Meet Our Faculty

Jennifer Gould
Chair of CIS/CS and Business Administration
Assistant Professor II of Business Administration
Email: jegould@cocc.edu 

Jennifer began her career in hospitality and property management, and then owned her own business for 13 years, founding two non-profits in the process. Through this, she developed a love of the entrepreneurial spirit, and, wanting to help other business owners, she earned her M.B.A. in Leadership from the University of Washington, Bothell and a Certificate in Adaptive Leadership from Leadership Eastside in 2016. Upon graduation, she began working for the Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and earned her Certified Business Advisor designation. She continued her career as the Center Director for Central Oregon Community College’s SBDC. In 2017, Jennifer was invited to teach at the UWB School of Business and subsequently taught a variety of business courses for several community colleges. She earned an Executive Certificate in Digital Transformation and Business Analytics from UW in 2020 and was the Oregon SBDC Network’s AI Lead in 2025. She began teaching in the business department at COCC in 2024 and was offered a position as a full-time tenure-track professor in 2025.

Ken Swartwout
CIS/CS Program Director and Professor of CIS
Email: kswartwout@cocc.edu 

From Software Applications to Computer Science, Ken thrives when sharing new concepts and skills in the classroom. His love of technology came early, but when he combined it with teaching, Ken found his true calling. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor's degree in computer & information science and a master's degree in teaching & learning.

Before beginning his career at COCC, Ken worked in the IT industry writing business software and was a high school baseball coach and teacher. One of his favorite classes to teach is Introduction to Programming because students learn new ways to solve problems and discover more productive ways to look at the world. 

Eric Magidson
Professor of CIS
Email: emagidson@cocc.edu 

Eric combines 18 years of professional experience in the field of information technology (IT), with a constant focus on providing up-to-date technology education and hands-on training in digital literacy, cloud computing, networking, and cybersecurity. Before joining COCC, Eric was the IT director for Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing, IT manager for a multi-state insurance agency, and built a successful start-up IT consulting firm. Eric's higher education began at COCC, where he earned an Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems, followed by a bachelor's degree in IT from the Oregon Institute of Technology, and then an MBA from Concordia University.

Eric volunteers his IT skills for local businesses, keeping current in the field while constantly earning the latest IT certifications. For example, he recently completed the online teaching mastery certification from Quality Matters. When not helping students achieve their educational and professional goals, you'll find him on his paddleboard, playing drums, or working to lower his golf index.

Sean Palagyi
Professor of CIS
Email: spalagyi@cocc.edu 

Prior to starting his teaching career at COCC in 1999, Sean spent time in the industry drafting projects for Boeing, Microsoft, Central Oregon Electric, and Mid-State Electric. He is well-versed in AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Revit, and Civil 3D. By setting high expectations in the classroom, Sean helps prepare students to effectively compete for employment in the local region and throughout the Northwest.

Sean focuses on ensuring students develop their academic character by investing the necessary time to become competent in their studies and excel with software applications. When away from the rigors of keeping current with AutoDESK products, Sean is often found scaling mountains throughout the western United States. He is also fond of mountain biking and historical locales. 

Ralph Phillips
Professor of CIS
Email: rrphillips@cocc.edu 

Students in Ralph's class have an advantage when it comes to learning course material. Ralph maintains a popular YouTube channel of tutorial videos for class topics and assignment demonstrations. With more than 43,000 subscribers and dozens of playlists, the channel enables students to access material 24/7, which supports and expands the concepts they're learning in the classroom.  

Ralph completed his bachelor's degree in finance and master's degree in business and office education from the University of South Florida. In the late 1990s, he started creating websites for a variety of topics such as personal finance, education, and saltwater aquariums. Ralph's favorite part of teaching is helping students learn skills and software they can apply to their personal and professional lives. He also enjoys working with students on how IT and web development skills can help them achieve their academic goals.

Mara Downing
Assistant Professor I of CIS
Email: mdowning@cocc.edu

Mara has experience in teaching pedagogy as well as AI safety. Before coming to COCC, she researched AI safety verification and testing through the lens of quantifying errors – how likely is an error to occur in a given system and what types of errors are most prevalent. Her true passion, however, is teaching and she continues to dedicate time to improving her teaching, staying up-to-date on teaching pedagogy, and considering how AI is impacting the realm of education overall.

Mara completed her bachelor’s degree in computer science at Harvey Mudd College, then a master’s degree and PhD in computer science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Throughout this time, she tutored and taught multiple courses in computer science. When she’s not teaching, she is likely playing roller derby, skiing, or hiking.