New Full-time Faculty Hires

Cuesta College welcomes our new full-time faculty hires:

Praveen Babu
Chemistry
Praveen received his B.S. from Boston College in Biochemistry in 1998 and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Louisiana State University. Praveen has served as a researcher and biomedical scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a visiting scholar at University of Calfornia Berkley and in the Spring of 2006 began teaching Chemistry part time at Cuesta College.

Sharon Beynon
English
Sharon has been teaching English in Austin, TX for the past 12 years, most recently at St. Edward's University and Austin Community College. She attended the University of Texas in Austin for both undergraduate and graduate work.  Sharon has been chosen to participate in seminars sponsored by the NEH in Italy, Ohio, North Carolina and Texas. She has also participated in workshops hosted by the Folger's Shakespeare Institute in Texas and Gilder-Lehrman at Stanford University.

Denise Chellsen
Mathematics
Denise received both her B.S. in Mathematics and her M.S. in Mathematics from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Denise began teaching Mathematics part time at Cuesta College in 1991. She has also taught Mathematics at Allan Hancock College, 1992–1996 and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1990–1993. 

Betsy Dunn
American Sign Language
Betsy received her B.S. in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Washington and her M.S. in Deaf Education from the University of Tennessee; she also has a Comprehensive Skills Certificate (CSC) from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.  She has been teaching American Sign Language (ASL) and interpreting ASL at Cuesta College since 2001. Betsy has also taught at Florida School for the Deaf, Oregon State School for the Deaf, Chemeketa Community College and for the San Luis Unified School District.

Ann Maliszewski
Physiology
Ann received her M.A. from Kent State University in Applied/Exercise Physiology and her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts in Exercise Physiology/Biochemistry; she completed her Ph.D. in 1993. Ann has taught Physiology part time at Cuesta College since 2003.  She has also been teaching Physiology/Anatomy part time at California Polytechnic State University and Health Occupations at Allan Hancock College.

Regina Mc Keown
English as a Second Language
Regina is a San Luis Obispo native and received her B.A. and M.A. from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. She has worked as the English Learner Program Coordinator for the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, taught ESL part time at Cuesta Collegeand taught secondary English teacher and a second language specialist. 

Thomas Patchell
English
Thomas received both his B.A. in English and his M.A. in English from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Thomas has lectured at California Polytechnic State University, East Los Angeles College, Mt. St. Mary's College and Loyola Marymount University; he has also taught at Wilshire Language School.

Debra Stakes
Geology
Debra’s undergraduate degrees are in Chemistry and Geology from Rice University in Houston Texas, and her Ph.D. in Oceanography is from Oregon State University. Most recently Stakes was involved in geological exploration using remotely operated vehicles at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and teaching part time at Monterey Peninsula College and California State University Monterey Bay.

John Stokes
Automotive Technology
John earned his B.S. from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in Agricultural Business Management; he also has a Vocational Education Teaching Credential: Automotive Mechanics and an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certification. Most recently John taught Automotive Technology for the Paso Robles Joint Union school district and Automotive Technology part time at Cuesta College. 

Cuesta also welcome our full-time temporary faculty hires:

Amy Kayser
English as a Second Language
Amy earned her M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language from Northern Arizona University, and her Ed.D. in TEFL from the University of Exeter in England. In addition to teaching in the United States she has taught in Poland and the United Arab Emirates; most recently Amy coordinated and revised the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program curriculum at University California Santa Barbara.

Richard Staley
Nursing/Allied Health
Richard earned his B.S. degree from California State University Fresno in Nursing; he is currently finishing his M.A. in Education at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Staley has worked as a RN ICU Staff Nurse at Sierra Vista Medical Center and a RN Staff Nurse at Hemodialysis at Kidney Center Incorporated. He has also taught Clinical Nursing part time in the Cuesta College Nursing and Allied Health Department.