The Road to Academia: Professors’ Stories Behind the Lecture
Dr. Gissella Bejarano, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, using an online Peruvian sign language learning platform. Photo provided by Dr. Gissella Bejarano
From communing with baseball scholars to spearheading research in AI, Marist College professors have unique and inspiring stories to tell. Aside from their work as professors, they are involved in exciting and innovative ventures.
Dr. Sang-Keun Yoo, Assistant Professor of English
For all of Marist’s science fiction fans, Dr. Yoo is the person to talk to.
Growing up in Seoul, South Korea, he spent his weekends reading literature and watching films — mainly fictional — which developed his interest in popular culture and his desire to become a film and literary critic.
“I found out if I could live my whole life just reading novels, watching films and studying and writing about those films and novels, my life would be very happy,” he said.
The prospects of “gaining new knowledge” through extensive research opportunities and interaction with younger generations motivated Dr. Yoo to become a professor.
Unable to academically research science fiction while in South Korea due to a lack of appreciation of the genre in the dominant culture, he took on the opportunity to do so during his PhD studies in California.
He went on to join and remain active in two science fiction studies associations — the Science Fiction Research Association and the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts. In both associations, his experiences and knowledge have offered a diverse view in the world of literature and cultural studies for the last five years.
He hopes Marist students will spend more time engaging with high-quality literature and long-form visual media to encourage their creativity and insightful thinking.
Dr. Gissella Bejarano, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Dr. Bejarano has spent much of her academic career researching and promoting racial diversity in artificial intelligence. She said that “working in interdisciplinary teams will develop much better technology that respects us all,” and she has shown this in the work she has participated in.
Her journey to teaching began when she was a teaching assistant for a programming language class in Peru while she was an undergraduate. This experience developed her love for helping and learning from students.
Her position as a professor has also enabled her to continue participating in innovative research. Dr. Bejarano’s work serves to provide more opportunities for minority groups to participate in and benefit from AI-related research.
One initiative she is involved in is LatinX in AI, which provides spaces for minority groups to publish, present, and workshop their research at conferences, one being Techsuyo. Techsuyo aims to connect the Peruvian community in Silicon Valley working in technology.
Pursuing her ongoing interest in AI, she became involved with the Peruvian government in 2021 while finishing her PhD. This started through discussions with other professionals about implementing AI strategies in various countries, including Peru.
When the Peruvian government considered designing its own AI strategy, she was contacted and offered her expertise in the designing process.
In 2020, she co-led a computer science branch in a program known as the Research Experience for Peruvian Undergrads.
The program allows Peruvian university students to come to the U.S. for internships and summer abroad experiences. This lets them research in facilities they don’t have access to in their home universities, while equipping them for further study in their respective fields.
In 2021, she also began working on an AI platform for Peruvian sign language recognition in close collaboration with a university in Peru, called Diccionario LSP al Español (Dictionary of Peruvian Sign Language to Spanish). This online platform allows deaf and non-deaf people to learn Spanish and Peruvian Sign Language. She hopes to continue working on this project, making research in AI accessible to Latinx and other minority individuals.
Prof. Lisa Neilson, Lecturer of English, Assistant Director of the Honors Program
Before she took on the title of ‘professor,’ Lisa Neilson wrote for “The Daily Freeman” in her home county of Ulster, New York. A sports fan and runner herself, she covered several local community road races.
As a new mother when she started her column, she would incorporate her experiences as a mother with the local events that were happening. She found this opportunity exciting and found joy in involving the community and recognizing its members, which they too enjoyed.
Before beginning her full-time teaching position at Marist in 2007, she was also involved in research into baseball. This has taken her to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., where she worked alongside other baseball scholars.
Her favorite writing project so far has been writing exclusives in her column. She is, however, currently considering the publication of a more personal work that reacts to a major event that happened in her life.
One aspect of teaching she loves is seeing the work her students produce and witnessing their progress from the “beginning to the end.” She also enjoys hearing about the things they pursue separate from their studies.
Coming from her own appreciation of the nature around Marist, Professor Neilson added an additional point with enthusiasm. “The Hudson Valley is just so beautiful and has so much to offer. I hope students enjoy it as well,” she said.
Prof. Matthew Wozniak, Adjunct Professor of Music
After graduating from high school in Ohio, Wozniak attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. He later auditioned to be a bass trombonist in the band at the Military Academy in West Point. As a band member, he had to participate in the required military training, which he found, to his surprise, improved his trombone playing.
Being a professional musician and member of the West Point band, he has had the opportunity to play at several prestigious events with other world-renowned musicians, including members of the New York Philharmonic. He participated in memorable performances in the Macy’s Day Parade and various NFL games.
He began teaching at Marist in 2004 when invited by the music drogram’s director, Arthur Himmelberger. Stories of his experiences usually appear in his lectures as amusing anecdotes. One comical story he shared was when he was given a microwave in exchange for copying a friend’s score when he used to work as a copyist and score-checker.
“Music people make weird deals,” he said.
Wozniak noted that teaching at Marist has kept him “grounded” as a musician. Despite the hour-long drive up to the college, “feeding off of students’ light” has made his career all the more exciting.