Faculty
Erich (E.T.) Elwin
Erich (E.T.) Elwin comes to Highline College by way of Penn State, University of Central Florida, and New Mexico State University, receiving degrees in Music, English, History and Education. He is currently a doctoral candidate focusing on reflective practices, critical pedagogy, educational leadership and multicultural literacy.
As an education specialist emphasizing curriculum design and implementation, E.T. facilitates student growth with course objectives firmly rooted in multicultural awareness, diversity, social justice, and have a penchant for literacy evaluation, assessment, and action research. Raised in New England and the Deep South, educated in multiple regions from Pennsylvania to Florida, Kentucky to New Mexico, his journey has been underscored by the diverse communities in which he has been immersed. As a Black American with Hispanic Caribbean roots, the study of power, ethnicity, and decolonizing practice firmly sits at the core of his epistemological worldview and scholarly research.
Dr. Nicole (Nikki) Filler
Nikki joined Highline in Fall 2018 after earning her Ph.D. in Political Science with emphases in Feminist Studies and Asian American studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2017.
She currently offers EGS 142 Asian American Roots, EGS 143 Contemporary Issues in Asian America,EGS 210 Women & Society, EGS 217 U.S. Racial and Ethnic Politics, and POLS& 202 American Government.
Dr. Diego Luna
Dr. Diego Luna is tenured faculty in Ethnic & Gender Studies at Highline College. Born and raised in rural Northern California, Diego is a Chicano/Anglo who knew he wanted to be an ethnic studies professor after his first Chican@ Studies class.
Encouraged by his Chican@ mentors to pay it forward, Diego earned a Ph.D. in Education, Culture, and Society from the University of Utah. When he is not in the classroom teaching EGS 100 Introduction to Ethnic Studies, EGS 150 Latino/a Histories: Race, Migration, and Resistance, EGS 295 Ethnic Studies: Special Topics, EGS 352 Ethnic Studies for Educators, and HIST 148 Modern U.S. History, Diego pursues his love of running, gaming, and speculative writing.