9 Cal Lutheran faculty members promoted

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – May 13, 2015) Nine California Lutheran University faculty members have been promoted in rank or awarded tenure.

Sheridan Wigginton of Thousand Oaks was elected to tenure and advanced to the rank of full professor. She was hired in 2011 to teach Spanish and chair the newly formed Department of Languages and Cultures, which also offers majors, minors and other course work in Chinese, French, German and Italian. Her research focuses on the Caribbean, especially the Dominican Republic and its national identity as portrayed in textbooks. She was elected president of the Afro/Latin-American Research Association in August.

Christine Sellin, chair of the Art Department, was also advanced to the rank of full professor. The Thousand Oaks resident teaches art history. She has published two books on early modern Dutch art and served as president of the American Association for Netherlandic Studies and a research associate of UCLA’s Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Nathan Carlson of the Mathematics Department, Rahuldeep Singh Gill of the Religion Department, Dan Hamilton of the School of Management, Louise Kelly of the Exercise Science Department, Maureen Lorimer of Graduate School of Education and David Nelson of the History Department were elected to tenure and advanced to the rank of associate professor. Carlson, of Thousand Oaks, is researching mathematical models for the spread of invasive species. Gill, of Winnetka, has been an interfaith leader at the university and been active nationally as well. Hamilton, of Ventura, is the director of the Master in Quantitative Economics Program and co-director of the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting. Kelly, of Simi Valley, has researched pediatric obesity, Type 2 diabetes and obesity-related cancers in minority youth, and she is the director of the Center for Academic Service Learning. Lorimer, of Murrieta, chairs the Department of Learning and Teaching and has worked to integrate the arts throughout curricula. Nelson, of Simi Valley, directs the Asian studies minor, founded the university’s history student honor society and advises the history club and Latter Day Saints Student Association.

Jean Sandlin of the Communication Department was advanced to the rank of associate professor. The Moorpark resident received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Cal Lutheran and joined the faculty after two decades of professional experience in advertising, public relations and journalism.

The promotions will be effective in fall.