November & December 2018 Announcements

COE Dean Chung Completes First 100-Day Plan

By José A. Álvarez

The dean of the College of Education is done…with his First 100-Day Plan that is.

October 6 marked the first 100 days since Dr. Y. Barry Chung took over as dean of COE at San Diego State University.

7 Things You Didn't Know About Melanie Falkenberg

By José A. Álvarez

A credentialed teacher with the unique talent to run a soundboard at church and a love for all things Disney. That’s Melanie Falkenberg, Credential Admissions Coordinator. Though she is a native San Diegan, she did spend some time in the Central Coast having attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Curious as to how she earned the nickname “Money” in college? Find out in this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff.

CFD Majors Can Become Certified Family Life Educators

By José A. Álvarez

Students pursuing undergraduate degrees in Child Development and can become Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE), but many are not aware that the program is approved by the National Council on Family Relations as meeting the criteria for the CFLE credential.

COE Faculty, Colleagues Awarded $300K for Research on Computer Science Education

By José A. Álvarez

Dr. Alexander “Sasha” Chizhik, working with Dr. Leland Beck and Patricia Kraft from the SDSU’s Computer Science Department, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to assess whether students in introductory computer science courses will be successful in subsequent computer science classes. This latest grant is the third for Chizhik and Beck and the first for Kraft.

Open Educational Resources Save Students Millions

By José A. Álvarez

More than $2.6 million.

That’s how much students at San Diego State University have saved by using the  Affordable Learning Solutions and open educational resources.

Affordable Learning Solutions allows faculty to choose and provide more affordable, quality educational content for their students, increasing the number of them who acquire the course materials they need for their classes. The materials are usually free or are available at a reduced cost.

COE Faculty Honored by International Latino Book Awards

By José A. Álvarez

The accolades keep coming.

First, the book “No Estás Solo: Recetas Para Obtener ÉXITO de Padres Para Padres” was chosen as the “guide for Latino parents” by “Despierta América,” the most popular morning TV show in Spanish in the nation.

COE Graduate Student Gets 2018 Community Impact Award

By José A. Álvarez

She knows what it takes for a foster youth to make it to college and succeed.

Poppy Fitch lived through the whole process.

Her commitment and contributions to helping other students succeed earned Fitch the Junior League of San Diego’s (JLSD) Community Impact Award for 2018.

Change Comes to the SDSU Literacy Center

By José A. Álvarez

Change has come to the College of Education’s Literacy Center.

The Center has gone through a physical transformation that has made it more inviting and is helping it accomplish its mission: read, write and rise.

The Center went through three changes:

• Using supplemental funds, the Center bought new furniture - namely for the lobby area, where parents wait for their children,
• Video cameras were installed throughout the Center, which will be used for data collection by faculty, as well as by graduate students, and
• Storage spaces were converted to small-group meeting rooms throughout the Center.

7 Things You Didn't Know About Dr. Caren Sax

Need some travel tips? Look no further than our own Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, Postsecondary Education (ARPE) Department Chair, Caren Sax! She went from small town Illinois to a world traveler with an impressive travel history! Though it was 16 years before she first saw the ocean, she has since become an avid sailor. Read more on this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty & Staff to learn more about the variety of skills she has acquired over the years!

Research to Support Latino Students in STEM

By José A. Álvarez

Dr. Felisha Herrera Villarreal is elated.

That’s because she’s been awarded two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants that will bring San Diego State University nearly $2.6 million to support research projects focused on diversifying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pathways.

COE Doctoral Student Named Jackson Scholar

By José A. Álvarez

Rachael Stewart, who is a doctoral student in the Ed.D. in PK-12 Educational Leadership program and full-time COE staff member, was named a national scholar by the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) Jackson Scholars Network.

“I am honored and humbled,” said Stewart, who is also the department coordinator at COE’s Department of Educational Leadership. “I am most excited about the networking, professional development, and mentorship that comes with this opportunity.”

COE Course Sequence Approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board

Department of Counseling and Schoool Psychology Faculty and Staff with Dean Y. Barry Chung

By José A. Álvarez

School psychologists wishing to be certified behavior analysts will now have an easier path to achieve their goal.

That is because a course sequence from the Department of Counseling and School Psychology has been approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.

SDSU Students Live with Indigenous Families in Ecuador

By José A. Álvarez

Have you ever considered living with indigenous families in South America?

If you decide to take part in the Liberal Studies trip to Ecuador next spring, you can.

If you do, you’ll be part of the dozens of students who participate in the annual trip every spring.

College Student Success Team Focuses on Undergraduate Advising Initiatives

By Lisa McCully

Under the guidance of Associate Dean Dr. Nadine Bezuk, the College of Education has formed its College Student Success Team (CSST). Building upon the strategic mission of the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Success, the COE’s CSST has been working to identify areas to improve our advising services, student retention, and time-to-graduation for all of our students.