Retiring faculty leave lasting imprint on Pacific

William Herrin, 37 years

Herrin was awarded two year-long Fulbright scholarships to teach and conduct research at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.

“To receive one Fulbright is an amazing accomplishment. To receive two is almost impossible, and that says so much about Bill,” said College of the Pacific Dean Lee Skinner.

In addition to serving two terms as chair of the Department of Economics, he was director of the School of International Studies from 2013 through 2021.

He recently was awarded the Order of Pacific.

Thomas Derthick, 35 years

Derthick, associate professor of practice (bass), joined the Conservatory of Music faculty in 1988. He has served as division director for strings and chamber music and was music director for the Pacific Youth Symphony for 20 years.

In 2020, he was elected president of the Professional Musicians of Central California, American Federation of Musicians, Local 12. Through the pandemic he negotiated numerous symphony and theater contracts and safety protocols. He also helped secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in pandemic relief money, pandemic unemployment assistance and other pandemic grant money for his colleagues.

Tanya Storch, 23 years

Storch started her Pacific career as an assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies and retires as full professor. She regularly taught courses on Buddhist, Confucian and Asian religious traditions; Introduction to Religion; World Religions; Women and World Religions; and Pacific Seminar 2.

She viewed her efforts of connecting Pacific to local houses of worship as her most important service. She fostered connections with the Cambodian, Lao-Hmong, Chinese and Sikh communities in Stockton as well as the synagogue Temple Israel and the Japanese Pure Land temple.

Gary Armagnac, 22 years

Armagnac arrived at Pacific in 2002 and became chair of the theatre arts department where he taught a variety of theater courses. He is part of the team that created the successful Media X program.

He has received many awards for his work including a CINE Golden Eagle Award in 1998 for “Shakes: Rattle & Role,” a documentary he wrote and directed for public television about his touring production of “Hamlet.” His credits include many films and TV shows such as “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and the Coen brothers’ “Blood Simple.”

Maria Pallavicini, 12 years

Pallavicini joined Pacific in 2011 and also served as interim president during the 2019-20 academic year. She recently received Order of Pacific, the university’s highest individual honor.

Pallavicini led the creation of a new academic plan and the refresh of Pacific 2020, the university’s strategic plan. She has overseen the creation of numerous new undergraduate, graduate and professional programs on Pacific’s three campuses.

Pallavicini helped establish the new School of Health Sciences and transform the William Knox Holt Memorial Library and Learning Center into a modern hub of learning and innovation. Pallavicini also was instrumental in the dental school’s move to a state-of-the-art building in San Francisco.