent work includes Abouna, a film series that explores identity and communication in a bicultural church community. He has also written about sports teams and emergency response units. Andrew served as Director of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum (2021-24) and currently serves as Faculty Athletics Representative for SCU.

 

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Jeffrey Bracco

Theatre and Dance

Jeff is a director, actor and playwright who has worked in both the United States and Europe. He has directed numerous professional theatre productions, including his own play, ShakesPod at the Edinburgh Fringe, two world premieres in Paris, and he directs regularly in the Bay Area. He has written or co-written several produced plays, most recently, Truce: A Christmas Wish from the Great War (co-written with Kit Wilder). Jeff trained at the Jacques Lecoq International School of Theatre in Paris and earned his MFA from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a Teaching Professor in Directing, Acting and Musical Theatre and also a proud alumnus of SCU. 

 

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Nicole Branch

University Library

Nicole is the Dean of the University Library at Santa Clara University. In her time at Santa Clara, Nicole has also held the positions of Associate University Librarian, Head of Instruction & Assessment, and Assessment Coordinator & Instruction Librarian. Prior to becoming a librarian, Nicole worked for over a decade in non-profit organizations that advanced educational and racial justice in public schools and districts in the East Bay and San Francisco– work that continues to inform her approach to librarianship.  Nicole’s scholarship focuses on the intersections of critical theory, research methodologies, and information literacy.

 

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Meilin Chinn

Philosophy

Meilin Chinn is a philosopher and teacher of Chinese Philosophy, Aesthetics, Environmental Philosophy, and Buddhism. Across her work, Chinn focuses on broadening the cultural and conceptual boundaries of philosophy. Her current projects include a book about musical meaning (Listening into the Distance) and a series of essays on Daoism, nature, and environmental crisis. Chinn also maintains a long-running scholarly and artistic investigation into the void.

 

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Sonia Gomez

History

Sonia C. Gomez is an Assistant Professor of History at Santa Clara University. As a historian of the 20th-century United States, she is interested in race and ethnic relations; gender, sexuality, and intimacy; and migration and diaspora. Her first book, Picture Bride, War Bride: The Role of Marriage in Shaping Japanese America (forthcoming) examines the ways in which marriage created pockets of legal and social inclusion for Japanese women during a period of racial inclusion. Her next project tentatively titled, Across Barbed Wire and Racial Lines, explores Japanese American incarceration through interracial female friendship. She has published in the Journal of American Ethnic History and Amerasia.

 

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Scot Hanna-Weir

Music

Scot is Director of Choral Activities, conducting the University's two major choral ensembles and Artistic Director of the Santa Clara Chorale, an auditioned community choir celebrating its 60th anniversary season. In addition to his conducting engagements, Scot is also an active composer with particular focus on fusing electronics and choral performance and addressing issues of social justice and inequity through choral literature. 

 

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Kai Harris

English

Kai is an author and professor of creative writing who specializes in fiction, African Diaspora writing, and the slave narrative genre. Her critically-acclaimed debut novel, What the Fireflies Knew (February 2022, Tiny Reparations Books) is a coming-of-age novel that explores family dynamics and generational trauma through the lens of Black Girlhood. In addition to fiction, Kai has published poetry, personal essays, and peer-reviewed academic articles on topics related to Black girlhood and womanhood, mental health, social justice, generational trauma, and Black identity.

 

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Haruka Umetsu Cho

Religious Studies

Haruka is a teacher and scholar whose interests span Christian theology, East Asian literature, feminist/queer theories, and post/decolonial studies. Her book projects focus on themes of the Divine, eros, and bodies and analyze how, in the context of modernism and neo/colonialism, those themes have been transmitted, reinterpreted, and transformed in Japanese literary and artistic space. 

 

 

 

The CAH Student Advisory Council members are drawn from departments across campus in the arts, humanities, and adjacent fields, such as Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies. Members provide guidance and feedback to the directors, representing the academic and student interests associated with their disciplinary and interdisciplinary majors and minors.

 

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Kennedy Dawson ‘25

Theatre Arts

Kennedy Dawson is a current Santa Clara senior majoring in Theatre Arts. When not in a rehearsal, she is an avid enthusiast of all things creative, from singing and dancing to anime, K-pop, and cozy videogames. During her years at Santa Clara, Kennedy has participated in numerous SCU Presents and community theater performances, most recently as Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street. As a Theatre Department Student Artist Representative, Kennedy aims to uplift, empower, and represent racially diverse voices through her artistic endeavors. Post-graduation, she hopes to continue her budding theatrical career as a working actor in the TV/Movie and theatre industry.

 

Leslie Duran

Leslie Duran ‘27

Gender & Sexuality Studies and Ethnic Studies

Leslie is a sophomore double majoring in Gender & Sexuality Studies and Ethnic Studies. She is a first-generation college student and part of the LEAD Scholars Program. They are also a Community Facilitator in Unity RLC, in the Honors Program, and a board member in Hermanas Unidas. Some of her favorite hobbies include making her own jewelry and sewing! Leslie's plans for the future include going to law school and becoming a lawyer.

 

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Kacey Kim ‘25

Studio Art

Kacey is a senior at Santa Clara University, majoring in Studio Art with a focus on graphic design. After completing two years of undergraduate studies at Pace University NYC, where she deepened her appreciation for art, Kacey has continued to explore her passion by integrating art into various aspects of daily life. She enjoys incorporating artistic elements into home goods and clothing, alongside personal projects like metal sculptures and beaded embroidery. Kacey also serves as the Marketing Director for the Santa Clara Review for the 2024-2025 academic year.

 

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Dylan Ryu ‘26

History and Communication with a focus on Strategic Communication and minoring in Urban Education

Dylan is double majoring in History and Communication with a focus on Strategic Communication and minoring in Urban Education. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Santa Clara newspaper and the founder of Santa Clara University's Disabled Students Union. Dylan is passionate about advocating for disability rights and working towards educational reform. He is looking to pursue a career in educational policy, focusing on creating more inclusive and accessible learning environments for all students.

 

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Eddie Standifer ‘27

English

Eddie is a current sophomore majoring in English. He is a member of the University Honors Program, and is also involved in academic research in the Imaginarium Lab, focusing on social media and digital humanities. He grew up in Santa Clara, CA, and is grateful to be going to school so close to home. Eddie enjoys hybrid format photography, learning foreign languages, and writing. After graduating, Eddie plans on attending graduate school.

 

Freya Wang

Freya Wang ‘25

Communication with an emphasis in Global Media, Cultures, and Technology

Freya Wang is a first-generation college student from Las Vegas, Nevada. Freya is actively involved in the esports scene at Santa Clara and serves as the captain of one of the competitive teams. In the future, Freya plans to pursue a career in digital media production. 

 

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Yuling Wu’25 

Music & Communication

Yuling Wu is a Communications and Music double major. She is a storyteller, filmmaker, and performer focusing on both vocal and jazz.

Past Faculty/Staff Advisory Council Members

2023-2024

Lauren Baines, de Saisset Museum, lbaines@scu.edu

Nicole Branch, University Library, nbranch@scu.edu

Meilin Chinn, Philosophy, mchinn@scu.edu

Justin Clardy, Philosophy, jclardy@scu.edu

Sonia Gomez, History, sgomez@scu.edu

Allia Griffin, Ethnic Studies, agriffin@scu.edu

Scot Hanna-Weir, Music, shannaweir@scu.edu

Kai Harris, English, kharris@scu.edu

Mythri Jegathesan, Anthropology, mjegathesan@scu.edu

Brian Thorstenson, Theatre and Dance, bthorstenson@scu.edu

 

2022 -2023

Lauren Baines, de Saisset Museum, lbaines@scu.edu

Nicole Branch, University Library, nbranch@scu.edu

Justin Clardy, Philosophy, jclardy@scu.edu

Allia Griffin, Ethnic Studies, agriffin@scu.edu

Scot Hanna-Weir, Music, shannaweir@scu.edu

Kai Harris, English, kharris@scu.edu

Angela Holzmeister, Classics, aholzmeister@scu.edu

Mythri Jegathesan, Anthropology, mjegathesan@scu.edu

Brian Thorstenson, Theatre and Dance, bthorstenson@scu.edu

Michael Whalen, Communication, mwhalen@scu.edu

 

2021-2022

Bruno Ruviaro <bruviaro@scu.edu>,

Katherine Aoki <kaoki@scu.edu>,

Sharmila Lodhia <SLodhia@scu.edu>,

Danielle Morgan <dmorgan@scu.edu>,

Daniel Turkeltaub <dturkeltaub@scu.edu>,

Kristin Kusanovic <kkusanovich@scu.edu>,

Karen Peterson-Iyer <kpetersoniyer@scu.edu>,

Nicole Branch <nbranch@scu.edu>

Justin Clardy <jclardy@scu.edu>

 

2020-2021

Aldo Billingslea <abillingslea@scu.edu>,

Bruno Ruviaro <bruviaro@scu.edu>,

Katherine Aoki <kaoki@scu.edu>,

Sharmila Lodhia <SLodhia@scu.edu>,

Danielle Morgan <dmorgan@scu.edu>,

Daniel Turkeltaub <dturkeltaub@scu.edu>,

Kristin Kusanovic <kkusanovich@scu.edu>,

Karen Peterson-Iyer <kpetersoniyer@scu.edu>,

Nicole Branch <nbranch@scu.edu>

 

 

 

 

 

Past Student Advisory Council Members

2023-2024

Sarah Cohen '24, History, Classics

Francesca D'Urzo '24, English, Journalism, Italian

Paulina Garcia ‘24, Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies

Kyara Garner ‘25, Studio Art, Journalism

Leo Illing ‘25 Physics, Mathematics, Art History

Freya Wang ‘25 Communication with an emphasis in Global Media, Cultures, and Technology