Steve Kerr, an NBA champion, award-winning coach, social justice advocate, philanthropist and beloved Wildcat, received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree at the 2024 University of Arizona Commencement. 

“Steve Kerr's storied career in the NBA—as a player, a general manager, and a coach—has been marked by an impressive array of accolades, including multiple championship titles and personal honors,” said Alain-Philippe Durand, Dorrance Dean of the College of Humanities. “His advocacy for social change reflects a rare blend of intellect, compassion and unwavering dedication. He has had a profound and indelible impact on our community and beyond.”

A standout basketball player, Kerr graduated in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in General Studies and is a College of Humanities alumnus. He earned all-American honors his senior year before being drafted in the NBA’s second round. As a player, he won five championships in his 15 years and continued his success as a broadcaster and general manager. In his current role as head coach of the Golden State Warriors, he’s won four NBA titles and was named Coach of the Year in 2016. 

Before the Friday night Commencement, Kerr was honored by the College of Humanities during a morning ceremony, where he spoke about his international upbringing, his commitment to teaching and mentorship as a coach, and the value of studying the humanities. 

“I choose the humanities because it offers an incredibly well-rounded education and teaches people to connect with one another and to collaborate,” Kerr said. 

Kerr spoke about deciding on a General Studies major and how it united several of his academic interests. 

“There’s no question that with a diverse education, a broad education teaching the core values of humanity, compassion, and empathy, you can go anywhere,” he said. “It helps you find your way.” 

For today’s students and graduating seniors, Kerr said learning is a process that never stops and it’s important to adopt an inquisitive mindset. 

“The advice that I give to all young people who ask me, no matter what they study, is what I’ve learned is none of us know everything,” he said. “One of the strongest signs of intelligence is admitting you don’t know something and being comfortable with that. We’re all lifelong learners.” 

Kerr’s nomination for the honorary degree was initiated by Dr. Caleb Simmons, Director of Interdisciplinary Studies (the new name of the General Studies degree that Kerr obtained), who highlighted Kerr’s advocacy for important issues like racial justice and gun violence prevention.

“His embodiment of ethical values and his unwavering commitment to social justice exemplify the very essence of what the humanities seek to cultivate – a more inclusive, empathetic, and enlightened society,” Simmons wrote.

Asya Gorlova, a Ph.D. candidate in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching and instructor in the Department of Russian and Slavic Studies, is the College of Humanities 2024 Outstanding Graduate Assistant in Teaching Award recipient.

 

In 2021, Gorlova began as a Russian language graduate teaching associate and since, she has taught first- and second-year Russian sections in both face-to-face and hybrid modalities, organized a significant number of creative extracurricular projects, and contributed more than 70 interactive open educational resource micro-lessons. 

 

“Asya Gorlova's remarkable contributions to our program, her innovative teaching methods, and her commitment to an inclusive and culturally rich educational environment make her an exemplary candidate for the COH Outstanding GTA in Teaching Award. Her work has not only elevated our department but also inspired countless students to delve deeper into the Russophone world,” wrote Assistant Professor Liudmila Klimanova in nominating her for the award. “Asya’s teaching, characterized by her students as highly engaging and effective, exemplifies her dedication to students' linguistic and cultural growth. Her ability to conduct lessons in both face-to-face and hybrid modalities has been instrumental in accommodating diverse learning styles.” 

 

“Asya’s dedication to teaching and her innovative approaches in the classroom have truly made a lasting impression on me and my peers. Her passion for the subject matter is evident in her engaging lessons and her willingness to go above and beyond. She spends her own time working one on one with students to ensure their success in class. Personally, I have greatly benefited from her patient guidance and encouragement,” wrote one student nominator.

“Throughout my second year of Russian classes, Asya was a major help and contributor to my understanding of the language. Whenever any of us had questions, she was willing to explain a concept in depth to ensure our understanding. Any time I reached out to her, she was happy and willing to help. In terms of specific concepts in Russian, she took her time to go step by step to explain certain grammar rules,” wrote another student. “She understood that learning the language is different for every student. She engaged our attention with different activities to learn to the best of our ability.” 

“I had the privilege of working with Asya Gorlova for three semesters in a row, in which time she proved herself one of the best instructors in my personal experience. She reflects all the important qualities an instructor should have – attentive, patient and engaging. She always tried to foster a collaborative class environment. I think it speaks much of her work that all students who took her classes, myself included, still speak very highly of her,” wrote another student in support of the nomination. 

“Throughout my journey of learning Russian at U of A, I have not only significantly improved my proficiency in the language but have also developed a great appreciation for it. Asya’s dedication to teaching and her innovative methods and passion for the Russian language have deeply inspired me and my fellow students. I am immensely grateful for the positive impact she has had on my academic and personal growth,” wrote another student nominator. “Her innovative approach to language instruction turns each lesson into an engaging, effective, and memorable learning experience. Her ability to explain complex grammar concepts in a clear and easy to understand manner is truly remarkable.”  

 

Sony Coráñez Bolton, Assistant Professor of Spanish
Department of Spanish and Portuguese
 

Dr. Sony Coráñez Bolton received his Ph.D. in American Culture and Ethnic Studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2016). He is currently finishing a C3 Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at Middlebury College in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

 

Rae Dachille, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and East Asian Studies
Department of Religious Studies and Classics
Department of East Asian Studies
 

Dr. Rae Erin Dachille (Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies, University of California at Berkeley) specializes in the religious and artistic traditions of Himalayan Buddhism. Her research focuses upon representations of the body in art, ritual, philosophy, and medicine in Tibetan and Sanskrit sources. Dr. Dachille’s work reflects her enduring interest in revealing the many ways in which Tibetan Buddhist sources may enrich our approach to studying the body as an object of knowledge as well as to formulating new theories of representation. She teaches courses in Tibetan Buddhism, South Asian religion, theories and methods for the study of religion, and religion in the medical humanities.

 

Kristin Doran, Assistant Professor of Spanish & Director of Basic Language Program
Department of Spanish and Portuguese
 

Kristin Doran received her PhD in Spanish and Luso-Brazilian Literature in 2009 from the University of Arizona. She has taught across the undergraduate curriculum in Spanish and Portuguese, including classes in the U of A’s general education curriculum. She worked as an Academic Advisor and Study Abroad Coordinator in the fall of 2016 and as Interim Director of the Basic Language Program in the spring of 2017.  Beginning Fall 2017,  Kristin will be the new Director of the Basic Language Program.

 

Julieta Fernandez, Assistant Professor of Spanish
Department of Spanish and Portuguese
 

Julieta Fernandez is an applied linguist joining the College of Humanities from Northern Arizona University. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from The Pennsylvania State University.

 

Erika Gault, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies
Africana Studies Program
 

Erika Gault graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo, American Studies Department. She taught Religion and History in the Social Sciences Division at Hilbert College and Served as Chair of the Committee on Curriculum, Academic Policy and Procedure (CAPP) at Hilbert College and as a Public Scholar with New York State Council for the Humanities (Humanities New York).

 

Emily Hellmich, Assistant Professor of French
Department of French and Italian
 

Emily Hellmich is completing her PhD in Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of California, Berkeley, and received her MA in French Cultural Studies from Columbia University. Her research interests focus on second language acquisition and pedagogy, digital technology, and discourse analysis.

 

Joela Jacobs, Assistant Professor of German
Department of German Studies
 

Dr. Joela Jacobs is Assistant Professor of German Studies, and she is affiliated with the Institute of the Environment, the Department of Gender and Women's Studies, and the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies. She earned her Ph.D. in Germanic Studies at the University of Chicago, and her research focuses on 19th-21st century German literature and film, Animal Studies, Environmental Humanities, Jewish Studies, the History of Sexuality, and the History of Science. She has published on monstrosity, multilingualism, literary censorship, biopolitics, animal epistemology, zoopoetics, critical plant studies, cultural environmentalism, and contemporary German Jewish identity.

 

Sarah McCallum, Assistant Professor of Classics
Department of Religious Studies and Classics
 

Since receiving her Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Toronto, Sarah has taught Latin and Greek language and literature, as well as Classics courses in translation, at Brock University, the University of Massachusetts-Boston, the Harvard Extension School, and Dartmouth College.

 

Aurélia Mouzet, Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies
Department of French and Italian
 

Dr. Aurélia Mouzet received her PhD in Francophone Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her research focuses upon the intersection of myths, religion, and politics in literature, theatre, and cinema of the Black Atlantic. She is affiliated with the University of Western Paris research institute “Littérature et poétique comparée”. Dr Mouzet is revising her dissertation into a monograph that investigates female figurations of Christ in twentieth and twenty-first century Black Atlantic literature, theatre, and cinema.   

 

Colleen Lucey, Assistant Professor of Russian
Department of Russian and Slavic Studies
 

Colleen Lucey holds a Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on the commodification of marginal women in Russian literature and art. Currently Dr. Lucey is expanding her dissertation into a monograph that investigates the portrayal of prostitutes, courtesans, and dowerless brides in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Russian works.

 

COH External Affairs & Development Staff Hires

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Eric Swedlund, Senior Writer
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