The Team

Biography

Professor Swanson began his career at Montgomery College in 2008 when he joined the Media Arts and Technologies department at the Rockville Campus as a part-time faculty member, becoming a full-time faculty member in 2015. He has also taught part-time at the Corcoran College of Art and Design at George Washington University, at the Freer and Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, and for the McLean Project for the Arts in McLean, Virginia. He served as the coordinator of the digital animation program at Montgomery College, and in 2018 assumed the role of department chair. As chair, he co-convened the Montgomery County Collaboration Board’s committee on arts, media, and communications programs, and he has been a member of the Montgomery College Academic Services Council. He has served as chair of the Rockville Chairs’ group since 2020. He received a Part-Time Faculty Exceptional Achievement and Service Award in 2012, as well as a 2021 Outstanding Faculty Award for Excellence in Service. Professor Swanson holds a bachelor of fine arts in painting from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University and a master of fine arts and a master of arts in 3D modeling and animation from The Art Academy University in San Francisco. 

Biography

Carlos has working experience at national and international (Europe and Latin America) corporations where he has occupied positions of trust, and at large national and international Non-For-Profit Organizations, where he has written and implemented programs to positively impact the lives of children and youth at risk. Carlos also has national and international experience working in K-18 Education, including working at Montgomery College. Besides being an avid researcher, he is well involved with the DELMARVA Latin American Community. Carlos holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Military Sciences and Arts, a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management, a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, a Master Degree in Entrepreneurial Engineering (Business Administration), a Master Degree of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Political and Sociological Sciences with emphasis in Applied Economics. He serves as Assistant to the Chair of the President’s Advisory Committee on Equity and Inclusion and as a member of MC Foundation Innovation Advisory Committee.
Carlos is married to Elis, a Primary Montessori Teacher, and has two children, Lorena and Miguel, who respectively graduated from Wellesley College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

M.B.A., M.Ed., Ph.D.

Biography

Erika was born and raised in Seattle, Washington and completed her B.A. in Humanities at Western Washington University. She minored in Latin, Greek, and Classical Studies and spent her summers working at Starbucks in downtown Seattle. Erika then moved to Lexington, Kentucky to pursue a Masters in Classical Studies at the University of Kentucky and achieve additional certification from the Institute of Latin Studies. She has since lived in Virginia and Japan before moving into the area two years ago. Here at Montgomery College, Erika currently teaches English 102, Latin 101, am ATPA embedded coach, and serves as the secretary for the Academic Services Council. Additionally, she teaches English at Hood College and, on the home front, spends an inordinate amount of time fussing over her children and chickens. Erika is thrilled to accept this new role as Part-Time Faculty Associate and in this capacity looks forward to assisting part-time faculty, departments in her area, and the Part-Time Faculty Institute.

Biography

Dr. Fernaundra Ferguson earned a B.A. Degree in political science/history, Bennett College, a J.D. degree from Howard University School of Law, and completed 18 graduate hours in international studies at the University of S.C. Dr. Ferguson has over 30 years of experience in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in the legal field, conflict resolution(mediation), and political science. Currently she is an adjunct professor at Montgomery College in Business, Economics, Accounting, Computer Applications, Hospitality Management, Paralegal Studies (BEACAHMPS).

Biography

Liz Feldman is a part-time professor in the Media Arts & Technologies Department. She began teaching at Montgomery College in 2009. She has nearly 20 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students. Liz previously taught at American University, George Washington University, and Northwestern University.
Liz has served as a part-time faculty associate with the Institute for Part-Time Faculty Engagement and Support since its founding in 2015. She also has participated in Governance and served on the Employee Services Council.
Besides her teaching experience, Feldman is a broadcast journalist. She has nearly 40 years of experience as a writer and producer. She has worked for all of the local TV stations in the DC market (WUSA-TV, WRC-TV, WJLA-TV, WTTG-TV) plus she has worked at CNN and NPR.

Biography

Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, Aajah is a dedicated scholar and practitioner in the field of criminal justice. She received her bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in 2019, and in 2021, she earned her master's degree in criminology and criminal justice, also from UMES. Aajah is deeply committed to education and community service, which led her to become a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Over the past few years, Aajah has made significant strides in the field of criminal justice reform and policy. Currently, she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Applied Sociology & Social Justice at Morgan State University, demonstrating her unwavering dedication to advancing knowledge in her field.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Aajah serves as the Chief of Staff in the Maryland General Assembly, where she actively contributes to legislative initiatives and policy decisions. She also shares her expertise as an adjunct professor in the Sociology & Criminal Justice Department at Montgomery College, inspiring the next generation of criminal justice professionals.

Outside of her academic and professional endeavors, Aajah has a vibrant range of interests. She enjoys sharing her passion for ballet through teaching, exploring new destinations through travel, occasionally engaging in basketball games, pursuing a career in modeling, and showcasing her talent in makeup artistry.

Aajah's multifaceted background and unwavering dedication make her a dynamic force in the fields of criminal justice, education, and community service. With her ongoing pursuit of a Ph.D. and her active involvement in policy and education, she continues to make a meaningful impact on her community and beyond.

Biography

Graduating from Stockton University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, Jeff embarked on a career that took him to the National Institutes of Health as a postbaccalaureate researcher. His academic pursuits then led him to pursue a Master of Science in Neuroscience through the Graduate Partnership Program with Brown University, a collaboration with the NIH. His studies specifically focused on ongoing adult neurogenesis of the hippocampus and how it relates to attention and arousal.
 
Alongside his academic endeavors, Jeff is actively engaged in teaching of all ages, from presenting talks on college and graduate school prep to teaching elementary level science experiments to fourth graders. From 2020 to 2023, he worked at the Office of Intramural Training and Education (OITE) at NIH under the Office of the Director, where he worked with government leaders to coordinate academic and research-based training programs across the NIH campuses.
 
Jeff’s drive to advocate for wellness and mental health, particularly among students, is a continual effort. Currently, he holds positions as an adjunct professor at both Montgomery College and Georgetown University teaching undergraduate biology. In his free time, Jeff also hosts an educational podcast on the connection between neuroscience and mental health, highlighting the importance of self-care and wellbeing.
 
Outside of his academic and personal pursuits, Jeff transitioned to a full-time role outside of research and academia in 2023 as the Strategic Partnership Manager for a technology consulting company, where he focuses on developing professional relationships with US agency representatives and leaders in industry to provide synergy among teams and collaborations for federally funded government contracts.

Biography

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - Antoine St. Exupery

As a teacher, Eli's journey is one that's followed the heart. His travels have taken him around the world, through China, Tibet, India, Egypt and many other countries. He studied yoga in Nepal and anthropology in Mexico. He helped create classrooms for the all-ages school in Negril, Jamaica, and led classes of elementary students in Harlem, New York. Having graduated from Columbia University with a Master's in Education, he teaches with the Humanities Department at the Barrie School and courses in Philosophy at Montgomery College.

Eli currently lives near Baltimore with his wife, Emily, and their daughters, Iris, Mirabel and Sophie. He is delighted to serve as a Part-Time Faculty Associate with the Institute for Part-Time Faculty Engagement and Support.
 

Biography

Teresa Peachey has been with Montgomery College for over ten years. She currently teaches Meteorology courses at the Rockville Campus Department of Engineering Physical and Computer Sciences.  Her academic and professional experience afford Teresa the ability to offer her skills and to teach in both the Math and Physical Science disciplines.

Teresa received her Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, with a minor in mathematics, graduating cum laude, from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She earned her Master of Science degree in Meteorology from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Prior to joining MC academia, Teresa worked for 10 years as a senior programmer/analyst and contractor for the Science Applications International Corporation at the National Weather Service (NWS) Headquarters in Silver Spring. There, she designed, developed, and tested meteorological software for the minute-to-minute operations of NWS forecast offices nationwide. 

Taking a strong skill set developed from her academic background and professional experience into the classroom, Teresa earned the TP/SS Math Department Adjunct Faculty Award for teaching excellence in 2012.  She was also a Smithsonian Faculty Fellow for 2020

Professor Peachey, married with two sons, and presently living in Silver Spring, has life-long close ties to MC. She grew up in the College Park and Bethesda suburbs of DC. In fact, her father was one of MC’s first students, starting in Takoma Park in the Fall of 1951.

Professor Peachey has given back to the community in many ways through her numerous volunteer efforts including: (1) tutoring middle school students in math at St. Gabriel’s School (now the Center City Public Charter School) in its after-school weekly homework program; (2) coordinating the American Meteorological Society, DC Chapter, awards banquet for science fair winners; (3) serving as a Science fair judge for county-wide fairs in the DC area; and, (4) serving as a volunteer GED® teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools and providing one-on-one help for adult students in evening GED® classes.

Biography

Patricia Robinson has been teaching for 33 years. Her career began in the Baltimore City Public School System and continued in the Howard County Public School System, where she retired in the year 2019. A new chapter opened in Patricia’s career, teaching English in the community colleges. She decided to settle at Montgomery College in the year 2017 as a part-time adjunct faculty member.

Biography

Matthew Theis has been a faculty member for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program since 2012 when he graduated from Montgomery College. He came to the DMS Program after earning an undergraduate degree at MTU and changing careers from the engineering field. Matthew is a practicing sonographer and holds credentials in Vascular Sonography.