Academic excellence and rigor are cornerstones of Willamette University. That focus on learning partnered with a culture of mentorship between our distinguished faculty and students is part of our special sauce.
The 2025–2026 academic year is marked by an exciting group of new faculty at both the Salem and Portland campuses. This diverse cadre of educators are poised to help students dive deep into their experience and inspire them to turn their knowledge into action both on and off campus.
Meet the newest members of the Willamette community below!
School of Computing & Information Sciences
Zechariah Meunier
Zechariah Meunier is a quantitative ecologist and environmental data scientist. He leads the Ecological Data Science Lab at Willamette University, managing field experiments and analyzing big environmental datasets. His current work focuses on developing scientific machine learning (SciML) techniques and applying ML methods to detect and predict regime shifts in marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs, kelp forests, and rocky shores. He is interested in how environmental conditions, disturbance, disease, and species interactions affect ecological communities.
Before joining Willamette University, Dr. Meunier worked for two years as a postdoctoral research associate in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. He earned his PhD in integrative biology with a minor in statistics from OSU in 2023. With fellowship support from OSU and the National Science Foundation, he studied rocky intertidal ecosystems of Oregon, California, and Nova Scotia. Following his passion for conservation, Dr. Meunier has also published research on marine protected areas and the unintended consequences of biocontrol insects for threatened wildflowers. Prior to his doctoral studies, he completed his BA in biology and environmental studies at Lawrence University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude in 2015. While at Lawrence, Dr. Meunier was awarded the Gilman Scholarship to study abroad in Madagascar and the Udall Scholarship in recognition of his commitment to environmental issues. He enjoys birding, backpacking, and playing with his cats, Felix, and Kamala.
Pacific Northwest College of Art
Brian Elliott
Brian Elliott has taught at the college level since 1998, initially at the Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh, and University College Dublin, before moving to Oregon in 2008. He taught at Portland State University from 2010 and was promoted to full professor there in spring 2025. He currently teaches at PNCA, University of Portland, and Oregon State University. Building on a foundation in modern and contemporary European thought, Dr. Elliott's research and publishing is broad and prolific and includes work on architecture and urbanism, literature and culture, as well as social and political theory. He is the author of numerous articles and seven monographs in these areas, including Benjamin for Architects (Routledge, 2011), Natural Catastrophe: Climate Change and Neoliberal Governance (Edinburgh University Press, 2016), and The Roots of Populism: Neoliberalism and Working-Class Lives (Manchester University Press, 2021). His latest book projects, scheduled for publication in early 2026, are A Child’s Place in Nature: Toward a Pedagogy for the Anthropocene (Bloomsbury) and a new edition of Art and Its Significance (SUNY Press).
Zach D’Agostino
Zach D’Agostino has joined PNCA as a Thesis Mentor this year. He designs and repairs electronic music instruments at 4ms Company. He earned an AAS in Biomedical Engineering Technology from Portland Community College and a BA in Sound Design from Emerson College. He has worked with Engineering World Health (now Community Health, part of Engineers Without Borders) in Guatemala as a coordinator and technical mentor, training students to repair biomedical equipment and helping with Spanish translation between students and hospital staff. He currently volunteers with Engineers Without Borders on a clean-water project in Rwanda and helps manage Portland’s Community Power Pods.
D’Agostino drums in the Portland band Sea Moss, which has led circuit-building workshops culminating in an interactive installation at Portland Synth Library, where he also served as a facilitator. Most recently, he served as technical mentor for Angelo Scott’s Omni Rail installation at the TBA Festival, contributing troubleshooting, wiring, signal flow, and mechanical optimization for the large-scale sound sculpture that transformed architectural railings into resonant instruments
Jason Hill
Jason Hill is an artist and educator currently living in Portland, Oregon. Born in the Midwest to a father in the military, he moved constantly with his family until settling down in Southern California. His relationship with photographic imagery began with his love of record album covers. He started working with a camera during adolescence and is largely self-trained. His practice today is focused on portraiture with an emphasis in the mechanics of light, vibrant color, emotion, and natural beauty.
Jess Leftault
Jess Leftault is an artist, designer, woodworker, and sculptor specializing in print and packaging design. After completing her BFA with an emphasis in 3D design from the University of Arizona, she relocated to Portland and began working with several local nonprofits working with adults experiencing I/DD.
While teaching art and graphic design at PHAME, she learned to appreciate the power of art in helping underserved communities express their fullest selves. This experience introduced Jess to the importance of accessibility and person-centered design, which guides her approach to creating and teaching.
In 2017, she received her certificate in Communication Design from PNCA’s Continuing Education Program. Since then, she has worked in both agency and in-house settings specializing in packaging, retail displays, and tradeshow booth design.
Palmarin Merges
Palmarin Merges has joined PNCA as a Thesis Mentor this year. She is a Filipina American artist whose work draws from the desire to become more sustainable by re-using materials close at hand and by adapting restriction as a generative force for creation. Trained as a Printmaker, she now works primarily in mixed media, especially household waste - plastic, cardboard, etc. These common materials taken from the fabric of her daily life are processed and then transformed into pattern, collage and concrete poetry. Her work contemplates a sense of place and make a present out of the material remnants of the past.
Nyssa Oru
Nyssa Oru is an illustrator and art director working and living in Portland, Oregon. For the last decade they have worked broadly in media entertainment, including animation, comic books, product design, and video game development. Commercial clients and collaborators have included RoseCityGame, TheWild VR, DreamWorks, FirstSecond comics, and the BibleProject.
Nyssa harbors a deep passion for the camp, drama, and practical effects of 90’s and 2000’s pulp and horror media. It feeds their love of narrative art, saturate pallets, and extensive analogue/digital mixing.Their personal work focuses on queer identity, community forming, and practical skills sharing. They seek, always, to find the intersection of creativity and mutual aid. They are convinced that art, like life, is a team sport best played cooperatively.
Nyssa graduated from PNCA in 2016 with a BFA in Illustration, and has repeatedly returned to teach workshops, CE summer courses, independent studies, Thesis mentorships, and other classes ever since.
Sarah Reagan
Sarah Reagan is a sculptor who uses lumber to explore how queerness interrupts conventional ideas of utility. Through carving, casting, handbuilding, and digital fabrication, her work transforms personal grief and cultural rigidity into something strange — questioning who and what gets to be taken seriously.
After serving in the Peace Corps in both Togo and Mexico, Reagan earned her MFA in Craft/Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has taught at Arizona State University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Universidad Tecnológica de San Juan del Río, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and Penland School of Craft with residencies at Anderson Ranch Art Center, The Wassaic Project, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and the Flower Shop Art Studio. Reagan has exhibited nationally and internationally, including shows at Corrente de Ar (Lisbon, Portugal), IA&A at Hillyer (Washington, D.C.), the Appalachian Center for Craft (Cookeville, TN), and the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art (Brownsville, TX).
Meg Roland
Meg Roland explores the relationship between literature, cartography (mapping), and visual culture, focusing on the 15th century — a time when an interest in linearity, perspective, and maps shaped a new worldview. Meg has taught a range of classes over the past 20 years, primarily at Marylhurst University, including medieval literature and book history. Her scholarship and writing are part of interdisciplinary fields including Geohumanities and the Global Middle Ages. Her recent book is titled Mirror of the World: Literature, Maps, and Geographic Writing in Late Medieval and Early Modern England (Routledge, 2021). She is currently writing about the woodblock images in the first illustrated edition (1498) of Le Morte d'Arthur (the legend of King Arthur).
Meg has also directed short-term study abroad programs in Rome, London, and the cloud forest town of Monteverde, Costa Rica.
Ran Sheng
Ran Sheng, born and raised in Beijing, China, has a rich background in various creative industries, including graphic design, animation, and photography. After moving to Portland in 2015, he pursued his passion for stop-motion animation, graduating from the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. His thesis film, Karma Has You, won the prestigious William H. Givler Thesis Award and was selected for screening at Cannes, France, in 2019. From 2019 to 2020, Sheng worked as a stop-motion animator at a local animation studio, followed by a year as a freelance artist, where he contributed to various projects including online animation shorts and informative animations in feature films. His diverse experiences have shaped his unique artistic vision, blending physical and digital media to explore complex narratives.
Since 2021, Sheng has been the Lead Support Specialist at PNCA’s Animated Arts Department, where he shares his extensive knowledge and experience with animation students. In 2023, he began his journey toward the Low-residency MFA in Visual Studies at PNCA’s Hallie Ford School of Graduate Studies, with a keen interest in projection art. Sheng continues to push the boundaries of animated arts, focusing on stop-motion and hybrid animation, and remains dedicated to exploring the endless possibilities of creative narration through various media.
Cooper Williams
Cooper Williams teaches Typography in the graphic design department at PNCA. He enjoys solving information overload by transforming it into user-friendly and legible infographics, publications, identities, and signage. He brings his passion for typography and mapping to wayfinding systems, helping people navigate complex spaces with ease. He has designed wayfinding systems and standards guidelines for Nike World Headquarters, Seattle’s light rail system, Portland International Airport, and Downtown Juneau, Alaska.
Originally from Seattle, Cooper studied at Cornish College of the Arts before completing his BS in Graphic Design at Portland State University in 2010. In 2014, he deepened his focus on typeface design, graduating from the Type@Cooper condensed program at Cooper Union in New York City. He is eager to mentor the next generation of designers through a research-based, collaborative approach that fosters connections beyond the classroom.
Willamette College
Marley Badolati
Marley Badolati is a writer and educator from the Pacific Northwest and will be teaching Creative Writing Fundamentals (ENG 102) and Poetry Writing (ENG 332) this fall. She earned her BA from Lewis & Clark College and MFA from the University of Oregon. In addition to Willamette University, she teaches poetry courses at the University of Oregon and technical writing at Linn-Benton Community College. She served as an assistant poetry editor for The Northwest Review, and her work has been supported by the Oregon Arts Commission. She currently resides in Eugene with her three pets and two children.
Matthew Bertucci
Matthew Bertucci is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Willamette. Bertucci received a PhD in May 2025 at the University of Utah, advised by Sean Howe. Before that, Bertucci received an undergraduate degree in math and philosophy from Louisiana State University. He is originally from a swampy town near New Orleans, Louisiana. Bertucci’s research is in arithmetic statistics, which lies at the intersection of algebraic geometry and number theory. He enjoys teaching and working with undergraduates to learn difficult topics in math. Outside of math, he enjoys cooking, reading, skiing, hiking, and basketball.
Mason Fessler
Mason Fessler is a sports physical therapist and visiting associate professor. He will be teaching teaching EXHS 340: Clinical Healthcare this semester. I graduated from Willamette University in 2018 and played baseball there. I then received my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA. I then completed a sports residency at St. Luke’s Sports Medicine in Boise, ID. I am a board certified sports clinical specialist in physical therapy and I work as a clinic director and physical therapist in West Salem, OR.
Kelly Johnson
Kelly Johnson is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Public Health Ethics, Advocacy, and Leadership program. She earned her PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology from Oregon State University in 2023. She comes to Willamette University with over 15 years of experience in public health practice, predominantly in state and local-level disease surveillance programs. When not teaching, Kelly enjoys camping, reading, cooking, and playing board games with family and friends.
Weston Miller
Weston Miller is a Senior Instructor for Environmental Science courses and Director for Willamette University at Zena and Center for Land-based Learning. Prior to joining Willamette University in 2025, he served for 16 years as manager for Oregon State University’s Master Gardener program for Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties including instruction and volunteer management. He also organized, facilitated, and co-instructed a 500-hour, hands-on urban farming apprenticeship for 125 participants through 7 runs of the program. He coached many participants on farm business plans and property searches. At OSU, Miller provided garden, landscape, farming, and property consulting services for thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations and businesses. He also has extensive experience designing and implementing ecological landscapes for construction companies.
Amanda Rowan
Amanda Rowan is a visiting assistant professor of psychology. She is a researcher in behavioral neuroscience and utilizes brain imaging techniques to map out brain circuitry. She earned her Master of Science and her Doctorate in Applied Psychology with a focus in Biopsychology from the University of New Orleans, where she conducted research on various brain regions and circuits related to the development of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Rowan will be teaching Introduction to Psychology and Biopsychology.
Kate Russell
Originally from eastern Maine, Kate Elizabeth Russell earned an MFA from Indiana University and a PhD from the University of Kansas. Kate will be teaching ENG 313: Fiction Writing. Her debut novel, My Dark Vanessa, a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and has been translated into over thirty languages.
Chelsea Sato
Chelsea Sato is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics. She earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics from Syracuse University. Her main research interests are in graph theory and algebraic combinatorics. She enjoys helping students understand math concepts (instead of relying on memorization) by incorporating various methods and styles into her teaching methods. Her hobbies include playing tennis, food adventures, and learning Korean. Most recently, she has been on a mission to find the best places to eat in Salem (she encourages all to share their rec's with her!).
Sam West
Sam West is joining Willamette this year to teach several classes in Civic Communication & Media. Sam is teaching Group Communication this fall and two classes in the spring. A Salem kid and a liberal arts grad, she is currently a communications professional in the field, having worked for two statewide elected officials and recently Oregon's Planned Parenthood affiliates. Her grad work focused on consent discourses and legal rhetorics around Title IX on college campuses.
Willamette Law
Michelle Bryan
Michelle Bryan joins the Willamette Law community as a Visiting Professor of Law. She has most recently been at the University of Montana Law School where she taught in their Natural Resources and Environmental Law program. Bryan grew up in farming and ranching communities, which has drawn her to the fields of natural resources and environmental law.
Before teaching, she worked in private practice representing clients including local governments, private landowners, non-profits, developers, and affected neighbors and community groups.
During her time at Willamette she will be teaching torts, federal lands, environmental law, and property law. She is looking forward to being part of the law school’s community and engaging with students and faculty.
“Oregon is rich with natural resources and water law issues, and we will have much to discuss on these topics in the classroom,” Bryan shares.
Rachael Dickson
Rachael Dickson joins Willamette Law as an Assistant Professor of Law. Most recently, she had the opportunity to remotely direct the IP and Entrepreneurship Law Clinic at Suffolk University Law School as a visitor.
Prior to teaching, Dickson worked in a number of different legal jobs including at a medical cannabis company, helping to develop and test AI-powered trademark searching technology, and as a trademark examining attorney at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Over the last few years, she also ran a solo firm practicing trademark and copyright law while advising other trademark attorneys.
At Willamette, she brings her experience in trademark, intellectual property, and entrepreneurship to her course load. Alongside a seminar, she will teach property law, an intellectual property law survey course, and a simulation course on “Intellectual Property and Business Development.”
Having primarily taught remotely in the past, Dickson is looking forward to teaching in person. “I’m excited to be in person for all my classes and present on campus full-time,” she says “I can’t wait to meet my future Willamette students.”
Nikki Hatza
Nikki Hatza joins the Willamette Law faculty as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law. After law school, she spent time as a litigation associate for Ballard Spahr LLP in the white collar, education, and government affairs & public policy groups. Before joining Willamette, she completed her second federal district court judicial clerkship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A passionate educator, Hatza spent time teaching as part of Teach for America and as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. She previously served as an educator at a nonprofit focusing on LGBTQ+ rights, gender and sexuality, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion education. Most recently, she served as an adjunct professor for the Law and Public Policy program at Temple Law. She has also been the Education Co-Chair with the Philadelphia LGBTQ+ Bar Association, coordinating CLEs for attorneys.
While at Willamette, Hatza will teach Contracts, Civil Rights Litigation, and Labor and Employment Law.
“I have been teaching or educating in various capacities for over a decade. The power and value of education has been a throughline for me throughout my life,” Hatza shares. She is looking forward to connecting with the students and the wider Willamette community.
Jennifer Stevenson
Jennifer Stevenson began an academic career after working as a transactional attorney in Seattle for nine years. She always wanted to teach, and after being offered the opportunity to do so at William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia, she jumped at the chance.
While there, Stevenson instructed law students in legal writing and expanded into teaching all types of lawyering skills to students from the U.S. and international countries. She also served as associate dean for graduate programs and director of the LLM program in the American Legal System.
Most recently, Stevenson was assistant dean for international programs at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas, where she also taught fundamental legal skills courses to new law students.
Stevenson is excited to join Willamette Law as a professor of Lawyering, teaching a combination of legal writing and key lawyering skills for students at the beginning of their law school journeys.
“My role will be primarily teaching and mentoring,” Stevenson says. “I feel I’m at my best when I’m in the classroom and working with students individually and in small groups.”
