Tucson Center Faculty & Staff

Faculty

• Eric Dhruv
• Debbie Heiberger
• Vance Luke
• Dereka Rushbrook
• Beth Scott
• LLoyd Sharp
• Susan Yeich

Staff

• David Greenwood
• Amara Mitchell
• Sandy Paris
• Lydia Rowe
• Stacy Smith
• Barbara Zelano

Deborah Heiberger

Coordinator of Educational Assessment; Interim Director of the Tucson Center
Ed.D., University of Maryland, Educational Administration/Supervision, 1986; M.S., University of Maryland, Educational Administration/Supervision, 1975; B.S., Towson University, Elementary Education, 1971.

dheiberger@prescott.edu

Deborah completed a thirty-one year public school career K-12 in Maryland as teacher, assistant principal, principal, supervisor, executive director, and assistant superintendent in January 2001. In 1995, Deborah began working as an adjunct faculty member with several Maryland colleges including McDaniel College and Towson University teaching a range of graduate and undergraduate education courses, specializing in curriculum theory and standards-based curriculum design, performance-based assessment, and advanced instructional methodology. She also administered and taught required coursework in Towson University’s Administrator I Maryland Certification Program in 2002 and 2003.

In 2003, Deborah and her husband, Michael, relocated to Tucson, Arizona. Deborah then worked with teacher candidates and as an adjunct faculty instructor for the University of Arizona South through the spring semester 2007. Deborah’s long-time interests in education include Constructivism as a theory of learning, standards-based program reform, leadership, organizational theory, and school-based administration. Deborah is currently providing leadership to Prescott College’s teacher education re-accreditation process with the Arizona Department of Education as Coordinator of Educational Assessment. She is a Core Faculty member in ADGP, and is serving as Interim Director of the Prescott College Tucson Center. Deborah and her husband are the proud “parents” of a three-year-old and quite talkative Maine Coon cat, “Misti.”

Eric Dhruv

Liberal Arts Faculty, Tucson

M.A., Place-Based Education, Prescott College Tucson Center; B.S., Wildlife Biology, University of Arizona

edhruv@prescott.edu

Eric began his love affair with the Sonoran Desert and Tucson, Arizona while earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Arizona. The romance and desire for immersion in the natural world led to several years of field work in such places as Arizona, Alaska and Papua New Guinea. Eric was employed by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum as an environmental educator and interpretive manager working with community members of all ages. Eric went on to earn an M.A. from Prescott College in Place-Based Education and enjoyed a position as Sustainability Director and professional naturalist at Miraval Resort in Catalina, Arizona. He is currently Associate Faculty for the Liberal Arts, Adult Degree Program at Prescott College Tucson Center and is LEED accredited and a member of the Tucson branch of the US Green Building Council Chapter. Eric’s passions are discovering and relating to others the intrinsic bond between nature and humanity and the potential of an enduring biologically diverse future for our children’s grandchildren. Eric hosts the local Tucson TV program “Desert Living” which provides the opportunity to share the human-nature sustainable connection with many others.

Vance Luke
Education Core Faculty, Tucson
Ph.D., Secondary Education, University of Arizona; Ed.S., Educational Media, University of Arizona; M.Ed., Educational Administration, University of Arizona; M.Ed., Elementary Education, University of Arizona; B.F.A., Art Education, University of Arizona.
vluke@prescott.edu

Vance taught in Arizona Public Schools for over thirty years. He served as an elementary and secondary teacher, and as a Project Specialist in the Magnet schools. During the last ten years, he also worked with Prescott students as a mentor and graduate advisor. His doctoral dissertation centered on an evaluation of a math/science staff development program, in which he documented the participants perceived changes in attitude and behavior relative to prescribed goals and process components. He enjoys working with students in the areas of instructional design and implementation. He also likes to work in the visual arts.

Dereka Rushbrook
Humanities (Associate Faculty)

Ph.D., University of Arizona, Geography, 2005; M.S., University of Texas at Austin, Economics, 1997; B.S., University of Pittsburgh, Economics and Political Science, Certificate in Latin American Studies, 1985.

drushbrook@prescott.edu

Dereka's doctoral work centered on the global political economy and human-environment interactions of resource-intensive artisanal production in the highlands of central Mexico. Her graduate studies in economics were also focused on issues of development and social justice in Latin America, specifically agricultural export diversification in Central America. Her areas of academic interest also include sexuality and space, border studies and immigration, and social justice movements, especially along the Arizona-Sonora border. In addition to her work at Prescott, Dereka teaches classes at the University of Arizona such as Gender and Geography, Arizona and the Southwest, and Urban Growth and Development.

Dereka is also an affiliate faculty for the College’s Ph.D. Program.

Beth Scott
Education Core Faculty, Tucson
bscott@prescott.edu

Susan Yeich
Liberal Arts Core Faculty, Tucson
Ph.D., Community Psychology, Michigan State University; M.A., Community Psychology, Michigan State University; B.S., Psychology, Virginia Tech University
syeich@prescott.edu

Susan brings with her a background in counseling, human services and community organizing. One of her most significant experiences involved implementing a grassroots-organizing project with the homeless, which she completed for her dissertation. In 1994, she had a book called "The Politics of Ending Homelessness" (University Press of America) published, which was based on the project. Susan is grateful to now be a part of an academic community that is committed to social justice, multiculturalism and environmental awareness. Susan serves students through our Tucson Center.

David Greenwood
Administrative Associate
dgreenwood@prescott.edu

David Greenwood was born in Tucson, AZ. He attended the University of Arizona and studied Theater Arts. In Chicago he was a member of the imaginative and daring Cactus Theatre Ensemble for two years. That experience inspired him to return to Tucson and found Tucson Art Theatre, dedicated to the proposition of peace, love and groove. David is a happy and proud father of an eleven-year-old daughter (where oh where have the years gone?) and enjoys working at Prescott College because he adores his co-workers, believes in the philosophy, and relishes each day he gets to meet and work with students.

Amara Mitchell
Advising Assistant
amitchell@prescott.edu

Amara Mitchell was born and raised in Tucson, Az. She graduated from the Adult Degree Program in 2005 with a Bachelor's degree in Humanities/ Near Eastern Studies, and worked as a student employee at the Tucson Center while completing her program. "I like working here because the staff and faculty and students are great people. I couldn't ask for a better environment to work in." She plans to travel to ancient sites in the middle eastern region, and to pursue graduate studies in ancient Near Eastern art and mythology.

Lydia Rowe
Director of Admissions, Operations and Marketing
lrowe@prescott.edu

Lydia Rowe has been with the Prescott College Tucson Center since 1990, initially as a student and then as an employee. She continues to promote the mission of Prescott College as the Director of Admissions for the Tucson Center. This role was a natural fit after completing her program with Prescott College.  As an Arizona native who was born in one of the outlying communities we serve, Patagonia, Arizona, she finds the border region remarkably unique.

Sandy Paris

Office Coordinator
B.A. General Studies, University of Arizona
sparis@prescott.edu

Stacy Smith
Advising Assistant
ssmith@prescott.edu

Barbara Zelano
ADP Admissions Counselor
bzelano@prescott.edu