People at WISR Today

Faculty

WISR GRADUATE FACULTY

WISR Graduate Faculty are those faculty with accredited doctoral degrees, and additional, relevant advanced academic and/or professional experience, who are lead instructors in courses for (and who can serve as faculty on Graduation Review Boards of) WISR doctoral students and Master’s students. Only those who are lead instructors of courses have the responsibility and authority to make final evaluation and approval of courses assignments submitted by students. A graduate faculty member without a doctoral degree, or with an unaccredited doctoral degree, may be able to be a lead instructor in the MS in Psychology/MFT program, and in work with students in related fields in the MS in Education and Community Leadership program, if they have at least 15 years of experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), over 10 of which must be in the State of California, and who also have proven expertise in educating therapists and other professionals in related fields, as evidenced in presentations at professional conferences, continuing education workshops, professional leadership and educational writings.

CYNTHIA BARNES, MS, LMFT, MBA.    BS in Criminal Justice Administration, University of Phoenix, 2007. Master of Business Administration, University of Phoenix, 2011. MS in Counseling/Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy, 2017. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with over 8 years of experience in psychotherapy. Cynthia has over 15 years of experience in non-profit to include Child Welfare, Workforce Development, Life Skills Training, Program Development, Group Facilitation and Training, along with Staff Professional Development. She also has over 20 years of experience in Real Estate working with sellers and buyers. She has been a board member for the non-profit organizations, Let’s Rise Together, the Sugar Bear Foundation, and the LB/SB CAMFT Chapter. She is the owner/founder of Another Chance Wellness and Consulting, where she works in private practice with adult individuals and couples. She strives in helping clients navigate difficult life transitions, managing emotions and behavior, and becoming self-aware by using mindfulness techniques. She takes a client/person centered approach and collaborates with the client(s) to establish healthy therapeutic goals with the idea of discovering their path to healing and living a meaningful and fulfilling life. She has experience in the areas of depression, trauma, grief, relationship issues, conflict resolution, anxiety and panic, and family conflict.

www.anotherchancewc.com 

therapy@anotherchancewc.com 

cynthia.barnes@wisr.edu 

JOHN BILORUSKY, PhD, Higher Education, UC Berkeley, 1972. MA, Sociology of Education, University of California at Berkeley, 1968. BA cum laude, General Studies and Physics, University of Colorado, 1967. John is President of WISR, was a co-founder of WISR in 1975, and has served full-time on WISR's faculty ever since. In 1970-71, John taught senior thesis seminars in the Social Sciences Integrated Courses and Field Major, as a Teaching Associate at the University of California, Berkeley. From 1971-73, he was Assistant Professor of Urban Affairs and Senior Research Associate in the Institute for Research and Training in Higher Education, at the University of Cincinnati. There he taught the required action-research course in the College of Community Services, created and coordinated the College’s Individualized Learning Program, and served as an in-house organizational and evaluation consultant for faculty at the University. Then, from 1973-75, he was Director of Graduate Studies at University Without Walls-Berkeley. He is the author of published articles and papers on higher education and social change, adult learning, and practical, community-based and participatory research methods, including a co-authored book published by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, May 1970: The Campus Aftermath of Cambodia and Kent State (with Richard Peterson) and two books to be published by Routledge Press in 2021—Principles and Methods of Transformative Action Research, and Cases and Illustrations of Transformative Action Research. He has served as a consultant for community agencies in the area of participatory action-research, including directing a major study of needs and services for low-income elders for the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, and using participatory research in collaboration with the Bay Area Black United Fund on three occasions for their African American Health Summits. In addition, he has done collaborative consultations with dozens of Bay Area groups over the years. He has conducted evaluations of colleges and educational innovations, for such institutions as De Pauw University (Indiana), Macalester College (Minnesota), Colorado College, New College of California, and Fresno State University. He has conducted feasibility studies for such groups as the California Housing Trust Fund and Cleveland State University’s Department of Human Services. John serves on the Advisory Board of the global network of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies ( https://www.humiliationstudies.org/ ).   john.bilorusky@wisr.edu  For more information, go to: www.johnbilorusky.academia.edu

VICTORIA CAMPBELL, LMFT. BS, Business Management, California State  University, Fresno. MA, Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy, John F. Kennedy University. Victoria, who goes by “Vic”,  became licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in California in 2009 and Nevada in 2019.  Dedication to serving youth and LGBTQ led to work with County Probation and Foster Care Programs where “Motivation Interview” tools were well received as ways to navigate difficult systems.  As a supervisor of bachelor-level counselors, Vic worked with young adults transitioning out of the Foster Care system while also developing an LGBTQ-friendly support system for inpatient youth.  This experience inspired expansion into legislative advocacy.  After joining the local chapter of CAMFT (California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists) Vic quickly rose to the rank of local chapter President and soon after, in 2009, a Board member-at-large of CAMFT itself.

Vic brought a compassionate science-based voice to the CAMFT Board and effectively lobbied for the expansion of Medicare inclusion and Veterans’ Affairs employment by Marriage Family Therapists.  Coming from a military family, Vic was proud to serve this population and their dependents.  In 2011, Vic transitioned to a CFO (Chief Financial Officer) role at CAMFT and helped CAMFT focus on strengthening relationships with the BBS (Board of Behavioral Science.)  In 2024, Vic was re-appointed to the CAMFT board and continues to champion the availability of appropriate treatment along the transgender journey. 

Moving from Santa Cruz, CA to Nevada in 2019, Vic noticed that therapists in rural areas such as Reno struggled to find appropriate support and treatment information for transgender youth and adults. Leveraging experience in Santa Cruz where Vic led a consultation group focused on science-based treatment aligned with WAPTH standards (World Professional Association for Transgender Health), Vic co-founded a similar group in Nevada. In 2023,  Vic went on to co-found the Foundation for Sexual and Gender Research and Affirmation.  This organization raises funds to provide services and training, increase accessibility, and support research in the field of Sexual and Gender and Minority (SGM).  

Vic’s varied career has included work as a therapist, business consultant, Human Resources manager, and more. Vic brings a compassion-centered approach to all roles. Helping others reach their full potential is Vic’s life’s work and joy.  Vic can be reached at Vic.Campbell@wisr.edu

AMANDA CORTEZ, LMFT.  BS in Community Studies with an emphasis in Community Organization, University of California, Santa Cruz, 2009. Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology, with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Counseling, John F. Kennedy University, 2015. Her experience ranges from serving populations struggling with mental health within the Criminal Justice System, Victims of Domestic Violence, SLE- Substance Abuse and Independent Living within SARC. In addition, her work expanded to working with high risk populations such as providing 5150 risk assessments for minors, emergency response, consultation, seeking safety training to other clinicians in the field, along with providing management services to crisis response teams for mobile crisis response and a crisis stabilization unit. 

With over 17 years dedicated to the field,  she then moved towards developing a group practice and filling gaps that she felt her mental health community was missing.  As the Founder and Owner of Yes To Therapy, Amanda has cultivated a sanctuary for healing, extending her expertise to those grappling with mental health challenges. Her practice isn't confined to traditional boundaries; as she and her dedicated team provide profound treatment to clients with all needs.  A licensed LMFT since 2018, her  contributions extend beyond the therapy room—she is a public speaker, renowned for her engaging talks on mental health issues and therapist development. Notably, Amanda graced the stage at the CAMFT 60th Anniversary Conference, captivating audiences with her insights and passion.

In addition to her clinical and advocacy roles, Amanda Cortez is a catalyst for change in the therapist community. She founded the nonprofit organization Yes To You, a 501c3 dedicated to enhancing access to professional development for minority women who choose to take the path of studying mental health. Her leadership extends to the SCV-CAMFT Board of Directors, Silicon Valley, where she serves as Treasurer, actively shaping the future of mental health advocacy. In 2023, she and her team at Yes To Therapy authored Tales of The Other Side of The Couch, a transformative book anthology designed to demystify the mental health profession and inspire future generations of therapists. This initiative is aimed to provide mentorship and knowledge-sharing, ensuring that aspiring professionals are equipped with the insights and tools needed to thrive in their careers."

BRIAN GERRARD, Ph.D. Sociology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, PhD Counseling Psychology, University of Toronto. M.A. Counseling Psychology, University of British Columbia. Brian is WISR’s Chief Academic Officer, Co-Director of the EdD Program. Brian is Emeritus Associate Professor, Counseling Psychology Department, University of San Francisco. He holds teaching awards from two universities. He has extensive experience teaching a wide variety of Master’s and Doctoral level courses in counselor education. Brian developed USF’s masters MFT program and for 14 years served as MFT Coordinator. His orientation emphasizes an integration of family systems and problem-solving approaches. He is an experienced administrator and has been Chair of the Counseling Psychology Department three times. Currently, he is a member of the Board, WISR Center for Child and Family Development. The Center, co-founded by Brian, has for years managed the largest longest-running School-Based Family Counseling program of its type in the USA. Its Mission Possible Program has served more than 25,000 children and families in over 100 Bay area schools. Brian is also Chair of the Institute for School-Based Family Counseling. The Institute sponsors the International Journal for School-Based Family Counseling and the Oxford Symposium in School-Based Family Counseling. He is also Symposium Director for the Oxford Symposium in School-Based Family Counseling which is an international association with members in 22 countries and which meets at Brasenose College, Oxford University in even years and other international sites in alternate years. Brian is senior editor of the books, School-Based Family Counseling: an Interdisciplinary Practitioner’s Guide (Routledge, 2019), School-Based Family Counseling with Refugees and Immigrants (Routledge, 2022), and School-Based Family Counseling for Crisis and Disaster: Global Perspectives (in press, Routledge). He is co-author with Dr. Jacqueline Shinefield of Psychological Type Therapy: A Practitioner’s Guide to Strengthening Relationships (Routledge, 2022). Brian is Co-Facilitator of the Disastershock Global Response Team that developed 30 language translations of the book Disastershock: How to Cope with the Emotional Stress of a Major Disaster and made them available free globally during the Covid 19 pandemic. brian.gerrard@wisr.edu .

LINDA M. HARTLING, Ph.D., Clinical/Community Psychology, The Union Institute Graduate School, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1995. Master’s of Music, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 1989. Bachelor’s of Music, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 1978. Dr. Hartling is the Director of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (HumanDHS) and is part of the leadership team facilitating HumanDHS projects, including the World Dignity University initiative and Dignity Press. HumanDHS is a global transdisciplinary network of scholars, practitioners, and activists collaborating to end cycles of humiliation while encouraging practices that support the dignity of people and the planet. Dr. Hartling is the past Associate Director of the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute (JBMTI), part of the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Dr. Hartling holds a doctoral degree in clinical/community psychology and has published papers on Relational-Cultural Theory, workplace practices, resilience, substance abuse prevention, and the psychological and social impact of humiliation. She is co- editor of The Complexity of Connection: Writings from the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute at the Stone Center (2004) and author of the Humiliation Inventory, the first scale to assess the internal experience of humiliation. Dr. Hartling is the recipient of the 2010 Research Award presented by the Association for Creativity in Counseling, American Counseling Association. She was recently honored with the 2015 HumanDHS Lifetime Achievement Award, presented at the 26th Annual Workshop on Transforming Humiliation and Violent Conflict, at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City. lhartling@me.com ; lhartling@humiliationstudies.org ; linda.hartling@wisr.edu 

RONALD MAH, LMFT. BA in Psychology and Social Sciences, University of California at Berkeley, 1975. MA in Psychology, Western Institute for Social Research, 1991. Teacher’s Credential Program, University of California at Berkeley, 1976. PhD in Higher Education and Social Change, Western Institute for Social Research, 2013. Ronald is Co-Director of WISR’s MFT Program. Ronald has had a private practice since 1994 as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He is a credentialed elementary and secondary teacher, and former owner-director of a preschool and daycare center. He does consulting and training for human service organizations, teaching courses and workshops for many community agencies and educational institutions around the California and the United States. He is a visible and active writer of books and articles in the field. His areas of special concern include child development, parenting and child-rearing, multicultural education, and teacher education. He previously served two terms on the Board of Directors of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), and in June 2021, he has been elected to another term on the CAMFT Board. He also has served on the Board of the California Kindergarten Association. Ronald completed his PhD at WISR, writing on multiple topics on couple’s therapy, and for a potential twenty book series, possibly e-books. For more information about Ronald’s many professional endeavors, go to www.ronaldmah.com  Ronald@RonaldMah.com  ronald.mah@wisr.edu  

SUDIA PALOMA MCCALEB, EdD in Multicultural and International Education, University of San Francisco, 1992 (Doctoral thesis focused on working with multi-cultural and multi-lingual families in the early literacy development of their children); Master’s in Education, Bank Street College, New York City. BA in Anthropology and Romance Languages, University of Michigan. Dr. Paloma McCaleb was born into a family of educators and grew up in an apartment above the school that her parents founded. She began teaching Head Start programs and Columbia University laboratory schools in New York City. Upon moving to California, she assumed the Educational Directorship at University of California, Berkeley Early Childhood Centers through the ASUC (Associated Students, University of California). Subsequently, she directed her own small family pre- school/kindergarten. A Berkeley school funding initiative led her to become an arts specialist in Berkeley public schools. Later she became an educator and teacher of literacy development and second language development in Oakland and Sonoma County schools. She was a popular workshop presenter at CABE (California Association of Bilingual Educators) and NAME (National Association of Multicultural Education). She created the California State accredited primary and secondary bilingual (Spanish and Cantonese) Teacher Education and Masters programs in Critical Environmental & Global Literacy Programs at New College of California in San Francisco, where she directed and taught literacy and English Language development, multicultural education, participatory action research, environmental education) for 15 years. In 2008, she created and served as Executive Director of CCEGL (Center for Critical Environmental & Global Literacy) which focuses on building teacher and community consciousness around Environmental Challenges. This work has extended to communities and school educators in Guatemala, Mexico, Romania, Hungary, Cuba and El Salvador. At the present time her work focuses on building collaborative relationships between bay area educators (and beyond) and indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico and Sonsonate, El Salvador. sudiapaloma.mccaleb@wisr.edu 

AVA DENISE PHILLIPS, MS, LMFT. BS in Business Administration, Marketing, California State University Dominguez Hills. Masters in Counseling, Marriage, Family and Child Counseling, California State University Fullerton. She has been licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist by the state of California since 2001. She has served her locale in the community mental health field for over 27 years. She has worked for the County of San Bernardino Behavioral Health Department, the County of Riverside Behavioral Health Department and several community agencies that support family preservation and reunification. She has always believed that the only way to truly impact the lives of children is to support their families. In addition, she recalls fondly her experiences working with the chronically mentally challenged, commenting that they are “vulnerable with a quiet strength that is endearing.” She would say, however, that her most illuminating experience was working with the domestic violence population; a complete change in basic assumptions for her! Ava is grateful for the opportunity she has been given to mentor and supervise many MFT associates (formerly called interns) to licensure. It is important to her that they are respected, protected, and well trained. She is fully committed to contributing to having quality, competent and relevant licensed clinicians in the mental health field.

Ava humbly serves on the Board of the California Marriage and Family Association (CAMFT). She was CAMFT's Chief Financial Officer, and most recently is President-elect of CAMFT's Board. She also serves on the Executive Board of Parktree Community Health Center as the secretary and member of the compliance and finance committees. She has actively participated in numerous community outreach activities through her church for over 30 years, as well as having held several leadership positions within the church. She has been a member of the African American Parent Advisory Board within the Pomona Unified School District since 2017. Over many years she has attended numerous monthly collaborative meetings for mental health and community service agencies and participated in various sub-committees. Ava facilitates therapy and community connection services for people who have trouble accessing services on their own. She provides pro bono counseling for people in crisis and some not in crisis. She regularly answers the call to speak at community events on mental health issues. She has been in private practice since 2017 and is enjoying the autonomy! Her purpose is to help people connect or reconnect to their own lives, as they wish to live them. She has found that helping people understand and manage their depression and anxiety can be the cure they never saw coming. She instills hope!! She utilizes whatever it takes to make that happen. However, her go to approaches are cognitive behavioral, client-centered and solution-focused therapies. She models transparency, emotional integrity, staying present and above all speaking your truth. When appropriate and therapeutic she will utilize Christian counseling to give clients a point of reference from which to heal. She is grateful to have had the privilege of collaborating with people of all ages, cultures, ethnicities, and socioeconomic levels to change and improve their lives. Last, but first, Ava is the mother of three phenomenal children and one 11-month-old perfect granddaughter! She says her family grounds   her   and   teaches   her   best   lessons…   ava.dee@wisr.edu Life Philosophy- “You must work for what you get, you must be accountable for your actions and reactions, your opinion is just that yours and yes, God does allow U-turns.” And, for further wisdom: "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."--Maya Angelou

STEVEN D. POMERANTZ, Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology, with a minor in Organizational Leadership, in 1992 from the University of San Francisco; MA in Sociology with a minor in Counseling, in 1978 from California State University, Chico; and BS in Psychology in 1969 from Pacific University in Oregon.  Dr. Pomerantz is Co-Director of the MFT program; Coordinator of Student Services and Chair of WISR's Institutional Research Board. Steve’s experience includes 10 years as a manager/supervisor in county government and nonprofit agencies, and he was the youngest County department director in the state of California in 1976.  He also has 32 years as an external organizational consultant to over 60 organizations, and trainer in private practice conducting more than 2,000 seminars to over 30,000 participants; and concurrently 34 years teaching at the university level as adjunct faculty at USF; and 23 years as Field Consultant coordinating the Masters in Counseling with an emphasis in Marital and Family Therapy for the University of San Francisco, Sacramento Campus.  He also found time during 17 of those years to have a small private practice serving more than 400 clients with marital and family problems as MFCC & LMFT first licensed in 1983 (license #18527).  Currently, Steve has been retired for the past few years and his MFT license is inactive as he plays golf 2 to 3 times per week.  He has agreed to come out of retirement to join the WISR faculty, and very much enjoys working with WISR students and faculty.  Steve has been writing a book on Leadership, which he hopes to soon complete, and plans to write two more books, one on the evolution of counseling theories, and the other on dealing with life’s challenges. steven.pomerantz@wisr.edu  or to: drstevep2@gmail.com  

CHRISTINE L. TIPPETT, MSW, LCSW, LMFT. MSW, Social Work (Mental Health Concentration), California State University, Sacramento 1977. BA, Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara 1974. Christine has extensive experience teaching a wide variety of Master’s level courses in counselor education. With the support of WISR’s current Chief Academic Officer, Brian Gerrard, she created and administered a private practice model of the Mission Possible Program in school-based family counseling, which operated for 16 years, served over 3000 youth and families, helped more than 70 graduate students obtain practicum experience, and earned the 2020 Award for Best Practice in School-Based Family Counseling from the Oxford Symposium of School Based Family Counseling. In addition, she presented at the symposium several times, contributed a chapter to School Based Family Counseling: Transforming Family- School Relations [Chapter 48], by Gerrard and Soriano (2013), and to the International Journal for School-Based Family Counseling, Vol VII (2016). She was thereby made a fellow of the Oxford Symposium of School-Based Family Counseling.

Her interest in community mental health has included work with a variety of vulnerable populations deserving respectful justice:

• Youth needing coordinated care following passage of AB 3632 (now written into code as EC26), so that payment and responsibility for delivery of services flows through the department of primary duty (e.g., education, mental health, juvenile justice, care and custody)

• Mental health clients in need regardless of ability to pay, following the passage of: Lanterman/Petris/Short Act, Mental Health Act, Prop. 63

• Clients requesting information prior to making “informed decisions” regarding birth control both before and after Roe v Wade

• Veterans in higher education responding to “Move Up” preparation for college courses and “About Face” advocacy for (re)instatement of VA benefits

• Advocacy with colleagues, administrators and, (eventually) families who are expanding their nucleus through adoption.

In therapy practice and in clinical supervision, Christine uses a humanistic systems approach to inform her perspective with regard to the person in situation. For more information, contact christine.tippett@wisr.edu 

KAREN WALL. RN-BC, OFS, LMFT. [CURRENTLY ON AN EXTENDED LEAVE OF ABSENCE] AA, Pre-Medicine, New Mexico Military Institute, 1982; BS, Biology, Texas Tech University, 1985; MA (PD), Secondary Science Education with Teaching Credential, University of Hawaii-Manoa, 1987; BS, Nursing, York College of Pennsylvania, 1992; MA, Counseling Psychology/Marriage and Family Therapy, Argosy University-Inland Empire, 2011; EdD, Counseling Psychology, Argosy University-San Francisco Bay, 2015. In her dissertation, Karen surveyed practicing therapists about their views on the inclusion of religion and spirituality in their work with their clients based on how competent and confident they felt from their graduate training. Her survey revealed a need for more intensive coverage of these topics in the curriculum at the graduate level. She has developed a course which she hopes to pilot in the future and integrates elements of her research into her current teaching of MFT students. Her publications include a book chapter on the use of technology in behavioral health, specifically with veterans: “Chapter 7: Technology use in behavioral medicine health” and articles in the areas of social robotics: “Use of Robotic Animals in VA Long-Term Care: An Example of Person-Centered Care”; technology use in behavioral health: “The Interactive Mobile App Review Toolkit (IMART): A Clinical Practice-Oriented System”; “ An interprofessional framework for telebehavioral health competencies”; “Telebehavioral health, telemental health, e-therapy and e- health competencies: The need for an interprofessional framework”; psychopharmacology: “The Efficacy Of Prazosin To Treat Nightmares Related To Post Traumatic Stress Disorder”; and employee wellness and resiliency: “B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Staff Resilience Training”. Karen taught nursing at the University of Southern California as a clinical instructor for the undergraduate psychiatric nursing rotations. Karen is currently the Director for Global Education with Global Human Development, Inc, working with Stefan Deutsch developing a mental health mobile app to teach people about Self-Love. She is also a Consultant on the Advisory Board for the All of Us Research Program at the NIH.

She is active in her Catholic faith and is a Professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order, a lay religious fraternity. Karen is very passionate about animals and animal assisted therapy, especially with Veterans living with dementia and with PTSD. During her nursing practice as the Dementia Care Coordinator for the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Karen volunteered with Paws For Purple Hearts service dog training program at Menlo Park VA as a puppy sitter and worked with a facility dog for the Community Living Center, providing AAT for the older Veteran residents. Karen retired (her second-the first being from the Army) from the VA in June 2019, and now lives in Albuquerque, NM, where she enjoys her much-welcomed free time to do volunteer work with service dogs and animals with Paws and Stripes and Animal Humane of NM. She is a long-time volunteer with the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in UT and spends time there during the year helping care for the animals living there. Karen is a volunteer mental health and dementia expert with the Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico. Partly due to being a “military brat” and being in the military herself, Karen loves to travel and learn about every culture she can experience, including learning languages. She was raised in Hawai’i in a military family, and served 23 years in the US Army, in logistics and then as a psychiatric nurse, including a deployment to Saudi Arabia in 1991 during the Gulf War. Karen has a private practice as an LMFT and uses technology and online teletherapy in addition to traditional models to see her clients. For more information about some of Karen’s many professional endeavors, go to: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/karen-m-wall-albuquerque-nm/463400  karen.wall@wisr.edu  logos68540@gmail.com  karenlmft97283@gmail.com

WISR LEARNING SUPPORT INSTRUCTORS

WISR Learning Support Instructors (whose names are highlighted in blue) have extensive and relevant professional and community leadership experience and provide learning support and assistance in their area(s) of expertise to WISR students under the supervision of WISR Graduate Faculty. Learning Support Instructors serve as teaching assistants and professional mentors/peer tutors for WISR students and do provide valuable instruction and support services, in their areas of expertise. They help in facilitating the learning of WISR’s graduate, but only under the direction and supervision of Graduate Faculty, who have the sole authority and responsibility for directing and evaluating graduate student learning and progress. They are not allowed to supervise Master’s or Doctoral students, evaluate their work for course credit, or serve on Graduation Review Boards for Master’s or Doctoral Students.

MARILYN JACKSON, PhD., see WISR staff below.

LARRY LOEBIG, BS, Summit University, Real Estate Management, 1998. MS, Summit University, Organizational Behavior, 1999. He is a graduate of Coach University and received the MCC designation from the International Coaching Federation. When he was the Business Manager of the Black Scholar Journal, he was introduced to the works of Jay Conrad Levinson and recently became Jay’s master trainer for the Western United States and is Director of the Academy for Guerrilla Marketing International. He is an advocate of learning in action and has applied his theory and learning in co-founding California.com Inc., and as an active Director of the Socially Responsible Internet Company. He has developed an interest in alternative dispute resolution and earned certification with Mediator Training International with an emphasis on conflict in the workplace. He provides supplemental learning support to WISR students in his areas of professional expertise under the supervision of WISR Graduate Faculty. larry.loebig@wisr.edu larryloebig@gmail.com 

CYNTHIA ROBERSON, Master of Library and Information Science, San Jose State University, 2014. BA, Music, California State University East Bay, 2007. AA, Liberal Studies, Contra Costa College, 2003. Cynthia is WISR’s Library Director. She began her career as a teacher – first as a music teacher in the East Bay, then as a substitute teacher for West Contra Costa and New Haven Unified School Districts. Currently, she works as a Family Care Specialist in the funeral industry while working on library projects for WISR. She is working to get WISR’S library resources online and accessible to students and faculty. cynthia.roberson@wisr.edu

ADJUNCT FACULTY

TITUS YU, PhD., Intercultural Philosophy and Religion, jointly University of Washington, Seattle, and California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), San Francisco, 1983. MA, Literature, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1968. Dr. Yu is founding President of and a professor at Andrew University, Berkeley, CA, which began its operation in 1996 as a Liberal Studies school offering academic programs ranging from BA completion to Master’s to Doctoral degrees including PhD in Humanities. Before that, he taught Comparative Religion and Philosophy, East and West at Simon Fraser University, Barnaby, Canada, the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, JFK University in Orinda, CA, and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. From the 1980s through the 1990s he served as a member of onsite visiting teams for the State of California Bureau of Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (later named Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education). He is an American Baptist Pastor, and since 1985, has served in that role at Thousand Oaks Baptist Church in Berkeley. He is the author of several books, including: The I Ching (Book of Transformation) in Light of Its Archaic Etymology, Seeming Controversies in the Old Testament, and Seeming Controversies in the New Testament.

WISR Staff

MARILYN JACKSON, PhD. Chief Administrative Officer (CAdO). BA, Augustana College, 1981, Religion. M.A., Holy Names College, Institute in Creation Spirituality and Culture, 1989. PhD, WISR, Higher Education and Social Change, 2004. In 2021, Dr. Jackson was appointed as Chief Administrative Officer/Chief Operating Officer at WISR. Prior to that, for 18 years, Dr. Jackson was Executive Assistant to WISR’s CEO; for the ten years prior to that, she served as WISR’s Administrative Assistant. For 18 years she has been on WISR’s faculty as a Learning Support Instructor. Her roles have included: marketing and outreach; document production (including minutes); IT research, innovations and training; faculty, student and alumni communications and coordination; seminar planning, coordination and production; supervision of institutional filing; policy development; survey development, implementation, data collection and analysis; State and Federal compliance; registration activities. Until recently, she has worked for 25 years in two small law firms in administrative roles including document production, editing, court filing of legal documents, reception, legal research, preparation of legal exhibits, billing, and office filing. Prior to working in law firms, she had five years of experience in administrative, business and office management positions. For 25 years, while working for the non-profit Ecumenical Peace Institute, Berkeley, Dr. Jackson has acted as Board member and office manager and performed marketing and technology training. During this time also she has done volunteer work in community nonprofits, providing education, fundraising, volunteer coordination and outreach services. Additional training received includes FERPA compliance, assertiveness and conflict mediation. Marilyn is also a Learning Support Instructor at WISR. marilyn.jackson@wisr.edu 

DAVID ROSS, EdD Candidate, Quality Improvement Officer (QIO) and Compliance Officer. Graduate Studies in Theology and Philosophy, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hampton, MA. BA in English, Westmont College, Santa Barbara. David’s background in Quality Improvement includes experience as Director of Continuous Quality Improvement, ACI (Addictions Care Interventions), New York City in a community healthcare clinic facility where he trained nurses and clinicians and where his directives resulted in renewal of accreditation and improved audit statistics. In that role, he was a certified professional in healthcare quality. He was Director of Continuous Quality Improvement for the World School of Massage and Holistic Health and has served as Director of Operations for Andrew University in Berkeley. He has been a Continuous Quality Improvement and Strategic Planning Consultant for a nascent global humanitarian project, Sums Global, in Scottsdale, AZ. He was also Director of Admissions and Triage for ACI (Addictions Care Interventions) in New York City, and New England Memorial Hospital in Stoneham, MA, he received the Siegert Memorial Award for excellence in clinical psychiatry. In addition, David continues his professional career and work in life coaching and well-being. In that role he has developed novel, integrative approaches to holistic health and lifestyle coaching and self-coaching training. He has extensive experience developing course manuals and handbooks, and in web marketing. david.ross@wisr.edu iamdavidr@hotmail.com   

JULIAN TAO, MS, Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and Coordinator of Academic Administration. MS in Taxation, Golden Gate University; BA, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, China. Mr. Tao possesses over 26 years of accounting experience including work with nonprofits and universities. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and earned a Master of Science in Tax Accounting from Golden Gate University. He has been employed at various accounting firms, including Ernst & Young, LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers. His corporate experience includes employment with Chevron, USA and Visa International. Mr. Tao is a member of our Board Finance Committee and the Administrative Executive Committee. 

MARK WILSON, WISR Learning Experience Designer\Technologian. In this role, he provides leadership in the evaluation and implementation of all ICT activities at WISR to ensure a realistic balance between the opportunities technology provides and the goals of faculty’s instructional programs so students, teachers, librarians, and clerical staff work together. He is involved in designing online courses and user experiences to meet the needs of members of the WISR teaching and learning community. He is strongly committed to helping WISR continuously improve in support of our mission to promote learner centered adult education.

Mark is a retired craftsman. After studying the art and science of glass, he worked 20 years as a scientific glassblower in Silicon Valley making gas LASERs, X-ray tubes and the high intensity lamps used in the manufacture of computer chips. Following the 2008 economic collapse he returned to college in Oakland’s Peralta Community College District (PCCD) and completed Liberal Arts and Sociology Associate’s degrees at Berkeley City College. Inspired by the lack of support for adult students, Mark was deeply involved in the shared governance of the PCCD, collaborating with other student leaders in creating a four-college Peralta Student Council (PSC) and serving two years as its first Communications Officer.  He was also the student representative on the multiyear PeopleSoft Financial Aid Upgrade Steering Committee that automated financial aid disbursements. Mark was then a student worker at the Peralta Colleges Foundation, helping plan and run fundraising events and supporting the Rising Student Voices Program; a cohort of twenty first year students committed to graduating from community college in two years, with 100% success. Invited to be a beta tester for Google’s email project by a Silicon Valley colleague, Mark brought the Google Suite for Education (now Workspace) to the students in Peralta. For his leadership he was honored by both his peers on the PSC and the California State Assembly. 

Mark earned a Canadian Certificate in Digital Humanities in 2023, belongs to the Association for Learning Technology (ALT), the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), and the Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence- Based Learning (AAEEBL), the group leading ePortfolio research worldwide. He is also a Digital Storytelling facilitator trained at Berkeley’s StoryCenter specializing in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), LLMs (artificial intelligence) and storymapping technologies. He has attended and presented at many higher education conferences. 

Mark is an epistemological trespasser, blending theory, practice, and technologies to support further education for adults. His positionality is informed by his identities as a digital humanist grounded in California's counter-cultures, Asian philosophies, and the human potential movement; a worker with experience in horizontally organized, artisan-led small businesses; a performer in both 16th and 19th century living history reenactments; a bookseller and collector interested in unconventional texts; and a volunteer in arts education and digital storytelling. As a landless precariat worker and descendant of both early and recent immigrants to North America, he acknowledges these indigenous lands and the multiple cultures that have possessed them.

See more at https://www.linkedin.com/in/markcorbettwilson/     mark.wilson@wisr.edu

Serete Itebete, Tech Support Staff. BS Computer Science, San Francisco State. Serete provides technology assistance and support to students, faculty, and staff at WISR. This includes addressing specific technology-related issues and providing guidance on tasks such as accessing files, using Google Drive, and WISR’s online learning platform using the Google Education Workspace. He supports faculty ad staff with instruction, both one-on-one and in small group tutorials. He responds to specific requests from students, faculty and staff, and helps to develop ideas and methods to enhance WISR’s use of technology for learning, instruction and administrative activities. support@wisr.edu  and serete.itebete@wisr.edu 

Board of Trustees

Marcia Campos, MA is Chair of WISR's Board.  1980-1985: Enrolled, Political Sciences Doctorate Program U.N.A.M. - Universidad Nacional de México. 1978: Master of Arts in Sociology, FLACSO - The Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences. Mexico D.F. 1973: Psychologist, MA, University of Chile - School of Psychology, Santiago, Chile. She is a Chilean born US citizen who was a student leader in her native country during the socialist government of Salvador Allende. She was a political exile in Mexico after the military coup of Augusto Pinochet of 9/11, 1973 where she pursued an academic career in the National Institute of Anthropology focusing on the US/Mexican border. She was actively involved in the international movement of solidarity with the victims of the Pinochet terror regime. Upon her relocation in California in 1986, Marcia Campos has worked with migrant families and children at a grassroots and legislative level. She has been involved with multiple organizations such as UC Berkeley Health Initiative of the Americas, The National Council of La Raza, and the Obama Committee for the Latino Heritage Museum in Washington DC. She is an advocate for a world free of the threat of nuclear annihilation. She is a regular contributor at KPFA radio station, "Voces del Pueblo."

Charles Greene, MBA, is Treasurer of WISR’s Board. Chuck graduated from the University of Pittsburgh (Bachelor’s) and has his MBA from Harvard Business School. Chuck Greene is the Executive Director of the Cedars of Marin, which has model day and residential programs for adults with developmental disabilities. Chuck has more than 36 years of nonprofit management experience as co-founder and Administrative Vice President of World College West, Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of San Francisco, The Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund and the Goldman Environmental Prize. He has been an interim executive director for nine Bay Area nonprofits, including at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services. Previous interim assignments include Chinese for Affirmative Action, Angel Island Immigration Foundation, Zen Hospice Project and the Marin Institute.

Brian C. Harris is Secretary of the Board. BA Politics and Philosophy, York University, England, 1976. Mr. Harris immigrated to the United States in 1979. He has managed Paradigm Promotions LLC, a Public Relations and Sales Management company, since he founded the company in 1986. Paradigm Promotions has contributed to the growth and success of a myriad of emerging and established businesses. Among many accomplishments, Paradigm brought the concepts and analysis of emotional intelligence to the fore in the wake of the Columbine HS massacre in 1999. They were promoters of the public television program Kanga Roddy, which applied the concepts of emotional intelligence, empathy and non-violent resolution to resolve the most complex of challenges and moral dilemmas. The highly rated show entertained millions of children throughout the United States, through song and dance, between 1998 and 2000. From 2010, Mr. Harris founded the Zero Net Energy Working Group to promote solutions to energy use in building and construction. In 2017, ZNEWG secured unanimous passage of the landmark Berkeley Deep Green Building Initiative through the City Council.

Robert Brem, MA, MC, NCC, is a futurist, philosopher, organizational consultant, policy analyst, and psychotherapist. He attended Arizona State University and from there has advanced Doctoral Work in Public Administration & Organizational Theory, a Master of Counseling, a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Political Science (International Relations theory and democratic theory). He holds a certificate in non-profit organizational management and is a National Certified Professional Counselor and Life Coach.

Mr. Brem is a professor of future studies, politics, public administration, and psychology. Robert is a professional teacher, consigliere. He has a practice in organizational consultant, working in community organizing, “mentoring” [life coach & clinical supervisor)], and counseling) since 1989. Robert has taught at eight institutions of higher learning in Arizona and California. He has been on the faculty at College of Alameda since 2004 (in psychology and political science); and on the faculty at CSU- East Bay (since 2007) teaching in the master’s in public administration (MPA) program (and in the department of political science). He is also an Associate of the Center for Future Consciousness working in consulting in Alternative Futures Policy Analysis and Conscious Evolution in the public and social (non-profit) sectors. He was Chair of the College of Alameda curriculum committee and the co-chair of the Peralta District “Green” curriculum committee and on the Steering Committee for the Sustainable Peralta Initiative (from 2005 to 2016). He is also the lead curriculum developer and a Coordinator of the Community Change and Urban Leadership Initiative—an initiative in community development, urban leadership, civic engagement, public service, law, and violence prevention (2005 to present).

Che Kum Clement, PhD in Higher Education and Social Change, (April, 2012) Western Institute for Social Research (WISR). Master of Science in Technical Education, Islamic Institute of Technology (IIT), Now Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1997. Specialization: Electrical Engineering. Post Graduate (PG) Diploma in Technical Education with specialization in Electrical Engineering. Islamic Institute of Technology (IIT) Now Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1996. Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Technical Education with specialization in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Power System). Islamic Institute of Technology (IIT) Now Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Dhaka, Bangladesh,1995. Dr. Clement is from Cameroon and is a professor, researcher and consultant. He has broad experience in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and workforce development; curriculum/program development, implementation and evaluation. He has directed and managed several national and international projects aimed at sustainability of TVET, with over 25 years of national and international experiences in TVET. He has worked on different capacity building and training related projects sponsored by many developmental agencies/organizations, namely; World Bank, UNESCO-UNEVOC, European Union (EU), International Labor Organization (ILO), German Technical Cooperation (GIZ), African Development Bank, Canadian Agency for International Development, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)-Vocational Education and Training (VET), Islamic Development Bank and the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) of OIC. He is former Head of the Department of Technical and Vocational Education Department, Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Dhaka, Bangladesh (2011-18). He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications on vocational and technical education and has presented papers at many professional and international conferences.

Karen Young, EdD Higher Education and Social Change, WISR, 2022. Master’s in Public Health Education, San Jose State University, 1978. Ms. Young is a WISR doctoral program alumna whose dissertation used the Dreyfus Model of Expert Knowledge to focus on the evaluation of Home Care Aide training and determine if the training prepared the student graduates to work in the home care industry as second-level caregivers or Direct Support Providers, DSPs. She is the owner and Executive Director of Provider’s Friend, a health education and training company established in 1988. She provides health education and training services for residential care providers in California. She teaches health education and training courses in Bay Area Community Colleges and Adult Schools. Further, she is the author of the training curriculum and the Home Care Aide Training Workbook used to train caregivers in three Bay Area school districts. Ms. Young developed the Home Care Aide training curriculum and communication tools approved by the California Department of Rehabilitation for Home Care Aide training of individuals who are deaf or have a hearing impairment.

Nicole Dixon, AA, Psychology and Sociology with highest honors, Berkeley City College. BA, Social Welfare with honors, University of California, Berkeley, MS in Psychology/MFT, WISR, 2022. Nicole is a WISR alumna whose Master’s thesis researched, “In What Ways Might High Expectations for Academic Performance Negatively Impact the Development of a Positive Sense of Self among Youth?” As a student at WISR, she was active in facilitating collaborative relationships and a study group among MFT students. Her practicum was with WISR’s Center for Child and Family Development providing therapy for low-income students in San Francisco’s Mission district, and their families. Before coming to WISR, during her undergraduate studies, she interned with Berkeley City Councilmember, Kate Harrison, working on projects in such areas as homelessness. Nicole worked for several years as a Behavioral Technician, providing behavioral therapy to youngsters with autism. She was a recipient of the Cal Alumni Leadership Scholarship, and as a graduating senior, she was considered for the University Medal, due to her 3.96 GPA. She joined Delta Xi Phi sorority because of its mission focusing on multiculturalism and inclusiveness. Her senior honors thesis was on Multicomponent Intervention to Reduce Future Incarceration for Children with Early Onset Conduct Disorder.

Sajad Shakoor, MS in Education and Community Leadership from WISR in 2016, and his Bachelor of Specialized Studies (BSS) from The Ohio University in 2013. He’s currently a doctoral candidate at WISR pursuing his EdD. In 1997, Sajad was sentenced to life in prison under California’s Three Strikes Law and was incarcerated collectively for over 2 decades. While inside, he reformed his life and pursued education. That education and his personal growth helped him influence civic leaders at Stanford University to address the injustices of the Three Strikes Law, and successfully overturn that very law that took away his freedom. After his release in 2013, Sajad started working for the Tayba Foundation to help advance educational programs in prison. In 2014 he enrolled at WISR, and he founded a non-profit organization to further assist prisoners in their educational development. As part of these efforts, he campaigned for and helped pass SB 1391, a bill that made it possible for California prisoners to acquire community college education for free. Sajad founded the Falafel Corner restaurant franchise in Sacramento in 2016 and grew it to over 30 locations, making it one of the biggest Halal restaurant chains in America. As a tireless advocate for prisoners’ rights, he uses Falafel Corner as a means to employ formerly incarcerated people and to provide them with the skills and training that will help them grow and prosper.

Non-Voting Members Of The Board:

Sudia Paloma McCaleb, WISR Faculty Member, BA in Anthropology and Romance Languages, University of Michigan, Masters in Education, Bank Street College, New York City. EdD in Multicultural and International Education, University of San Francisco, 1992. (Doctoral thesis focused on working with multi-cultural and multi-lingual families in the early literacy development of their children). Dr. Paloma McCaleb was born into a family of educators. She began teaching Head Start programs and Columbia University laboratory schools in New York City. Upon moving to California, she assumed the Educational Directorship at University of California, Berkeley Early Childhood Centers through the ASUC (Associated Students, University of California). She created the California State-accredited primary and secondary bilingual (Spanish and Cantonese) Teacher Education and Masters programs in Critical Environmental & Global Literacy Programs at New College of California in San Francisco, where she directed and taught literacy and English Language development, multicultural education, participatory action research, environmental education for 15 years. In 2008 she created and served as Executive Director of CCEGL (Center for Critical Environmental & Global Literacy) which focuses on building teacher and community consciousness around Environmental Challenges. This work has extended to communities and school educators in Guatemala, Mexico, Romania, Hungary, Cuba and El Salvador. At the present time her work focuses on building collaborative relationships between bay area educators (and beyond) and indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico and Sonsonate, El Salvador.

John Bilorusky, PhD is a co-founder of WISR (1975), has been WISR’s President for 41 years, and has served as a core faculty member at WISR since its inception. John’s academic degrees are: BA in Physics cum laude, and cum laude in General Studies, University of Colorado, 1967. MA in Social Foundations of Education, University of California at Berkeley (1968), and PhD in Higher Education, University of California at Berkeley (1972). He previously served on the faculty in Social Science Interdisciplinary Studies (University of California, Berkeley), Community Services (University of Cincinnati), and as Director of Graduate Studies at University Without Walls-Berkeley. He has written and published extensively on adult learning, action-research, and reform in higher education. Over the years, John has served as a consultant and project director for many educational institutions and community organizations, and for innovative action-research projects aimed at community improvements and educational reform.

Academic Advisory Committee

JOHN BEAR, PhD, is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on nontraditional higher education and distance learning. His guidebooks on the topic, first published in 1974, have sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide. He is an actively involved critic of diploma mills. He has helped develop and market various distance and online programs, including ten years with the MBA of the Edinburgh Business School, which became the largest MBA in the United States and in the world. He received his BA in Psychology (1959) and his M.J. in Journalism (1960) from the University of California at Berkeley; his PhD in Communications (1966) is from Michigan State. He is the author of 35 books with major publishers (Random House, McGraw-Hill, etc.)—on higher education, computers, travel, US history, cooking, publishing and consumerism. He is especially well known in the higher education community for his numerous guides to nontraditional higher education and distance learning. He was the Head of New Business Development for the Financial Times division of Pearson PLC, which is the world’s largest educational publisher. Years ago, he was a tenured Associate Professor of Journalism at the University of Iowa and head of the Senior Honors Program there. He has appeared as an on-screen expert on Good Morning America (4 times), CBS 60 Minutes, The Today Show, AM Canada, and many others. Now in his 80’s, he continues to write, research, give interviews, and expert witness testimony in higher education matters.

J. HERMAN BLAKE, PhD. BA, Sociology, New York University, 1960. MA, Sociology, University of California, Berkeley, 1965. PhD, Sociology, University of California, Berkeley, 1974. Dr. Blake’s current position is Inaugural Executive Director, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. In this capacity, he serves as Principal Administrator/Officer of a Congressionally mandated cultural and linguistic heritage region along the Atlantic Coast of four states, from Wilmington, NC to St. Augustine, FL. This 12,000-square mile area is home to one of America’s most unique cultures shaped by enslaved Africans brought to the southeastern United States. Gullah Geechee people are their direct descendants who have created a unique culture embodied in their cuisine, music, crafts, oral traditions, language and spirituality. He was: 1) Founding Provost, Oakes College at University of California, Santa Cruz, California. 2) President, Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, Mississippi. 3) Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education, Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis. 4) Director of African American Studies, Iowa State University. 5) Inaugural Humanities Scholar in Residence, Medical University of South Carolina. He is the author of many scholarly articles and reports, as well as the book, Revolutionary Suicide, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1973 (with Huey P. Newton). He has served on many academic and community boards, including the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, 1979-1984.

ERNEST BROWN, PhD. Dr. Brown is a psychologist working in school-based programs at Richmond Area Multi-Services (RAMS) in San Francisco--specializing in adolescent substance abuse recovery, mindfulness meditation and TaiChi Ch’uan. He holds the following academic degrees: California Institute of Integral Studies (PhD, East/West Psychology 1996); University of San Francisco (MA, MFT 1989); University of Michigan (BSE, Industrial Operations and Operations Research 1971). His Board service has included: New College of California, San Francisco Zen Center, San Francisco Buddhist Church, American Go Association, San Francisco Go Club.

STEVE FLETCHER, PhD. Dr. Fletcher is a WISR alumnus with a PhD (Higher Education and Social Change), 2012. MA, Excelsior College, New York, 2007. State of California Teacher’s Credential, 1976. BA, Sonoma State, Expressive Arts, 1975. Served at Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education, Guizhou University (Associate Professor), Lanzhou University (Associate Professor), University of South-Eastern Norway (Educational Consultant). He has lived and worked in seven countries in North America, Africa and Asia. He is the author of several software programs, has published four books, edited others, and created six CD’s and published a number of papers. He has created several educational models and programs including Nine Way English, DUEM (Deep Understanding and Emotional Memorization), HILL (Holistic Integrated Language Learning), TOE (a multiple intelligence model). Currently serving as an advisor / consultant to WISR and to the University of South-Eastern Norway and serving as the Grant County ARES Emergency Coordinator and is busy researching and writing several books. He currently lives with his wife, Liu Haiping in Eastern Oregon.

JOYCE E. KING, PhD. (PhD, Sociology of Education, BA Sociology, Stanford University) holds the Benjamin E. Mays Endowed Chair for Urban Teaching, Learning and Leadership at Georgia State University (GSU). She has served as Provost (Spelman College), Associate Provost (Medgar Evers College, CUNY), Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Diversity Programs (University of New Orleans,) Director of Teacher Education (Santa Clara University) and Head of the Ethnic Studies Department (Mills College). She is affiliated faculty in the GSU Department of African American Studies, the Women’s and Gender Studies Institute, the Partnership for Urban Health Research and the Urban Institute. Her publications in the Harvard Educational Review, the Journal of Negro Education, Qualitative Studies in Education, the Journal of African American History focus on a transformative role for culture in curriculum, urban teacher effectiveness, morally engaged, community-mediated inquiry and Black education research and policy. She is an editorial board member for the Urban Education journal, co-edited the Review of Education Research and authored or edited seven books, including Heritage Knowledge in the Curriculum (with E. Swartz). She is past president of the American Educational Research Association and a recipient of the Stanford School of Education Alumni Excellence Award.

BARBARA LEITNER POMERANTZ, MA. BA, English/Minors: Psychology and Fine Arts, University of California, Davis, 1972. Standard Secondary Teaching Credential, University of California, Davis, 1973. MA, Human Resources Organization Development, University of San Francisco, 1998. Administrative Services Professional Tier II Credential, Chapman University College, 2009. She has 42 years of experience in education, comprising more than 25 years as a classroom instructor, grades 7-12; 2 years as a high school assistant principal, and 10 years as an administrator at the California Department of Education, involving programs and services for at- risk and at-promise students. She coordinated diverse educational programs for middle and high school students including English Language Development, Advancement Via Individual Determination-College Readiness Program (AVID-CRP), Peer Counseling; Program Quality Review; and U.C. Davis Early Academic Outreach Program activities. She served on a Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Leadership Team for high school accreditation in the areas of school curriculum, culture, and student support services.

JACQUELINE SHINEFIELD, RN, LMFT, EDD. Dr. Jacqueline Shinefield is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in individual, couples and family therapy. She has over 25 years of experience and maintains a private practice in New York City after relocating from San Francisco. Dr. Shinefield is an interactive, systemic therapist who received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco. She serves as a Clinical Supervisor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Her previously held positions include Adjunct Faculty at Mercy College in the Marriage and Family Therapy program, Clinical Supervisor at Pace University and MFT Clinical Supervisor at the University of San Francisco where she specialized in school-based family therapy. Dr. Shinefield currently serves on the Board of Directors as Chair for the Western Institute of Social Research/Center for Child and Family Development, as Education and Networking Director for the Association of New York Marriage and Family Therapy, as Development Chair and Clinical Fellow for the Oxford Symposium, and Board Member for the Institute for School-Based Family Counseling.

MARCEL SORIANO, PhD. Professor Emeritus in the Division of Special Education and Counseling at California State University, Los Angeles. Dr. Soriano received his Bachelor and Master’s Degrees in Educational Psychology from the University of California, Riverside and a Ph.D. Doctorate in Clinical Family Psychology from United States International University (now Alliant/CSPP). Dr. Soriano is an active member and has received awards from the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association. He has over 30 years of experience teaching, conducting research and publishing in the areas of child and family development, special needs children and their families and on school reform. His most recent publication is School-Based Family Counseling: Transforming Family-School Relationships (2013) co-edited with Dr. Brian Gerrard. Dr. Soriano has extensive experience in Public Education. He holds several licenses and has been a practicing School Counselor, School Principal, Assistant Superintendent and is now an active Licensed Psychologist in private practice. Most recently, he has specialized in serving children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Dr. Soriano is a certified bilingual Spanish, bicultural educator (BCLAD). Among other leadership posts, Dr. Soriano served on the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing’s Accreditation Teams. As such, he has experience in the review and accreditation of programs in School Administration and Leadership, School Counseling and Psychology Programs, as well as school reform initiatives.

MONA VAUGHN SCOTT, PhD. BA, College of Pacific. MA, Religion, University of Pacific. MA, Sociology, Stanford University, 1976. PhD, Sociology, Stanford University, 1977. During her career, Dr. Scott has taught at George Washington University and University of San Francisco, where she helped to set up their Ethnic Studies curriculum. She has been and a consultant and researcher at the UCSF Dental School, where she also served on the Minority Admissions Committee. She has researched and written on racism and urban schools and minority retention. She has received many honors, including from the Mayor of Berkeley and Alameda County Women Hall of Fame. She is listed in Who’s Who Among African Americans. For more than 30 years she has been Director of the Berkeley Black Repertory Theater and Group. As the theater group's executive director, Dr. Scott has mentored actors, developed after-school programs for youth, facilitated self-esteem-building workshops and used performance to reach out to people in communities affected by substance abuse and violence.