PUC’s New Faculty 2019-2020

Desirae Bach

Visual Arts

What inspired you to go into teaching?
I’ve always enjoyed training new employees at my previous jobs and I’ve also enjoyed teaching Sabbath School, so I’m really happy this position became available. I also have a heart for PUC and have always wanted to move back to this area. God opened the doors. I’ve also been attracted to teaching because I know how much my teachers have made a difference in my life and how much I looked up to them, and I want to be able to pay it forward to future students. I also think being a teacher will be more of a well-rounded/fulfilling career that has a higher purpose.

What do you enjoy most about your area of study?
I love how graphic design takes art into a practical level that can be used in any field and business. Graphic design jobs vary so much and can be in so many different fields and specializations.

Name something you’ve done that you’re proud of.
I’m thankful God has given me the opportunities he’s given me that have suited my skills and have been really fulfilling. I feel blessed to have worked at an ad agency where I’ve gotten to experience so many different clients and I’m grateful to have worked at American Crafts where I was blessed to hone my illustration skills and work with so many different talented people.

What are some of your hobbies?
I like to go hiking/walking, biking, designing, painting, drawing, cooking, and baking.

What are some of the things on your bucket list?
I would love to travel more, go to Europe. I would love to design products that would help people understand God’s love. I have an interest in natural healing, supplements, and herbs, so learning more about that and helping others is an interest of mine.

What is your favorite food and when did it become such?
My favorite food is organic blueberries, they are so good for the brain and taste good too.

Where is your favorite place in the world and why?
My favorite place is British Columbia, Canada, because I have many loved ones there.

Who’s on your favorite playlist?
I love listening to Melissa Otto, she has a very peaceful voice.

Iris Baker

Nursing

What inspired you to go into teaching?
I was helping with staff education at my facility and found I really enjoyed it. I also recognized my best days at work where days when I had a student paired with me.

What do you enjoy most about your area of study?
There is always something new to learn.

What’s something you’ve learned from a student?
In some cultures it is disrespectful to sit while the professor is standing.

Name something you’ve done that you’re proud of.
I am proud of the fact I earned my MSN while working full time.

What are some of your hobbies?
When I'm not teaching, I can be found in my garden; in the woods; hanging out with family and friends; or traveling.

What are some things on your bucket list?
Some I’ve done: I have taken my oldest sister on an Alaskan cruise, and visited Boston (3 times). Yet to do: Visit Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat, and stay in historic National Park hotels.

Where is your favorite place in the world, and why?
My favorite place in the world is Smith Lake in the Trinity Alps. It feels like it is on top of the world and has a stream that cascades over the cliff and into the lake. It is peaceful and the fragrance of the pines is heavenly.

What is one book that has been particularly meaningful to you, and how?
The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. It is a deep-dig into the Sermon on the Mount and has enriched my walk with Jesus.

Smirna Garcia-Ramirez

World Languages

What inspired you to go into teaching?
I wanted others to fall in love with the Hispanic cultures and convey their uniqueness.

What do you enjoy most about your area of study?
Being able to show by learning Spanish, or any other language, a person will experience life through different food, art, music, places, traditions, people, etc. Therefore, he/she will acquire a distinct point of view of the world.

What’s something you’ve learned from a student?
A few years ago while teaching high school, I had a student in my class who had no financial or moral support from his family. If he went home, instead of support, his family would give him a hard time. On top of that, he had severe learning disabilities. Despite these troubles, he would come into my classroom every day ready to learn. Of course, he would get discouraged sometimes, but he would compose himself rather quickly and smile. He clung to people who would encourage him and be positive in his life. He was always involved in spiritual activities and was encouraging to others. In addition to working his normal schedule at school, he would do all kinds of odd jobs for some extra cash. To this day, I admire his resolution. He had many reasons to quit, but he never did. The obstacles he faced were the motivation in his life. I also saw first-hand God's blessings and how he takes care of our needs.

Name something you’ve done that you’re proud of.
I am grateful for the opportunity of having taught in different countries and at different levels; from kindergarten through college. It has been a humbling and an amazing learning experience.

What are some of your hobbies?
I love the outdoors: camping, hiking, and swimming. I enjoy reading, spending time with family and friends, and of course traveling; adventure and trying new kinds of food is always welcome!

What are some things on your bucket list?
I have traveled some, but I have not been able to travel to Australia, New Zealand, or South America, and I would love to!

Where is one of your favorite places in the world and why?
Granada, Spain. This city sits near the Mediterranean Sea and I love swimming in a warm ocean. It felt like home because they speak Spanish, however, it is very eclectic, thus completely different; I was able to meet people from Africa, Asia, and Europe and experience all of their cultures. In Granada, art and history are evident while walking its streets. It's an ever-evolving city; people are open, but also honor their traditions.

What is your superpower?
Being flexible. I adapt quickly to new situations.

Lindsay Morton

English

What do you enjoy most about your specific area of study?
My research combines the power of storytelling, the nature of truth, and the role of the imagination, and after many years of study I still find it exciting. On good days it feels like I'm learning something, and on great days it feels like I'm unlearning something. Most days, though, it's a lot of trudging through other people's thoughts, and that never gets old.

What's something you've learned from a student?
My students are teaching me new things all the time, but I'm particularly grateful for learning what YOLO means during a presentation on a Shakespearean play a few years ago. It ended an epic response to Hamlet's philosophical quandary.

Name something you've done that you're proud of.
I guess I'm proud of the risks I've taken. Taking on challenges that seemed too big for me at the time, such as a Ph.D. I didn't realize at the time, but getting a Ph.D. is like reaching base camp at Mount Everest, and you just have to keep climbing. So a career in academia is by definition out of my comfort zone … but I love it.

When you're not teaching, where can you be found, and what will you be doing?
Fairly predictably, outside, under a tree somewhere with a book in my hand.

What are some things on your bucket list (some you've done, and some yet to do)?
Earlier this year I traveled to the UK and visited the homes of some of my literary heroes. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip but I hope to visit again. I'd also like to have a meal with Hugh Jackman and Deb Furness someday, and spend a week watching musicals back-to-back on (or off) Broadway.

Where is your favorite place in the world and why?
The farm where I grew up in southwestern Victoria, Australia. My family all moved away years ago, but it still feels like home.

What is the most played playlist in your collection, and how long have you been listening to that music?
I listen to a lot of Christian singer-songwriters, particularly Sara Groves, Audrey Assad, and Nichole Nordeman. A friend introduced me to Sara Groves' music back in college and I feel like we've shared the journey ever since.

Lawrence Turner

Mathematics

What inspired you to go into teaching?
Teachers I have had in the past; plus, the academic world is the most interesting place to spend a career.

What do you enjoy most about your specific area of study?
Problem solving and finding an elegant solution.

What's something you've learned from a student?
A good teacher understands what a student is asking even when the student doesn’t know what he or she needs or how to ask for it.

Name something you've done that you're proud of.
I was able to work on Southwestern University’s Dinosaur Excavation Project.

When you're not teaching, where can you be found, and what will you be doing?
Home (or a home away from home) or traveling.

What are some things on your bucket list?
I’d like to travel to Petra, the Dead Sea, and Masada in Israel, Egypt, Australia, and Antarctica.

What is your favorite food and when did it become such?
Tex-Mex, since I grew up in California.

If you could take any car in the world out for a test drive, what would it be, and where would you drive?
I’d definitely take a Mazda MX-5 and drive it around the U.S., specifically visiting Florida, Colorado, California, Washington, and Utah.

Catherine Tetz

English

What inspired you to go into teaching?
Probably all the great teachers I’ve had over the years. I know those were the people that made a huge impact on my life, intellectually and spiritually, and I wanted to pay it forward. Also, most everyone in my family is either a teacher or a writer, so it makes sense that I ended up becoming a writing teacher.

What do you enjoy most about your specific area of study?
Right now, I think modernism is a really interesting thing to study because we see so many parallels to the world in 2019. We’re asking similar questions about truth and knowledge, about reality and power, about value and meaning. There’s a lot in books from the first half of the twentieth century that really resonates today, and that definitely keeps the texts interesting and dynamic.

What's something you've learned from a student?
Students are constantly teaching me how to ask questions, how to make connections, and how to critically and thoughtfully engage with the world around us. The great thing about teaching freshman composition is you’re always reading student analysis and insights about their interests and areas of study, so there’s always something new to learn.  

Name something you've done that you're proud of.
I held two different fellowships while at Miami University: in 2015 I was the John W. Altman Graduate Fellows, and in 2018 I was a Miami University Dissertation Scholar. I’m proud of both the work I was able to produce during these fellowships and the students I was able to mentor in the John Altman program.

When you're not teaching, where can you be found, and what will you be doing?
I enjoy baking and cooking, and reading mystery novels, and I’ve recently taken up cross-stitching as hobby. Outside of these homebody activities, I enjoy running, and I’m very much looking forward to exploring the hiking trails here on campus.

What are some things on your bucket list?
I saw the Grand Canyon this summer, but now that I live in California, I’d really like to visit Yosemite and the redwood forests. I’d also like to see every Shakespeare play performed on stage at some point in my life. I’ve got Merry Wives of Windsor, which is hard to find, but I’m worried about finding a production of any of the Henry IVs. We’ll see!

If you could have any animal as a pet (if anything were legal!), what would you choose, and why?
I know I'm going to be accused of a lack of imagination here, but if I’m being honest I just really want a dog.

What is the most played playlist in your collection, and how long have you been listening to that music?
According to iTunes, my most played music is the soundtrack to The Hours. It’s good music for writing, so I guess it edges out the competition! I downloaded the album my sophomore year of college, after I read and watched The Hours for a class on Virginia Woolf.

Photos

Desirae Bach

Visual Arts

Iris Baker

Nursing

Smirna Garcia-Ramirez

World Languages

Lindsay Morton

English

Lawrence Turner

Mathematics

Catherine Tetz

English