For their teaching, their research and their commitment to their students, 11 Pomona College faculty members—spanning academic disciplines—have been promoted. Here is a peek into their interests and expertise, with professors listed in alphabetical order.
Nicholas Ball was promoted to associate professor of chemistry. In his laboratory, Ball is interested in developing new metal-catalyzed/-mediated organic reactions. He teaches organic and inorganic chemistry.
Jean-Paul Gowdy was promoted to associate professor of physical education. The men’s and women’s swimming coach also teaches swimming, triathlon training, lifeguard training and Red Cross certification.
Fabien Jammes was promoted to associate professor of biology. Jammes’ research interests include plant physiology, cell biology and signaling, and adaptation to environmental stresses. Among the courses he teaches are Introduction to Cell Chemistry and Cell Biology and Plant Physiology.
Aaron Kunin was promoted to professor of English. A poet and critic, Kunin is the author of Love Three: A Study of a Poem by George Herbert and several other books.
Tom Le was promoted to associate professor of politics. Le has written for The Washington Post, The Diplomat, Tokyo Review, Foreign Affairs, The Hill and more. He is most recently the author of Japan’s Aging Peace: Pacifism and Militarism in the Twenty-First Century. Among the courses he teaches are Sports and Politics and International Relations of East Asia.
Joanne Nucho was promoted to associate professor of anthropology. Nucho, who is also a filmmaker, has research interests in critical infrastructure studies, urban studies and environmental inequality, as well as visual ethnography. Among the courses she teaches are The Essay as Resistance and Anthropology of Environmental Justice.
Virginie Pouzet-Duzer was promoted to professor of Romance languages and literatures. She is interested in the relation between texts, images and aesthetics in the avant-gardes (from Impressionism towards Surrealism and Situationnisme). Among the courses she teaches are Writing Painting and The Art of Modern Fiction.
Matthew Sazinsky was promoted to professor of chemistry. A biochemist, he employs X-ray crystallography and biochemical techniques to answer questions about the structure and function of proteins. Among the courses he teaches are Advanced Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry.
Gibb Schreffler was promoted to associate professor of music and ethnomusicology. Schreffler’s interests are broad, including vernacular music and dance of South Asia’s Punjab region, historical work-songs of American maritime culture and the aesthetics of Jamaican popular music. Schreffler teaches Music in Punjabi Culture and Jamaican Musical Aesthetics, among other courses.
Charles Taylor was promoted to professor of chemistry. An analytical chemist, Taylor uses instrumental methods to examine the relationships between various microorganisms and the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) they produce. Among the courses he teaches are Advanced Analytical Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry.
Feng Xiao was promoted to associate professor of Asian languages and literatures. His areas of expertise include pragmatics, second language acquisition, Chinese linguistics and data analysis. Among the courses Xiao teaches are Chinese Language in Society and Digital News Reading in Chinese.