Dr. Lindsey Dean came to Dominican University as a senior transfer student at a time when she was unsure if she wanted to finish college. Thanks to the nurturing environment of the campus, she soon realized that she had made the right decision in choosing to complete her degree at Dominican. She thrived in the small classroom setting and developed what would become meaningful and ongoing relationships with faculty and staff. Her mentors and educational experience inspired her to continue her academic journey and pursue a Masters in Humanities at Dominican and, later, a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Ethics and Religious Studies from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Lindsey has taught and designed numerous courses at Dominican for the past 15 years and is particularly passionate about teaching in the Service Learning (SL) program. She cares deeply about social justice and focuses on equity and access in the healthcare system, a subject she is able to explore with students in her SL Healthcare Ethics and Equity course. She works as the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, a role that has expanded to include serving as the Director of La Vida Dominican. She is beyond excited about what La Vida means for our students, our campus, and our local community and is grateful to have such an excellent and dedicated team to accompany our students before, during, and after their college experience at Dominican.
Dr. Lucia Leon is an Assistant Professor of Social Justice and Latino Studies. Inspired by her personal and political commitments to immigrant communities, Lucia’s teaching, research and service focuses on U.S. immigration law. Through her development of the new Latin American and Latino Studies minor at Dominican she is dedicated to a community-engaged approach to learning and praxis. She earned her doctorate of Chicana/o and Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
La Vida Dominican Student & Summer Bridge Coordinator
Josue Castillo
Josue is a first-generation, bilingual, college student who graduated from Sonoma State University. Originally from Guatemala, he moved to the U.S. at a young age and has lived in Marin County since. In his professional career, he has worked with many low-income students, doing everything he can to help them achieve their educational goals. Josue's expertise focuses on financial aid, scholarships and admissions as well as providing resources to help them navigate higher education.
Integrative Coaches
La Vida Integrative Coaches welcome students, assist them in preparing for the semester and follow- up with them throughout their year
Melinda Martinez Becker’s New Mexican and Jewish heritage has shaped her career as a classical singer and educator. As a music faculty member and an Integrative Coach at Dominican, this work extends to mentoring students, making sure that they feel seen and heard. Melinda earned her Masters of Music in Vocal Performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and a Masters degree in Education from Santa Clara University. Through Project Canción Española at the Escuela Superior de Canto in Madrid, and Música en Compostela in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, she studied Spanish chamber music and art song, as well as pursued post-graduate studies at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg in France.
During high school, I faced academic challenges amid personal struggles at home that I kept hidden. Socially awkward and anxious in class, I unexpectedly got chosen for the "Otis Spunkmeyer Motivational Program," a transformative experience involving mentorship and a college scholarship. Despite this opportunity, my academic journey remained difficult in college, where I felt isolated compared to peers from more privileged backgrounds. Over time, however, I gained confidence through self-reflection, finding my passion for helping others. This led me to pursue a Master's in Counseling Psychology at Dominican, where I've grown personally and professionally over the past 18 years. I cherish the community and the stories shared within it, seeing each moment as a gift in my journey.
Josue is a first-generation, bilingual, college student who graduated from Sonoma State University. Originally from Guatemala, he moved to the U.S. at a young age and has lived in Marin County since. In his professional career, he has worked with many low-income students, doing everything he can to help them achieve their educational goals. Josue's expertise focuses on financial aid, scholarships and admissions as well as providing resources to help them navigate higher education.
Naomi meets people where they are and helps them navigate to where they want to go. From teaching literacy and language skills to women and their preschool children in Brooklyn, New York, to managing a large resource center at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Naomi has dedicated her career to supporting student success. She earned a BA in English from the University of New Hampshire and an MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Teachers College at Columbia University. Here at Dominican, Naomi works with students, staff, and faculty to make sure that the student experience is everything that it can possibly be.
La Vida Fellows
Faculty Fellows will mentor students and assist them in these essential elements of the Dominican Experience.
Dr. Lucia Leon is an Assistant Professor of Social Justice and Latino Studies. Inspired by her personal and political commitments to immigrant communities, Lucia’s teaching, research and service focuses on U.S. immigration law. Through her development of the new Latin American and Latino Studies minor at Dominican she is dedicated to a community-engaged approach to learning and praxis. She earned her doctorate of Chicana/o and Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Laura is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy (OT) and joined Dominican in 2015. Her background and areas of speciality include: special education, pediatric / school-based OT, assistive technology, neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism and fragile X syndrome) and interprofessional collaboration. One of her primary roles in the OT department at Dominican has been as the Research and Project Coordinator which is the OT signature work three course series. From this series, OT students and their faculty mentors have presented signature work at state and national conferences and have published in peer reviewed journals. OT student signature work generated while in the OT program at Dominican has a place in the scholarly & clinical conversations within our profession. Beyond the OT department, Laura has been incredibly passionate about the Dominican Scholarly & Creative Works Conference and has served on that committee for the past 2 years with the goal of collaborating and expanding the signature work happening within the OT department to the broader Dominican Community. These exciting foundations are what inspired her to join the La Vida team as a Signature Works Fellow and collaborate with the team and our students on the importance and meaning of signature work.
Dr. Lee is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Management in the Barowsky School of Business. She was drawn to becoming a La Vida Faculty Fellow because of the alignment with her values and vision as an educator, mentor and member of the community. She hopes to make a meaningful impact and foster upward mobility for students through building relationships.
Louis is the Dominican University of California’s Archivist and one of the campus’ helpful and friendly librarians. Social justice and community engagement are pivotal in his role that is centered around information access, comprehension, and usage.
Holding the past to the light of modernity often reveals untold histories that when amplified can empower a community, identity, or people. That is why he loves working in the realm of public history, historical preservation, and collective memory.
Emily S. Wu has been a Dominican faculty and staff member for more than a decade. Dr. Wu’s research, teaching, and community work explore deeply into the diasporic, transnational, and understandings of health, healing and community-building.. She is a religionist and ethnographer with expertise in Asian Religions, and serves as steering committee member of the Religions, Medicines, and Healing unit of American Academy of Religion. As the Assistant Director of Dominican’s Service-Learning program, she works closely with non-profit community partners in Marin County to facilitate student engagement in the local community. She is also the Board President of Asian American Alliance of Marin.
Jessica Moitt is the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty. She handles a vast range of tasks for the Academic Affairs department. She manages and supports multiple programs and events that include Fanjeaux, Student Travel Grants and the University Retreat just to name a few. Jessica was drawn to this opportunity to support the Scholarly Works Conference because of her unique love for organizing events and supporting students. Jessica is a New York City native and holds a bachelor's degree from Pace University. When she is not on campus, she can be found enjoying the natural beauty of California through trail walks, bird watching, road trips, and visiting bodies of water.
La Vida Team members
