Faculty & Staff

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.