Dr. Jimiliz Valiente-Neighbours immigrated from the Philippines to Long Beach, California as a child. Her transnational upbringing has greatly influenced her faith practices, teaching and pedagogy, research interests, and community engagement. For example, her article “Mobility, Embodiment, and Scales: Filipino Immigrant Perspectives on Local Food” (2012) argues that local food scholars and activists need to consider the standpoints of communities who define “local” and “local food” differently, to expand their work toward social justice matters around food.

Kevin Modesto is Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Social Work at Point Loma Nazarene University. His primary passion is the role of religion in social intervention and transformation. Kevin brings a unique blend of scholarly and practical experience to the field, having started and led a faith-based nonprofit and church in Raleigh, NC and served as a program director and on pastoral staff in Los Angeles.

Patricia Leslie is Director of the Social Work Program at Point Loma Nazarene University and has extensive experience with both private and public sector agencies, with a special emphasis on programs and services for homeless and other marginalized groups. Through this work she has touched the lives of hundreds of people challenged by homelessness, joblessness, domestic violence, substance abuse or mental illness. Pat is recognized for understanding housing challenges at both the “in the weeds” detail and policy perspectives.

Professor Cook has been at PLNU since 2008. As a generalist social worker she brings a broad knowledge to the department as she teaches courses in social work and sociology as well as supervises student interns. Her professional background has primarily focused on macro social work with an emphasis on policy education/advocacy; however, she also has direct practice experience with children and families in day-treatment facilities, child welfare services, and wraparound services. 

Monique Sawyer loves to share her favorite life quote, from Rev. Howard Thurman, which explains the nature of her path to nursing education: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” A spark was ignited within Sawyer the first time she taught a lecture in front of a classroom, and she knew right then, as a nursing student at PLNU, that she would find a way to teaching one day.

Dr. Mary Adams came to PLNU with six years of teaching experience in the Chicagoland area. Prior to teaching, she was a staff nurse in both a large teaching hospital and smaller community hospital. Her background is in trauma ICU, labor and delivery, and home care. She currently teaches in the graduate and undergraduate nursing programs as well as the simulation lab.

James Wicks, Professor of Film and Media Studies, grew up in Taiwan and teaches Narrative and Documentary Film, Scriptwriting for TV and Film, and Intro to TV & Film Production in San Diego, California. His Ph.D. in Film Studies (Cultural Studies section), with an emphasis on Chinese Cinema, was received from the Literature program at the University of California, San Diego in 2010. He has taught at PLNU since 2009 and joined the Department of Communication Studies in 2021.

Dr. Bettina Tate Pedersen is professor of literature at PLNU, where she teaches British and world literature, women writers, literary theory, and academic writing. She also teaches in the interdisciplinary women’s studies minor program and the honors program. She served as LJWL Department chair from 2011 – 2014 and as literature section head for many years. Pedersen completed her doctorate at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1997. She is co-author/editor, with Allyson Jule, of Being Feminist, Being Christian (Palgrave 2006, pbk.