Mark Baker, mbaker@ucsc.edu

Mark has a background in Comparative Literature, and he has taught the core course at UCSC for 13 years. He has a special interest in justice and culture, and his enthusiasm for music and literature have shaped his longstanding commitment to prioritizing social justice issues in his own teaching.

Chesa Caparas, fcaparas@ucsc.edu

Chesa is originally from the Washington, DC area. She lived in Switzerland for five years before moving to CA over 12 years ago. Chesa received an MA in Literature from UCSC with her research focused on representations of women and the family in realist fiction. Teaching has always been a passion and lately some of her favorite teaching moments have been helping her six-year-old daughter learn how to read and write.

Robin King, ryking@ucsc.edu

Robin has taught the Oakes core course for over ten years and she has a background in art, media, and journalism. In the core course, she encourages students to shift their frames of reference in order to view the world around them from new and enlightening perspectives.

Lindsay Knisely, lknisely@ucsc.edu, Office: Oakes 313

Lindsay has a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from the University of Oregon, and she has been teaching the Oakes core course since 2004. Lindsay’s own college experience is a great reminder to all of us that one of the most important components of being a successful student is finding and developing your passion—she began as a neuroscience major and graduated with a degree in Creative Writing and minors in African American literature and Psychology.

Phil Longo

Phil recently relocated to Santa Cruz from New Jersey where he was born and raised. He is currently finishing his PhD in English, and his dissertation focuses on English and American literature of the 1950s-1970s with a focus on the intersection of radical politics and sexuality.

Leslie Lopez, lesliel@ucsc.edu

Leslie has been teaching core for nine years.  She received her PhD in socio-cultural anthropology, and her research focuses on alternative communication and education strategies in Latin America and the Southwest United States.  She teaches for the Latin American and Latino/a Studies Department, the Writing Program, and the Education Department, where she directs “Corre La Voz,” an after-school program.  Leslie is interested in working with people to make institutions usefully responsive to our changing world, and in bringing communities and regions together in inclusive and sustainable ways.

Grace Pizzuti, gpizzuti@ucsc.edu

Grace was a student at UCSC before she moved away and began teaching many different forms and levels of writing, literature, and American Studies. She feels very fortunate to have an opportunity to return to Santa Cruz and to UCSC. This is Grace’s 7th year teaching for us.

Katie Simonton, simonton@ucsc.edu

Katie has been teaching core for 9 years and she probably has one of the most diverse histories of any of us. She worked in film and TV in Hollywood for 15 years, then spent 5 years working in the Space Program for the US Air Force Space Command. Katie then got her PhD in History, and her research focuses on the persistence of ethnic identity in immigrant communities in 19th century America and Canada.

Matt Suazo, msuazo@ucsc.edu

Matt was born in Colorado and raised in Texas, Michigan, and Virginia; before his recent move to Santa Cruz, he lived in New Orleans where he taught English and writing. He is currently a PhD student in the Literature Department here at UCSC, but he has also worked as a barista, a bookseller, a cook, and a house painter.