Drawing on his own teenage struggles, Joint Ph.D. Program in Education student Connor Nesseler is inspired to reach young people facing challenges.
Video by Ian Ordonio.
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
COE Set to Welcome Three International Scholars
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| From left: Amurabi Oliveira, Raul Oliveira Albuquerque Paraná and María Luisa Pérez-Cañado. |
By Michael Klitzing
Three international scholars in the field of education will bring their expertise, perspectives and research to the College of Education in Spring 2022 as part of San Diego State University’s Visiting Scholars Program.
Scholarship Inspires School Counseling Student Jose Olvera to 'Shoot His Shot'
Jose Olvera grew up in San Marcos, California, in a low-income community beset by educational and health inequity. Now a graduate student in San Diego State University’s school counseling program, that background serves as his inspiration.
In his research, Olvera studies educational resource disparities that place low income communities and communities of color at a disadvantage. His goal is to identify not only patterns, but also solutions that might eventually guide public policy.
New Grant Highlights CCCE’s Commitment to Racial Justice
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| From left, CBB trainees Bradford Noble, Jasmine Miles and Melissa Beal and CCCE administrative coordinator Leticia Estrella. Photo by Ian Ordonio. |
San Diego State University’s Center for Community Counseling and Engagement (CCCE) was one of six recipients of the First United Methodist Church of San Diego’s 2021 Racial Justice Grants.
CCCE, which provides affordable mental health services in the diverse, low-income community of City Heights, received a $15,000 award. This is the church’s second annual Racial Justice Grants Cycle — an initiative to fund nonprofit organizations that serve communities of color and are working to dismantle systemic racism in San Diego.
COE DIFFERENCE MAKERS: Easing a Difficult Transition
Bonnie Kraemer was fresh out of college when she got a position teaching at a state residential facility for people with developmental disabilities. It was an eye-opening experience. The more she interacted with her students — all of whom were older than her — the more she started thinking about the restrictive setting in which they lived.
That led her to an uncomfortable question: Did it have to be this way?
Aquino-Sterling Selected to National Cohort of DEI Leaders
When it comes to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in higher education, Cristian Aquino-Sterling is a strong believer that it takes a village.
“We don't live in a vacuum — we don't live on an island,” said the associate dean for diversity and international affairs in the San Diego State University College of Education. “And this work can't be done alone.”
Local High School Students Get a Taste of Teacher Education
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| From left, Helix students Sureya Haye and Olivia Fierro and SDSU faculty member Adrienne Nicodemus. |
On Dec. 2, educator Eric Ginsberg’s worlds collided in the best way possible.
A faculty member in the San Diego State University School of Teacher Education (STE) for the past 13 years, Ginsberg has also taught English at Helix Charter High School in La Mesa for the past 22. In 2019, he was one of the teachers who launched a California Department of Education-funded program at Helix to form a future educator pathway to engage and equip students interested in the teaching profession.
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Sarah Garrity Appointed Interim Senior Associate Dean
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| Photo by Ian Ordonio |
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
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
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
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’
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| Photo by Ian Ordonio |
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).
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
New Grant Expands SDSU's Support, Study of Family Child Care Providers
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.
Thursday, November 4, 2021
STE Alumna Tiffany Jokerst Named Top California Teacher
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.”
Friday, October 15, 2021
$3.5 Million Grant Addresses Statewide Bilingual Teacher Shortage
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| Dr. Margarita Machado-Casas and Guillermo Castillo will serve as P.I. and co-P.I. on the grant. |
San Diego State University will lead a new federally funded partnership to train hundreds of new bilingual educators for high-need communities across California.
Project Teach Bilingual Pathways will be funded by a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition. SDSU will complete its work in concert with a consortium of regional partners, including the San Diego County Office of Education and its counterparts in Imperial County, Orange County and Butte County.
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Two SDSU Alumni Named Top Teachers in San Diego County
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| Jacquelyn Flores Jourdane (left) and Tiffany Jokerst. Photo illustration by Manny Uribe. |
San Diego State University alumni Tiffany Jokerst (’05, ’06) and Jacquelyn Flores Jourdane (’20) have been named two of the five recipients of the 2022 Teachers of the Year award presented by the San Diego County Office of Education.
The two will be honored Oct. 17 during the “Cox Presents: Salute to Teachers” cable television special on YurView Network. With the county honor, Jokerst and Jourdane became finalists for the California Teacher of Year honor, to be announced later this month.
Jokerst teaches math and engineering and chairs the mathematics department at West Hills High School in Santee. Jourdane teaches second grade at San Altos Elementary School in Lemon Grove. Both reflected on the people who inspired them and how their SDSU experiences contributed to their success as educators.
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
COE STORIES: Associated Students President Ashley Tejada
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| Photo by Ian Ordonio. |
Ashley Tejada, an alumna of the College of Education's leadership minor and a current postsecondary educational leadership master's student, discusses her new role as a campus leader at San Diego State University.
Video by Ian Ordonio.
Dr. Douglas Fisher Receives National Honor for Impact on Latinx Students
Dr. Douglas Fisher, professor and chair of San Diego State University’s Department of Educational Leadership, has been honored by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) for his commitment to serving Latinx youth. Fisher will receive the Latino Student Impact Award at the organization’s annual gala on Oct. 9 in Washington, D.C.
“It's humbling,” Fisher said. “This culminates a whole bunch of work that's important to me — finding ways to ensure we're impacting learners and accelerating their achievement. This is quite an honor that my fellow leaders would think of me for this award.”
A nationwide organization with more than 8,000 members across 18 state affiliates, ALAS aims to provide leadership to ensure U.S. schools meet the needs of all students with an emphasis on Latinx youth.
Vasquez Pilots Program to Engage Community College Students in Research
Dr. Marissa Vasquez recalls attending a national conference early in her career when a question was posed to the audience: How can we get more research about people of color in higher education?
“I was one of a handful of women of color in the room,” recalls Vasquez, now an assistant professor in San Diego State University’s Department of Administration, Rehabilitation and Postsecondary Education. “Looking around, I just had that light-bulb-going-off moment.”
Suddenly, so much was illuminated. She thought about how most people doing social science research on people of color were people of color themselves. Then she considered how high numbers of students of color start their academic journeys in community college, where a focus on student research is often absent.
New Ed.D. Director Vicki Park Seeks to Support Leaders to Make Change
Dr. Vicki Park vividly remembers the feelings of anger and frustration.
It was the early 2000s and she was an elementary school teacher in central Los Angeles working with students of color, many of whom came from low-income immigrant communities. Park, who herself came to the U.S. from Korea as a young child and grew up not far from her school site, loved the kids and relished getting to know their families.
But experiences such as tutoring one summer pushed her to think more broadly about systemic change.
COE DIFFERENCE MAKERS: Dr. Melissa Soto Examines How Kids Think About Math
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| Photo by Ian Ordonio. |
When she’s not teaching courses in San Diego State University’s School of Teacher Education, you might find Dr. Melissa Soto back in elementary school. The associate professor of mathematics education estimates that, over the past three years, she has spent at least 200 hours visiting San Diego-area classrooms, guiding lessons and talking with children about math.
“When I got here to San Diego State it was really important for me to find teachers and find schools where I could go and talk to kids,” said Soto, who has partnered with 110 local teachers and reached hundreds more through virtual professional development via the San Diego Math Project.
“At the heart of everything that I do is children's mathematical thinking, and how we can support students in making sense of math. And who doesn't love hanging out with kindergarteners? They're just the best."
NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program Renamed to Honor Dr. Ted Martinez, Jr.
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| Dr. Ted Martinez, Jr. in his Lamden Hall office. Photo by Michael Klitzing. |
The walls of Dr. Ted Martinez, Jr.’s office in Lamden Hall are adorned with several large prints, each a group photo of a different graduating class of the National Community College Hispanic Council (NCCHC) Leadership Fellows Program. The smiling faces provide a welcome reminder that the leadership development program he founded in 2003 — and continues to lead as its executive director — has made a massive impact.
“Out of this group,” he said, pointing to the photos, “there are 17 community college presidents here.”
The program, which prepares Latinx administrators to advance in executive learnership positions at U.S. community colleges, found a new home at San Diego State University in 2020.
And now, it has found a new name as well.
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Christine Cortez
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| Photo by Ian Ordonio. |
A 2021 San Diego State University alumna, Christine Cortez recently became a full-time undergraduate advisor in our Office for Student Success (OSS). Find out more about Christine in this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff!
Friday, October 1, 2021
SDSU Part of $102 Million Nationwide Initiative on School Principals, Equity Gap
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| Principal Beth Beuttner greeted students at Fresno's Eaton Elementary School. |
San Diego State University has been selected by the Wallace Foundation to join a $102 million initiative to build pipelines of school principals who are better equipped to meet the changing needs of diverse districts nationwide.
SDSU’s Department of Educational Leadership will join San Diego-based National University and the California Department of Education in a five-year partnership with the Fresno Unified School District. The project is based on research showing comprehensive principal pipelines can boost student achievement.
Friday, September 24, 2021
Study Tackles Inequity in Special Education Placement
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| Dr. Paul Luelmo |
San Diego State University’s Dr. Paul Luelmo is leading a new statewide effort to address disproportionate rates of placement in special education along racial and ethnic lines.
More than 130 districts in California — about 10% — were shown to have racial inequalities in special education placements, a phenomenon termed “disproportionality.” The impacts are profound. For instance, in comparison with the overall student population in some of these districts, data show Latinx students are three times more likely to be placed in special education for learning disabilities, and Black students are three times more likely to be identified for emotional disturbance.
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Alumni Spotlight: Rasha Roshdy’s Labor of Love
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| Dr. Rasha Roshy ('15, CCLEAD) founded Amna Sanctuary, a nonprofit supporting refugees. |
Dr. Rasha Roshdy (’15) was shopping in a Middle Eastern grocery store in El Cajon in the early days of the pandemic when a conversation caught her ear. Two women speaking Arabic — whom she later learned were Syrian refugees — were discussing a notice taped to their apartment door.
“They said they couldn't understand the notice because it was in English and they didn't know what they should do,” said Roshdy, an alumna of San Diego State University’s doctorate in education with a concentration in community college leadership (CCLEAD). “With the pandemic, all the services had gone online and they had no internet access. So they could no longer just walk in and ask somebody for help.”
Roshdy offered to accompany the women home to read and help address the notice. They gratefully accepted — and an idea took root.
“They said they couldn't understand the notice because it was in English and they didn't know what they should do,” said Roshdy, an alumna of San Diego State University’s doctorate in education with a concentration in community college leadership (CCLEAD). “With the pandemic, all the services had gone online and they had no internet access. So they could no longer just walk in and ask somebody for help.”
Roshdy offered to accompany the women home to read and help address the notice. They gratefully accepted — and an idea took root.
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Escobedo Appointed to State Board of Education
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| Photo courtesy Chula Vista Elementary School District. |
San Diego State University’s Dr. Francisco Escobedo has been appointed to the State Board of Education by California Governor Gavin Newsom. Escobedo is the new executive director of SDSU’s National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) and he has lectured in the Department of Educational Leadership since 2001.
“Being part of the governing and policy-making body of the California Department of Education is an immense responsibility,” Escobedo said. “My experiences in higher education combined with my 30-year tenure in K-12 education grants me a unique and coherent lens as I assist in making prudent decisions that will affect a multitude of our students. I am honored to be able to undertake this noble position.”
“Being part of the governing and policy-making body of the California Department of Education is an immense responsibility,” Escobedo said. “My experiences in higher education combined with my 30-year tenure in K-12 education grants me a unique and coherent lens as I assist in making prudent decisions that will affect a multitude of our students. I am honored to be able to undertake this noble position.”
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
CSU Trustees’ Award Winner Lawson Hardrick III Looks to Remove Barriers
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| Lawson Hardrick III |
“I love to juggle.”
Keep those words from Lawson Hardrick III in mind while reading about his time at San Diego State University Imperial Valley, how he got involved in his community, and how he earned a 2021 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement to help continue his studies.
Student government, LGBTQIA+ mental health, broadband access for underserved communities, disaster relief, volunteer work for the disadvantaged: Hardrick immersed himself in all of the above while pursuing a double major and a minor.
Now he’s in San Diego going for a master’s degree in post-secondary educational leadership at the College of Education with a goal of “helping people find community” or to build it in places where it does not yet exist.
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Herrera Villarreal Joins National Alliance to Bolster Latinx STEM Inclusion
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| Dr. Felisha Herrera Villarreal |
San Diego State University’s Felisha Herrera Villarreal is part of a major push funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase representation among Latinx students in STEM education.
The agency recently announced a $50 million investment to create five new NSF INCLUDES Alliances: multi-institutional collaborative partnerships across the public, private and academic sectors aimed at broadening access for underrepresented groups to science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.
The agency recently announced a $50 million investment to create five new NSF INCLUDES Alliances: multi-institutional collaborative partnerships across the public, private and academic sectors aimed at broadening access for underrepresented groups to science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.
Monday, August 23, 2021
A Message from Dean Y. Barry Chung: Welcome Back to Campus!
Back in July, I returned to my office in the Education and Business Administration building full-time after 16 months of working from home. Returning felt like opening up a time capsule: I found water still in my coffee pot (yikes!) and a plant in the corner that was — remarkably — still alive. It felt great to be back, even if the campus was still mostly empty. Today feels even better as San Diego State University is bustling with life once again on the first day of in-person Fall classes.
Friday, August 20, 2021
MFT Program Breaks Down Mental Health Barriers for Communities of Color
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| Angel-Lynna Tran and Ayuja Dixit. Photo by Ian Ordonio. |
Angel-Lynna Tran grew up in Stockton, Calif., raised by a single mother in a traditional Vietnamese American household. On the surface, hers was a story of success. She excelled in school and became a first-generation college student upon her acceptance to San Diego State University.
What others couldn’t see — and what Tran herself couldn’t identify or address until years later — is that she was battling depression and anxiety.
“Coming from an Asian community, we didn't talk about mental health and we didn't talk about feelings,” said Tran, a 2021 graduate of SDSU’s Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) master’s program who now works as a school-based therapist. “You go to school, you get your work done and, as long as you get good grades, your parents are happy. I knew there was something I was struggling with, but I didn’t know how to name it.”
What others couldn’t see — and what Tran herself couldn’t identify or address until years later — is that she was battling depression and anxiety.
“Coming from an Asian community, we didn't talk about mental health and we didn't talk about feelings,” said Tran, a 2021 graduate of SDSU’s Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) master’s program who now works as a school-based therapist. “You go to school, you get your work done and, as long as you get good grades, your parents are happy. I knew there was something I was struggling with, but I didn’t know how to name it.”
COE DIFFERENCE MAKERS: Dr. Kelsey Dickson Bridges Research and Practice
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| Dr. Kelsey Dickson. Photo by Ian Ordonio. |
Dr. Kelsey Dickson proudly considers herself a “pracademic” — a practitioner and an academic in equal parts. An assistant professor in San Diego State University’s Department of Child and Family Development (CFD), Dickson is also a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in serving youth with behavioral health conditions in community service settings.
The word community is key.
“In CFD, we're not just people who are on campus doing what we do in our labs,” said Dickson, a former clinical psychologist at Rady Children’s hospital. “Our laboratory is the community. We want to make sure that the work we do is really driven by that, and really impacts the community. That's my favorite part of my job.”
The word community is key.
“In CFD, we're not just people who are on campus doing what we do in our labs,” said Dickson, a former clinical psychologist at Rady Children’s hospital. “Our laboratory is the community. We want to make sure that the work we do is really driven by that, and really impacts the community. That's my favorite part of my job.”
Meet the Incoming COE Faculty for Fall 2021
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The College of Education is excited to welcome four new faculty members joining us for the fall semester!
New Sweetwater Superintendent Has SDSU, Transborder Roots
Dr. Moises Aguirre (’05, ’15) has an intimate understanding of education’s power to change lives and circumstances. The son and grandson of migrant farmworkers from the Imperial Valley, he is the first person in his family to finish high school, graduate from college and earn his doctorate — the latter accomplishment completed in San Diego State’s University’s Ed.D. in Educational Leadership (PK-12 concentration) program.
“There's this sense of firsts,” Aguirre said. “My parents didn't achieve more than a middle school education in Mexicali, Mexico. So I acknowledge a sense of amazing responsibility that comes from the fact that I was able to obtain an education.
“It’s a responsibility to future generations to ensure that we provide education that allows for upward mobility. We need to help students find their passion and find their voice.”
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Olney’s Award-Winning Psychiatric Rehabilitation Work Inspired by Experience
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| Dr. Marjorie Olney, professor in ARPE. Photo by Ian Ordonio. |
Dr. Marjorie Olney has spent 19 years at San Diego State University training rehabilitation counseling professionals to improve the lives of people living with mental illness.
She has also spent the past 19 years closely guarding a secret.
She has also spent the past 19 years closely guarding a secret.
Olney, professor in the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education (ARPE), is the architect of SDSU’s programs in psychiatric rehabilitation — a field that supports the recovery, community integration and workforce participation of people diagnosed with mental health conditions. It’s a lasting legacy for which she will receive the 2021-22 Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Faculty Contributions on Aug. 19.
Yet her passion for the field didn’t develop out of mere academic fascination or clinical experience.
Thursday, July 22, 2021
SDSU Part of New Training Program to Improve Access to Autism Services
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| SDSU's Dr. Jessica Suhrheinrich will serve as co-director of San Diego LEND. |
The San Diego State University College of Education is taking part in a new multidisciplinary, multi-institutional training program aimed at improving services for individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities in San Diego and Imperial Counties.
Thursday, July 15, 2021
New ITEP Pathway Provides Faster Track to Serving Children With Disabilities
San Diego State University undergraduate students can now qualify to provide services to young children with disabilities and their families in just four years, thanks to a new Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) in Early Childhood Special Education.
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Literacy Center Addresses Pandemic Learning Loss in Local Schools
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| Literacy Center Instructor Allyson Peffers at King-Chavez Academy of Excellence. Photo by Ian Ordonio. |
Even though in-person learning has returned to most schools, the ripples of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt by students nationwide. The learning loss caused by the pandemic is real — and particularly acute in communities of color where educational racial disparities have deepened.
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Alumni Spotlight: A Temporary Sacrifice for a Brighter Future
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| Eric Becerra (center) wears his Aztec dancer headdress, while his parents don the doctoral regalia. |
For many, gaining acceptance into a Harvard University doctoral program sounds like a dream. For Eric Becerra, it was more like a dilemma.
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
VIDEO: Doctoral Graduate Dr. Sammie Scales Spotlighted by CBS News 8
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| Dr. Sammie Scales at Petco Park. |
San Diego got a chance to meet one of San Diego State University's newest Ph.D.s on Tuesday as CBS News 8 interviewed Dr. Sammie Scales prior to the College of Education commencement ceremony at Petco Park. Scales, a graduate of the Joint Ph.D. Program in Education with Claremont Graduate University, discussed his journey to a Ph.D. amid the pandemic and explained the significance of his regalia.
Watch the full interview:
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
VIDEO: Class of 2021 Outstanding Graduates Discuss Making a Difference
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| Liberal Studies Outstanding Graduate Giannela Gonzales. |
Get to know the 10 San Diego State University College of Education students who earned the title of Outstanding Graduate, as selected by their department, school or program.
VIDEO: COE Grad Urges Fellow DACA Recipients to 'Dream Big'
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| Javier Diego Jacinto outside Petco Park. |
The inspiring story of a member of the San Diego State University College of Education Class of 2021 was highlighted by San Diego local news. Javier Diego Jacinto, a graduate of the liberal studies program who will enter the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education credential program in the fall, spoke with NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 about his passion to inspire other DACA recipients to dream big.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Commencement 2021: COE Swings for the Fences to Honor Grads at Petco Park
Leading off at Petco Park for San Diego State University’s Commencement 2021 ... the College of Education!
On May 25, the ballpark where Padres fans cheer on Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Manny Machado will transform into a venue to celebrate future All Stars of the education field. COE’s in-person ceremony will be the first of seven SDSU ceremonies hosted over three days at Petco Park — a 42,000-seat outdoor venue that will allow for safe, physically-distanced gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Salute to Service: Anne Graves and Caren Sax Leave Lasting Legacy
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| Dr. Anne Graves and Dr. Caren Sax. |
The San Diego State University College of Education salutes two longtime professors who will retire this summer. Dr. Anne Graves, professor and former chair of the Department of Special Education, and Dr. Caren Sax, professor and chair of the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation and Postsecondary Education (ARPE) both made significant impacts on their departments and our college.
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Dr. Suneal Kolluri
Dr. Suneal Kolluri is wrapping up his first year at San Diego State University as an assistant professor in the School of Teacher Education. But did you know he’s a beach volleyball superstar who also used to throw down dunks on the basketball court? We’re not worthy! Find out more in this edition of 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Faculty and Staff.
CFD’s Lind Nets Grant to Study Burnout Among Early Childhood Trauma Therapists
As a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Delaware, Dr. Teresa Lind completed her clinical training at community mental health agencies in nearby Wilmington and Baltimore. It was educational in more respects than one. Lind witnessed high-stress environments with therapists being driven to load up on patients and over-book themselves.
She also witnessed the aftermath. The burnout. The early exits from the profession.
Later, during her clinical internship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, she discovered another way.
Pre-College Institute Recounts Pandemic Response in New Publication
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| The PCI Pathways program's lead tutors in 2020, before the pandemic. |
Amid early news reports about a deadly new virus in China in early 2020, Dr. Cynthia Park gathered her Pre-College Institute (PCI) team and delivered a simple message.
This will soon be here, it’s going to impact us and we need to be ready.
“We're in such a large system, that I knew it was going to be difficult to make decisions in real time,” said Park, professor in the School of Teacher Education and founder and executive director of PCI. “So what I tried to do was to preempt — to say this is going to happen and that we need to look at the whole year, not piece by piece.
“I said to the team, we have two weeks to talk to these students before we have to shift. Let's get them prepared for what it means to go online with us.”
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Alumni Spotlight: Martha Garcia's Story of Courage and Conviction
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| Martha Garcia (left) with fellow CCLEAD alumna Hossna Sadat Ahadi. |
When one hears Dr. Martha Garcia’s story, there are similarities with other Latinas who have made it despite challenging odds — farm worker parents who didn’t complete high school and spoke only Spanish, the first in her family to go to college, and a single mother.
But when you learn she was pregnant when she transferred from Imperial Valley College to San Diego State University Imperial Valley, delivered her son at the end of her first semester but continued her studies without missing a beat, eventually completed SDSU's Ed.D. in Community College Leadership (CCLEAD) program, and became the community college’s first Latina superintendent and president, it adds layers of complexity to her journey to success.
But when you learn she was pregnant when she transferred from Imperial Valley College to San Diego State University Imperial Valley, delivered her son at the end of her first semester but continued her studies without missing a beat, eventually completed SDSU's Ed.D. in Community College Leadership (CCLEAD) program, and became the community college’s first Latina superintendent and president, it adds layers of complexity to her journey to success.