Every fall the Voice of Wilkinson reaches out to the newest members of our community and asks them a few questions to get to know them a little better. We want to find out why they chose Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and what it means to be a part of the heart and soul of Chapman University. Check out what they had to say.

Kelli Fuery
Associate Professor in Creative and Cultural Industries 

Voice of Wilkinson: Wilkinson is the heart and soul of Chapman University. What does being a part of the heart and soul of this amazing university mean to you?  

Kelli Fuery: When one thinks of being at the heart of something, there is the implicit sense of connection with surrounding objects. It represents an acknowledgement of collaboration and intention of relationality to different aspects of one’s environment. To be willing to forge interdisciplinary networks and be open to various possibilities is something I am very excited about and recognize as part of WCAHSS’s interdisciplinary programs ‘soul.’

VoW: What would the personal section of your Wikipedia page say?  

KF: I think if there were ever a personal section on a Wikipedia page about me, then it would mean the internet has really hit the bottom of the barrel.

VoW: Share a fun fact with us.  

KF: I am a trained RPT 200hr yoga instructor.

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to.

KF: I was born in Hong Kong and moved to Sydney, Australia when I was 10 years old and have visited many countries. Two of my favorite places due to their natural beauty are the Lake District in Northern England and Yallingup, Western Australia.

VoW: What’s your favorite book?

KF: The current books I am really enjoying are the feminist retellings of classical Greek myths, like Madeline Miller’s Circe, and Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne, etc. Natalie Haynes’s Pandora’s Jar was also excellent. And I loved Alice Diop’s Saint Omer, which is a contemporary retelling of Euripides’ Medea myth. I writing a paper on this for a conference next March titled ‘In Medea Res.’

Maliheh Ghajargar
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design

Voice of Wilkinson: Wilkinson is the heart and soul of Chapman University. What does being a part of the heart and soul of this amazing university mean to you?  

Maliheh Ghajargar: That’s definitely a privilege which means being part of something that nurtures life and growth through care, reflection, and scholarship.

VoW: What’s your favorite movie and/or book?

MG: That’s a difficult question, I have many favorite movies and books. But one of the latest movies I watched and really enjoyed was “Becoming Astrid.” It is a biographical film about the early life of Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. She was the author of Pippi Longstocking. I feel the movie is a simple yet beautiful representation of independence and womanhood. I mainly read academic books, but I love reading children’s books. One of my favorite children’s book author and illustrator is Tove Jansson, the creator of Moomins!

VoW: Share a fun fact with us!

MG: Not sure if it’s a fun fact, but I (still) love finger painting.

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to.

MG: Gotland, Sweden.

Rebecca Goodman
Assistant Professor of English

Voice of Wilkinson: Wilkinson is the heart and soul of Chapman University. What does being a part of the heart and soul of this amazing university mean to you?  

Rebecca Goodman: To be a part of the dynamic, innovative, ever-evolving landscape of Wilkinson College is certainly rewarding. I came to Chapman in 1996 as a graduate student, studying Literature and Creative Writing. During those years, the faculty communicated to me the “heart and soul” that you describe. Their exuberance, warmth, and pursuit of intellectual ideas have stayed with me, informing my teaching and connection with students, leading us to significant, challenging—even difficult—creative—dialogue.

VoW: What would the personal section of your Wikipedia page say?  

RG: Rebecca Goodman lives in Orange, California with her husband, poet-fictionalist, Martin Nakell. Together, they dote on their cat Sam. They have designated their home, “The Suzanne M. Goodman Center for Food, Literature, Art, and Music” in memory and honor of Rebecca’s mother’s commitment to the arts. Here, they hold salons—in the spirit of Gertrude Stein.

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to.

RG: Travel inspires me to write, and to read, and to find myself outside myself.

In my recently published novel, Forgotten Night, I write: “Wherever I am I long to be. This is not a form of fear but a form of wanting.” I wrote those lines many years ago on Ischia, an island located about 19 miles off of Naples.

VoW: What’s your favorite movie and/or book?

RG: When I first read Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, I closed the book, put it down on the table, then opened it up and began reading again. And, then again. I was so taken by the beauty and fluidity of Woolf’s language, the elegance and innovation of her form, I had to read and re-read. Certainly, Woolf inspired me. Her writing allowed me to see the possibilities of language and form, to see that fiction (and poetry) need not follow a pre-determined formula—that writing seeks and finds new forms to convey nuanced, individual, and universal meanings.

VoW: Why Chapman?  

RG: Chapman has been a directly integral part of my life now for about 27 years. And even more. When my mother graduated from Chapman in 1964,  it was the much smaller Chapman College. She studied with many illustrious professors who laid the foundation for the impressive University we are today—people like Dr. Kurt Bergel, who founded the Schweitzer Institute. She heard inspiring speakers here, such as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Liz Harmer
Assistant Professor of English

VoW: What would the personal section of your Wikipedia page say?  

LH: Liz Harmer is an enthusiastic person who loves chess, word games, swimming, singing, and people who say “hell yeah.” She wishes she had more time to write.

VoW: Share a fun fact with us.  

LH: I’m terrible at fun facts, either because I find all facts dubious or because I find them all fun. I believe it is the case that Lord Bryon kept a bear as a pet.

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to.

LH: Yellowknife, a city in the far-north of Canada. After ice-fishing (without fish) one day I fell into the deepest sleep I’ve ever had.

VoW: What’s your favorite book?

LH: All-time favorite book is Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, but I give a different answer to this question every time I get it.

VoW: Why Chapman?  

LH: I have never had a class at Chapman where the students weren’t curious, creative, and kind to each other. There’s lots of room for me to grow and learn both as a professor and as a person here.

Rachel Kinnard
Instructional Assistant Professor in Creative and Cultural Industries 

Voice of Wilkinson: Wilkinson is the heart and soul of Chapman University. What does being a part of the heart and soul of this amazing university mean to you?  

Rachel Kinnard: Being faculty at Wilkinson means a lot to me. I love empowering students to think critically and engage with contemporary issues. Interacting with students is so valuable because I learn so much from them! We challenge each other’s ideas about the world. I hope they take the lessons from my courses into their future careers and lives.

VoW: What would the personal section of your Wikipedia page say?  

RK: Rachel Kinnard lives in Pasadena, CA with her husband and dog. Citation needed.

VoW: Share a fun fact with us.  

RK: One of my favorite places to spend time is the Huntington Desert Garden in Pasadena. The best time to visit is sunset. At this time of day, I’ve often seen little creatures appear in the garden.

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to.

RK: I lived in New York City for twelve years. For me, NYC is the most interesting place in the world. Every day was a new adventure in so many ways. If you find people to be interesting, there is no shortage of fascinating people to see.

VoW: What’s your favorite movie and/or book?

RK: One of my favorite books is The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History. I recommend this book to people who are interested in history, sustainability, and human ingenuity. As for a fashion film, I love the 1995 documentary Unzipped. The film follows a very young Isaac Mizrahi as he prepares for his fall 1994 collection. It was the era of supermodels and print publications.

VoW: Why Chapman? 

RK: Chapman students are ambitious and are excited to learn. The campus has a strong sense of community. Students are encouraged to get involved with student groups and pursue their interests outside of the classroom. Their eagerness to engage with other students creates a wonderful learning environment for learning and teaching.

Angela J. Lederach
Assistant Professor of Peace Studies

Voice of Wilkinson: Wilkinson is the heart and soul of Chapman University. What does being a part of the heart and soul of this amazing university mean to you?  

Angela Lederach: I’m thrilled to be part of a creative, interdisciplinary community that bridges the arts, humanities and social sciences to address persistent and challenging social issues. Interdisciplinary collaboration has nourished my teaching, research, and practice throughout my career and I’m looking forward to being part of the Wilkinson community and the “heart and soul” of university life at Chapman.

VoW: Share a fun fact with us.

AL: I love cycling and backpacking. Nearly every summer I participate in the Copper Triangle Cycling Classic in Colorado, which is an 80-mile loop that traverses three mountain passes in the Colorado Rockies, as a fundraiser for research on Parkinson’s Disease.

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to.

AL: I’ve had the privilege of working in multiple countries including the Philippines, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Guatemala, Bolivia, and Colombia – and across the United States – each with complex histories, beautiful landscapes, and people who have inspired and enriched my life. In other words, I can’t choose a single “most” interesting place!

VoW: What’s your favorite movie book?

AL: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy; Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler; and, as an avid poetry reader, I always have copies of The Dreamkeeper by Langston Hughes; A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver, and The Collected Poems of Wendell Berry nearby.

VoW: Why Chapman?

AL: As a cultural anthropologist and peace studies scholar, I often find myself moving across the humanities and social sciences in search of interdisciplinary learning and collaboration. I was drawn to the vibrant and welcoming interdisciplinary community at Chapman.

Joshua Liashenko
Instructional Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Director of the LGBTQ Studies minor

Voice of Wilkinson: Wilkinson is the heart and soul of Chapman University. What does being a part of the heart and soul of this amazing university mean to you?  

JL: Being a faculty member in Wilkinson means I get to be at the heart of some of the most important conversations happening on our campus that have national and global impacts. I’m thinking about the upcoming Engaging the World series on Health Equity. I’m a medical anthropologist- I care deeply about understanding health disparities and developing collaborative solutions to alleviate their impacts. Through teaching, I hope to help equip the next generation of leaders in tackling big challenges facing humanity.

VoW: What would the personal section of your Wikipedia page say?  

JL: Joshua Liashenko likes cats…a lot.

VoW: Share a fun fact with us.  

JL: Even though I wasn’t raised in Southern California, I was born here in Orange, so being at Chapman feels like I’ve come full circle.

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to.

JL: Probably either Peru or Morocco

VoW: What’s your favorite book?

JL: My favorite movie is The Birdcage.

VoW: Why Chapman?  

JL: The opportunities here are endless. Being able to teach with small class sizes means I get to know my students better than I would at most universities and I can learn how to best support them in their educational journeys. For someone like me who loves teaching, having the chance to mentor students is absolutely rewarding. Beyond that, I’m so excited to find fun ways to collaborate with colleagues and develop new and innovative ways to engage our students.

Aurora Matzke
Assistant Professor of English and Writing Center Director

Voice of Wilkinson: Wilkinson is the heart and soul of Chapman University. What does being a part of the heart and soul of this amazing university mean to you?  

Aurora Matzke: Utilizing my skills and abilities to promote, support, and amplify the needs and wellbeing of all students for the betterment of our communities of practice. A writing center should be a key location of transformative listening. As Romeo García and Anna Sicari remind us through the words of Freire and hooks, “education as liberation—is hope as action.” Being a part of the heart and soul means doing—embodying—hope.

VoW: What would the personal section of your Wikipedia page say?  

AM: She once took apart a grandfather clock and could not put it back together. She enjoys jellyfish.

VoW: Share a fun fact with us.  

AM: I play MMORPGs (VoW: For those that don’t know what MMORPGs is … it’s a video game)

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to.

AM: Budapest

VoW: What’s your favorite book?

AM: Anything by bell hooks or David Sedaris.

VoW: Why Chapman?  

AM: Chapman continues to make strides in serving its local communities. As a local, I want to be part of that story.

Hannah Ridge
Assistant Professor of Political Science

Voice of Wilkinson: Wilkinson is the heart and soul of Chapman University. What does being a part of the heart and soul of this amazing university mean to you?   

Hannah Ridge: Universities, no matter their size, are defined by the spirit and enthusiasm of the undergraduates. I am excited to be teaching in Wilkinson College.

VoW: Share a fun fact with us.   

HR: I have a twin sister who is a professor of English literature.

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to. 

HR: Fez, Morocco

VoW: What’s your favorite book? 

HR: To Kill a Mockingbird

VoW: Why Chapman?   

HR: Chapman offered the chance to teach subjects I am passionate about in a great campus environment.

Jillian Warren
Assistant Professor Graphic Design

Voice of Wilkinson: What would the personal section of your Wikipedia page say?

Jillian Warren: In the personal section of my Wikipedia page, you’d probably read about my deep love for family – raising two incredible kids, aged 5 and 8, who teach me new things every day. You might also learn more about my passions and hobbies like crafting as a maker/DIY enthusiast, exploring nature through hiking and camping, and satisfying my wanderlust with travel adventures. Oh, and it might mention I’ve had the incredible opportunity to call three amazing countries home. From the US to the Netherlands and Canada, each place has enriched my life in countless ways. Can’t wait to share more stories with you all!

VoW: Share a fun fact with us.   

JW: Here’s a fun one: I once owned a pet goat named Heidi.

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to. 

JW: Visiting Castellucio di Norcia in Italy felt like stepping into a painting brought to life. The breathtaking landscapes, with vibrant rolling fields and charming village, created an otherworldly experience that stands out in my memory as one of the most captivating places I’ve ever encountered. It is also the first and only place that I’ve had a dessert dish primarily made from lentils. It was a real treat.

VoW: What’s your favorite book?

JW: One of my favorite books is “The Design of Everyday Things” by Don Norman because it was gifted to me as an undergraduate student by my computer science advisor. The book introduced me to design thinking and the field of human-computer interaction. The seeds this experience planted grew into the doctorate degree and research interests I have today.

VoW: Why Chapman?  

JW: Chapman University stood out to me for its dedication to fostering an interdisciplinary environment where arts, humanities, and social sciences converge to shape well-rounded, thoughtful individuals and research.

Vivian Yan-Gonzalez
Assistant Professor Asian American Studies

Voice of Wilkinson: Wilkinson is the heart and soul of Chapman University. What does being a part of the heart and soul of this amazing university mean to you?

Vivian Yan-Gonzalez: To me, being part of the heart and soul of Chapman means having the unique opportunity to engage with students from all parts of the university and to be part of their journey here. That’s a pretty rare honor!

VoW: What would the personal section of your Wikipedia page say?  

VYG: I’m a lifelong Californian. I grew up in Fullerton, not too far from Chapman, and I studied at the University of Southern California for my undergraduate and Stanford University for my doctoral degree. I’m the proud mother of a foodie toddler, who our cat does not like.

VoW: Share a fun fact with us.  

VYG: Shameless plug—I run the social media accounts for my family’s dim sum restaurant in Walnut Creek in northern California, Creek House Dim Sum!

VoW: Tell us the most interesting place you have traveled to.

VYG: I had the amazing opportunity to travel around Vietnam in 2016. It’s a beautiful country and the food is just insanely good. And my experiences there also made me think very differently about the ongoing legacies of history and empire, the commodification of culture and memory, and how I move through the world personally as an Asian American woman.

VoW: What’s your favorite book?

VYG: My favorite book this past year was Bonnie Garmus’s Lessons in Chemistry, and recently I’ve been enjoying Folklorn by Angela Mi Young Hur.

VoW: Why Chapman?  

VYG: Chapman has so much energy towards building Ethnic Studies and understanding the diversity of our communities. I’m excited to be a part of that!

Wilkinsons also welcomes Lewis Luartz (Political Science) and Hilmi Ulas (Peace Studies)!