Academy Resource Center
Support for Online Classes
Meet Our Team
The following individuals are available to assist with various aspects of online support.
Online Academic Support
Ryan Kasmier
Director, Student Academic Support, Online Student Academic Support
Ryan received his B.S. in Political Science and Organizational Communication and did his M.A. work at the University of San Francisco in Organization and Leadership.
He has been working in various higher education environments for over 5 years. In that time he has worked in several different areas including housing, academic advising,
and multicultural student services. Ryan has served a two-year appointment to a national committee that works to bring greater awareness and examination of Native American
issues to higher education. In his spare time, he can be found working in various Bay Area performance venues.
Sharlene Asuncion
Online Academic Coach
Sharlene became an educator to inspire students to achieve. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Sharlene has
participated in Teach for America, a National Teacher Corps Program. Her background includes classroom experience, educational non-profits, and Corporate
America. Sharlene's favorite quote is “Knowledge
comes, but wisdom lingers.” – Tennyson.
Aaron Field
Online Academic Coach
Aaron is a born and bred San Francisco native happily stuck in the cool, gray, city of love. His love of writing led him to pursue a degree in English
with the University of California, Davis. After graduating with a BA, he worked as a manager at a used bookstore and then turned to non-profit work with
the American Heart Association. Currently Aaron is the Online Education Coordinator working directly with Online Academic Support, assisting support
advisors and students. He has been married since December 2001 to his high school sweetheart and they have four feline companions with no more on the way.
Eric Gerrick
Online Academic Coach
Eric has been a San Francisco performer for 30 years. After majoring in Theatre and Puppetry at Goddard College in Vermont, he continued his education at Sonia Moore Studio of the Theatre in NYC. His experiences as a director, technical director, writer, actor, puppeteer, performance artist, set designer and business manager have inspired others to call him a “born academic coach”. He thrives on assisting others in their pursuit of success and looks forward to teaching Seminar for Success in College with the Academy Resource Center.
Shayla Griffin
Online Academic Coach
Shayla Griffin received her BA in English from CSU San Bernardino and has been a bay area resident for 6 years. While at the Academy, Shayla has filled the roles of Administrative Assistant in the Graduate School and ARC. Now, as an Online Academic Support Advisor, Shayla enjoys serving the student population in an exciting new way. She loves good music, food, literature, and almost everything that came out of the 80s.
Kimberly Grogran
Online Academic Coach
Kimberly holds a B.A. and M.A. in English, and she is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree specifically in Online Education. Kimberly has an extensive background in graphic and web design programs and is Expert certified in MOUS (Microsoft Office User Specialist). Her teaching career has included being a Computer Application Instructor, a Computer Assisted Language Learning instructor to migrant women, and teaching English to international students. During Kimberly's free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, son and two dogs. You can often find them at Baker Beach.
Penny Hondrogen
Online Academic Coach
Penny is currently an instructor as well as an online and onsite academic coach. She has extensive experience with both undergraduate and graduate students at AAU since she has worked as an English As A Second Language instructor, Seminar for Success instructor, ESL support teacher, tutor, and advocate during her lengthy tenure at the Academy. “The real value of the AAU education is the diversity of the student body, the professionals who teach the courses and the proximity of the classes to world class museums, galleries and agencies. If students can tap into these resources, then they will be ahead in the game.” Penny earned her master’s degree in TESOL from San Francisco State University, and lived in San Francisco for 16 years. When she is not working with her students, Penny volunteers at her daughter’s elementary school and tends her animals in Marin county.
Sherise Lee
Online Academic Coach
Sherise brings her love for both teaching and art into her role at the Academy. She graduated from the University of California at Davis (Go Ags!) with degrees in Art History and Sociology. She later completed a masters degree in second language education. Her experiences range from working in event marketing to teaching elementary school in China. When she's not traveling, Sherise enjoys running and pursuing her design interests. You can also find her on the hunt for good eats in the city.
Andrea Rocha
Online Academic Coach
Andrea is currently an Instructor and Online Academic Support Advisor. She comes to the Academy by way of the East Coast having gotten her undergraduate
degree in Communications from Bowling Green State University and her Master's degree in Education from the University of South Carolina. Andrea has worked
in higher education for over six years and loves being in such a dynamic and inspiring profession. In addition to this experience Andrea has spent close
to two years studying, traveling and teaching English throughout Central America and Mexico. In her spare time Andrea loves meeting up with friends,
enjoying the City and looking for exciting places to travel.
Online English as a Second Language Support
Chantelle Ferguson
Online ESL Department Director
Chantelle has taught English and academic writing at universities in the United States and Colombia and currently directs ESL support for online international students here at the Academy. When she is not working with students, she enjoys traveling, practicing martial arts, reading, and spending leisurely afternoons in coffee shops with her husband.
Cheryl Barton
Online ESL Faculty
Cheryl has been an instructor at the Academy of Art since 2001. In addition to ESL support, she teaches art history and aesthetics.
Cheryl holds certificates in TEFL and degrees in fine art, art history, and classics, and has researched extensively on learning methodologies and styles as related to culture. She has worked for several prestigious museums as an educator, including SFMOMA and the Oakland Museum of California.
She has travelled widely for decades and has taught in Hungary, Greece, Zimbabwe, Korea, and Mexico.
Anne Connors
Online Writing Lab Coordinator/Online ESL Faculty
A Northern California native, Anne holds a BA in English from CSU Chico and an MA in TESOL from San Francisco State. She also has a degree in linguistics from the University of Geneva. She has taught English in Taiwan, Italy, and Switzerland, but is happy to be back in the Bay Area. In her spare time she enjoys exploring the city and its gorgeous natural surroundings, reading, and cooking.
Donna Dager
Online ESL Faculty/ARC Website Coordinator
Donna is an online support instructor and an ESL Support instructor. She has an M.A. in Communications Arts from Vermont College and a B.S. in Education from S.U.N.Y. at Cortland, NY. She specializes in computer and video technologies and has been working with ESL students at the Academy in these areas for many years. Previously she worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in teacher training in Montego Bay, Jamaica,
then moved to California from her hometown in upstate New York. She likes to read mystery novels, sing, and swim with giant sea turtles in Maui.
Anne Hastie
Online ESL Faculty
Originally from Minnesota, Anne received her BA in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Looking for new adventures, she then moved to San Francisco where she got her MA in English and taught English as a Second Language at San Francisco State University. She is now an online ESL support instructor at the Academy of Art, and when not teaching, she enjoys rock climbing, reading long novels, and relaxing with her cat.
Anita Mamoun
Online ESL Faculty
Anita has had a career in ESL that spans more than twenty-five years, with various teaching and administrative positions in Massachusetts, Florida, and Northern California. Originally from the Boston area, she received her B.A. in French from Emmanuel College and her M.A. from Emmanuel, in a joint program with the Sorbonne, in Paris. As an online student herself, she recently got her TESOL Certificate in Online Teaching. For relaxation, Anita enjoys playing golf, experimenting with her digital camera, and exploring the wonderful neighborhoods of San Francisco.
Carlo Pellegrini
Online ESL Faculty
Carlo has been interested in foreign languages since he began studying French in high school. After earning a B.A. in Italian from the University of Washington, he went on to learn Japanese in Japan and Spanish in Guatemala. In addition to having taught ESL for over 8 years, he has developed websites for professional sports teams, academic institutions, and independent artists, among others. Currently he is developing new online support materials at AAU and supporting online ESL students. Carlo likes going to museums, listening to music, drinking coffee, and taking photographs.
Michael Shehane
Online ESL Faculty
Michael has earned a B.A. in English from California State
University Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a M.A. in English with a concentration in Teaching English to Students of Other Language from San Francisco State University. He has lived abroad in Europe and Asia and speaks enough German and Japanese to get by. He enjoys life by doing yoga,
rock climbing, figure drawing, and listening to pop music on his iPhone.
Walter Thoma
Online ESL Faculty
Walter has an M.A. in Applied Linguistics (ESL) focused on Computer-Assisted
Language Learning from the University of Massachusetts and B.A.'s in Fine
Arts and Sociology. He has been at the AAU for 11 years and has been
supporting online ESL students while living in Paris and now Brussels for
the past 3 years. Besides traveling, Walter enjoys running, skiing,
photography, painting, finding unique cafés, cooking and eating
international cuisine.
Troy Williams
Online ESL Faculty
A seventh generation Californian, Troy has enjoyed teaching for many years. He holds a B.A. in Russian and German languages from the University of California, Davis; an M.A. in Russian literature and women's studies from Duke University; a Ph.D. in Slavic linguistics and cultural anthropology from Duke University; and an M.A. in TESOL from San Francisco State University. In his free time he likes to learn new languages and is currently struggling with Thai, Mandarin, and Korean.
Kate Winsor
Online ESL Faculty
Kate holds a BA in Liberal Studies and an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language, both from San Francisco State University. She has been working at the Academy of Art since 1997 as an ESL instructor, website coordinator, tutor, and online media developer. Kate has also taught English abroad in Argentina, Venezuela and Switzerland. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she recently relocated to San Diego with her family where she works online for the Academy and does freelance web design. She has two children who keep her very busy, but in her spare time she also enjoys photography, tap dancing, travel, and cooking.
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