Welcome from Dean Chung

Welcome to the 2018-19 academic year! I am excited to share with you many new happenings this year. SDSU has a new President (Dr. Adela de la Torre), a new Interim Provost (our former Dean, Dr. Joseph Johnson), 3 new Deans (including myself), and 4 Interim Deans. Our College has 3 new Chairs/Directors (Dr. Lynne Bercaw for the School of Teacher Education, Dr. Margarita Machado-Casas for the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education, and Dr. Rafaela Santa Cruz for the Joint Ph.D. Program in Education). Additionally, we have 12 new faculty members this year. The excitement is in the air, and we anticipate a lot of new ideas and initiatives coming out this year and beyond.

COE Welcomes New Faculty for Fall 2018

The College of Education is excited to welcome 13 new faculty members for the fall semester. This talented group is a wonderful addition to the SDSU community!

DLE is New Partner in Palau Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree

As part of the Interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in Three Departments, SDSU in partnership with Palau Community College (PCC) offered DLE 515: Multilingual Education Theory and Practice: Second Language Learners in Emerging Nations and Community this summer. Dr. Sera Hernandez was the lead instructor of the 10-week course, which uses a hybrid model. She went to the Republic of Palau (ROP) to provide a week of face-to-face instruction from June 11th-17th. The students  weekly with an on-island facilitator for the remaining nine weeks, with Dr. Hernandez delivering the rest of the course via distance technology through Aug. 19th. The degree has a special emphasis in education for teachers in Palau, and is including several courses from the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education (DLE) for the first time.

Graduate Fellowship Brings Out-of-State Students to SDSU

The Presidential Graduate Research Fellowship was established to recruit non-resident graduate students who demonstrate outstanding potential for achievement in research or creative activity.

Erin Daddio is one of them.

Daddio moved to San Diego from Plainsboro, New Jersey, to pursue a master’s in Dual Language and English Learner Education: Critical Literacy and Social Justice Specialization.

2018 Distinguished Faculty and Alumni Awards of Distinction

SDSU recognizes the many contributions of our faculty and alumni in this year's SDSU Alumni Awards.

Camp Inspires Students to Be Math, Science Teachers

They hiked and rock climbed. They did arts and crafts. They bonded and learned about science.

They are a group of 50 Liberal Studies students at San Diego State University who participated on a weekend camp for future middle and high school teachers.

During the two-day at event, which took place at Cuyamaca Outdoor School or Sixth Grade Camp, students got to explore nature, study the stars, participate in recreational activities and learn about math and science.

7 Things You Didn’t Know About Jackie Fuller

With roots in the Bay Area, this former RA eventually settled into her role as Advising and Recruitment Specialist at SDSU. While her experience as an RA led her to her future career, her undergraduate university actually inspired her future dog’s name. Read more on this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff to find out what alma mater her Puggle was named after!

Research and Equity Scholarship Institute’s Digital Narratives

The SDSU Research and Equity Scholarship Institute on Student Trajectories in Education (RESISTE) is currently working on the ED SYSTEMS project which focuses on students who began at community colleges and minority serving institutions. The institute is directed by Dr. Felicia Herrera-Villareal, an assistant professor in our Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education (ARPE), and is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

One part of the project is highlighting the stories of about 50 students who have successfully navigated community college Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) pathways. The “RES Institute” recognizes how much there is to learn from the voices of underrepresented students who have not only succeeded in STEM but have contributed to the field  through their unique strengths and cultural knowledge.

Take a look at some of those narratives at the institute’s Digital Narratives webpage.

Leadership Students Exhibit Their Skills

Lucien Eloundou, a leadership minor student, discusses his project at spring event.

Posters and more posters.

That’s what students pursuing a Leadership Minor had to do this spring to highlight the projects they created this past spring.

Their projects’ topics and focus were wide and varied, but all had the same goal: get the students to exhibit their leadership skills.

Two COE Faculty Get Program Assessment Awards

Two College of Education faculty have received Program Assessment Awards from the San Diego State University Student Learning Outcomes and Program Assessment Committee.

Dr. Tamara Collins-Parks, lecturer in the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education and Dr. Lisa Linder, assistant professor in the Department of Child and Family Development both received awards to better understand and improve student learning.

Improving Futures Fund Funds Faculty and Staff Endeavors

Philip Yenawine, co-creator of Visual Thinking Strategies, was the keynote speaker at the Visual Thinking Strategies Symposium at the SDSU Digital Humanities Center.

Three College of Education faculty received awards from the Improving Futures Fund (IFF), established by to provide monetary support to COE’s faculty and staff endeavors that improve the future of the College’s graduates and of children, youth, and adults they will serve.

Dr. Katina Lambros, associate professor in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology, Dr. Marva Cappello, a professor in the School of Teacher Education, and Dr. Andre Branch, an associate professor in the School of Teacher Education, got IFF awards, launched in the fall of 2014 by Dr. Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., former dean of the College of Education and interim Provost at San Diego State University.

Faculty & Staff Donations Make a Difference

Some donate for student scholarships. Others to send students to national conferences or to start new centers or initiatives.

Regardless of the reasons, donations and gifts from faculty and staff are always welcome by the College of Education.

During the 2017-18 academic year, a total of 64 College of Education faculty and staff donated nearly $29,000 to COE programs.

Faculty Member Receives Distinguished Research Award

Dr. Pang (front row far right, in pink jacket) poses with some members of the Special Interest Group of the Research on the Education of Asian Pacific Americans.

Most Asians and Pacific Islanders are not the same.

This is what Dr. Valerie Pang, faculty in the College of Education’s School of Teacher Education has been highlighting in her research.

Her efforts were recently recognized by an American Education Research Association’s Special Interest Group, Research on the Education of Asian Pacific Americans (REAPA), which presented her with their 2018 Distinguished Research Award.

7 Things You Didn’t Know About Dr. Katie Sciurba

Unsure which chocolate to select from that See’s Candies box? Well, Dr. Katie Sciurba, Assistant Professor with the School of Teacher Education, is your resident expert! With a skill set that ranges far beyond the chocolate world, she’s also, more importantly, a published children’s book author. For more fun facts, and to find out just how to pronounce her last name, keep reading this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff!

Outstanding Graduates of the Class of 2018

Each year the College of Education recognizes a group of exceptional students as its Outstanding Graduates.  These outstanding graduates are selected from each department at the Graduate and Undergraduate levels based on their academic performance and dedication to their field. In turn, these students then select the most influential faculty member of their academic career. Outstanding Graduates and their Most Influential Faculty members will be recognized at the COE Commencement Ceremony on May 13, 2018.

The Informed & Inspired Team caught up with the 2018 COE Outstanding Graduates to learn how they plan to go out and make a difference in their communities after graduation and also what their favorite SDSU memories are!