MMW Program Staff & Faculty
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Matthew T. Herbst, Ph.D. - Director
Matthew T. Herbst is the faculty director of the Making of the Modern World program, faculty co-director of Study Abroad, and co-director of Classical Studies. He specializes in the pedagogical leadership of academic programs and in buildling experiential learning opportunities. Prof. Herbst was an inaugural faculty member for UC San Diego’s Global Seminars and has led 12 programs in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and North America (2008 - 2023). He has offered 8 other programs in CA, the American Southwest, and in Turkey, and 23 environmental humanities seminars in the deserts and mountains of California in partnership with UCSD’s Outback Adventures. Prof. Herbst was a first-generation college student and collaborated to found UCSD's college-based First Year Experience & Transfer Year Experience courses, designed to help students transition to the university. For more on his work, see here.
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Eberly Barnes - Assistant Director
Eberly Barnes is the MMW Academic Coordinator for MMW 11-13. Dr. Barnes earned her PhD in English at St. Louis University, where she specialized in critical theory; studied the evolution of consciousness and history of rhetoric with Walter J. Ong; and wrote her dissertation on the critical history of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. In addition, she holds an MA in English from The University of Texas at Austin and a BA in English from Louisiana College. Her research and teaching interests include writing pedagogy; rhetoric, composition, and the writing process; writing program administration; the evolution of consciousness; sustainability, diversity, and social justice; creative non-fiction; and kinesthetic education. Dr. Barnes also enjoys yoga, tai chi, and exploring nature. In MMW, Dr. Barnes hires and trains new TAs; supervises TAs in MMW 11-13; oversees writing instruction for MMW 12-13; and manages academic integrity cases. -
Johanna Peterson - Assistant Director
Johanna Peterson is Academic Coordinator for MMW 14-15 and the Transfer Sequence (121-122). She recieved her PhD in History from UC San Diego. Her dissertation examined the relationship between girl’s education and women’s citizenship in French mandate Lebanon. Johanna received her BA in History from California Lutheran University and her MA in History from Cal State Fullerton. She was a Teaching Assistant for MMW for five years (and received the Don Tuzin Teaching Excellence Award for MMW); lectured in MMW and for the History Department; and has taught at San Diego Mesa College. Johanna is interested in history and writing pedagogy. In MMW, Johanna supervises TAs, administers the writing assignments in MMW 14-15, 121-122, and manages academic integrity cases. Outside of work, Johanna enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, reading, and playing with her toddler.
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Edmond Chang - Lecturer
Edmond Chang received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, San Diego in 2002. A former Fulbright Grant recipient, he focused on comparative philosophy with an emphasis on Chinese aesthetics in the 4th century C.E. Dr. Chang also holds a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, as well as a B.A. in History and International Relations from Tufts University. Aside from teaching, Dr. Chang has published poetry and worked as a professional translator and editor. His hobbies include many sports and hiking in the Sierras with his family. As the Lecturer for the MMW program, he teaches MMW 12, 13, 14, 15, 121 and 122. -
Shirley Lam - Program Coordinator
Shirley Lam was born and raised in Hong Kong. She received her BS in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego. After working as a mobile app and web developer in a private school, she found her passion for student service. Prior to joining the MMW, Shirley worked in the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office and the Department of Mathematical Sciences. She likes helping others and enjoys working with faculty and staff. Shirley enjoys traveling, playing badminton, and watching movies in her spare time. -
Krystal Covarrubias - Program Assistant
Krystal Covarrubias received her BA in Sociology and Criminology and Justice Studies from California State University San Marcos in 2020. Before joining MMW, she worked as a peer advisor and an Intake Advisor at the CSUSM Academic Advising and as an advisor for Escondido High school students. Krystal’s passion is to provide guidance and assistance to students before and during their higher education journey. In her free time, she enjoys offroading, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
MMW Departmental Faculty
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Mira Balberg - History
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Jody Blanco - Literature
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Page duBois - Literature
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Deborah Hertz - History
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Edward (Ted) Kelting - Literature
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Nancy Kwak - History
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Dana Velasco Murillo - History
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Jacobo Myerston - Literature
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Patrick Patterson - History
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Jeremy Prestholdt - History
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Pamela Radcliff - History
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Babak Rahimi - Literature
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Dan Vitkus - Literature
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Nina Zhiri - Literature
MMW Teaching Assistants
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Baris Tasyakan
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: PhD Candidate
Department: History
Speciality: Late Ottoman Empire, Modern Middle East
Email: batasyakan@ucsd.edu -
Brianne Itaya
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: PhD Candidate
Department: Art History, Theory, and Criticism
Speciality: Art of Ancient Mesoamerica
Email: bitaya@ucsd.edu -
David Hollingsworth
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: MA in History from SDSU
Department: History
Speciality: 20th Century Revolutionary Latin America, post-Civil War United States
Email: dwhollingsworth@ucsd.edu -
Dionysios Skouloudis
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: Doctoral Student
Department: History
Speciality: Modern Greece and Europe
Email: dskoulou@ucsd.edu -
Emre Sunu
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: M.A | PhD Candidate
Department: History
Speciality: Social and Cultural History, 19th century Balkans
Email: sesunu@ucsd.edu -
Iman Farahani
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: B.A. in English from UC Davis
Department: Literature
Email: ifarahan@ucsd.edu -
Ivana Polic
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: PhD Candidate
Department: History
Speciality: Modern Europe, History of Children and Childhood
Email: ipolic@ucsd.edu -
Kimiko Nicole LeNeave
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: B.A. from UNC Chapel Hill (History, Latin American Studies, Music); PhD in Latin American History in progress
Department: History
Speciality: 20th Century Latin American History
Email: kleneave@ucsd.edu -
Joe Djordjevski
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: PhD Candidate
Department: History
Speciality: Cultural and Environmental History
Email: jdjordje@ucsd.edu -
Lauren Wood
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: PhD Candidate
Department: History
Speciality: Medieval Europe
Email: lewood@ucsd.edu -
Leung Ho-chiu
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: PhD Candidate
Department: History
Speciality: Modern East Asia, History of Capitalism
Email: c0leung@ucsd.edu -
Meaghan Baril
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: M.A | Candidate in Philosophy
Department: Literature
Speciality: 20th/21st American Literature
Email: mbaril@ucsd.edu -
Mel Vipperman-Cohen
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: Ph.D. in Literature from UC San Diego, BA in English from Barnard College, Columbia University
Speciality: Early modern England, theater, economic criticism, queer theory
Email: mvipperm@ucsd.edu -
Paul Tchir
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: PhD Candidate
Department: History
Speciality: Modern Middle East, Egypt
Email: ptchir@ucsd.edu -
Rachel Hennings
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: Previous: iBBA from Schulich School of Business, York University, Current: PhD Student in History
Department: History
Speciality: Modern Germany
Email: rahennin@ucsd.edu -
Reem Taşyakan
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: MA - Near Eastern Studies | PhD Student - Literature
Department: Literature
Speciality: Contemporary Arab-American Literature
Email: rehazbou@ucsd.edu -
Reuben Silverman
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: PhD Candidate
Department: History
Speciality: Modern Turkey and the Middle East
Email: rwsilver@ucsd.edu -
Robert Nixon
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: B.A. in History and French from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, with a Minor in Middle Eastern Studies
Department: History
Speciality: 20th Century Syrian Intellectual/Cultural History
Email: r1nixon@ucsd.edu -
Samantha Young-Nelson
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: BA in History and Religious Studies from SDSU, MA in History from SDSU
Speciality: Ancient Jewish/ Mediteranean
Email: s2young@ucsd.edu -
Semih Gokatalay
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: PhD Candidate
Department: History
Speciality: Modern Middle East, economic history, business history
Email: sgokatal@ucsd.edu -
Shane McClain
Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his
Degree: MA - Linguistic Anthropology
Department: Anthropology
Speciality: Indigenous languages Mexico
Email: sbmcclain@ucsd.edu -
Tricia McMaster
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: M.A. - English
Speciality: Teaching English as a Second Language
Email: pgmcmaster@ucsd.edu -
Virginia Johnston
Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers
Degree: M.A.- Ecumenical Studies | MDiv
Speciality: Global Christianity, Protestant Theology
Email: vijohnston@ucsd.edu