Westmont Magazine New Faculty

Alister Chapman, assistant professor of history, completed his doctorate at the University of Cambridge in England. His field is modern European history, and his research focuses on 20th-century British religious history.

Otilia Cortez, visiting scholar, has taught Spanish and Spanish American literature at the State University of New York in Oswego. A native of Nicaragua, she received her Ph.D. in Spanish American literature from Syracuse University.

Charles Farhadian, assistant professor of world religions and Christian mission, completed his doctorate at Boston University. He conducts research in religion and culture as well as the religions of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Previously, he taught at Calvin College in Michigan.

Rick Malleus, assistant professor of communication studies, earned a doctorate at the University of Minnesota with an emphasis in intercultural communication. He has taught in the United States as well as at Zimbabwe Open University.

Eileen McMahon, assistant professor of biology, specializes in molecular and cellular biology. She received her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on the immune regulation of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Helen Rhee, assistant professor of world Christianity, received a doctorate in church history and a master’s of divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Her areas of expertise include second- and third-century Christian self-definitions and Christian literature (apologies, Apocryphal Acts and Martyr Acts).

Dinorah Scott, adjunct assistant professor of modern languages, is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish and earned a doctorate in Hispanic linguistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She grew up in Brazil. She has taught at Wheaton College and at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Mitchell Thomas, assistant professor of theatre arts, earned a master of fine arts in acting at the University of Washington. He has performed at South Coast Repertory Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Thomas has created and performed two one-man shows, “Jihad” and “Touching the Void.”