Sarah Garrity Appointed Interim Senior Associate Dean

Photo by Ian Ordonio

By Michael Klitzing

Sarah Garrity has been appointed interim senior associate dean of the San Diego State University College of Education. Garrity, an associate professor who had served as chair of the Department of Child and Family Development (CFD) since 2019, was selected by Dean Y. Barry Chung to succeed Karen Myers-Bowman, recently appointed interim dean of SDSU Global Campus. 

“I have very big shoes to fill, but I've filled Karen's shoes before,” said Garrity, who followed Myers-Bowman as chair of CFD. “I know she's always here to support me and she's my biggest cheerleader. And I'm very excited to work with Barry and to continue learning. My hope is that I can support faculty, staff and students in the College of Education to pursue their dreams and to be successful in supporting children, families and communities.” 

STE’s André Branch Works to Empower Students and Teachers of Color

By Michael Klitzing

A few years ago, Dr. André Branch was teaching a multicultural education course at San Diego State University when a student shared something that shocked him. Branch was, she informed him, the first Black teacher they had ever had. 

He was taken aback. Could this be? Are scores of American students really experiencing 12 years of primary and secondary schooling without ever seeing a Black person at the head of the classroom? 

So he started asking the question semester after semester. Every time he inquired which students had never had a Black teacher before, hands would invariably go up. 

Donor Spotlight: David and Catherine Want and Power of a Scholarship

By Michael Klitzing

A hundred bucks changed everything for David Want and Catherine (Harris) Want. It was 1966, and David was a teenager in Encinitas pumping gas for a dollar an hour. Coming from a family of limited means in what was then a sleepy rural community, he needed help if he was going to attend college. 

It came in the form of a $100 scholarship from the Women’s Club of Encinitas. 

It wasn’t much, but it mattered. The sum allowed David to put enough gas in his 1956 Ford Station wagon to take him to and from Palomar College. He even had a little left over for books. 

“I wouldn’t have been able to go without it,” he says, matter-of-factly. 

7 Things You Didn’t Know About Allie Carter

By Michael Klitzing

Many people know Allie Carter as a credential advising team member and office manager in the Office for Student Success. But did you know that millions more people have seen her as a horn player in a viral Rage Against the Machine medley? Find out more fun facts about Allie in this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff! 

COE DIFFERENCE MAKERS: Driven by a Belief that ‘Recovery Works’

Photo by Ian Ordonio

By Michael Klitzing

Dr. Sonia Peterson has devoted most of her adult life to helping people with disabilities attain employment and independence. 

In more than 20 years as a practitioner in the vocational rehabilitation field, Peterson worked as a vocational counselor for people with all types of disabilities and as a supervisor and manager with the California Department of Rehabilitation. 

In 2019, she brought that wealth of experience to San Diego State University full time as an assistant professor in the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation and Postsecondary Education (ARPE). 

New Grant Expands SDSU's Support, Study of Family Child Care Providers

By Michael Klitzing

In refugee and immigrant communities across San Diego County, family child care providers are an indispensable part of daily life. These licensed small businesses — typically based in private homes and run by women — often provide culturally and linguistically responsive child care services to hardworking parents, many of whom have been essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Thanks to a new $245,000 grant from the Blue Shield Foundation, San Diego State University’s Center for Excellence in Early Development (CEED) is expanding its role in empowering these important community fixtures while informing statewide policy on the child care sector. 

STE Alumna Tiffany Jokerst Named Top California Teacher

By Michael Klitzing

San Diego State University alumna Tiffany Jokerst (’05, ’06) has been named a 2022 California Teacher of the Year. The mathematics and engineering teacher at West Hills High in Santee was among five recipients of the award, announced by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. 

“I am incredibly honored to represent all San Diego teachers who persevered during such an unprecedented year of education,” Jokerst said. “I hope to inspire educators to provide a learning environment that fosters a connection with students through project-based learning experiences that encourage student voice and choice.”