FULL-TIME FACULTY AND STAFF

Brichko, Anna - Department Chair

Anna Brichko is a full-time French instructor at Mission College. She possesses Ph.D. in Linguistics, M.A. in French, and B.A. in French and German. Mrs. Brichko conducted research on the link between speaker's intentions and language expressions and grammatical structures used in speech, and has published 14 scientific articles. During her many years of teaching experience, Mrs. Brichko has taught beginner through advanced courses in French, Conversational French, French Literature, Grammar, Total Immersion programs, as well as elementary and advanced readings in Latin. Throughout her years of education, training and life experience, Mrs. Brichko has been exposed to several languages and cultures, which she is eager to share and pass onto her students. Her courses are not limited to traditional course curriculum, and offer a wide spectrum of activities that introduce students to various aspects of cultures of Francophone countries. Mrs. Brichko received the Teacher of the Year award at Mission College for the 2002-2003 academic year. To receive a complete description of courses she is currently teaching, please visit her website at www.discoverlanguages.com. Mrs. Brichko is also the faculty advisor for the Club Français at Mission College. Her phone number at Mission is (408) 855-5222, or you may contact Anna by email.

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Armstrong, Karyn

Karyn Armstrong is a full-time instructor of Spanish at Mission College. She graduated from California State University, Chico, with a B.A. in Spanish in December 1987. Ms. Armstrong holds an M.A. degree in Mexican American Studies at SJSU and shares with us her many years of experience in Foreign Language teaching, acquired while living in Spain, México, and California. One of her passions is to share her love for Spanish-speaking cultures. Ms. Armstrong's favorite leisure activities include skiing and reading. She also enjoys being the advisor for the Latino Student Union at Mission College, and is the proud mom of daughter Sophie! Her phone number at Mission is (408) 855-5389. Or you may contact Karyn by e-mail.

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Capurro, Jackie

Jackie Capurro is the Instructional Assistant for the Foreign Language Department, supervising the Foreign Language Center at Mission College. She has two degrees from California State University, Hayward: a B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Portuguese, and a B.A. in Italian Language Studies which she completed at the Magistero dell'Università di Firenze in Florence, Italy. She is self-taught in French. Jackie has supervised the Foreign Language Center at Mission College since 1979 and enjoys interacting with the students who frequent the lab. Outside of work, she has been the Director of Il Quartiere Italiano Italian folk dance troupe since 1973 and is editor of Tradizioni, the newsletter of the Italian Folk Art Federation of America. She also loves foreign travel and quilting. Her phone number in the Foreign Language Center at Mission is (408) 855-5281. Or you may contact Jackie by e-mail.

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Hirose, Steven

Steven Hirose is a full-time Japanese language instructor and coordinator of Asian languages at Mission College. He received his B.A. in Japanese language and M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. He is a second-generation Japanese and a native of San José, California. Although hired to teach Japanese for Mission in 1987, he first began teaching Japanese in 1974 at a community college in Hawaii. He had previously lived in Okinawa for 18 months and in Japan for two years. Mr. Hirose enjoys integrating videos into his Japanese courses. His phone number at Mission is (408) 855-5279, or you may contact Steven by e-mail.

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Nguyen, Thanh

Thanh Nguyen is a full-time instructor of Vietnamese at Mission College. He earned an MA in Counseling Psychology at the University of Notre Dame de Namur and a Ph.D. in Human Science at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center. A Vietnamese native speaker, he taught Vietnamese literature to high school seniors for a couple of years in Vietnam. In the United States, Dr. Nguyen taught Vietnamese American Culture courses at a community college and Sino-Vietnamese (Han Van) at several Vietnamese Cultural Centers in California. Dr. Nguyen has lectured and led workshops on various aspects of Vietnamese culture at Stanford University, The University of Notre Dame de Namur, The Graduate Theological Union, and Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center. His phone number at Mission is 408-855-5187. Or you may contact Thanh by e-mail.

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Rivas, Mónica

Dr. Mónica Gaglio Rivas, full-time Spanish Instructor, holds a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and a Masters degree in Spanish Literature from the University of Oregon, as well as a BA in Journalism and in Spanish from California State University, Chico. Dr. Rivas received the Día del Maestro College Teacher of the Year Award (for Santa Clara County) in 2001, as well as a Community College Professional Development Fellowship from Stanford University that same year. Dr. Rivas enjoys traveling (and so far has been to Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Spain, México, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas/US Virgin Islands, France, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Portugal, England, Tahiti, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Perú, Chile, and Ecuador.) She has resided in Spain, México and Italy, where she studied at the Universidad de Madrid (la Complutense) as well as the Università per Stranieri in Perugia, Italy, and the Istituto Linguistico Bertrand Russell in Padova, Italy. In addition to traveling, some of her favorite activities include creative writing, cooking and foreign (un-dubbed!) films. Her phone number at Mission is (408) 855-5282. Or you may contact Mónica by e-mail.

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ASSOCIATE (PART-TIME) FACULTY

Cabrera, Fernando

Fernando Cabrera is an associate instructor in Spanish at Mission College. He was born and raised in Guanajuato, México. After 10 years of living in Soledad (Salinas Valley) in California, he returned to school to learn English at Hartnell College, earning an AA in Health Education, with a Certificate in Drug and Alcohol Counselor. He completed his BA at SJSU and is currently completing the Spanish Master Program, in which he is writing a paleographic edition of a 1646 manuscript for his Master Thesis. Fernando has worked as Drug and Alcohol and DUI Counselor and has taught Spanish at SJSU, Ohlone College, and San José City College where he is currently teaching part time. He also volunteers for a non-profit organization call LUPE (La Unión del Pueblo Entero) where he developed the curriculum, teaches ESL classes, and helps to organize community committees and appropriate public services. In his free time, Fernando enjoys traveling in the USA and México. He loves literature and writing short stories and poetry. Fernando is a native Spanish speaker and understands how hard and challenging it can be to learn another language. You may contact Fernando by e-mail.

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	Dinh, Steven
	Steven Dinh, an associate instructor of Vietnamese at Mission College, graduated from Saigon University in Vietnamese Language and Literature in 1974. He taught Vietnamese language and literature in high school many years and has been teaching at Mission College since 1998. You may contact Steven by e-mail.

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Dorman, Marta

Marta Cervantes Dorman is an associate instructor of Spanish at Mission College. She was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Marta received a B.A. in Spanish at San José State University and an M.A. degree in Spanish as well. During her years of teaching experience, Marta has taught beginning through advance courses in Spanish and conversational Spanish. One of her passions is to share with her students her love of speaking a foreign language. She enjoys running, hiking, reading and traveling to other countries. Marta also teaches at Evergreen College and Menlo College. Marta Dorman's phone number at Mission is (408) 855-5567 extension 5807, or you may contact Marta by e-mail.

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	Fedri, Mariel
	Mariel Fedri is an associate instructor of Portuguese at Mission College. Her phone number at Mission is (408) 855-5567, ext. 5775.

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García, Alberto

Alberto García, an associate Spanish instructor at Mission College, is a native of México. He received an Elementary School Teaching Degree in Morelia, Michoacán, México, and taught elementary school in México for two years. He later received his A.A., B.A., and M.A. Degrees from San José State University and received training in simultaneous interpreting at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Mr. García has worked as an Emergency Room technician and has taught courses in Medical Spanish at several Bay Area hospitals. He has taught Spanish at UC Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College, DeAnza College, and West Valley College. Mr. García has been teaching at Mission College since 1978. You may contact Alberto by email.

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Hung, Irene

Irene Hung, an associate instructor of Chinese at Mission College, has a B.A. degree from National Taiwan Normal University. She completed graduate studies at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. She has two M.A. degrees: History from Western Connecticut State University and TESOL from College of New Rochelle, New York. Mrs. Hung’s Credentials include Secondary and Community College instructor in Chinese, Basic Education, and History. She taught six years in public high school in New York, one year at Los Altos High School, many years at Mission College, and six years at Foothill College. As a member of the Chinese Language Teachers' Association of California since 1990, she has been invited to judge the Annual Chinese Speech Contest of California. She finds it most satisfying to coach Mission College non-Chinese speaking students to win First and Second Prize and Honorable Mention over participants from Stanford University, Berkeley, Defense Language Institute, and San José State University, among others. She has devoted her life to teaching Chinese Language and Culture, using a systematic method to make it easier and interesting to learn Chinese. Her passions include Chinese Painting (having several local exhibitions, such as Los Altos Library, Mission College, etc.),writing poetry, and singing. She is a member of Overseas Chinese Women Writers Association. She has had several books and articles published. The most recent book in Chinese is The Communist Founder --- Karl Marx. Last year, she won First Prize in the Chinese newspaper World Journal and the Chinese American Cancer Society Northern California Chinese Unit writing contest. She has traveled extensively in China and Europe, and once to Russia. Irene Hung's phone number at Mission is (408) 855-5567 extension 5813, or you may contact Irene by e-mail.

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	Kuo, Jackson
	Jackson Kuo is an associate instructor of Japanese at Mission College.

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Obeid, Khalid

Khalid Obeid is an associate instructor of Arabic at Mission College. Dr. Obeid holds a Ed.D in Organization and Leadership from the University of San Francisco and a MPA from Notre Dame de Namur University. He received his B.A. in Arabic Language and Literature from Bir Zeit University in Palestine in 1987. Dr. Obeid enjoys literature and loves teaching the Arabic language. His favorite activity is watching, playing and coaching soccer. You may contact Khalid Obeid by e-mail.

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Otsuka-Scearce, Tazumi

Tazumi Otsuka-Scearce is an associate instructor of Japanese at Mission College. Ms. Otsuka-Scearce received her Ed. D. with a major in International & Multiculture Education and a minor in Organization & Leadership from the University of San Francisco, and her MA majoring in Linguistics, minoring in TESOL, from San Jose State University. Publications include Step & Solution for Learn Japanese New College Text Volume I: Communicative Approach and Cultural Study (2004) Karin Global Study; Quality Control Circles: Successful Adaptation and Culture in Japan (1998)ÊUniversity of San Francisco, KLA Technical Glossary (1996) KLA; and Living in Japan (1995) Charis Intercultural Communication. Ms. Otsuka-Scearce is a member of the Northern California Naginata Federation. You may contact Tazumi by e-mail.

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Spanò, Giorgio

Giorgio Spanò is an associate instructor of Italian at Mission College. He was born and educated in Rome, Italy. He received a Doctoral degree (laurea) in Italian Language and Literature from the University of Rome, La Sapienza, and a Doctoral degree in Sociology from the University of Rome, La Sapienza. Giorgio earned Italian teaching credentials in Humanities and History as well as in Italian language and literature. He is the author of numerous books and audio materials for students of Italian, and was the first-place Winner of the 2005 California Virtual Campus Online Teaching Website Awards. You may contact Giorgio Spanò by e-mail or through his website.

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Tolentino, Ana

Ana Tolentino is an associate instructor of Spanish at Mission College. Ana is a Spanish native speaker and teaches various college levels of Spanish at San José State University, Evergreen Valley College, Foothill College and Mission College. She holds a B.A. in English and Spanish from San Diego State University and a M.A. in Spanish from San José State University. You may contact Ana by e-mail.

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Yu, Judy

Judy Yu, an associate instructor of Chinese at Mission College, has a B.A. degree from Taiwan. She holds an M.B.A. degree from National University (California) and an M.A. degree in Chinese Language and Literature from California State University, San Francisco. Teaching Chinese is her ambition and goal, since it combines her business with pleasure. Her work experience includes: Founder and Teacher of Chinese School in Cupertino; Chinese Language instructor at Laney College in Oakland; Adult Communication Education in Sunnyvale; and classes at Foothill-De Anza College and Santa Clara University. She was also a news anchor at a Chinese radio station in Taipei and in San Jose. She was an amateur folk art actress and has made frequent radio and television appearances in Taiwan. Her interests include Chinese Opera, Chinese Calligraphy, Kung Fu, Qin Opera, and Beijing drum-ballad. You may contact Judy by e-mail.

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