Al Schleicher

School of Education, San Diego State University & Claremont Graduate University, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA Secondary Education, Loyola Marymount University, 2010

BA Political Science, San Diego State University, 1997

Email: arschleicher@sdsu.edu

Al R. Schleicher is a credentialed classroom teacher in the State of California and instructor in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. He is a recipient of the 2017 Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching, and a 2022-2023 Fulbright Scholar to Belize. His research and teaching praxis centers around democratic schooling in K-12 education. Currently, he is a Ph.D. candidate in the Joint Doctoral Program in Education at Claremont Graduate University and San Diego State University. Al’s work explores questions of critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving in classroom contexts. As an interdisciplinary educator, Al’s work further examines discussion, deliberation, and debate pedagogy as equitable disciplinary literacies.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Luke Duesbery / San Diego State University 

Research Interests:

Critical Thinking; Collaborative Problem Solving; Action Research in Educational Settings; Discussion Pedagogy

Dissertation:

Collaboratively Conscious: A Cognitive and Social Factor Analysis of Collaborative Problem Solving in Secondary School Classrooms

Alexandra Ribeiro Mendes de Almeida

Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use, San Diego State University and University of California San Diego (JDP), PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation),  expected 2023

Master in Actuarial Science, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, 2009

BA in Statistics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 2008

Email: alexandrarma@gmail.com

Alexandra Almeida is a PhD candidate in the SDSU-UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use and works as a researcher at FIOCRUZ/Brazil. Her current research focuses on the syndemic of substance use, HIV, and HCV, and Natural Language Processing methods for improving the understanding of chronic and transmissible diseases and related surveillance systems. She has experience teaching courses related to quantitative and research methods. She is a statistician with a previous Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Public Health from Sérgio Arouca National School of Public Health/FIOCRUZ, Brazil.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

María Luisa Zúñiga / San Diego State University

Research Interests:

Substance use; transmissible diseases; syndemics; surveillance; quantitative methodology; machine learning for public health

Dissertation:

The Syndemic of Crack Use, HIV, and HCV in Brazil: The Role of Gender and the Open Drug Scenes

Ann Lara, EdD

EdD Educational Leadership,  California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 2023

MA Education-Career and Technical Education, California State University, San Bernardino, 2006

BA Human Services, California State University, San Bernardino, 2003

Email: annelizabethlara@yahoo.com

Ann Lara has been in Higher Education since 2004. Her current doctoral course in Educational Leadership will be completed in May 2023 with her research interest on underemployment. She has taught at The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona since 2012. She teaches Professional Work Experience, Hospitality Internship, and Disney Internship courses. Her specialty is career development and providing concierge-level services for employers. Lara possesses a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in Education: Career and Technical Education, Counseling Track from Cal State San Bernardino.

Highlights include: Ability and PRIDE Ally certification, led the creation of the CPP Career Success Ally program, created a first-year experience program for hospitality students, developed an Industry Executive Mentor Program for students, awarded Best Advising Program from the university in 2017, and Wall of Cool 2020 for incorporating technology into a course. 

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Patrick Lee / California State Polytechnic University, Pomona  

Research Interests:

Underemployment; Career Readiness; Career Attainment; Hospitality Employment Trends; Co-Curricular Involvement; Work Experience 

Dissertation:

Selling Themselves Short: A Quantitative Survey Study Aimed at Avoiding Underemployment in the Hospitality Industry

Benjamin M. James

Department of Education, University of California, Santa Cruz, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Education, Ball State University, 2013

BA in English - Creative Writing, Ball State University, 2006

BA English and Education, University of the Humanities, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Indonesia, 2000

Email: bmjames@ucsc.edu

Benjamin is finishing a PhD in Education at UC Santa Cruz. His research focuses on preparing teachers to work with linguistically-minoritized students, and his dissertation explores collaborative video analysis to support preservice teacher learning towards equitable orientations to language. He has been awarded fellowships from the California Teacher Education and Research Improvement Network, Quality in Nordic Teaching from the University of Oslo, and a Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program dissertation award. His research experience includes multi-state projects funded by the Institute of Educational Sciences and the U.S. Department of Education and original qualitative research on teacher practice and beliefs about language development. He has presented at conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal. Benjamin's teaching experience includes courses on bilingualism, introduction to education, Health/PE methods, and work as a teacher supervisor at CSU Monterey Bay.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Megan Sulsberger / California State University, Monterey Bay

Research Interests:

Teacher Preparation; Second Language Acquisition; English Language Development; Qualitative Methodology; Discourse Analysis; History and Social Studies Education

Dissertation:

Collaborative Video Analysis to Support Pre-Service Teacher Noticing and Learning toward Action-Based Orientations to Language

Cassandra Horg-Aaron

Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Postsecondary Educational Leadership and Student Affairs, San Diego State University, 2020

BS in Hospitality and Tourism Management, San Diego State University, 2017

Email: cassandraaaron@my.unt.edu

Cassandra Horg-Aaron identifies as a hapa first-generation college graduate from Fresno, California. From a young age, education was instilled as an important value. It is difficult to tell where familial expectations left off and where a personal love of reading and learning began, but Cassie has used these motivators to bring her through a bachelor’s degree to her current status as a doctorate student. She comes from a multiracial background and has learned to embrace the joys and challenges of being from different cultures, shaping who she is today. In 2018, she began the M.A. program in Educational Leadership and Student Affairs at SDSU. Supported by her CDIP mentor Dra. Vasquez, Cassie completed her master’s thesis, which began her love for using research to tell stories. She is now a Ph.D. Student at the University of North Texas in Educational Psychology emphasizing in Research, Measurement, and Statistics.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dra. Marissa Vasquez / San Diego State University 

Research Interests:

Research Methods; Qualitative Research; High-impact Practices; Undergraduate Research

Dissertation:

Collaboratively Conscious: A Cognitive and Social Factor Analysis of Collaborative Problem Solving in Secondary School Classrooms

Charlene E. Holkenbrink-Monk, phd

PhD Department of Education, Claremont Graduate University and San Diego State University, 2023

MA in Sociology, San Diego State University, 2016

BA in History, University of California, Los Angeles, 2012

Email: c.e.holkenbrinkmonk@gmail.com

Website: https://www.perpetual-wanderlust.com/ 

Charlene E. Holkenbrink-Monk is dedicated to educational transformation in the classroom and research. Her pedagogy inspired her dissertation, where she worked with students to analyze standards and then create lessons with students. This collaborative philosophy extends to her values as a research methodologist; she believes research should encourage social action without dismissing community insight. She has taught diverse courses, including sociology of education, theory, social statistics, and qualitative research, and has mentored students interested in research. Her commitment to students is further exemplified by her co-founding the nonprofit, The Dignified Learning Project. Through this, she has launched and organized an annual equity conference, entitled Praxis in Education Conference, that highlights student research and is now student run. Her research interests include critical disability studies, K-20+ structural analysis, and community-engaged and visual research methodologies.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Marva Cappello / San Diego State University

Research Interests:

Sociology of Education; Critical Disability Studies; Critical Theories; Participatory Action Research; Social Studies Education; Visual Research Methods; Housing and Education

Dissertation:

Disruption, Dissent, and Dialogue: YPAR as a Pedagogical and Institutional Tool

Corrine Aramburo

Department of Education, University of California, Berkeley, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Special Education, San Francisco State University, 2014

BA in English and History Education, Brigham Young University-Idaho, 2009

Email: corrinearamburo@gmail.com

Website: https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/corrinearamburo?usp=sharing 

Corrine Aramburo is a doctoral candidate in the Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University. Her research interests include Special education teacher preparation, special education teacher knowledge, special education leadership practices, special education administrators, and supporting the education and inclusion of students with extensive support needs. Corrine completed her B.A. in English and History Education at Brigham Young University- Idaho (2008) and an M.A. in special education in the Extensive Support Needs program at San Francisco State University (2014). Corrine taught middle school English and history before becoming a special day class teacher for students with extensive support needs. For the past seven years, Corrine has mentored and supervised pre-service special education teachers in the extensive support needs programs at San Francisco State University.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Kathleen Mortier / San Francisco State University

Research Interests:

Continuous Improvement; Problem Solving; Special Education Administration; Qualitative Methodology   

Dissertation:

Achieving Agency Through Problem Solving: An Exploration of the Practices of Special Education Administrators

Cynthia Estrada

School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, PhD Candidate, expected 2024

MA in Education, University of California, Los Angeles, 2018

BA in English, Minor in Education and Applied Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2012

Email: cynthiaestradag@g.ucla.edu

Cynthia Estrada is a doctoral candidate specializing in Race and Ethnic Studies within the Social Science and Comparative Education program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As a first-generation college graduate and Latina, her research centers race and racism to examine issues related to college access and equity for minoritized students. She is particularly interested in better understanding how current college access initiatives construct and reproduce racialized narratives that center whiteness. Cynthia currently serves as a Research Associate for the Institute of Immigration, Globalization and Education at UCLA, Graduate Student Researcher at the UCLA Vice-Provost’s Initiative for Pre-College Scholars program, and Lead Graduate Student Researcher at the CCHALES research collective at San Diego State University.  She previously earned her MA in Education from UCLA and a BA in English and Applied Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Eric R. Felix / San Diego State University

Research Interests:

Race and Ethnicity; Higher Education; Qualitative Research Methods; Critical Race Theory; College Access

Dissertation:

Race-Conscious College Access Programs and Critical Consciousness: Exploring the Racialized Experiences of Undergraduate Students of Color 

Daniel Rios Arroyo

Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, Education Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Education, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2023

BA in Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2019

Email: Driosarroyo@ucsb.edu

Daniel Rios Arroyo is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Education at UC Santa Barbara. Daniel's research is particularly concerned with college access, transition, sense of belongingness, and persistence of rural Latinx students and other marginalized student groups at predominately white four-year institutions. Daniel draws on multiple frameworks like Critical Race Theory, Latino Critical Race Theory, and Bridging Multiple Worlds Theory with Chicana feminist methodologies to address educational inequities rural Latinx students encounter in their higher education experiences. As a doctoral student at UC Santa Barbara, Daniel has taught in the Black Studies, Education, Spanish, and Chicana/o Studies departments as a teaching assistant and received an honorable mention for the Excellence in Teaching Award. Daniel aspires to become a tenure-track professor to extend his research on higher education access and equity.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez / California State University, Fresno

Research Interests:

Race and Ethnicity; College Access; College Choice; Critical Race Theory; Rural Students in Higher Education; Immigrant Students

Dissertation:

Rural Latinx Students Higher Education Experiences

Demeturie Toso-Lafaele Gogue

Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Education, University of California, Los Angeles, 2020

MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration, The University of Vermont, 2017

BA in Sociology; BA in Gender and Women’s Studies; University of California, Berkeley, 2015

Email: dtlgogue@ucla.edu

Demeturie Toso-Lafaele Gogue (he/him/his) is a Pasifika (Sāmoan and CHamoru) doctoral candidate in the Higher Education and Organizational Change division at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research examines the racialized collegiate experiences of students of color and investigates how colleges and universities invest in and sustain diversity efforts. Demeturie’s scholarship has been published in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education and International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. Moreover, Demeturie has taught courses in Education, Pacific Studies, and Sociology. Prior to his doctoral studies, Demeturie served as the First Generation Student Programs Coordinator at the University of Redlands, where he supported students who were the first in their family to pursue higher education and taught courses on college mentoring and success. Over the years, Demeturie has received awards for academic excellence and commitment to community. 

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Theresa C. Suarez / California State University San Marcos

Research Interests:

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Higher Education; Racialized Experiences of Diverse Student Populations; Institutional Investment and Sustainability in Racialized Organizations; Decolonizing Qualitative Research Methods; Pacific Islander Student Success

Dissertation:

The Undercurrents of Institutionalization: How AANAPISIs Navigate a Racialized Process to Promote Pacific Islander Student Success

Gabrielle Elizabeth Bernal

School of Education, Educational Studies, University of Michigan, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Special Education, Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont, 2014

BS in Psychology, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 2011

Email: gabernal@umich.edu

Gabrielle (Gaby) Elizabeth Bernal is a former California Bay Area special education teacher and current Doctoral Candidate in Educational Studies at the University of Michigan. She was born and raised in Watsonville, California. Gaby is a Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program Fellow and Lecturer at San José State in the Special Education Department. Her research interests center on systems and ways of knowing by exploring teachers' and students' mathematical multimodal discourse and embodied experiences through critical and ethnographic methodologies. Her interdisciplinary work is rooted in performance studies, disability justice, and culturally sustaining education in formal and informal math learning spaces centering Indigenous and Latinx communities, homes, and schools within the US and México.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Lisa Simpson / San José State University

Research Interests:

Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy; Indigenous and Latine Culture; Dis/ability; Photovoice Methodology; Race and Social Justice; Critical Educators; Mathematics Education 

Dissertation:

A Photovoice Exploration of Mathematical Learning & Doing for Social Action: An Ethnographic Case Study

James Sheldon

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies, The University of Arizona, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Mathematics, University of Northern Colorado, 2019

BA in Interdisciplinary Computer Science Teaching, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2006

Email: jsheldon@jamessheldon.com

James Sheldon is a mathematics educator and scholar, with teaching experience at Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Title 1 schools. His dissertation explores student experiences of safety and risk in lower-division mathematics classrooms. During his studies, James received noteworthy awards, including the Kappa Delta Pi Hollis L. Caswell Scholarship and the Bergamo Conference Graduate Student Paper Award. James has published articles in practitioner journals, such as the MathAMATYC Educator, and in research journals, such as the Journal of Curriculum Theorizing. In addition, James co-authored a book, Humanizing Disability in Mathematics Education. James’ commitment to equity has led him to explore alternative forms of assessment. He is currently designing an OER curriculum for Calculus 1 that incorporates culturally relevant pedagogy, ethnomathematics, and ethical reasoning. Furthermore, James is designing a course on mindfulness and mathematical study skills.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Susan Courey / San Francisco State University

Research Interests:

Classroom Participation; Qualitative Research Methods; Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL); Disability and Mathematics Education; LGBTQ Issues in Mathematics Education; Ethical Reasoning in Mathematics Curriculum

Dissertation:

Student Experiences of Risk and Safety in Community College Mathematics Classrooms:  A Phenomenological Study

Jesenia Rosales

Educational Administration Department, Michigan State University, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs, University of Southern California, 2019

BA in Psychology and Hispanic Studies, Wheaton College, 2013

Email: rosale25@msu.edu

Jesenia Rosales (she/her/hers/ella) is a PhD candidate in the Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education program at Michigan State University (MSU). She is also a Chicano/Latino Studies certificate student at MSU. Jesenia began her professional experience in education as a secondary education teacher and later transitioned to a career in student affairs, specifically in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Jesenia’s research interests includes the professoriate, organizational equity, critical whiteness studies, computer science spaces, arts based methods, Latino/a/e/x students. Her dissertation incorporates art-based testimonios to understand the experiences of faculty of color in computer science (CS) to interrogate the systemic structures in the CS disciplinary culture. She is currently the managing editor of the Community College Review Journal.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Patricia A. Pérez / California State University, Fullerton

Research Interests:

The Professoriate; Critical Whiteness Studies; Organizational Equity; Computer Science Spaces; Art-Based Methods; Latino/a/e/x Students

Dissertation:

Faculty of Color Navigating Computer Science

Jesse Enriquez

Education Studies Department, University of California, San Diego, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Postsecondary Educational Leadership, San Diego State University, 2012

BA in Kinesiology, California State University, Chico, 2010

Email:  jenrique@ucsd.edu

Jesse Enriquez is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Education Studies at the University of California, San Diego. He is a proud alumnus of two Hispanic Serving Institutions; he earned his B.A. in Kinesiology from CSU Chico, and M.A. in Postsecondary Educational Leadership from San Diego State University. Prior to starting his doctoral studies, he worked in higher education as a student affairs professional. His professional experiences in outreach and recruitment, retention programs, undergraduate research, and teaching and learning centers informs his research agenda that seeks to understand how institutions of higher education help community college students accomplish their transfer and degree-attainment goals. Jesse has experience teaching as a Lecturer at various CSU campuses, including SDSU, CSU San Marcos, and more recently at CSU Channel Islands. Lastly, he is CSU Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) and a UC President’s Pre-Professoriate Fellow.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Marissa Vasquez / San Diego State University

Research Interests:

Community College Students; Men of Color; Latinas/os/x in Education; Student-Parents; Student Affairs

Dissertation:

Examining Latina/o/x Transfer Students' Transition and Adjustment at a Research-Intensive University

Jessica Clifton

Department of Elementary Education, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Louisiana, Monroe, EdD Candidate, expected 2024

MA in Elementary Education; Option: Curriculum and Instruction, California State University, Northridge, 2015

BA in Humanities, California State University, Northridge, 2012

Email: jessica.clifton@csun.edu

Jessica Clifton is a part-time professor at California State University, Northridge, and currently teaches several classes in the teacher preparation program in The Elementary Education Department. Ms. Clifton also works as an Intervention Support Coordinator in Los Angeles Unified School District and has been with the district for eleven years. Ms. Clifton is also currently an Educational Doctorate candidate in the Curriculum and Instruction program at the University of Louisiana, Monroe, and is aspiring to teach at the university level full time in the future. Her research interests include early literacy skills, inquiry, social studies, and arts integration.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Joyce Burstein / California State University, Northridge 

Research Interests:

Arts Integration; Early Literacy; Social Studies; STEM

JC Lugo

Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Education: Curriculum & Instruction, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 2018

BA in English Literature, Hope International University, 2013

Email:  jclugo25@gmail.com

JC Lugo is a PhD candidate in the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies where his research explores the ways male students of color navigate intersecting discourses of race, gender, and sexuality within heteronormative schooling contexts. His work also explores the role of teacher education in helping educators critically understand the complex needs of students and communities of color. JC is a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellow and a Project MALES Graduate Scholars Program Fellow at the University of Texas, Austin. His work is grounded in his personal experiences as a first-generation college student-athlete from Southeast Los Angeles and his work as a high school teacher, basketball coach, and student affairs practitioner coordinating a male success initiative. 

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Edward Curammeng / California State University, Dominguez Hills

Research Interests:

Race and Ethnicity; Gender and Sexuality; Social Context of Schools; Teacher Education

Dissertation:

Boys Will Be Boys, Except for Those Boys: Latino Male Students Interrogating Discourses of Race, Gender, and Sexuality

Joseph Romero-Reyes

Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Higher Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2019

BA in Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, 2017

Email: jromeroreyes@wisc.edu

Joseph Romero-Reyes is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In centering the assets and strengths of racially minoritized students in postsecondary education, his research focuses on the community college experiences of first-generation, low-income Men of Color, focusing on their experiences and engagement with Men of Color Initiatives. He has previously served in various capacities within the community college setting, such as student services advisor, student activities coordinator, and community liaison. Whether teaching classes on college access or the history and evolution of hip-hop, Joseph uses his experiential knowledge as a former community college student and practitioner to foster and create a collaborative learning environment where all students are validated and are supported to grow as people and scholars.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Eligio Martinez / California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Research Interests:

First-generation and Low-income Latino and Men of Color; Community College; P-16 Education Pathways; Men of Color Initiatives in Higher Education.

Dissertation:

Supporting First-Generation and Low-Income Men of Color in Community College: A Qualitative Case Study Analysis of Experience and Engagement with Men of Color Initiatives

Karen Stark-Garrett

School of Education and Human Services, Amridge University, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2023

MS in Counseling Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, 2005

BFA in Theatre Arts, Pacific Lutheran University, 1992

Email: kstark-garrett@csub.edu

Karen has taught at the university-level since 2016 and also brings teaching experience from her time as a public and private school teacher. As lecturer, she has taught and continues to teach undergraduate courses in the psychology department at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). She is also the applied experience coordinator for psychology majors. She was a clinic manager in the second semester of her graduate work and lead clinic manager her third year. From 2017-2019, she worked with third-year counseling psychology students as the traineeship coordinator and she was the interim coordinator of the M.S. in Counseling Psychology program at CSUB from 2018-2019. Aside from teaching and handling the organizational details of students in field work, Karen enjoys singing in a cover band, acting in local theatre (time-permitting), and traveling.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Luis Vega / California State University, Bakersfield

Research Interests:

Neurodiversity; Family Dynamics; Counselor Education; Adoption; Infertility

Dissertation:

Learning to Provide Relationally Focused Therapy in an Online Environment: Reflections of MFT Trainees during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Maria Keckler, PhD

PhD School of Educational Studies, Claremont Graduate University and San Diego State University, 2023

MA English, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 2004

BA English, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 2002

Email: mkeckler@sdsu.edu

Website: https://drmariakeckler.com/

Dr. Maria Keckler, an award-winning educator, researcher, and leader, is Director of International Affairs Strategy and Communication and Research Fellow at San Diego State University. Her work fosters educational leadership and ethical/inclusive pedagogy in diverse contexts. Courses and research interests cover the domains of immersive learning, inclusive and ethical pedagogy, qualitative and mixed methods research design, educational leadership, and innovations in education—with an emphasis on enriching the learning experience for all learners. With a deep focus on empathy and story-science integration, she empowers educators and administrators to improve learning for all students. Maria's research is informed by her exploration of transdisciplinary approaches to tackle the world’s greatest challenges, namely declining empathy in healthcare. A prolific author and conference speaker, Maria’s work champions inclusive pedagogy, compassionate leadership, and innovation in education.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Cristina Alfaro / San Diego State University

Research Interests:

Immersive Learning and Education Innovations in Nursing Education; Nuroeducation; Educational Leadership; Inclusive and Ethical Pedagogy; Qualitative and Mixed Methods Methodology; Trandisciplinary Research Studies

Dissertation:

Empathy Unfolding—A Complexity Neuroeducation Framework for Tracing the Impact of Immersive Storytelling and Transformational Learning on Nursing Education

Pauline Salim Muljana, phd

PhD Instructional Design & Technology, Old Dominion University, 2022

MA Education, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 2005

BA Education, Widya Mandala Catholic University in Surabaya, Indonesia, 1999

Email: pauline.muljana@gmail.com

Pauline Muljana is an equity-minded instructional designer, educator, and researcher. She has twelve years of experience working as an instructional designer, engaging with diverse faculty, staff, and students. She provided consultation and assistance in designing courses, and facilitated hundreds of faculty training sessions on course design, instructional strategies, and technology. Before that, Pauline worked in Preschool-12 setting for a few years.

Her research interests center on the investigations of how a data-informed analytics approach informs instructional design to foster learning strategies associated with the successful learning of non-traditional learners.

She works at Lumen Learning as Director of Continuous Improvement, leading the work of integrating data-driven and community-contributed improvements into courseware and conducting A/B testing to identify the improvement of student outcomes. She serves as a Diversity Council member, optimizing the DEIB efforts. 

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Shahnaz Lotfipour / California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Research Interests:

Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE); School-Based Physical Activity Promotion; Student Assessment and Data-Driven Instruction in Physical Education; Instructional Technology in Physical Education

Dissertation:

Feminist Assemblages: Contemporary South Korean Feminist Activism and Communities

Reggie Robles

Department of Higher Education, Claremont Graduate University, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MS in Higher Education, California State University, Fullerton, 2014

BA in Political Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 2012

Email: reginaldor@cpp.edu

Faculty Mentor/Host Institution:

Dr. Eligio Martinez / California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Research Interests:

Ethnic studies, Gender studies, Higher Education 

Dissertation:

Men of Color Programs: Understanding the Perspectives of Men of Color Who Participate in Male Success Initiatives at California State University System Institutions

Sami Alsalloom

Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, University of California, Santa Barbara, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MA in Education, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2020

Dual BA in Music and Honors Psychology, California State University, Northridge, 2016

Email: samialsalloom@ucsb.edu

Website: http://www.samialsalloom.com 

Sami Alsalloom is a PhD candidate in Education with a dual emphasis in Cognitive Science and Quantitative Methods. His scholarship is applied to the field of music cognition, with a special interest in diverse educational contexts. His current research is focused on the psychometric measurement of sense of belonging to community college music departments. He is also interested in the connection between music and language, especially how contrasting the two modes of thinking explain our syntactical processes. Sami is a Eugene Cota-Robles Diversity Fellow and a University of California Office of the President Community College Research Fellow. He is passionate about promoting diversity and creating belonging for students and faculty who are underrepresented in higher education. As he completes his dissertation work, Sami is currently employed as a lecturer in Cognitive Psychology, Psychological Statistics, and Psychological Research Methods at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Andrew Ainsworth / California State University, Northridge

Research Interests:

Sense of Belonging; Community College; Measurement; Expectation; Music Cognition; Musical Syntax

Dissertation:

The Syndemic of Crack Use, HIV, and HCV in Brazil: the Role of Gender and the Open Drug Scenes

Stephanie Marin Rothman

Curriculum & Instruction, Indiana University, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), 2024

MS in Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 2011

BS in Environmental Biology, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 2009

Email: semarin@cpp.edu

Website: https://www.cpp.edu/faculty/semarin/index.shtml

Stephanie Marin Rothman has been teaching as a Lecturer since 2011, since she earned her MS in Biology and BS in Environmental Biology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Stephanie currently teaches online Life Science and Human Sexuality and has been teaching online since 2014. With support from the Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) she is currently working towards her EdD in Science Education through Indiana University, with a minor in Sexual and Reproductive Health Promotion. Stephanie’s current research interest involves using mixed methods to explore how active learning and inclusive teaching practices can be used to close achievement gaps for students of historically underrepresented backgrounds in science courses. 

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Paul Beardsley / California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Research Interests:

Science Education; Equity in Education; Active Learning; Accessible Education; Gender and Sexuality; Sex Education

Dissertation:

Exploring The Effects of Motivation on Equity Gaps in Students of Historically Underrepresented Backgrounds in Large, Online, Undergraduate, Introductory Biology Courses

Undraa Maamuujav, phd

PhD School of Education, University of California, Irvine, 2022

MA Teaching English to the Speakers of Other Languages, California State University, Los Angeles,  2005

MS Public Administration, California State University, Los Angeles, 2008

BA English and Education, University of the Humanities, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Indonesia, 2000

Email: umaamuuj@uci.edu

Undraa Maamuujav currently holds a position as a research/project scientist in the School of Education at UC Irvine, working for the Pathway to Academic Success Project funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Innovation and Research Grant. She is in the leadership team of the national WRITE center, an IES-funded center for secondary students' writing development. 

Undraa's work centers around: 1) professional development of secondary teachers for academic literacy development; 2) language, literacy, and writing research focusing on multilingual learners of English; 3) design of instructional resources based on evidence-based and culturally-sustaining literacy instruction.

Undraa is multilingual educator with over 15 years of teaching experience in minority-serving universities. She has taught various undergraduate and graduate level courses, including critical reading/rhetoric, freshman composition, upper-division writing, and academic English at Cal State LA and UC Irvine.  

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Bahiyyih Hardacre / California State University, Los Angeles

Research Interests:

Adolescent Literacy Development; Reading and Writing Skills Development; Language Acquisition and Development of Multilingual Students; Critical Reading and Analytical Writing 

Dissertation:

Unpacking Adolescent Writers’ Texts: A Systematic Investigation of the Language Features in the Academic Writing of Linguistically Diverse Students 

Valerie A. Gómez

Department of Education, University of California, San Diego, PhD Candidate (ABD or All But Dissertation), expected 2024

MS in Counseling with an option in Student Development in Higher Education, California State University, Long Beach, 2017

BA in Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2013

Email: valeriegomez@ucsd.edu

Valerie A. Gómez is the granddaughter and daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, a first-generation college graduate, and a rising fifth-year PhD candidate at the University of California, San Diego. Her research examines how race, ethnicity, gender, and immigration status mediate the academic experiences of Latina/o/x students in higher education. Her dissertation explores how stories of migration influence the academic aspirations of Salvadoran American women college students. Valerie is a CSU Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) Fellow, the recipient of the Strategic Enhancement of Excellence through Diversity (SEED) Fellowship, and the recipient of the UC President’s Pre-Professoriate Fellowship. She is the founder of Latina Grad Guide, a social impact venture that provides a community of support, resources, and scholarships for Latinas in higher education.

Faculty Mentor / Host Institution:

Dr. Anna Ortiz / California State University, Long Beach

Research Interests:

Higher Education; Race and Ethnicity; Immigration; Gender; Qualitative Methodology; Critical Methodologies

Dissertation:

Using Testimonio to Document and Examine the Experiences of First-Generation Salvadoran-American College Students