New Faculty Join the College of Arts and Sciences

Nearly two dozen new faculty members will begin teaching at Santa Clara University's College of Arts and Sciences this fall.

Starting in September, thirteen departments across the College of Arts and Sciences will welcome new faculty into their ranks. These assistant professors and renewable-term lecturers bring a wide array of expertise, ranging from the arts and humanities to the social and natural sciences.

"I am very proud to introduce the new faculty who will be joining the College of Arts and Sciences, the product of this year's highly successful hiring season," said Interim Dean Terri Peretti. "This, I believe, is the largest and most talented and diverse group of new hires in our history!"

Twenty-three of these faculty will begin teaching classes this fall, one of which declined to be included in this public announcement, while two faculty members will begin their tenure in Fall of 2021.

New Assistant Professors

Melissa Brown
Communication (Starting 2021)

Intersectionality, digital sociology, social movements, and sexual politics

Cathleen Chopra-McGowan
Religious Studies

Ideas, genres, and history of the Hebrew Bible and the relationship of this collection to ancient Judah, Israel, and its ancient Near Eastern context

Justin Clardy
Philosophy

Interpersonal relationships and political theories with special interests in questions about social justice and emotions such as love, sympathy, compassion, and tenderness

Heather Clydesdale
Art & Art History

Cross-cultural and artistic exchanges along China's northwestern frontier during the Six Dynasties period

Omar Davila, Jr.
Child Studies

Employs the lenses of Critical Discourse Studies and Critical Social Theory to examine the nexus of high-performing students of color, political discourse, and the social construction of merit

Smita Ghosh
Mathematics & Computer Science

Social networks and social media data analytics with a focus on analysis, design and implementation of efficient and effective algorithms for tackling the various issues and real-world problems emerging in social networks

Sonia Gomez
History

20th-century US comparative race and ethnic relations, gender and migration, and interracial intimacy

Karina Gutierrez
Theatre & Dance

US Latinx theatre, Chicanx theatre, and the intersection of politics and performance, ethnographic theatre, and decolonial studies

Mustafa Hajij
Mathematics & Computer Science

Topological Data Analysis, Data Visualization, Machine Learning

David Jeong
Communication

Media psychology and human-computer-interaction, particularly in the context of VR/AR and social media

Marquette Jones
Communication

Narrative filmmaking and screenwriting

Matt Kroot
Anthropology

Economic relations and power in multiple contexts, ranging from the Neolithic Near East to the Atlantic and colonial eras of West Africa

Daniel Morgan
Religious Studies

Islamic reform, political theology, and the occult sciences in the Mughal Empire

Eric Mosinger
Political Science (Starting 2021)

Latin American history and contemporary politics with a research focus on revolutionary politics, mass protest, and nonviolent civil resistance to dictatorship