The UAOU Negotiations Team (“Table Team”)

The UAOU Nominations Committee strove to develop a table team that is as diverse and representational as possible. The members of UAOU voted to certify the slate below in May 2025.

  • I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry within the College of Arts and Science. My teaching focuses on physical chemistry at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, covering subjects such as thermodynamics, kinetics, statistical thermodynamics, and aspects of quantum chemistry. My research explores surface and interfacial chemistry and physics, particularly in the development of functional materials for applications in biosensing and solar energy. For example, my group investigates single DNA imaging and perovskite quantum dots.

    I actively collaborate with colleagues in the College of Arts and Science and the College of Engineering, and these partnerships have inspired me to represent diverse voices in the university’s negotiation team. Additionally, I have a strong personal interest in analyzing university budget data across the United States, aiming to correlate institutional success with balanced and equitable financial structures. A fair budget can only be achieved through open discussion and negotiation among all university employees. I firmly believe that faculty collective bargaining plays a crucial role in shaping the future of Ohio University.

  • Hello, I’m Sasha, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Department of Social Work. I teach across the BSW and MSW programs. My research interests are on harm reduction and trauma-informed approaches in sport and workforce development. I also direct a federally funded initiative that prepares students to work in integrated behavioral health settings.

    Being part of the Negotiating Team is one way I live out my values as a social worker and educator. I believe deeply in transparency, collaboration, and shared governance—and I’ve seen how union work can help turn those values into real change. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues to push for fair, equitable conditions that support both faculty and students.

  • Hi! I’m Courtney.

    I’m an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education. My research and teaching interests center on equity and justice in teacher preparation, elementary classrooms, and mathematics education. I have served both as instructional faculty and tenure track faculty here at Ohio University.

    As a proud former public school teacher (and former union member), I experienced the importance of unions in protecting processes, policies, and procedures. I look forward to working collectively to represent and elevate the voices of our diverse faculty.

  • Hi!  I’m Joe.

    I’m an associate professor in English in the College of Arts and Sciences.  My research and teaching focuses on British and postcolonial literature, imperialism, and literary theory, particularly environmental studies.

    As a former department chair and Faculty Senate chair, I believe a shared governance structure centered on negotiation between the administration and faculty will best serve the University’s core mission of advancing knowledge and providing a quality education for our students.

  • Computer Science tenure-track faculty in the School of EECS in the Russ College.

    I teach mostly senior-level and grad-level classes in Computer Science in computer networking, parallel processing, and operating systems.  My research in in Space Communication and I’ve been funded in that area from NASA (and others) for 30 years.

    I started graduating the first grad students in Computer Science (through Math) in decades when I arrived in 1993 (in A&S). After EE and CS merged to form EECS in the Russ College, I spent 9 years as the chair of EECS and was chair of the Chairs and Directors Council for several years where I helped train dozens of new department chairs across the university.  Then I moved on to be the Senior Associate Dean for Research in the Russ College for 12 years.

    I joined the unionization effort when it because clear that the university was no longer either “proud of” or “appreciative of” its faculty. Almost all sense of shared governance at OU is gone. The university cannot survive unless its faculty are returned to the table and I’m hoping to help make that possible.

  • Hi! I’m Sean Parsons, Professor of Instruction in the School of Music. I lead the Contemporary Music and Digital Instruments (CMDI) program and teach in the areas of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Music, with a focus on improvisation, music technology, digital instruments, and popular music performance. My work centers on making music education accessible, relevant, and equitable for our diverse student population.  In addition to my teaching and artistic work, I am serving my second 4-year term on the Athens City School Board and am currently the board president.

    Serving on the negotiating team is a natural extension of my commitment to equity, shared governance, and the well-being of our academic community. I believe strongly in the power of collective bargaining to promote transparency and fairness while keeping students and the broader university family at the heart of our work.

  • I am an Associate Professor of Mathematics at the Eastern Campus of Ohio University where I have taught for 28 years.  Over that time, I have served the university in a variety of ways.  Most notably, I was the Division Coordinator (the equivalent of a Chair in Athens) of the Eastern campus for eight years prior to OneOhio and have been the Vice Chair of the Math Department for the last four years.  Being at a regional campus, my focus has always been on teaching, especially students whose backgrounds might be a little atypical when compared to other college students. 

    I am proud to be following in my father’s footsteps, a machinist with GE and member of the Machinist Guild of America for most of my childhood.  A quick story about him: There was a brief period where he was promoted to management, and during that time, he was part of the company team that negotiated a contract.  Later, he returned to his tools and re-joined the union.  Within three months, he became a union steward and ended up striking against the very contract that he had negotiated.

  • I am an Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. My teaching focuses on inequalities related to place and social identities. I specialize in the sociology of Appalachia, the rural U.S, and gender and through my research I have worked with students, community leaders, and fellow researchers to better understand intergenerational community building in Appalachian Ohio. 

    I am committed to unity and solidarity with my fellow OU faculty in a dedicated effort to negotiate with OU leadership. With our union, we will work for the best interests of faculty, our students, and ultimately the mission of the university.

  • Hello! I’m Jackie.

    I’m an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and incoming Faculty Chair at the Lancaster Campus. I earned a B.S. in Biological Anthropology from Kent State (2007) as well as a Ph.D. in Physiology and Biophysics from Case Western Reserve University (2012).

    My teaching and research interests include physiology, anatomy, microbiology, neuropharmacology, and IP law. During my 12 years at Ohio University, I have served in a number of roles related to curriculum, RHE scheduling, faculty advocacy, and campus governance. These service and leadership roles have afforded me the opportunity to work across disciplines and campuses to gain a deeper understanding of the diverse needs of university faculty.

    Collective bargaining is a powerful process that will work to improve the lives of university faculty. As a member of the negotiation team, I will work to ensure that our faculty members have the necessary resources to thrive as people and professionals.

  • Associate Professor in the School of Accountancy

    Director, Online Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program