Wenatchee Valley College welcomes new faculty for 2026-27

WENATCHEE — Wenatchee Valley College has added nine faculty members for the 2026-27 academic year, with new instructors joining programs ranging from nursing and mathematics to accounting, economics, library services and welding.

The new faculty members are Allan Adem, Hannah Barta, Claudia Bovee, Kate Brien, Anne Deines, Michael Freimuth, Connor McCranie, Gustavo “Gus” Vargas and Becs Wells.

"WVC is delighted to welcome an extraordinary cohort of new faculty who bring enthusiasm, expertise, appreciation of the students we serve, and a desire to learn,” said Dr. Tod Treat, vice president of Instruction. “WVC was able to attract these talented folks from across the country, and we look forward to seeing how their talents and careers evolve in service to our students."

Adem joins WVC Omak as simulation lab manager and nursing faculty. Originally from Cebu City, Philippines, he has more than a decade of experience in nursing education, academic administration and clinical practice. He previously served as assistant dean of nursing and principal of the School of Midwifery at St. John General Hospital & College in the Philippines and taught nursing at Southwestern University and the University of Cebu-Banilad.

Barta joins the Wenatchee campus as a mathematics faculty member teaching beginning and intermediate algebra. She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Central Washington University and a master's degree in mathematics from Oregon State University. Before joining WVC, she spent five years at OSU and CWU as a math instructor and managing tutoring programs.

Bovee is WVC's new teaching and learning librarian. She previously served as Latino Services Manager for NCW Libraries, where her work included programming, staff training and bilingual outreach across five counties. She also previously worked as a school librarian and English language arts teacher for the Eastmont School District.

Bovee is a WVC alumna and former employee who worked with the college's CAMP program when it launched in 2009 and previously worked in the Advising and Testing Center. She holds a master's degree in library and information sciences from the University of Washington.

Brien, also a WVC alumna, joins the Omak campus as a nursing faculty member.

Deines joins WVC as an accounting faculty member with 25 years of experience in accounting, finance and organizational leadership. She has worked as a chief financial officer and finance director for organizations in Washington, Texas and California and was a course developer and lecturer at the University of Washington Continuum College. She holds an MBA in accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Freimuth joins the college as an economics faculty member. He grew up in Wenatchee and attended Western Washington University and the University of Washington. He previously taught at the University of Puget Sound and Seattle Central College.

McCranie, a Denver native, joins WVC's mathematics faculty and is teaching precalculus and statistics during his first quarter. He received a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2025, where he taught and tutored mathematics for eight years.

Vargas joins the nursing faculty and will teach pharmacology and a health and illness class. He grew up in Lake Chelan and has lived in Wenatchee for 13 years. Vargas graduated from WVC's associate degree and bachelor's degree nursing programs and has worked as a nurse for eight years, primarily in the Wenatchee Valley.

Wells is WVC's full-time welding instructor and program coordinator. She participated in WVC's Running Start program and earned an associate degree while in high school before earning a bachelor's degree in metal sculpture from Montana State University, a welding certificate from Dunwoody College of Technology and a master's degree in career and technical education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Wells returns to the area after 11 years away, including time in Montana, Italy and Minnesota. She has four years of college teaching experience and six years of experience working in the trades.

Wenatchee Valley College, founded in 1939, serves North Central Washington through its Wenatchee and Omak campuses.