Faculty

Michael Baker, M.D.

Michael Baker, M.D., recently retired from the practice of surgery. He also retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Rear Admiral after 30 years of uniformed service to his country. On retirement he was awarded his 3rd Legion of Merit, which he proudly wears alongside his Marine Corps Combat Action ribbon and the Combat Craft River Warfare pin. He teaches combat casualty care and has published over 80 peer reviewed articles. He has just returned from his third tour in Ukraine where he taught Advanced Trauma Life Support to Ukrainian physicians and Stop the Bleed
to Civilians.

Shelley Bonus

Shelley Bonus is a lecturer, writer, astronomer, science translator and recent ZERO-GRAVITY FLYER. She will be the keynote lecturer on the 2024 Discovery Princess Total Solar Eclipse Cruise April 3-27. Shelley wrote the content for Caltech’s Infrared Astronomy website: COOLCOSMOS, the Solar System Guide for the Planetary Society. In
addition, the International Astronomical Union named Asteroid 10028 BONUS after Shelley, for her unique method of translating difficult scientific concepts to the public. She is the recipient of a NASA Group Achievement Award.

John Buonamassa

Received his BA in music from Queens College, City University of New York, and his Master of Music from California State University LA. Originally from New York, John toured internationally for sixteen years as keyboardist and musical director for John Phillips and the Mamas and the Papas. Over the course of his career he has performed with many other artists, including Cesar Rosas (of Los Lobos), Madonna, Chuck Berry, Rupert Homes, Lou Christi, Lesley Gore, and Chris Montez. His Broadway credits include keyboard of Les Miserables, Cats, and Leader of the Pack. After relocating to Los Angeles, John composed, orchestrated and conducted The Enlightenment, which debuted in 2007 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Long Beach. Since 2004, John has been a full-time lecturer in the music department at CSU Northridge, and continues to be active in the Los Angeles Music society.

Sam and Candy Caponegro

Sam and Candy Caponegro are passionate about American musicals. They met in a musical and have acted, co-directed, and taught theater courses for over 40 years. Their base is Rutgers University OLLI, but they have lectured on Princess Cruise Lines, at libraries, senior centers, and universities throughout the United States. Their motto: If music be the food of life, let’s gorge ourselves!

Jerry Clifford, Ph.D.

Spent over thirty years as a research scientist and educator after receiving a Ph.D. in nuclear physics at Iowa State University. As an Air Force officer, he taught physics at the Air Force Academy, worked on nuclear weapons programs, studied particle beams for Reagan's Star Wars, and worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense . Before anti-terrorism was in vogue, Jerry worked on new technologies to detect explosives in luggage for airport security. Jerry has been teaching physics and astronomy at California State University Channel Islands since 2004.

P. Scott Corbett, Ph.D.

Is a retired American diplomatic historian and author. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 1983 and taught American history in China, Singapore, and the United States. He taught courses on Chinese and Japanese history at CSUCI from 2003 until 2020. He is the author of numerous articles, book chapters, and a textbook on US history. He is also a prolific novelist, with three novels set in China during the 20th century. Corbett is a respected scholar and teacher of American diplomatic history.

Matthew Curtis, Ph.D.

Is an anthropological archaeologist who has carried out archaeological fieldwork and museum research in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, and the United States. He is a former Fulbright fellow and has been co-principal investigator of a National Science Foundation-funded archaeology project in southwestern Ethiopia.

Janice Daurio

Janice Daurio is a native New Yorker (Brooklyn). She received a bachelor's degree in philosophy at Hunter College of the City University of New York. She then fled New York for California, where she has been ever since. She has taught at many institutions, but longest at Moorpark College. She enjoys her daily workouts at the gym, having friends over for an Italian meal, informal philosophy discussions with former students, and long walks with her husband Paul Ford.

Gary E. Davis

Has has studied nature and people since the 1950s as a scientist, aquanaut, and commercial fisherman. He has explored California's giant kelp forests, Florida's Everglades and tropical estuaries, coral reefs and ocean depths in the Florida Keys, Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas. In 2007, after a 43-year career as a marine biologist and science advisor for the National Park Service, he began working with private foundations and non-profit conservation organizations to improve ocean health and human wellbeing through science and education. His current passion is telling stories with photographs that help people connect with nature. See his work here.

Amy Denton, Ph.D.

Received her B.A. in Environmental Studies/Plant Biology from State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton, her Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Washington, and spent two years at UC Riverside as a recipient of an NSF/Alfred P. Sloan foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship in Molecular Evolution. She is a professor of Biology at CSUCI, maintains a keen interest in the history and development of evolutionary thought, and is a committed advocate of natural history collections and archival research in biology.

Carolyn Dorrance, Ph.D.

Teaches courses in history, political science and philosophy at Oxnard College.. The challenge of applying political ideas in practical politics and fulfilling the ideals of effective citizenship has long been a focus in her teaching. She engages in the public dialogue at the Institute of World Culture (Santa Barbara) as President and Program Coordinator.

BiJian Fan, Ph.D.

Received his B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics, and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. He apprenticed in acupuncture, Tai Chi Chuan, and Qigong in China. He spent most of his professional career in pharmaceutical research and development at Merck and Amgen. He has moved on to visual art, and has exhibited internationally and earned numerous recognitions. BiJian integrates art and science in his creative practice and exhibits and lectures scientific art internationally.

Bill Garlington, Ph.D.

Has a B.A. and M.A. in History from UCLA, and a Ph.D. in Asian Studies and Sociology from the Australian National University. He has taught at all academic levels on three continents and carried out sociological/anthropological fieldwork in India. His main academic interests are the Sociology of Religion and the History of Ideas.

Blake Gillespie, Ph.D.

Dr. Blake Gillespie is a biochemist and Chair of the Chemistry Department at California State University, Channel Islands. His research ranges from protein structure, function, and stability to the analysis of small molecule metabolites in fermentation. He teaches a range of lecture and lab courses at CSUCI, from Biochemistry to Kitchen Chemistry to Fermentation to Science Fiction. Dr. Gillespie leads a number of federally-funded programs aimed at creating educational opportunities for students from populations historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines.

Herbert Gooch, Ph.D.

Is a professor of Political Science at California Lutheran University. He directs the Masters in Public Policy and Administration program. He holds a B.A. in History from U.C. Berkeley, and M.B.A. in Business Management, M.A. in International Relations, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from UCLA. He is a frequent local media commentator on political affairs.

Laura Hagel

Received a BA and an MA in the History of Art and Architecture from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She spent 10 years at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art as the Rights and Reproductions Officer. In 2005 she was Program Manager for the "Art of Ancient Glass" exhibit showcasing the Gunter collection of vessels dating to the 6th century BCE. Since 2005 she has been teaching Art History and Art Appreciation at Ventura College.

Jason Hensley, Ph.D.

Jason Hensley, Ph.D., teaches Holocaust studies at Gratz College and religious studies at a private school in Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute of the Anti-Defamation League, a member of Civic Spirit's teacher education cohort, and the award-winning author of 10 books. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post as well as the BBC, and he has served as the historical advisor for a Holocaust documentary.

Scott Jones

Scott Jones is a docent at the J. Paul Getty Museum (Getty Villa) where he leads interactive tours in Roman architecture, Roman gardens and plants, and museum objects in the galleries. Additionally, he assists museum curators conduct online art explorations where art objects from the collections are explored with a worldwide audience in a Zoom environment. He is a retired navy captain with more than 30 years’ service and has post military experience in strategic planning and business development.

Lanny Kaufer

Graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Biology. He is a teacher, musician and songwriter who lives with his wife Rondia in Ojai, CA. The son of a Holocaust refugee, he was taught from an early age to stand up to prejudice and discrimination. His experiences registering voters in the South under Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr's 1965-66 SCOPE project are the basis of his musical multimedia presentation, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Spirit of the ‘60s. Following a diverse career as a public and private high school teacher and restaurant manager/concert promoter, Lanny is now a public speaker and native plant educator. He is an active member of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee of Ventura County and an associate member of Veterans for Peace.

Peter Neff

Is a composer/guitarist. His compositions can be heard in numerous movies, TV shows, recordings and commercials, including "The Sopranos," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Saturday Night Live" and "Nova." He has performed with Smokey Robinson, Wilson Pickett, Eartha Kitt, John Raitt and Petula Clark. He holds degrees from Berklee College of Music and the University of Miami

Steven Norris, Ph.D.

Is an ichthyologist, who has conducted and published research on freshwater fishes of Africa, western North American and Mexico. He is a former research fellow at the Royal Museum of Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium), a Research Associate of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (Division of Fishes), and teaches at CSUCI.

Charlene O'Rourke

Charlene O’Rourke, MA, has been active in OLLI since 2008 and has taught for various OLLI programs since 2011, wearing either her history hat or her art hat. Most of her history courses have focused on the history of England during the Stuart Dynasty of the 1600s, covering such luminaries as Shakespeare, John Locke, and Isaac Newton, as well as the soap opera lives of the Stuart monarchs. She has taught the history of the English language and the making of quilts in America.

Nitika Parmar, Ph.D.

Received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from UCLA and completed a Post-Doctoral fellowship at UCLA. She received her BS in Biophysics and her MS in Biotechnology and MTech in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi. Nitika’s fields of interest include molecular biology, genetic engineering, and DNA recombinant technology. Her research focuses on understanding signal transduction pathways controlling cellular growth (normal and cancer) as well as studying protein damage in response to aging. She enjoys the excitement of research but tremendously enjoys teaching and interacting with students as well. She feels that molecular biology has no limits and that its benefits can be tapped with an unending potential--the only requirement being a sense of intense motivation and enthusiasm!

David Parsons, Ph.D.

David Parsons, Ph.D., received his Doctorate in History from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). He is a professor and writer whose work focuses on the political, social, and cultural history of 20th century America. He has taught courses in U.S. history at CUNY and New York University, and hosts a long-running weekly podcast on history and politics called Nostalgia Trap. His book, "Dangerous Grounds: Antiwar Coffeehouses and Military Dissent in the Vietnam Era," explores links between the civilian peace movement and the American military.

Asya Pereltsvaig, Ph.D.

Asya Pereltsvaig, Ph.D., received a BA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a PhD in Linguistics from McGill University. She taught at Yale and Stanford, and has been teaching in lifelong education programs since 2010. Her expertise is in language and history and the relationship between them. Her most recent book, Languages of the World: An Introduction, 3rd edition (2020) was published by Cambridge University Press. Asya is a popular instructor for several OLLI programs around the country and was the faculty host for the OLLI trip to the Baltic countries and St. Petersburg in
July 2017.

Alan Perper

Is a founding member of VoteAsIf.org, an LA based consortium of professionals seeking to increase voter registration and turnout. He has previously trained with the USCIS and has taught numerous civics and citizenship classes at both OLLI university programs and community adult learning centers. Perper also received his secondary education teaching credential through CA State University, Northridge and has taught high school Economics, AP Government and Business classes at two LAUSD campuses.

Nicholas Santa Maria

Nicholas Santa Maria is an actor/teacher/author/playwright/singer/
composer/lyricist/comedian/and all around nice
guy. He has appeared on Broadway in Grease!, and for 5 years with Mel Brooks', The Producers. He has been performing professionally for 49 years! He has recently had a book published, The Annotated Abbott and Costello. He has taught for the OLLI Program since 2017.

Eleanor Schrader

Eleanor Schrader, MBA, is Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York and has served as Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills. She is co-author of "Master Architects of Southern California, 1920-1940: Wallace Neff". She conducts architectural tours in Los Angeles, was named to Who’s Who Among American Teachers, and was a recipient of the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Instructor of the Year
Award, 2002, and the UCLA Extension Distinguished Instructor Award, 2008.

Matthew Weisman

Received his MFA in Film from Columbia University School of the Arts. He is a professional screenwriter and producer, and a retired member of The Writers Guild of America. He is a devotee of World Cinema as art as well as movies in popular culture. Matthew Weisman received his MFA in Film from Columbia University School of the Arts where he also taught classes in Cinema Studies and directed the Cinematheque film program. A professional screenwriter and producer, he taught Graduate Screenwriting at the USC School of Cinema for fifteen years. He is a retired member of The Writers Guild of America. A devotee of World Cinema as art as well as movies in popular culture, he looks forward to sharing these lifelong passions at OLLI.

Clifford Wilcox, Ph.D.

Received his Ph.D. in American Intellectual History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He focuses on the history of ideas and education in American society. An OLLI instructor since 2011, Cliff teaches courses on American culture and the history of American colleges and universities.

Katherine Zoraster

Katherine Zoraster is a contextual art historian with a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA and a Master of Arts from CSUN. In her teaching career, she has been an adjunct Professor of Art History at several local community and 4-year colleges. Currently, she is the Art History instructor at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art and is finding joy and fulfillment in teaching through several Lifelong Learning programs. Zoraster’s approach to the history of art is to give a full picture of how and why a work of art is a reflection of its specific time period.