College of Fine Arts welcomes international perspectives with new faculty members
The University of Arizona College of Fine Arts is excited to welcome 4 new faculty members with international backgrounds for the 2024-2025 academic year.
These accomplished educators, artists, and researchers bring diverse expertise in art and music, poised to enhance student learning while driving creative and scholarly innovation. Their leadership in areas such as sound pedagogy, interdisciplinary design, and cross-cultural music will inspire fresh energy across the college. With a strong commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration and inclusivity, they are ready to shape the next generation of artists and scholars at the university.
Meet the newest members of the College of Fine Arts faculty:
Pooja Venkatachalam Kumar, assistant professor of practice, School of Art
Dr. Ilayda Altuntas, assistant professor, School of Art
Dr. Elena Chernova-Davis, visiting assistant professor, School of Music
Esteban Hernández Parra, visiting assistant professor, School of Music
SCHOOL OF ART
Pooja Venkatachalam Kumar
Assistant Professor of Practice
Artist Website
Visual designer Pooja Venkatachalam Kuman is an assistant professor of practice for the School of Art from Baltimore, Maryland. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the SVU College of Engineering in Tirupati, India. She’s currently earning her MFA in illustration and design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
Kumar’s current project, “Reconstruction of Nature without Reference,” applies speculative design principles to imagine a future where nature’s turn form is lost and … “what if we don’t have access to how nature looks in the future and find bones and fossils filled with junk and plastic, how will we reconstruct?”
Kumar has been a finalist in the AIGA Flux Design Competition, shortlisted for the Young Ones ADC and Communication Arts International Illustration Competition, and recognized with graduate grants and merit scholarships, participating in multiple exhibitions.
Dr. Ilayda Altuntas
Assistant Professor
Artist Website
Dr. Ilayda Altuntas is an emerging scholar, artist, and educator specializing in sound pedagogy and the intersection of visual art and culture. With a PhD in Art Education from Pennsylvania State University, Altuntas has developed the Sounding Art Practice as Research (SAPAR) methodologies, advancing the discourse on sound in art education. Her research focuses on sound pedagogy, art practices, and the role of listening in fostering awareness and memory.
She received her BFA in Plastic Arts and Fashion & Textile Design from Yeditepe University and her master’s in education from the Pratt Institute.
She said she was drawn to the University of Arizona’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and the connection with the Tucson community.
“There’s a unique blend of cultures and artistic energy here that I’m eager to engage with and contribute to … I’m looking forward to being a part of a community that values both creativity and inclusivity,” Altuntas said.
Prior to Arizona, she was a clinical assistant professor at Indiana University, a visiting professor at Texas State University, and an adjunct professor at Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design.
Altuntas said students can expect an inclusive and supportive environment where creativity is at the forefront.
“We’ll explore the intersections of visual art, sound, and culture together,” she said. “I am committed to cultivating a space where critical thinking and creative expression are paramount, guiding students as they navigate and articulate their individual and collective visions.”
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Dr. Elena Chernova-Davis
Visiting Assistant Professor
Artist Website
Dr. Elena Chernova-Davis has a multifaceted career as a violin soloist, chamber musician, and concertmaster. Originally from Uzbekistan, Chernova has studied at Tashkent State Conservatory and worked with prominent musicians in the United States. She is currently a professor at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University.
As a teacher, she is passionate and dedicated to guide development and tailor an individual approach to each student that encourages growth, curiosity, and motivation.
Chernova is the prize winner of the Aleksander Glazunov International Competition, recipient of the Concertmaster Fellowship, and the Irene Alm Memorial Award for Excellence in Performance and Scholarly Research.
Esteban Hernández Parra
Visiting Assistant Professor
Artist Website
Esteban Hernández Parra, a mestizo viola musician from Columbia, is now a visiting assistant professor for the School of Music. He earned his BM in viola performance from Fundacion Universitaria Juan N Copras and completed his MM in viola performance at Indiana University.
“To me, student success feels like social transformation,” he said. “I hope my students can continue to recognize the privileges, struggles, and the responsibilities attached to their positionality and political significance in the academic music performance space.”
Parra’s research and performances is rooted in decolonial work engaging communities in reclaiming local identities and ancestral territories through bowed string musical practices.
“We must encourage each of our students to embrace their cultural identity through a critical approach to the space and time we exist in.”
He’s worked as a soloist with the Orquestra Filarmonica de Medellin and the IU Baroque Orchestra as well as playing a role in diversifying initiatives for the Terre Haute Symphony and the Orquesta Filarmónica Juvenil de Bogotá.
Thank you to the College of Fine Arts for sharing their faculty profiles with Arizona International. For the full list of faculty featured in the article, please visit the Arizona Arts website.