Photo courtesy of Gisela Lanzas
Gisela Lanzas Assistant Professor, Central American Studies Program
Dr. Lanzas earned her Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology at University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research interests include the social, cultural, and economic impact of development programs and watershed management in tropical regions of Mexico and Panama.
Which living person do you most admire?
Dr. Angela Davis
When and where were you happiest?
Doing road trips with my husband
What is your most treasured possession?
My books
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
When we lose our human connection to each other
What is it that you most dislike?
Poverty and social oppression
What is your motto?
Be happy no matter what!
J.C. Lee Assistant Professor, English
Dr. Lee earned her Ph.D. in English at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston. Her research interests include new media rhetorics, the rhetoric of science, developmental writing, autonomous learning, and public writing.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being surrounded by nature, preferably amid an abundance of animals, with a full cup of coffee
What is your greatest fear?
Running out of coffee
Which living person do you most admire?
Pope Francis
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Pettiness
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Pettiness
What is your greatest extravagance?
A substantial coffee budget
When and where were you happiest?
Probably somewhere surrounded by nature and full of caffeine
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My caffeine tolerance
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A wildebeest
What is your most treasured possession?
My coffee maker
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Caffeine deprivation
What is it that you most dislike?
Caffeine deprivation
Which talent would you most like to have?
The ability to brew a perfect cup of coffee
What is your motto?
Is there any coffee left?
Photo courtesy Joseph Wiltberger
Joseph Wiltberger Assistant Professor, Central American Studies Program
Dr. Wiltberger earned his Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research explores the po-litical, economic, and social practices of transnational communities, the meanings they produce, and their relationship to the cultural politics of development and migrant rights activism.
What is your greatest fear?
Two big things: heights and large reptiles. I’m always trying to conquer my fear of heights. I’ve gotten as far as petting large (domesticated) snakes, but not alligators or crocodiles.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Spending a day surfing
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Becoming “Dr. Joe” was a pretty big deal.
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A fish. I grew up on a beautiful lake in New York State and when I was a kid I spent so much time in the water that my family started calling me “Joe Fish.” I’ve sailed my whole life, and today I race in regattas when possible. When I was in El Salvador doing my dissertation fieldwork I was an assistant coach for the national youth sailing team, which consisted of kids from a humble fishing village on a spectacular crater lake. I’m an ocean lover, and I experience withdrawal symptoms if I haven’t been surfing in a while.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I could play the guitar. And sing at the same time. ◊