Teaches In
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Education:
PhD, Culture and Performance (with folklore minor), University of California, Los Angeles
Master of Sciences, Occupational Health (with environmental health work), Medical College of Ohio/University of Toledo
Bachelor of Arts, English (with science emphasis), University of Missouri, Columbia
Bio/Affiliation:
Interests in culture, anthropology, science fiction, speculative fiction, ethnography, folklore, futures studies, foodways/food studies, visual media, and technology. Teaching in Liberal Arts and Sciences and Digital Media Departments at Otis College since 2008.
Affiliations:
- American Anthropological Association (AAA)
- Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition section of AAA
- American Folklore Society (AFS)
- Western States Folklore Society (WSFS)
- Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA)
- UCLA Alumni Association
- American Studies Association (ASA)
- Popular Culture Association (PCA)
Professional Accomplishments/Exhibitions:
- “Futures Thinking Specialization” series certificates from Institute for the Future via Coursera (Summer 2023)
- "Food, Nostalgia, and Survival: The Impact of Memory in Apocalyptic, Post-Apocalyptic, and Destroyed Earth Stories"- 2nd International Interdisciplinary Conference-Food and Memory, Gdańsk, Poland (April 21-22, 2023)
- “Southern California Festive Foodways: Altruism, Entrepreneurialism, and Cultural Affirmation” 11th International Conference on Food Studies, Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark, (October 28-30, 2021)
- “Eating Meals During a Pandemic/Epidemic: How Science Fiction Brings Food Commensality, Culture, and Taboos to the Experience” International Interdisciplinary Virtual Conference, Cappadocia University, Turkey, (January 13-15, 2021)
- “Parades as Vehicles of Socio-Political Commentary” Western States Folklore Society Annual Meeting, Otis College of Art/Design, Los Angeles, California, (April 12-14, 2018)
- Video, “Barcelona Independent Film Festival, ’Alternativa” 22nd Edition, Hall Exchanges, Barcelona, Spain, (November 16-22, 2015) and “Experiments in Cinema v10.T36” Albuquerque, New Mexico, (April 15-19, 2015)
- “Food Art Performances” 8th Interdisciplinary and Multicultural Conference on Food Representation in Literature, Film, and the Arts, San Antonio, Texas, (February 28-March 1, 2014)
- Video installations, “Joshua Tree Music Festival - 7th/8th/9th annual events” Joshua Tree, California, (May 2009-2011)
Publications:
- “Space Cookbook: Mission to the Future” editorial in Science Fiction Studies, #149, Volume 4/Part 2, July 2022
- Book Review for Digest Journal on Dying to Eat: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Food, Death, and the Afterlife by Candi K. Cann