Albright College students returning to the Reading, Pa., campus this week will benefit from the experiences of seven new professors. In addition to new faculty in the departments of accounting, economics and political science, several visiting professors will be joining the college to instruct students in fashion, French, German and Spanish. Albright’s newest faculty members include:
Camille Avent
Visiting Assistant Professor of Fashion
Philadelphia, Pa.
Holding a Master of Science degree, Camille Avent is a fashion business, education and technology professional specializing in product development and merchandising. Avent has 10 years of experience in the fashion industry and nine years in higher education. In a world where fashion is not just clothing, but a narrative created through innovation, education and digital realms, Avent understands the need to bridge the gaps between the culture, brands, retailers and technology.
Luis Buelvas Rojas
Visiting Instructor of Spanish
Cartagena, Colombia
Luis Buelvas has always been passionate about foreign languages and cultures. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in modern languages from the University of San Buenaventura in Cartagena, Colombia. Initially working as an English and French teacher at various language centers and universities in Cartagena, Buelvas moved to Paris, where he pursued a master’s degree in foreign language teaching at Sorbonne University. In France, he worked as a Spanish, English and French teacher at a language institute. Upon returning to his hometown in Colombia, he started teaching English and French at his alma mater, where his primary audience consisted of prospective foreign language teachers. Over time, he took on the role of program coordinator while continuing to teach courses focused on foreign language methodologies and assessment. In his free time, Buelvas enjoys learning new languages. He’s currently studying German. He also enjoys outdoor activities, drawing, exercising and trying out new restaurants.
Geeske Charlotte Dünnhaupt
Visiting Instructor of German
Osnabrück, Germany
Geeske Dünnhaupt’s German students might be surprised to learn that she aspires to be a future English and physical education teacher. In her eyes, sport has the power of bringing people together and teaching individuals essential values such as working in a team, being fair and respectful, learning to deal with defeat, being resilient and more. Interestingly, Dünnhaupt’s passion for the English language and its cultures didn’t spark until secondary school, when her inspiring English teacher whipped up her enthusiasm for the language and showed her what a good teacher should be. This experience motivated Dünnhauptto become a teacher. After graduating from high school, Dünnhaupt participated in a Rotary student exchange program and lived in Ohio for a year. Since then, the U.S. has been a second home for her. In 2019, she completed a Bachelor of Science in English and American studies and in sport/sport science at the University of Osnabrück. She completed her Master of Education degree from the same university in 2022 and began teaching secondary school while completing her master’s degree. As a visiting Albright instructor, Dünnhaupt wants to embrace the opportunity of gaining practical experience abroad while inspiring Americans for the German language and culture. Find her outside of the classroom meeting new people while trying out new sports!
Carla Haid
Visiting Instructor of French
Hyères, Région Sud, France
Carla Haid hails from the Mediterranean coast, known as the French Riviera (Côte d’Azur). As a child, she discovered the power of words and their meaning. She quickly became fond of learning languages, which enabled her to broaden her vision of the world and her way of thinking, enabling her to better understand people and the world we live in. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English, Mandarin and Russian languages, literatures and civilizations, which gave her the opportunity to live in several countries such as China, Russia and the UK. After some time abroad, she returned to France to obtain a master’s degree in international relations and an associate’s degree in teaching French as a foreign language. Since then, she has worked as a French teacher for children and adults in France and abroad. She has also held various positions in the field of international relations, including in government ministries, at UNESCO and for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. One of Haid’s greatest passions is exploring the world by traveling and learning languages. She loves philosophy, poetry, sociology and music. She also enjoys reading, hiking and singing.
Stefanie I. Kasparek, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science
Lancaster, Pa.
Stefanie I. Kasparek received a Master of Arts degree in American studies/political science/international law from Tuebingen University, Germany, and a Ph.D. in political science from Temple University. Before coming to Albright, she had been a visiting assistant professor in the Government Department at Franklin & Marshall College and remains the senior data analyst for the Franklin & Marshall Global Barometer of Gay Rights. She also served as the assistant program director for the Pennsylvania Public Policy Database Project at the Institute for Public Affairs at Temple University and has received extensive training in advanced statistical methods from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses primarily on policy-making in international organizations, institutional governance, and matters of human security. Her second line of research with F&M’s Global Barometers focuses on the global treatment of LGBTQI+ individuals and how individuals’ perception of their rights strays from countries’ legal protections. She looks forward to teaching international relations, human rights classes and introducing students to the joys of quantitative research methods.
Michelle McGowan, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish
West Chester, Pa.
Michelle McGowan is a first-generation college student who was born and raised in Chester County, Pa. Like many students, she took Spanish as a high school requirement and discovered that she loved language learning. During her time as an undergraduate majoring in Spanish and political science, she had the opportunity to study abroad in Granada, Spain and live with a host family, which further cemented her love of travel and experiencing other cultures. McGowan has taught Spanish at all levels ranging from introductory language courses to advanced literature and composition courses. She graduated from Penn State University with her doctorate in Spanish literature in 2022. Her research broadly focuses on post-dictatorial literature produced in the Southern Cone and Spain between 2000 and the present. In her post-dissertation life, McGowan has returned to some of her favorite hobbies such as reading novels from recent bestseller lists, running 5ks and traveling. She enjoys spending time with friends, family and her retriever mix, Evie.
Renata Pontes, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish
Philadelphia, Pa.
Renata Pontes holds a master’s degree in Spanish and Latin American literature from the Universidad de Buenos Aires and a Ph.D. in literature from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Currently, she is completing her doctorate in Spanish at Temple University, where she also obtained a certificate in women’s, gender and sexuality studies. Her present work addresses Caribbean, Afro-Diasporic and Latinx literature and performance.
Lien Ta
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics
Hanoi, Vietnam
Lien Ta teaches a variety of courses related to macroeconomics, microeconomics and mathematical economics, with a specialty in macroeconomics, labor economics and econometrics. During the past three years, Ta has researched the impact of COVID-19 on the labor market in the U.S. and the implications of the U.S. government’s crisis responses.
Thomas E. Zaher, CPA, CGMA, CSEP
Lecturer in Accounting
Perkasie, Pa.
Thomas Zaher has been a practicing Certified Public Accountant for more than 37 years, specializing in accounting and taxation for individuals and small businesses. He was also a chief financial officer for an international corporation based in the U.S. with offices in Switzerland and Japan. Zaher has taught undergraduate and graduate accounting and taxation courses since 1981. Having earned his bachelor’s degree from Wilkes and an MBA with a concentration in accounting from Temple University, Zaher is a member of Temple’s Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs. As a member of the PICPA, he served on the Editorial Board of the Pennsylvania CPA Journal as well as numerous committees. Zaher was a member of the American Accounting Association and held many executive and committee positions within the Management Accounting Section and was one of the founding members of the Management Accounting Section.
