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Bruce Matthes

Bruce Matthes

Education

  • Master of Arts in English: Comparative Literature, California State University, Chico
  • Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Science, California State University, Chico

Awards

  • NewSchool Faculty Member of the Year – 2012

Additional Information

  • Co-author of two books, including a recent text, Evidence Based Design: A Process for Research and Writing
  • Conference Presenter (Topic: The Evolution of Surfing: An Interdisciplinary Approach to General Education Course Design) at 52nd Annual Conference of the Association for General and Liberal Studies
  • Member, High Tech High Graduate School Taskforce

Biography

Bruce Matthes is an Associate Professor and Head of Integrative Studies at NewSchool of Architecture and design where he has been teaching and designing interdisciplinary courses since 2009. He holds a M.A. English from California State University, Chico where he taught literature courses from 2003-2005. He also completed his CA single subject teaching credential at National University in 1999. He is the co-author of two texts, including Evidence Based Design, published by Pearson/Prentice Hall in 2011. In 2012, he was awarded Faculty of the Year.

Matthes has presented at numerous academic conferences including WASC ARC 2018 where he spoke about his pedagogical approach: Integrative Studies: Establishing Realms of Study and Lenses of Understanding across Disciplines and at the 55th Annual Conference for the Association for General Education and Liberal Studies (AGLS) where he shared his expertise on how to engage international students in Myth of the City: A Diversity-Oriented Pedagogical Approach to uniting International Students and Faculty. Most recently, Matthes was invited on honorarium to read a chapter of his debut novel, Sanctuary, at the Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) event Around the Campfire: A Spoken Word Gathering of Scribes and Storytellers held on February 4th, 2022.

Pedagogical Statement: Matthes believes that education is a concerted effort of both student and instructor to commit to lifelong learning. This is evident in the integrative model that he co-designed and continues to evolve at NewSchool of Architecture and Design. It is a pedagogical focus that stems from the belief that while the world may be getting smaller (metaphorically) its interconnectedness of regions, of peoples and cultures, is expanding. Therefore, the response to such change must be larger and it should move beyond an investigation into commerce (a model representative of many traditional curriculums) and instead, turn toward a rediscovery of the foundational human qualities that either link or divide us. Matthes uses the Integrative Studies diagram as a model to demonstrate how we may connect the disciplines of scientific and humanistic inquiry. It is an approach that he believes will lead to more innovative design solutions and one that was originally modeled in the text Evidence Based Design.

Kristian Anders Gustavson

Education

  • Master of Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of California, San Diego

About Kristian

With a master’s degree from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD, Gustavson leads a variety of projects aimed at driving innovation from the lab to the market for clean water and clean energy projects. He is the current land-speed record holder for an algae-fueled motorcycle and has entered it in the Baja 1000. Through his consulting company, North American Explorations, Gustavson also works closely with policymakers, researchers, and business leaders to develop market solutions to environmental problems. When he is not surfing or paddling rivers, Gustavson can be found at training for various projects by advancing his skydiving and SCUBA certifications among other operational skills.

Additional Information

  • Co-Founder, Director of Research and Explorations, Below the Surface
  • Associate, U.S. Department of the Interior
  • Honorary Member, American Legion
  • “Hero of the Heartland,” American Red Cross
  • Chief Inspiration Officer, Outside Magazine
  • Land-speed record holder for an algae-fueled motorcycle
  • Riviera Magazine’s “Men of Style,” 2013

Neil Kendricks

Education

  • Master of Art (TV, Film and New Media Production), San Diego State University
  • Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, San Diego State University
  • Bachelor of Arts in Art (Painting and Printmaking), San Diego State University

Kevin Robinson

Education

  • Master of Science in Geological Sciences, San Diego State University
  • Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences, San Diego State University

Trevor Stine

Education

  • Master of Arts in Latin American Studies, San Diego State University
  • Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, University of South Florida

About Trevor

Earlier in his career, Trevor lived in the wilderness of Tennessee for two years as a wilderness counselor and managed four multi-million dollar philanthropic campaigns for the United Way of the Bay Area in San Francisco. He has taken numerous long-term motorcycle journeys throughout Mexico, Central America, and the United States in order to undertake academic research and promote his international development organization.

Besides teaching at NewSchool, Trevor is the founder of Pangea Proxima, an international non-profit organization, focused on increasing access to education and health, while promoting sustainable building in developing nations. He also founded and is a co-partner of Evolution Maps, a mapping, and spatial analysis company, which promotes the work of small to mid-sized businesses, non-profits and local government entities.

Trevor has authored three published patents concerning biometric repositories and anti-identity theft solutions. He is also a member of the CASBA (California Straw Bale Builders Association).

Adam Phillips

Education

  • Master of Arts in Philosophy, Northern Illinois University
  • Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience, Oberlin College

About Adam

By engaging students in perennial and contemporary philosophical debates, I aim to help students apply philosophy’s key virtues — rigor, clarity, and wonder — to all aspects of their lives, personal and professional.

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