With nearly 600 classes on offer, it takes a lot of dedicated educators at Rio Salado College to give students the quality education they deserve. Our adjunct faculty and instructors work hard to help students acquire the skills and knowledge they’ll need to thrive personally and professionally. Each year the college formally recognizes outstanding adjunct faculty who've displayed excellence in their teaching and/or shown an aptitude for offering sharp assessments of student learning.
Whether it's developing innovative courses, showing an exemplary attitude, displaying an ability to teach in multiple mediums (online, in-person, hybrid), or inspiring a passion for learning in their students, these adjunct faculty members make our college a better place. Rio Salado is proud to present this year’s Outstanding Adjunct Faculty honorees with excerpts adapted from their nominations.
Ivonne Kroman - Social Sciences
Kroman is always looking for opportunities to innovate and improve the lesson content in her political sciences courses. She uses her expertise in assessment to support the course development process for our Social Sciences programs. “She was so supportive, engaging, and an excellent teacher,” said one of Kroman’s students.
Lisa Leifer - Educator Preparation Programs
Leifer has been setting high standards for her students since she joined the Educator Preparation Program in 2016. She’s appreciated by her students for her encouraging demeanor and for her prompt and deft replies to their queries outside of class. Leifer strives to provide detailed, personalized feedback to her students and prides herself on being a mentor to a cadre of Teacher in Residence (TIRs) students.
R. Scott Reed - Psychology
Reed has been teaching with the Psychology Department for 14 years, working with both dual enrollment students and adult learners. As the college adopted new course competencies, Reed took the lead in updating lessons to keep his classes on the cutting edge. His dedication to helping students cultivate and sharpen their critical thinking skills is unparalleled.
Susan Vierheller - College Bridge Pathways
Vierheller’s leadership skills led her to create a more supportive learning environment for students. Her positive attitude and flexibility give students the encouragement they need to pursue their goals. Her skills in data analysis enables her to tailor instruction to meet the needs of students and keep them engaged at a higher level.
Grace Ander - Social Sciences
With a strong focus on student success and achievement, Ander provides each student with a positive learning experience in all social work courses she teaches. In course surveys, students commented that Ander, “Inspired and changed my view of social workers. This course provides more insight to the challenges social workers face day to day and the importance of their job;” and, “A phenomenal instructor. Gave wonderful feedback that helped me out a lot for future assignments.”
Lavona Babbitt - Physical Science
On a typical day in Babbitt’s dual enrollment chemistry classroom, you will find students actively participating in a lesson that may include demonstrations of a cabbage juice indicator in dry ice, an experiment on the reactivity of metals, or interactive notes on the quantum mechanical model of the atom. To know chemistry is to love it, and not only does Babbitt know chemistry and love it, she is helping students to know it and love it, too. From bell to bell and beyond, she provides engaging opportunities for students to embark on a journey to uncover the beauty of this challenging subject.
Andrew Beamer - Corporate and Government Programs
Beamer has a demonstrated passion, drive, and dedication for training that truly comes from the heart. His extensive experience includes curriculum design, development, course creation, program implementation, course delivery, evaluation and quality control. He creates educational impact through positive progressive feedback and skills coaching with every student that leads to knowledge retention and effective job application. Beamer is a true education and training professional worthy of recognition of his dedication and hard work.
Sheila Broglia - Physical Science
As adjunct faculty, Broglia has the opportunity to directly influence her students’ educational experiences and she makes the most of each interaction. She truly cares about her students and that is evident in her feedback and communications with the students in her classes. She responds to students quickly and helps them better understand the material by giving detailed explanations.
Travis Carpenter - Administration of Justice and Paralegal
Carpenter teaches administration of justice courses at Barry Goldwater High School. His enthusiasm and passion for teaching is evident, as he was nominated for the 2022-2023 MCCCD Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award by a parent. He has a student-centered approach that is both fun and engaging, making him an effective and impactful instructor.
Elizabeth Galbreath - English
Galbreath has taught dual enrollment English literature courses for Rio Salado College since 2016. Her classes are engaging and inclusive. She utilizes a variety of teaching techniques to address students’ different learning styles and she checks often for their understanding. Her rapport with students is solid, as shown in the comments received on student evaluations. One student commented, “I learned so much from her and improved significantly in my writing skills,” while another wrote how Galbreath is “...an English teacher who cares.”
Naoko Garrison - Humanities
Garrison is committed to bringing the best out of her students at Xavier College Preparatory. Garrison’s energetic and engaging style of teaching was evident during classroom observations. She was very adaptive and flexible to the various learning styles and needs within her classroom. Garrison understands the needs of her students and has taken a proactive stance to advocate for new equipment and instruments.
Sarita Hemmady - Counseling and Personal Development
With Hemmady’s outstanding efforts, expertise and compassion, Rio Salado counselors have been able to provide exemplary support and assistance to hundreds of students who are struggling with the day-to-day challenges of attending college. Hemmady is creative and innovative in her approach with each and every student. She carefully evaluates each student’s situation while building trust. As a result of her insightful suggestions, we have been able to create a comprehensive training manual for our instructors.
Kathleen Kahn - Business and Management
Kahn has been teaching business law since 2016. This is often a hard course for students, but their comments consistently support what we already know—that Kathleen is a huge asset to the Rio community. One student shared, “Ms. Kahn is arguably the best teacher I’ve had during my time at Rio Salado. Every assignment was graded within three days of the due date, every message was given a response within 24 hours, and the quality and clarity of the feedback, as well as the consistent encouragement throughout was refreshing and motivating. Thank you!”
Diana Larowe - College Bridge Pathways
Larowe has admirably navigated challenges at the Northern location, including instructor shortages and large class sizes, demonstrating exceptional commitment and performance. Larowe’s innovative teaching methods, such as including guest speakers and interactive activities, foster a vibrant learning environment. Additionally, she contributed significantly to addressing instructor shortages, teaching retail courses with a remarkable 99 percent pass rate and attending various professional development sessions to enhance her skills.
Derick Lehman - Health Sciences
Lehman has been a valued member of the Health Sciences department since 2019 and teaches dual enrollment courses to high school students, as well as online courses at Rio Salado. As a certified athletic trainer, Lehman teaches sports medicine and other health-related courses, including the sports medicine internship course to high school students. As an online adjunct, he teaches health courses, including an honors course. There is no challenge that he will not take on when it comes to student success! Lehman ensures that all students have a positive learning experience by providing instructive feedback that acknowledges what they are doing well, first and foremost, and is encouraging and constructive when they need it.
Scott A. Mazanec - Dental Programs
Dr. Mazanec began working with Rio Salado College in 2019. As a supervising dentist in the dental hygiene clinic, he conducts patient oral exams and participates in clinical local anesthesia labs. We rely upon Dr. “Maz’s” extensive dental experience and friendly demeanor as he assists students through the learning process. He remains patient and attentive in his interactions with students, patients, and faculty.
Mary Michelle Willis - Educator Preparation Programs
Willis has been an early childhood and reading faculty member in our Educator Preparation Program since spring of 2015. Her deep-rooted knowledge of best practices in early childhood education enhances her work as an adjunct instructor as she provides detailed feedback, rich with examples from her own vast teaching experience. For the past two years, Willis has committed to a time-intensive reading training program called LETRS to ensure she is current on best practices in reading instruction.
Yvette Thornton - Dental Programs
Thornton has been an adjunct faculty member with Rio Salado College’s dental hygiene program for many years. She has worked with students and patients in a variety of clinics and labs, but was recently recruited to lead the dental hygiene honors program. Her extensive background in public health makes her the ideal person to take this program into new and innovative places. In her new role, Thornton was instrumental in expanding our community outreach partnerships and strengthening relationships among existing ones.
John Tatz - Administration of Justice and Paralegal
As a paralegal instructor, Tatz consistently excels in areas such as student engagement, feedback, and communication. Comments from students clearly demonstrate Tatz’s efforts to provide guidance to them on course content, the law, and career advice. His most recent evaluation was nearly flawless and he demonstrated intentionality by incorporating suggestions from past evaluations.
Carol Todd, Ph.D. - Educator Preparation Programs
Todd is both an adjunct faculty member and a course developer for the Educator Prepartion undergraduate program. For the past seven years, she has contributed to the goals and initiatives of the department by sharing her expertise and skills. Todd has an innate ability to connect with students by providing inspiring assignment feedback and motivating successful course completion.
Riley Steve Stephenson - Applied Technology and Engineering
Stephenson is a shining beacon of hope in a challenging educational setting, uplifting students with his humor and life wisdom as a former superintendent. Embracing each day with a determined attitude, Stephenson strives to infuse incarcerated learners with knowledge and optimism, fostering a brighter atmosphere within the confines of the educational institution. His dedication goes beyond conventional teaching, creating a transformative impact that resonates with students, offering them a chance at redemption and personal growth within the confines of their constrained surroundings.
Paul Stewart - Corporate and Government Programs
Stewart has consistently shown exceptional dedication and expertise in his role as a senior facilitator at GoDaddy. His ability to make learning fun and engaging has been praised by numerous learners and his commitment to ensuring their success is evident in his willingness to provide individualized support and guidance. He goes above and beyond to ensure that his learners have a positive and impactful learning experience. His ability to tailor his teaching approach to suit diverse audiences demonstrates his versatility and adaptability as an instructor as he successfully trains classes in-person and virtually.
Samantha Sullivan-Holness - Public Health
Sullivan-Holness has been teaching principles of human nutrition courses since 2020. Sullivan-Holness is quick to respond to students’ questions in a positive and professional manner, and provides detailed, constructive feedback on assignments in a warm and encouraging tone. She supports students who are struggling by working with them to complete assignments and checks in frequently to make sure that they are on track. Sullivan-Holnessn served as a facilitator for the college’s initial ACUE course on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, and she consistently applies her knowledge in this area to her communication with students.
Dr. Margaret Smith - Addiction Studies and Behavioral Health Sciences
Dr. Smith has been pivotal in shaping our Addiction Studies education initiatives, showcasing exemplary commitment to both her subject and students. Her leadership has fostered an environment of academic integrity and engagement in the virtual classroom and in the department. Through her deep expertise, Dr. Smith has crafted an enriching learning experience for students.
Adam Sonstroem - History and Geography
Sonstroem has been an adjunct for Rio Salado for well over a decade. Within his courses, Sonstroem utilizes innovative means to assist learners in better understanding events, themes, and trends within history. His student-centered approach and support allow his students to also take an in-depth look at topics within history and how they pertain to their own lives. He seamlessly assists learners in improving skills they will utilize both in and outside of a classroom such as writing skills and critical thinking/reasoning.
Cori Renshaw - Biology
An integral member of the Biology Department since 2009, Renshaw has evolved seamlessly from adjunct instructor to instructional coordinator due to her unwavering dedication to students and the department. While her contributions as an instructional coordinator are undeniable, it is Renshaw’s impact as an adjunct instructor that truly distinguishes her. She endeavors to provide students with the resources needed to succeed, irrespective of the subject. Renshaw is an advocate for academic integrity, spearheading initiatives to combat plagiarism, and promote ethical conduct, especially among pre-healthcare students.
Polly Sapakie - English
Sapakie has been a valuable member of the English Department since 2011, teaching both composition and literature courses. She is passionate about student success, and Sapakie demonstrates this by providing encouraging and supportive communication, as well as timely, constructive feedback and thoughtful guidance. She has a strong rapport with students, which is evident from the comments on recent student evaluations. One student wrote, “Professor Sapakie was incredible, and I would recommend her to every student.”
Lindsay A. M. Olivarez, Esq. - Business and Management
Olivarez has been teaching business law since 2020. Students appreciate Olivarez sharing not only her expertise with them but also being a source of encouragement as evidenced by the following student comments: “Professor Olivarez was one of the best instructors I’ve had through Rio Salado. She was quick to answer questions, helped where she could, and even encouraged me to challenge myself by joining the honors program. Her course was engaging, interesting, and overall helpful to my education. She is a great Instructor!”
Linda Parker - Humanities
Parker’s content knowledge is at an expert level, which captivates her class and has students listening, engaged, and connected to the material. Her classroom environment compliments her zeal for teaching. The classroom pictures, displays and posters create a setting that’s culturally relevant and challenges students’ thinking simply by the design of the learning space. Her promotion of peer-to-peer interactions displays her commitment to best practices and effective pedological standards.
Steven Pinch - Computer Technology
Steven Pinch has been a Computer Technology instructor since March 2012. During that time he has fostered a positive and supportive learning environment for students taking the gateway CIS105 course. Pinch works closely with students following department policies while providing excellent guidance to his students on navigating course content.
Linda Balzic Moon - Mathematics
Moon is a long-time mathematics adjunct with Rio Salado College. She started her Rio work with dual enrollment at McClintock High School and taught there for many years. Since 2012, she has taught Rio online math classes and has been an integral part of the math department. She has developed curriculum, evaluated instructors, and acted as a math lead. Her dedication and expertise have significantly enhanced the learning experience for countless students, making her an invaluable asset to the college community.
Heidi Moya Forbeck - Educator Preparation Programs
Moya is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) and dual enrollment instructor for the Education Professions program at Mountain Ridge High School in Deer Valley. Moya has enthusiastically provided this opportunity for her students for the past eight years. She shares her passion for teaching with her students, motivating them to become K-12 educators.
Enobong Noren - Biology
Regardless of her class sizes, Noren is dedicated to providing personalized communication and tailored feedback to each of her students. She selflessly offers her time and talent to enrich courses beyond her own teaching responsibilities. She has been a valued member of the Biology Department since 2017 and continues to work on refining her online teaching methodologies.
Article by Austin Brietta