Faculty & Staff

Linda Austin is an award-winning editor and educator, schooled in instructional design and experienced in international teaching, online learning, journalism-curriculum and training development.
She taught on the Spring 2020 voyage, after which one student wrote:
“Professor Austin challenged us, she informed us, she cared about us, and most importantly, she prepared us to go back into the world with a new appreciation, discernment, and understanding of the role journalism plays in our daily lives.”
She was a Fulbright Scholar in Burma, Luce Scholar in Singapore, visiting professor in China, Fulbright Specialist in Romania and Nepal, and Reynolds Journalism Institute Fellow in the U.S.
Before becoming an educator, she led three local newsrooms to seven national and 41 state awards.

Colleen’s interests include community engaged programming, sustainable food systems, global nutrition, public health, and food as medicine. Her passion for these areas stems from curiosity about the global interplay associated with health, human rights, education, gender equity, climate change, food systems, poverty, and social action. In addition, the relationship among food, culture, and society is dynamic and everyone has a voice, opinion, and story to share. The Semester at Sea voyage will provide a unique platform to explore these interacting factors through a global comparative framework. Colleen looks forward to sharing this journey with you and her partner, Jeff!

Attorney turned adventurer, Fulbright Scholar, and lifelong wanderer who has spent a career at the intersection of law, child welfare, and cross-cultural curiosity. Trained as a lawyer and shaped by decades of child welfare practice, she carries a deep conviction that how a society treats its children is a defining measure of who we are — and who we aspire to be.

I am teaching intensive faculty at CSU and am passionate about incorporating evidence-based pedagogy and teaching scientific competency into every course I teach. I have a special interest in building awareness of the role of museum collections in education, engagement, and research. My favorite place to be is in the field and I strive to find ways to provide hands-on field research experiences to students.

Dr. Lisa Donovan is a professor in the Fine and Performing Arts Department at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and former Director of Lesley University’s Creative Arts in Learning. She creates arts-based learning experiences that engage students in creating, analyzing, and making meaning, supporting them in developing voice & agency across community and global contexts. Her work includes Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Barrington Stage Company, and Boston University Arts Institutes. She has published 6 books on arts integration and leads the Berkshire Regional Arts Integration Network. Her work is supported by grants including National Endowment for the Arts and the Mellon Foundation. Has taught nationally and internationally and first sailed with Semester at Sea (Fall ’90).

Sharmila Pixy Ferris, PhD, is Professor of Communication at William Paterson University of New Jersey, where she teaches in undergraduate and graduate programs and has held leadership roles in graduate education, faculty development, online learning, and institutional governance. Her research explores communication and technology at the intersections of pedagogy and leadership, focusing on how institutions respond to cultural and technological change. She has published extensively in these areas, and is currently working on a co-authored book examining AI through science fiction. An executive coach and nonprofit leader, she also serves as Vice President of the New Jersey Botanical Garden.

Timothy Knowlton is Adjunct Professor of Anthropology and an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria, Canada. Dr. Knowlton previously served for eighteen years as Professor of Anthropology at Berry College. He earned his doctorate in Anthropology from Tulane University and his master’s degree in Eastern Classics from St. John’s College. Dr. Knowlton’s field and archival research and academic publications explore questions in linguistic anthropology and in the comparative study of religion.

Dr. “Pat” Mahoney earned his MA and PhD in sociology from Colorado State University and has been affiliated with CSU’s Sociology Department for 25 years. Pat approaches the classroom as the epicenter of critical learning, where lively discussion of contemporary social issues helps students question assumptions and grow intellectually and personally. These commitments come alive through Semester at Sea, a “floating classroom” that fosters meaningful, engaged learning. Dr. Mahoney teaches upper-division undergraduate and graduate courses in sociological theory, health and medicine, and global tourism. His research includes Antarctic tourism, medical technologies, and artificial intelligence. A Colorado native, Pat lives with his wife Sharon and their cat Maisie in an 1895 farmhouse.

Doreen J. Mattingly is Emerita Professor of Women’s Studies at San Diego State University, where she taught Geography and Women’s Studies from 1995 to 2021. Her courses examined gender in geographic, economic, and political contexts. She served as Chair of Women’s Studies and president of the campus chapter of the California Faculty Association. At SDSU she led study-abroad trips exploring women’s lives in China, India, Europe, Guatemala, and Mexico. Her research addresses domestic work, immigration, urban politics, feminist methods, and women’s activism in the 1970s. Her most recent book is A Feminist in the White House: Midge Costanza, the Carter Years, and America’s Culture Wars (Oxford, 2016).

Hi. I’m a marketing professor from San Diego, California, who loves the outdoors. Let’s talk about travel, because I love to hear about your cultural and travel experiences. I currently teach at Point Loma Nazarene University and have consulted with thousands of companies since starting my business in the early days of the internet. My nephew was on SAS during COVID, and my sister-in-law is in FA 25, so this is a new family tradition. Let’s meet for tea, a swim, and a conversation about your favorite travel books. I’ve written a few books under the pen name, Dr. Mary Travelbest. I went around the world solo in 2023 and again in 2025, each for 90 days.

Nicole Newendorp is an anthropologist whose research focuses on migration and family life in China, Hong Kong, and the United States. She retired from Harvard University in 2025 as a lecturer and the Interim Director of Studies for the Committee on Degrees in Social Studies, where she taught for 21 years. She has published two books based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Cantonese in Hong Kong and the US: Uneasy Reunions: Immigration, Citizenship, and Family Life in Post-1997 Hong Kong (awarded the American Association of Anthropology’s SEAA Hsu Book Prize in 2009) and Chinese Senior Migrants and the Globalization of Retirement (2020). Nicole has also led summer study abroad programs in Hong Kong and Greece and lives in Cambridge, MA with her husband, son, and cat.

Lois Olson specializes in teaching Global Marketing, Principles of Marketing, and Consumer Behavior at San Diego State University since 1988. Until Covid, Olson annually taught two SDSU faculty-led classes to Shanghai, one in January and one in June. She has taught the capstone International Management course in classes in France, Thailand and Czech.

Summer, 2010, Olson was a professor teaching on-board the MV Explorer, the University of Virginia’s Semester-at-Sea campus for the summer teaching students Global Marketing and Consumer Behavior in the Mediterranean. The academic year, 1999-2000, was spent as a Fulbright Scholar teaching at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

I was born in Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico, and spoke Spanish before English—a bicultural foundation that shapes my teaching. I’ve been at CSU since 1999 as a Teaching Professor of Spanish and I am the Undergraduate Coordinator for our department. I earned my Ph.D. in 20th Century Spanish American Literature from Texas Tech. My interests range from contemporary Spanish American prose to teaching reading and writing skills. I’ve traveled extensively throughout Latin America and Spain, fueling my fascination with culture and education. I’m deeply involved in community outreach, engaging students with real-world language applications. My teaching philosophy centers on creating comfortable classrooms where students feel ready to work and learn alongside one another.

Scott Walker retired after 20 years from Northwest Vista College as the Program Coordinator and Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies. He has led experiential Adventure Science field programs, from sea turtle studies with undergraduates in Costa Rica to hydrology projects in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains. He has consulted on ecotourism for Mexican and US non-profits, communities, and government in El Cielo Biosphere Reserve and sites in Veracruz and Coahuila. He blends field skills with storytelling, such as a Hindu pilgrimage research expedition in the Indian Himalayas, to make complex ideas immediate and clear. He emphasizes ecotourism practice and protected area management through fieldwork, collaborative projects, and real-world problem-solving.

I am a licensed psychologist with 30+ years of experience supporting individuals, couples, and groups navigate life’s challenges and transitions. My approach is person-centered and integrative, honoring culture, history, strengths, and goals. Originally from the SF Bay Area, I studied nursing and psychology at SFSU and worked as a medical-surgical nurse. Seeking more meaningful therapeutic connections with clients, I attended graduate school at Stanford, earning my doctorate in Counseling and Health Psychology. Working with college students during my UCSD CAPS internship and later at CSUSM was truly impactful. For the past 22 years I have lived in Northern Nevada, where my career has included rural mental health, inpatient/outpatient services, and supporting individuals with disabilities.

Jaime Gonora is an international education professional with experience supporting students in global academic and cultural programs around the world. She has worked in student life, study abroad, and experiential learning roles with organizations including Northeastern University’s N.U.in Program and CIEE, focusing on community building, student support, and cross-cultural engagement. Jaime earned her M.S. in Corporate and Public Communication from Florida State University, and her B.S. in Computer Science and Design from Northeastern University. In her free time she loves dancing, making pottery, trying new recipes, and finding the best matcha latte wherever she travels.

Pam McCracken, LCSW, has devoted her career to supporting student well-being and creating spaces where students feel understood and empowered. She began her work at CSU in prevention education and now provides counseling, crisis support, and substance-use services through the DAY Program. Pam also sailed as faculty on the Fall 2017 Semester at Sea voyage, deepening her passion for global learning. Known for her warmth, humor, and collaborative spirit, she brings heart, experience, and steady support to every student she works with.

Dr. Michele Pino has held leadership roles across college campuses for 25 years including serving as an RD on the Fall ’07 voyage. Since ’12, she has served as chapter rep for the Los Angeles SAS alumni assoc. Dr. Pino is passionate about equity, access, and holistic development, especially supporting first-gen students, as reflected in her dissertation research, Before the Journey: Pre-Departure Experiences and Challenges of First-Generation College Students Who Studied Abroad. She enjoys exploring cultures through food, traditions, and daily life and sharing these experiences with her spouse of 15 years and their three children, who will all join her on the voyage.

Michael is currently an emergency medicine and urgent care physician assistant based in Long Island, New York. Michael began his career in medicine as a paramedic, working for both large city and rural 911 EMS systems in Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. He then transitioned to remote medicine, working as a shipboard paramedic for Princess Cruises. After spending nearly five years on the high seas, he transitioned to remote land based positions as a paramedic, working in Afghanistan, Wake Island, and Senegal. These remote experiences served as the catalyst to go to physician assistant school. Michael sailed with Semester at Sea in the Fall 2003 on the SS Universe Explorer as an undergraduate student, and he is exicted to be returning to the shipboard commmunity.

Ben Schrader, born and raised in Colorado, served in the US Army from 2001-2005. Ben then went to Colorado State University and double majored in Political Science and Sociology, as well as earned an MA in Ethnic Studies. Ben then went on to earn a PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii.

Ben returned to CSU to teach from 2014-2017. Ben then went to Central European University to complete a postdoc, then to teach at Bard College for the Globalization and International Affairs program. He then conducted a research project in Vietnam for the University of Dayton. He is currently the Director of Adult Learner and Veteran Services at CSU.

Tanya is an educator and social justice advocate creating spaces where authenticity thrives and equity flourishes. With over thirty years of experience, she’s made meaningful contributions to higher education through positions at UMass Amherst, Mount Holyoke College, and Union Theological Seminary. A breast cancer thriver, photographer, and arts enthusiast, Tanya embodies the resilience and authenticity she champions. Her life’s work demonstrates how education, dialogue, and community build a more just world where every person can be seen, appreciated, and empowered to live fully and authentically.