I Am Goodrich
Troy Romero, Ph.D.
402.554.3466
tromero@unomaha.edu
Dr. Romero is the Chair and a Professor for the Goodrich Scholarship Program, where he has taught Lifespan Development, Autobiographical Reading and Writing, and American Humanities. He also teaches in the Psychology Department, where he earned his Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and he is a faculty member of the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS). Dr. Romero has published articles on topics that include identity, organizational development, and autism spectrum disorder, he has earned over $250,000 in grant/award funding, and he has served on several local non-profit boards, including UNMC's Munroe-Meyer Institute, The Rose Theater, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands.
Barbara Hewins-Maroney, Ph.D.
402.554.4953
bhewinsm@unomaha.edu
Dr. Hewins-Maroney is an Associate Professor in Urban Studies in the School of Public Administration and the Goodrich Scholarship Program where she teaches courses in public administration, urban studies, social problems, and life span development. Her research interests include health care disparities and urban health care issues, African American nineteenth and twentieth century social history, public social policy, and medical humanities. Dr. Hewins-Maroney received a B.A. in Sociology and an M.A. in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, an M.A. in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Hewins-Maroney has published articles in the Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, the Journal of Public Affairs Education, Public Administration Quarterly, and the Metropolitan Universities Journal. She is the graduate chair of the Urban Studies Program in the School of Public Administration. She serves on several community and regional boards and committees.
Carolina Hotchandani, Ph.D.
402.554.2247
chotchandani@unomaha.edu
Dr.Carolina Hotchandani is the author of The Book Eaters, the 2023 Perugia Press Prize Winner and one of the ten debut poetry books featured in Poets & Writers Magazine’s 2024 debut poets issue. Hotchandani is a recipient of a Nebraska Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, and her poetry has appeared in The Atlantic, AGNI, Beloit Poetry Journal, Missouri Review, Prairie Schooner, and various other journals. In Goodrich, she teaches Autobiographical Reading and Writing, American Humanities, and English Composition.
Imafedia Okhamafe, Ph.D.
402.554.3467
iokhamaf@unomaha.edu
Dr. Okhamafe, Former Chair of the Goodrich Scholarship Program and Professor of Philosophy and English, holds a double Ph.D. He also had a postdoctoral literature fellowship at the University of Texas-Austin and a postdoctoral philosophy of brains/minds fellowship at the University of California-Berkeley. Prior to the fellowships, he also engaged in Advanced International Study in Phenomenology and Aesthetics at the International Cellegium Phaenomenologicum (in Perugia, Italy). He teaches in Goodrich, the Department of Philosophy, and the Department of English. His teaching and research interests include the interrelationship of creative literature and the philosophy of science and mathematics. In addition to his essays in book anthologies such as Analecta Husserliana and Genealogy and Literature, his publications have appeared in such journals as Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal, Philosophy Today, Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology, Research in African Literatures, and UMOJA. His honors include the University of Nebraska at Omaha Excellence in Teaching Award. His current research focus includes perspectival "mereology." He continues trying to live by the deferential concept that all humans are differently equal.
Todd Richardson, Ph.D.
402.554.4027
toddrichardson@unomaha.edu
A professor in Goodrich, Todd Richardson’s scholarly creations vary widely in both content and form. Recent works include a creative meditation on the civic value of lawn mowing, which appeared in Wait Five Minutes: Weatherlore in the Twenty-first Century, and a consideration of the pedagogical and democratic value of fan fiction, which appeared in Louise Pound: A Folklore and Literature Miscellany, a scholarly zine Dr. Richardson edits and designs on a (semi)regular basis. He has had articles in prestigious journals like the Journal of American Folklore and Cather Studies, and he has had satirical essays and comic strips published in creative outlets like Harper Palate. Indeed, he is always looking for new ways to express himself to new audiences, which is how he ended up designing the cover of Willa Cather Review in 2019. In the “Folklore in Vacuo” chapter of Todd’s co-authored book Implied Nowhere, he discusses the dire cost of academics only addressing other academics, and all of his scholarly endeavors have pushed against that tendency in one way or another. In 2021, Todd co-curated the exhibition 49 Minutes of Fame, which was featured at The National Willa Cather Center in Red Cloud, Nebraska and included work by Indigenous artists from across North America, twelve in total, all of whom create Pop Art broadly understood.
Todd has organized a series of service learning “rural excursions” for Goodrich. Starting with a trip to Red Cloud, Nebraska in 2013, these place-based courses connect the students of the Goodrich Scholarship Program with the residents of smaller, more insulated Nebraska communities. In preparation for these trips, students read a book set in rural Nebraska, which they then discuss in its actual setting while serving the local community. Subsequent trips took students to Bancroft, Central City, Elmwood, and Beatrice, Nebraska, where students served in a variety of capacities, doing everything from maintaining historic sites to assisting elder residents of the Winnebago Reservation. As well, Todd frequently collaborates with Ollie Webb, Inc., an organization that enriches the lives of people with developmental disabilities. in 2023, he was awarded Community Leader of the Year by Ollie Webb. At present, Todd holds the James R. Schumacher Chair of Ethics, which recognizes outstanding faculty members committed to the application of ethical principles within a service learning context.
Stevie Seibert Desjarlais, Ph.D.
402.554.6302
sseibertdesjarlais@unomaha.edu
Dr. Seibert Desjarlais is an assistant professor in the Goodrich Scholarship Program. She received her bachelor's degree in English from Pepperdine University, her master's degree from San Diego State University, and her doctorate in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her teaching and research interests include representations of U.S. literature, film, pop culture, and critical pedagogy. Her work appears in the Quarterly Review of Film and Video, the Journal of Popular Film and Television, and Pedagogy. In Goodrich, she teaches Autobiographical Reading and Writing, American Humanities, and English Composition. She additionally teaches courses for the Honors Program at UNO. Dr. Seibert Desjarlais is the faculty advisor for the Goodrich Organization (GO!).
Parisa Ghopeh, BA
402.554.2274
pghopeh@unomaha.edu
Parisa is a Staff Assistant in the Goodrich Scholarship Program. She attended the University of California San Diego, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in communication with a minor in film studies. She is motivated by the joy of helping others obtain what they need to reach their goals, and passionate about creating community. When not on campus, Parisa is likely outdoors observing wildlife, journaling, or trying new art mediums.
KoriAnne Moslander, BS
402.554.3489
kmoslander@unomaha.edu
KoriAnne is a Graduate Assistant in the Goodrich Scholarship Program. She is a Goodrich alumna who graduated with a bachelor's degree in Gerontology with a concentration in Administration and is currently a part of the Gerontology Doctoral program. Additionally, she is a certified dementia practitioner through the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. KoriAnne is passionate about advocating for aging adults and specializes in Alzheimer's and dementia. Her hobbies include spending time with her great-grandmother, walking her dog George, and traveling to the East Coast.
Danica Prom, MA, LIMHP
402.554.2874
dprom@unomaha.edu
Danica is the Student Services Specialist in the Goodrich Scholarship Program. She received her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wyoming and her Master of Arts, Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Adams State University in Colorado. Additionally, Danica is a provisionally licensed mental health practitioner (PLMHP) in the State of Nebraska. She is passionate about mental health advocacy as well as academics. Her hobbies include spending time with loved ones, traveling, and experiencing new foods & cultures.
Timothy Saqueton, BS
402.554.3489
tsaqueton@unomaha.edu
Timothy Saqueton is a Graduate Assistant in the Goodrich Scholarship Program. He is a Goodrich alum who completed his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and he is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Computer Science. His areas of interest include software devleopment, web design, and artificial intelligence. Outside of school, he enjoys baking and writing music. Although these fields appear unrelated at first glance, eacy rely on experimentation and innovation ,which reflects Timothy's sense of adventrue and creativity.
Patty Patton Shearer, MA
402.554.2875
ppshearer@unomaha.edu
Patty is the Coordinator of Recruitment and Academic Support Services in the Goodrich Scholarship Program. She has her master's degree in Higher Education Administration with a joint undergraduate degree in Sociology/Anthropology. She enjoys spending time in Goodrich, spending time with family, traveling, eating great food and sweets.