Meet the Faculty
Elsa Torres, M.A., San Francisco State University
CGBP (Certified Green Building Professional)
Associate Professor of Interior Design and Program Coordinator
Elsa came to Cañada College in January of 2011 as a full-time faculty member. She teaches Interior Architectural Drawing, Introduction to Interior Design, Space Planning and Design, and Principle of Sustainable Design, as well as overseeing the Interior Design Interns. Elsa is a Certified Green Building Professional. She regularly attends update seminars and conferences in this area. Elsa previously taught Interior Design courses at Santa Rosa Junior College where she also developed their Green/Sustainable Design Certificate program proposal. As a practicing interior designer, Elsa is part of the professional design group Interior Design Associates (IDA), has several design projects in progress, including a project for Lewis and Joan Platt East Palo Alto Family YMCA in collaboration with five students, and has worked with other designers in the area.
Sharon Kasser, M.A., San Jose State University. Certified Interior Designer, California (CID)
Assistant Professor
Sharon, a graduate of the Cañada Interior Design program, has been teaching in the department since 1991, serving as advisor to the Student ASID chapter for many years. She currently teaches Introduction to Interior Design, Professional Practices, and History of Interiors, which she taught for UCSC Extension and at West Valley College. She speaks widely, both locally and nationally, on business practices as well as Julia Morgan and architecture of the early 20th Century. She has her own interior design business since 1985.
Denny Holland, B.F.A., Art Institute, San Francisco.
Assistant Professor
Denny joined the Interior Design faculty in 2008, teaching the Presentation Techniques, Color and Design, and Interior Design classes. He received the Student ASID Faculty Advisor of the Year award for 2012. A graduate of the Cañada College Interior Design certificate program, Denny now combines his fine art and painting background as a self-employed artist/designer with Interior Design. Denny’s work includes murals and fine art paintings, which are displayed and exhibited around the country.
Anjana Joshi, M.F.A., Academy of Art College, San Francisco, NCIDQ
Assistant Professor
Anjana has been teaching at Cañada College since 1998. She has taught several classes, including Advanced Space Planning, and Furniture, Casework, and Detailing. She currently teaches Critical Thinking for Interior Design and Materials and Finishes. Anjana has taught at the Academy of Art University.
Sarah Cravy, MBA, Golden Gate University; BA, University of Houston
Assistant Professor
Sarah is a Licensed Architect, uses 15 years of experience in project management and design to bring projects from the initial conceptual design through the production of final permit documents. She obtains building and planning approvals from city, county, and state departments. Sarah teaches Kitchen and Bath Systems.
Hilda Moattar, AS, West Valley College, LEED, GA
Assistant Professor
Hilda has a Bachelor’s degree in healthcare and an AS in interior design from West Valley College. Hilda has her own interior design consulting business and has taught several Sketch-Up workshops in the Bay Area. She has passion for Sustainable design and is LEED, GA certified, IIDA Associate, and Allied ASID. She teaches AutoCAD Applications for Interior Designers.
Elizabeth Springs,
Assistant Professor
CID - Certified Interior Designer #6591
CKD - NKBA Certified Kitchen Designer
CBD - NKBA Certified Bath Designer
CAPS - Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist
CGBP - Certified Green Building Professional
Elizabeth Springs, has spent the last decade as kitchen and bath designer for Springs Construction where she created the design studio to assist construction clients with their interior design needs and wants during the remodeling process. In addition to designing and building kitchens and baths as stand-alone projects for the company’s customers. Most recently, Elizabeth has added accessible design and Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) to her focus of interior design work. She teaches Kitchen and Bath Design, and Advanced Kitchen and Bath.
Linda Sanford, MAarch, MS; currently teaching INTD 260, Overview of Lighting Design
Assistant Professor
Lighting designer with degrees and experience in both lighting design and in architecture.
Linda has been involved with lighting research and applications since the early 90s.
Frequently teach lighting courses, from 1-day lighting design studios to semester-long
courses, as well as regularly speak on lighting. Currently serve as the IES (Illuminating
Engineering Society) - San Francisco chapter Chair of Education. Areas of special
interest: Effective integration of lighting into an architectural design, sustainability
in lighting, promotion of green building principles, lighting in educational facilities
and offices, and lighting for the aging and partially-sighted.
Nancy Wolford, Ph.D., CID - Retired
Professor Emeritus and Adjunct Faculty, Interior Design
Nancy began teaching at Cañada College in 1999 and served as full time faculty and program coordinator, retiring in 2013. She has more than 45 years of interior design consulting and teaching experience in a variety of interior design classes at community colleges and universities. ASID recognized her twice with national awards, the Joel Polsky Academic Achievement Award for her doctoral dissertation on Universal Design, and as Student ASID Faculty Advisor of the Year. Nancy regularly reviews manuscripts for textbook publishers, recently revising NKBA’s Kitchen and Bath Design Principles volume. She currently assists as needed in the department.