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Board of Trustees Officers
Michele Siqueiros, Chair
Jonathan Graham, Vice Chair
Strom C. Thacker, President
Laura Schaefer, VP, Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer
Pamela Mader, Associate Vice President of Finance
Mia Alonzo, Controller
Melanie Lacy Sorenson, Secretary
Members of the Board of Trustees
Jonathan Abbott
Los Angeles, California
Sekou Andrews ‘94
Founder & CEO, SekouWorld, Inc.
Bridget Baker ‘82
Founder & Principal, Baker Media Inc.
Diana Bob ‘02
Native Law LLC
Gerri Bock P’27
Los Altos, California
Thomas Brock ‘83
Director, Community College Research Center
Harold A. Brown
Partner, Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc.
Mark A. Cunningham ‘89, P’25
Alumni Board President
Stephen Davis P’23
Los Angeles, California
Tyrus Emory ‘08
Creative Producer, Martian Entertainment
Julie Flapan ‘90
Director, UCLA Computer Science Equity Project and CSforCA
Ruett Stephen Foster ‘81
Senior Pastor, Community Bible Church
David H. Good P’20
Managing Director, MacKay Gardner Capital, LLC
Donald P. Gould
President & Chief Investment Officer, Gould Asset Management LLC
Jonathan P. Graham ‘82
Vice Chair of the Board; EVP, General Counsel & Secretary, Amgen
Gina Hoagland P’21
Chairman, CEO, and Principal, Collaborative Strategies
Jill Klein P’15
Washington. D,C.
David Levin ‘90, P’25
Chief Investment Officer/Principal, Magellan Investment Partners, LLC
Derek Mitchell
Chief Executive Officer, Partners in School Innovation
Kenneth R. Pitzer
Pacific Grove, California
James S. Rhodes III P’22
Co-Founder & President, Embori Group, LLC
Alissa Okuneff Roston ‘78 & P’06
Beverly Hills, California
Michele Siqueiros ‘95
Chair of the Board; CEO, Los Angeles News Initiative
Shahan Soghikian ‘80
Managing Director, Panorama Capital
Strom C. Thacker, PhD
President, Pitzer College
Louise Beaudette Thornton ‘68
Laguna Beach, California
Tracy M. Tindle ‘82
Bend, Oregon
Cathy Siegel Weiss
Los Angeles, CA
Emeriti Trustees
Hirschel B. Abelson P’92
President, Stralem & Company, Inc.
William G. Brunger P’01
President, PODS Research, LLC
Susan G. Dolgen P`97
Wood River Ventures
Deborah Bach Kallick ‘78
Vice President, Government & Industry Relations, Cedars-Sinai Health System
Robin Kramer ‘75
Executive Director, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools
Marilyn Chapin Massey, PhD
Former President, Pitzer College
Melvin L. Oliver, PhD
Former President, Pitzer College
Murray Pepper, PhD
President, Home Silk Properties, Inc.
Edith L. Piness, PhD
Director & Secretary to the Board, San Francisco Museum & Historical Society
Russell M. Pitzer, PhD
Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Chemistry, The Ohio State University
Susan S. Pritzker P’93
Chicago, Illinois
Margot Levin Schiff P’90, P’95
Chicago, Illinois
William D. Sheinberg ‘83, P’12 & P’26
Partner, The Bubble Factory
Lisa Specht
Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips
Eugene P. Stein
Los Angeles, California
Laura Skandera Trombley, PhD
Former President, Pitzer College
Administration
Strom C. Thacker, President
Elisa Albán-Ashley, Interim Vice President for Admission, Financial Aid, and Enrollment; Assistant Vice President for College Systems and Data Strategy
Bob Fass, Vice President for College Advancement
Andrés Fernández, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Chawne Kimber, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dean of Faculty; Professor of Mathematics
James Marchant, Vice President and Chief of Staff
Tricia Milford-Hoyt, Vice President for Communications and Marketing
Laura Schaefer, Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Treasurer
Ulysses (UJ) Sofia, Dean, Department of Natural Sciences; Professor of Physics
Melanie Lacy Sorenson, Assistant Vice President; Secretary to the Board
Faculty
Andrea Acosta, Assistant Professor of Media Studies, 2023. PhD, University of California Los Angeles.
Bahar Acu, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, 2022. PhD, University of Southern California.
Gautam Agarwal, Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2021. PhD, University of California, Berkeley.
Tahereh Aghdasifar, Assistant Professor of Gender Feminist Studies, 2025. PhD, Emory University.
Arianna Alfaro Porras, Language Lecturer in Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures field group, 2011. PhD, University of California, Riverside.
Ahmed Alwishah, Professor of Philosophy, 2009. PhD, University of California, Los Angeles.
Denise Ambriz, Assistant Professor of Sociology, 2022. PhD, Indiana University.
William Anthes, Professor of Art and Art History, 2006. PhD, University of Minnesota.
Juanita Aristizabal, Professor of Modern Languages, Literature and Culture, 2014.PhD, Yale University.
Brent Armendinger, Professor of English & World Literature, 2008. MFA, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
David Bachman, Professor of Mathematics, 2004. PhD, University of Texas at Austin.
Mita Banerjee, Professor of Psychology, 1992. PhD, University of Michigan.
Mara Barbosa, Assistant Professor of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, 2025. PhD, Purdue University.
William T. Barndt, Associate Professor of Political Studies, 2013. PhD, Princeton.
Michelle Berenfeld, Professor of Classics, 2010. PhD, New York University.
Timothy Berg, Professor of Art and Art History, 2008. MFA, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University.
Alma Bezares, Assistant Professor of Economics, 2004. PhD, Claremont Graduate University.
Sumangala Bhattacharya, Professor of English and World Literature, 2006. JD, Chapman University, Dale E. Fowler School of Law.
Menna Bizuneh, Professor of Economics, 2014. PhD, Georgia State University.
Alicia Bonaparte, Professor of Sociology, 2008. PhD, Vanderbilt University.
Makela Brizuela, Language Lecturer in Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, 2021. PhD, University of Southern California.
Darin Brown, Associate Professor of Psychology, 2019. PhD, University of New Mexico
Ángela Castillo-Ardila, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, 2023. PhD, University of California, Berkeley.
Fely Catan, Assistant Professor of Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures, 2019. PhD, University of Miami.
Pete Chandrangsu, Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2018. PhD, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Emily Chao, Professor of Anthropology, 1996. PhD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Melissa J. Coleman, Professor of in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2006. PhD, The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Debbie Duarte, Assistant Professor of Chicano/a Latino/a Transnational Studies, 2025. PhD, University of California, Santa Cruz
Maya Federman, Professor of Economics, 1998. PhD, Harvard University.
Findley Finseth, Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2016. PhD, Cornell University.
Jose Luis Florez, Language Lecturer in Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures, 2007. MA, Universidad de Sevilla.
Carmen Fought, Professor of Linguistics, 1998. PhD, University of Pennsylvania.
Sarah Gilbert, Associate Professor of Art and Art History, 2014. MFA, University of Idaho.
Sarah E. Gilman, Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2011. PhD., University of California, Davis.
Deepti Goel, Assistant Professor of Economics, 2023. PhD, Boston University.
*Scot A. C. Gould, Professor in Department of Natural Sciences, 1991. PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Steffanie Guillermo, Associate Professor of Psychology, 2017. PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder.
*Daniel A. Guthrie, Professor Emeritus, Biology, 1964. BA, Amherst College; MA, Harvard University; PhD, University of Massachusetts.
Paula Gutierrez, Language Lecturer in Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, 2009. MA, CPhil, University of California, San Diego.
Lisa Han, Assistant Professor of Media Studies, 2024. PhD, University of California, San Diego.
Laura Harris, Professor of Englush and World Literature & Africana Studies, 1997. PhD, University of California, Berkeley.
Geoffrey Herrera, Associate Professor of Political Studies, 2010. PhD, Princeton University.
Todd Honma, Professor of Asian American Studies, 2012. PhD, University of Southern California.
Amanda Louise Johnson, Assistant Professor of English and World Literature, 2023. PhD, Vanderbilt University.
Shawnika Johnson, Assistant Professor of Environmental Analysis, 2023. PhD, Claremont Graduate University.
Carina L. Johnson, Professor of History, 2002. PhD, University of California, Berkeley.
Stephanie Jones, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, 2024. PhD, University of California, Irvine.
Azamat Junisbai, Professor of Sociology, 2009. PhD, Indiana University.
Barbara Junisbai, Professor of Organizational Studies, 2016. PhD, Indiana University.
Timothy Justus, Professor of Cognitive Science, 2012. PhD, University of California, Berkeley.
Kato Mioko, Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2025. PhD, University of Chicago.
Brian L. Keeley, Professor of Philosophy, 2000. PhD, University of California, San Diego.
Jessica Kizer, Associate Professor of Sociology, 2017. PhD, University of California, Irvine.
Amanda Lagji, Associate Professor of English and World Literature, 2017. PhD, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Thomas Lambert, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, 2024. PhD, Princeton University.
Jesse Lerner, Professor of Media Studies, 1998. PhD, University of Chicago.
Jeffrey Lewis, Associate Professor of Organizational Studies, 1990. PhD,University of California, Santa Barbara.
Hanzhang Liu, Assistant Professor of Political Studies, 2019. PhD, Columbia University.
Jemma Lorenat, Associate Professor of Mathematics, 2015. PhD, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, and Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris
+++Ming-Yuen S. Ma, Professor of Media Studies, 2001. MFA, California Institute of the Arts.
Sarah Marzen, Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2019. PhD,University of California, Berkeley.
Jessica McCoy, Professor of Art and Art History, 2006. MFA, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Donald A. McFarlane, Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 1991. PhD, University of Southern California.
Shriya Nagpal, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, 2024. PhD, Cornell University.
Lance Neckar, Professor of Environmental Analysis, 2012. MLA,, Harvard University.
Harmony O’Rourke, Professor of History, 2021. PhD, Harvard University
Jia-Ahn Pan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2024. PhD,University of Chicago.
++Adrian D. Pantoja, Professor of Political Studies, 2006. PhD, Claremont Graduate University.
Maria Paz Almenara, Assistant Professor of Environmental Analysis, 2025. PhD, Princeton University.
Trung Phan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2025. PhD,University of Chicago.
Susan Phillips, Professor of Environmental Analysis, 2002. PhD, University of California, Los Angeles.
Suyapa Portillo Villeda, Professor of Chicano/a Latino/a Transnational Studies, 2012. PhD, Cornell University.
Marcus Rodriguez, Associate Professor of Psychology, 2018. PhD, Duke University.
Norma Rodriguez, Professor of Psychology, 1991. BA, PhD, The University of Texas at Austin.
Andrea M. Scott, Associate Professor and Director of the Writing Center, 2013. BA, Mills College; MA, PhD, University of Chicago.
Janet Sheung, Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2019. PhD,University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Erich Steinman, Professor of Sociology, 2007. PhD, University of Washington.
Claudia Strauss, Professor of Anthropology, 2000. PhD, Harvard University.
Ruti Talmor, Professor of Media Studies, 2011. PhD, New York University.
Lako Tongun, Associate Professor of Critical Global Studies, 1988. PhD, University of California, Davis.
Rachel VanSickle-Ward, Professor of Political Studies, 2007. PhD, University of California, Berkeley.
Veronica Vriesman, Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2024. PhD,University of California, Davis.
Andre Wakefield, Professor of History, 2002. PhD, University of Chicago.
Jo-Ann Wang, Assistant Professor of Environmental Analysis, 2024. PhD, Stanford University.
Urmi Willoughby, Associate Professor of History, 2020. PhD,University of California, Santa Cruz, History.
Zachary Wilson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, 2024. PhD,University of Colorado, Boulder.
+++Linus Yamane, Professor of Economics, 1988. PhD, Yale University.
+++Kathleen Yep, Professor of Asian American Studies, 2004. PhD, University of California, Berkeley.
Phil Zuckerman, Professor of Secular Studies and Sociology, 1998. PhD, University of Oregon.
* Joint appointment with Claremont McKenna College and Scripps College.
** Appointment in Theatre, a five-college program based at Pomona College.
*** Joint appointment with Claremont McKenna, Scripps and Harvey Mudd Colleges.
+ Faculty teaching in the Intercollegiate Program of Africana Studies.
++ Faculty teaching in the Intercollegiate Program of Chicano/a Latino/a Studies.
+++ Faculty teaching in the Intercollegiate Program of Asian American Studies.
College Governance
Pitzer’s governmental structure makes it virtually unique among American colleges. The College has never had the traditional student government which restricts student participation to limited areas. Instead, students are represented on all the standing committees of the College including those which deal with the most vital and sensitive issues of the College community. This system offers interested students an active educational experience, though it demands time, energy and a real commitment on the part of those who participate. Standing committees are responsible primarily for the formulation, review and implementation of policy relating to the educational program and student life.
In most instances, policy decisions of the standing committees are made in the form of recommendations to College Council, which is the primary legislative body of the school, made up of the faculty, staff representatives and 16 student representatives, eight of whom are elected by the student body and eight chosen from the student members of the standing committees.
The standing committees are, briefly, as follows (See the Faculty Handbook for further details at https://www.pitzer.edu/academics/faculty-handbook/)
Faculty Executive Committee: The primary executive committee of the College, responsible for facilities planning and the smooth and effective functioning of College affairs.
Academic Planning Committee: Responsible primarily for the long-term planning of the educational program of the College and, as part of that task, for proposing new faculty positions and the formulation of new programs and majors.
Academic Standards Committee: Responsible for assuring that students adhere to the academic standards of the College, for considering student requests for waivers of academic requirements and for approving the completion of degree requirements.
Appointments, Promotion and Tenure Committee: Responsible for making recommendations and advise the President in matters of faculty appointment, contract renewal, promotion, and tenure. Approval of contingent hires including visiting faculty and visiting scholars. Appointment of endowed chairs and postdoctoral fellows.
Budgetary Implementation Committee: Responsible for constructing the annual budget of the College and recommending to College Council policy regarding enrollment, financial aid, annual increments in staff and faculty salaries, fringe benefits and expectations relating to inflation and investment income.
Campus Life Committee: This Committee is responsible for working with relevant student, faculty, alumni and trustee groups to develop and implement annually, a comprehensive plan for enhancing the intellectual, cultural, artistic and social life of the campus. In addition, it oversees programs and support structures that foster the development of a closer intellectual community on campus.
Curriculum Committee: Responsible primarily for coordinating and reviewing the annual curriculum of the College, for recommending on an annual basis the addition of courses, for approving special majors and independent studies and for approving new program and major requirements.
Diversity Committee: Responsible for assisting the College in meeting its commitment to affirmative action in student, faculty and staff recruitment and for assisting the College in creating an environment which is maximally supportive to students from underrepresented groups and which embraces and values diversity.
Judicial Committee: Responsible for interpreting and enforcing the student code of conduct.
Research and Awards: Allocation of funds for faculty and student research is handled through the Dean of Faculty’s office.
Student Appointments Committee: Responsible for selecting students to serve as the non-elected representatives on the other standing committees. Students who would like to participate in College governance are urged to apply to the Student Appointments Committee through the Dean of Students’ Office in the spring semester for appointments for the following year. In addition, vacancies on standing committees usually arise throughout the year, so students should inquire at any time if they are interested in participating. Participation in College governance is one of the most exciting educational opportunities the College offers. Through participation, students play a central role in shaping the College.
Student Senate: Responsible for discussing and making policy recommendations to College Council pertaining to student life and community issues. Members of the Student Senate are elected by the student body and serve as the student voting representatives to College Council and as the elected student representatives to the College’s Standing Committees. Students can also make direct recommendations concerning student life issues to the President by means of a proposition signed by 30 percent of the Pitzer community and then approved by both a Proposition Board and the community as a whole.
Study Abroad Committee: Responsible for formulating policy relating to the College’s Study Abroad program, for overseeing the program and for approving students for participation.
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