New Faculty: Welcome to Oberlin, Cont.

Oberlin OnCampus is featuring brief bios of faculty and staff members new to the campus community. New employees who have not completed the New Employee Information form that was included in their human resources packet can still submit information by sending an email to communications@oberlin.edu. Others who want to supplement the information they have already provided may do so by e-mail.

Megan Kaes Long

Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Aural Skills Megan Long comes to Oberlin from Yale, where she received her PhD in music theory this year. Long is also an adjunct professor at Lorain County Community College and teaches painting to teenagers in collaboration with the FAVA gallery and the Allen Memorial Art Museum.

Christopher Lovins

Visiting Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies Christopher Lovins comes to Oberlin from the University of British Columbia, where he was an instructor from 2013 to 2014 and received his PhD. This year, he will teach five courses on Korean history. An avid bad movie watcher, Lovins comes to Oberlin with his guinea pigs, Darwin and Einstein.

Meghan Rabbitt Morean

Assistant Professor of Psychology Meghan Morean will be teaching Introduction to Clinical and Counseling Psychology and Advanced Methods in Psychological Assessment. Morean's main area of research is addictive behaviors, including heavy drinking, cigarette smoking, use of modified risk tobacco products like e-ciggarettes. She comes to Oberlin from Yale, where she and her wife, Sarah, both earned PhDs in clinical psychology. The couple has two dogs, Sammy and Chestnut.

Willis Oyugi

Visiting Assistant Professor of History Willis Oyugi joins Oberlin from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned his PhD this year and specialized in environmental history. This academic year at Oberlin, he will be teaching three environmental history courses: Global Environmental History, Environmental History of the British Empire, and African Environmental History. Originally from Kenya, Oyugi enjoys the outdoors, having worked as a professional safari guide for more than 20 years.

Chrisie Parris

Assistant Professor of Sociology Christie Parris joins Oberlin from Emory University, where she received her PhD this year. Parris will teach courses in social inequality, environmental sociology, and research methods. Her research focuses on environmental injustices and the social movement responses to them. Originally from Johnson City, Tennessee, she has a spouse Kirk Stephens, and two cats.

John Ragosta

Visiting Assistant Professor of History John Ragosta will be teaching American History to 1877, and Before the Reservation: Native American History to 1877 during the first semester and, American Revolution, and Making the Constitution Rebellion in the 17th Century second semester. Prior to working at Oberlin, Ragosta taught at Hamilton College in New York and Randolph College in Virginia. He has published two books about the history of religious freedom. In his spare time, he keeps bees.

Gil Ribak

Visiting Assistant Professor of History and Jewish Studies Gil Ribak served as a postdoctoral fellow at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Arizona before coming to Oberlin. Most recently, he served as the Director of the Institute on American-Jewish Israeli relations at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. "I'm glad to call Oberlin my home this year," says Ribak.

Lisa Ryno

Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Lisa Ryno will be teaching a biochemistry lab and lecture in the fall, and a general chemistry lab and a bio organic chemistry lab in the spring. Prior to joining Oberlin's chemistry and biochemistry departments, she worked as a postdoctoral research associate and at the University of San Diego, and earned her PhD at the Scripps Research Institute. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, knitting, cooking, and spending time with her dogs, Ed and Ralph.

Martin Saavedra

Assistant Professor of Economics Martin Saavedra is a specialist in applied microeconomics, health economics, and economics history. He received his PhD from University of Pittsburgh.

Kelcy Sagstetter

Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics Kelcy Sagstetter comes to Oberlin from the University of Pennsylvania, where she received her PhD this year. A specialist in Athenian Democracy and archaic greek tyranny, Sagstetter will be teaching History of Greece, Homer’s Iliad, and Cyrus the Great in Greek Literary Imagination in the fall. In her spare time, Sagstetter trains in Muay Thai kickboxing, which she has practiced for 10 years.

Jonathan Louis Shaheen

Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Oberlin-Michigan Postdoctoral Fellow Jonathan Louis Shaheen comes to Oberlin with his spouse, Michelle, and his son, Theo.

Perry Maxfield Waldman Sherouse

Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology Perry Sherouse is an Oberlin-Michigan Postdoctoral fellow.

Danielle Skeehan

Assistant Professor of English Danielle Skeehan will teach American literature until 1900.

Alberto Zambenedetti

Visiting Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies and Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow Alberto Zambenedetti, will be teaching a course every semester and carrying out research. Prior to joining Oberlin, Zambenedetti was a lecturer at the College of Staten Island, and an assistant professor at University of Toronto. A native of Venice, Italy, he holds a PhD in Italian Studies from New York University.