Senate Faculty
Dr. Steven Ross Murray
Dr. Steven Ross Murray is the Director of the Health and Wellness minor, the Director of the Physical Education Program, and a Professor of Teaching in the Division of Biological Sciences within the College of Letters and Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He was born and reared in Tennessee, USA, and earned his bachelor's degree from the University of North Alabama (BS 1991) in physical education. He took his master's and doctoral degrees from Middle Tennessee State University (MS 1993, DA 1996) in wellness and fitness and physical education, respectively...
Lecturers
Dr. Russell Ahn
Martial Arts Instructor
Endowed Director of Martial Arts
Director of UC Martial Arts Program(link is external)
Taekwondo Technical Delegate (Chairperson), International University Sports Federation
Vice Chairman of Youth and Collegiate Committee of World Taekwondo Federation
Kendra Barnes
Kendra Kimbrough Barnes, Producer, Choreographer, Instructor holds an MAA from Golden Gate University and a BFA from San Francisco State University. She is the director of K*STAR*PRODUCTIONS founded in 1996. K*STAR*PRODUCTIONS serves as a performing arts presenting organization for the Kendra Kimbrough Dance Ensemble (KKDE) and co-presenters of the Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now...
Jason E. Britton
Jason Emanuel Britton has been a lecturer in the Physical Education Program teaching dance and yoga since 1998.
Mr. Britton received his Master of Fine Arts in Dance from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and his Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Creativity and Arts Education from San Francisco State University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts, Dance Emphasis, from Sonoma State University...
Justin Caraway
Teaching:
Volleyball
Matt Denham
Matt Denham earned his BA from UC Berkeley and went on to take an MA in physiological psychology, graduate student lecturer, and physiology lab manager at SFSU. His Master’s thesis examined the negative correlation between elevated cortisol (a stress hormone) and short term memory. [...]
He brings extensive coaching experience including nationally ranked club water polo, is a multi-sport athlete, registered USA Water Polo coach, masters water polo, open water swimmer, certification from USA swimming...
Sue Johannessen
Sue Johannessen received her graduate degree in physical education/exercise physiology from the University of California at Davis and has been teaching in the Physical Education Program since 1990. Sue teaches lecture/lab courses in Fitness for Life and Human Physiological Assessment as well as Aerobic Circuit Training activity classes. Sue is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and is certified as an Exercise Specialist.
Toni Mar
Toni holds a BS in Physical Education, MS in Kinesiology, and Certificate in Adapted Physical Education: Special Populations from Cal State Hayward. She also holds a Community College Teaching Credential through the State of California Department of Education. She teaches Core Conditioning, Vinyasa Yoga, Running & Core, Cross Training, Conditioning, and Mindfulness and Stress Management. She has also been Yoga Coach for Cal Intercollegiate Athletics in Football, Women’s Rowing, and Women’s Club Rugby. She is a former dancer, violinist, triathlete, rock climber and equestrian.
Rick Morris
Racquet Sports.
Thea Patterson
Born in Oakland, California, Thea Patterson holds an MFA in Ballet from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and English from the University of California, Irvine.
Before receiving her MFA, Thea worked as a freelance dancer, choreographer, and teacher in the Bay Area. She taught ballet and contemporary techniques to a range of levels and ages. During that time, Thea was a company member, collaborator, and commissioned choreographer with No Strings Attached Dance Company, a project-based company in the Bay Area founded by Lissa Resnick...
Paula Plessas-Hall
Paula Plessas-Hall has been teaching dance and fitness classes in the Bay Area and New York City for over two decades. She earned her MFA in Dance from Mills College and BFA in Dance from San Francisco State University. Since 2008, she has been a professor of Dance at City College of San Francisco and currently teaches a variety of dance and fitness classes...
Lon Rork
Teaching:
Basketball, Tennis, Badminton, Hiking, Running, PE 121 Health, Wellness, and Culture.
Dini Wong
Dini teaches fitness classes for the the UC Berkeley Physical Education Program. He earned his BA from UC Berkeley in Human Biodynamics, and his MS in Kinesiology from Cal State East Bay. He has twenty years of experience training students and athletes. Coach Wong specializes in improving athletic performance and enjoys working with students and athletes of all levels. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Dini began his career at Cal as a Graduate Assistant for the Intercollegiate Athletics Department and was promoted two years later to Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach...
Lucy Yoo
Kyungmi “Lucy” Yoo is a former professional Ballroom dance competitor. She joined the UC Berkeley Physical Education Department in 2018. She has taught at many different colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area prior to UC Berkeley. Lucy was born in Jeju island in South Korea. She began dancing at an early age and prior to becoming involved in the ballroom, she studied ballet, modern dance, and Korean traditional dance...