Current Students

Vincent Alcantar

He/Him/His

Face-to-Face Cohort 15: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Using Outside and Supplemental Funding Sources to Increase the Math Achievement and College Attainment for Central Valley Long-Term English Learners
• Professional Role: Teacher
• Hometown and Current Location: Porterville, CA

Amy Allen

She/Her/Hers

Face-to-Face Cohort 15: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Engagement and support on campus for students who identify as multi-ethnic or multi-racial
• Professional Role: Interim Associate Dean - Student Involvement at Fresno State
• Hometown: St. John, Virgin Islands
• Current Location: Fresno, CA

Ariana Amaro

She/Her/Hers

Face-to-Face Cohort 16: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: Social Emotional Learning and Teacher Sustainability
• Professional Role: 2nd Grade Teacher
• Hometown: Kerman, CA
• Current Location: Fresno, CA
   

Sara Baramy Constantinescu

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 6: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Graduate student achievements (access and success) and higher education institutional effectiveness
• Professional Role: Professional Services Consultant, Graduate Education Manager
• Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
• Current Location: Oceanside, CA

Brittani Brown

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 8: Class of 2026

• Professional Role: Associate Vice President of Administration at CSUSM
• Hometown: Sacramento, CA
• Current Location: San Marcos, CA

Edie Brown

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 5: Class of 2023

• Research Interests: Advising students of color in a predominantly white 4 year higher education institution, Diversity, equity and inclusion in Student Affairs with a focus on student services, How unions and universities can co-exist while serving students
• Professional Role: Union President
• Hometown: San Francisco, CA
• Current Location: Santa Rosa, CA

Cynthia Cervantes

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 6: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Facilities staff impact on residential students, affordable housing for students, first-gen students
• Professional Role: Executive Director, Office of Housing Administration at San Diego State University
• Hometown: San Lorenzo, CA
• Current Location: San Diego, CA

Floridia (Flo) Cheung

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 7: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: Qualitative Study on First Generation Students' Experiences at a Middle College High School situated at a Community College
• Professional Role: Middle College High School Principal
• Hometown: Hacienda Heights, CA
• Current Location: Fresno, CA

Charley Clark

He/Him/His

Online Cohort 6: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Early literacy indicators as predictors of English learner reclassification
• Professional Role: Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services
• Hometown and Current Location: Bakersfield, CA

Corry Colonna

He/Him/His

Online Cohort 6: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Mid-level Lead Staff Development Studies in student well-being to increase joy and mental thriving
• Professional Role: Executive Director, Housing & Residential Life
• Hometown: Punxsutawney, PA
• Current Location: Long Beach, CA

Cherylyn Crill-Hornsby

She/Her/Hers

Face-to-Face Cohort 16: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: Faculty experiences in implementing alternative assessment and pedagogy practices
• Professional Role: Dean of Academic Services & Social Sciences Pathways
• Hometown: North Fork, CA
• Current Location: Fresno, CA

Huldah Dauid

Face-to-Face Cohort 16: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: Inclusive Discipline and Academic Reengagement Policy, Restorative Academic Programs for African American Students, Program Evaluation of FUSD A4 Academic Student Support program, Implicitly biased instructional practices
• Professional Role: Chief Program Officer at Another Level Training Academy
• Hometown: Madera, CA

Maricarmen Figueroa

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 7: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: Parent Engagement & Hispanic Serving Institutions
• Professional Role: Director of Student Activities at Clovis Community College
• Hometown: Avenal, CA
• Current Location: Clovis, CA

Diana Galvan

Online Cohort 7: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: Family Medicine Residency Physician/Reducing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue Through Health and Wellness 
• Professional Role: Behavioral Faculty and Wellness Instructor 
• Hometown: San Mateo, CA
• Current Location: Turlock, CA

Venissia Garcia

She/Her/Hers

Face-to-Face Cohort 15 : Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Teacher Efficacy in Supporting Students with Disabilities
• Professional Role: Program Administrator
• Hometown: Visalia, CA
• Current Location: Fresno, CA

Mostafa Ghous

He/Him/His
 
Online Cohort 8: Class of 2026

• Professional Role: Dean of Academic Affairs
• Hometown: Modesto, CA
• Current Location: Salinas, CA
  
  

Queana Givens-Jarvis

She/Her/Ella

Online Cohort 6: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Examining the Delay of Eligible Female Candidates to Peruse School Site Leadership
• Professional Role: Elementary Principal
• Hometown and Current Location: El Centro, CA
  
  

Larissa Goosev

She/Her/Ella

Online Cohort 15: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: New Teacher Attrition/New Teacher Retention 
• Professional Role: Middle School Principal
• Hometown and Current Location: Reedley, CA

Dana Grisby

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 8: Class of 2026

• Research Interests: Educational Development and Student Success
• Professional Role: Professor, African American Studies 
• Hometown: Merced, CA
• Current Location: Oakland, CA

Adrien Guerra

He/Him/His

Online Cohort 6 : Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Latinx LGBTQ+ Students Sense of Belonging in STEM
• Professional Role: Student Services Support Representative
• Hometown and Current Location: Los Angeles, CA

Beth Harris

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 8: Class of 2026

• Research Interests: Economic mobility, fiduciary responsibility, school finance, equitable outcomes
• Professional Role: Director, Educational Options & Expanded Learning
• Hometown and Current Location: Ventura, CA

T'Nesia TJ Hurley

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 7: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: Equity-focused financing and student achievement.
• Professional Role: Assistant Superintendent of Business
• Hometown: Oakland, CA
• Current Location: Redding, CA

Erika Ireland

She/Her/Hers

Face-to-Face Cohort 15: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Educational pipeline of dietetic students in higher education
• Professional Role: Faculty & Dietetic Internship Director
• Hometown: Fresno, CA
• Current Location: Clovis, CA

Bryon Jackson

Online Cohort 8: Class of 2026

• Research Interests: The Impact of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) on students with disability, bridging digital divides
• Professional Role: Associate Vice President, Technology Solutions & Innovation, California State University, Long Beach
• Hometown and Current Location: Long Beach, CA

Gus Leonard

He/Him/His

Online Cohort 3

• Research Interests: Language and Culture learning; technology-enhanced learning. Dissertation Topic: Understanding Intercultural Competence in Civic Engagement/Citizenship through Photovisual Elicitation of Study Abroad Student Photoblogs
  Professional Role: CSU Monterey Bay, Language Lab Coordinator
  Hometown: Burlington, VT
  Current Location: Del Rey Oaks, CA

Adelfa Lorenzano

She/Her/Ella

Face-to-Face Cohort 17: Class of 2026

• Research Interests: Hispanic Serving Institutions, First-Generation Students, and Dual Enrollment in the Central Valley
• Professional Role: Director, Title V D-HSI Grant
• Hometown: Reedley, CA
• Current Location: Kingsburg, CA

Lupe Mendoza

Face-to-Face Cohort 15: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Culturally relevant and age-appropriate pedagogy in dual enrollment.
• Professional Role: High School Vice Principal
• Hometown: Dos Palos, CA
• Current Location: Clovis, CA

Tasneem Mohamed

Online Cohort 5

• Professional Role: Academic Advisor
• Hometown: Oakland, CA
• Current Location: Marina, CA

Lena Nelson

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 8: Class of 2026

• Research Interests: ESL student pathways in a community college setting. Equity and access for Adult Education ESL students transitioning to post-secondary education.
• Professional Role: Assistant Professor, ESL, Adult Education
• Current Location: Riverside, CA

Mary Nguyen

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 8: Class of 2026

• Research Interests: Mental health, disability, accessibility, technology, universal design
• Professional Role: Director, Bob Murphy Access Center
• Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
• Current Location: Garden Grove, CA

Roy Orosco

Face-to-Face Cohort 15: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Special Education Teacher Burnout MTSS Systems and Development
• Professional Role: Assistant Principal
• Hometown: Dinuba, CA
• Current Location: Visalia, CA

Estevan Parra Guerrero

He/Him/His

Face-to-Face Cohort 16: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: First Generation Latinx Staff, sense of belonging at Hispanic Serving Institutions
• Professional Role: Director
• Hometown: South Central Los Angeles, CA
• Current Location: Fresno, CA

Edgar Parrilla

He/Him/His

Face-to-Face Cohort 15: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: The impact on recidivism for Formerly Incarcerated Latino Men (FILM) who participate in higher education programs.
• Professional Role: Business Administration Faculty
• Hometown: Woodlake, CA
• Current Location: Visalia, CA

Raquel Piña-Holmstrom

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 6: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: HSI servingness - Latinx faculty and staff retention
• Professional Role: Assistant to IDEA, Research, and Grants
• Hometown and Current Location: Oroville, CA

Liz Reed

Online Cohort 8: Class of 2026

• Research Interests: Student Success & Retention in Higher Education, Identifying and Supporting Parenting Students, Co-Curricular Pathways and Work Integrated Learning, eAdvising
• Professional Role: Assistant Director, Enrollment Management Technology CSU Chancellor's Office
• Hometown: Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada
• Current Location: Cypress, CA

Angelica Rodriguez

She/Her/Ella
 
Online Cohort 8: Class of 2026

• Research Interests: Marginalized Students, Community Colleges, Transfer, Latino/a/x Students, First Gen. Faculty
• Professional Role: Counselor/Instructor
• Current Location: Ventura County, CA

Gretchen Ruch

She/Her/Hers

Face-to-Face Cohort 15: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Camp Counseling & Teacher Self-Efficacy/Relational Efficacy
• Professional Role: Assistant Camp Director
• Current Location: Kingsburg, CA

Jolene Sagan

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 6: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Women, time poverty, parents, caregivers, higher education, and student affairs.
• Professional Role: Clinical Instructor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences - LCSW Case Manager
• Hometown: Westwood, CA
• Current Location: Long Beach, CA 

Yadi Sanchez

Online Cohort 5

• Professional Role: Manager of Outreach and Academic Services
• Hometown: Fort Bragg, CA

Jonathan M. Smith

He/Him/His

Online Cohort 7: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: Undergraduate interdisciplinary maker education pedagogies; Interventions to improve diversity of university students in STEM majors
• Professional Role: Interim Senior Director, University Library at Sonoma State University
• Current Location: Santa Rosa, CA

Thatcher Weldon

Online Cohort 7: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: K-12 success connection to adult education program success
• Professional Role: Director of Adult Education at Kern Community College District
• Hometown: Fresno, CA
• Current Location: Burbank, CA

Michael Williamson

He/Him/His

Face-to-Face Cohort 15: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and secondary trauma in teachers and administrators
• Professional Role: Teacher
• Hometown: Fresno, CA
• Current Location: Clovis, CA

Ia Xiong 

Face-to-Face Cohort 15: Class of 2024

• Research Interests: AsianCrit and males in community college
• Professional Role: Adjunct Counselor
• Hometown and Current Location: Fresno, CA

Laura Yager

She/Her/Hers

Face-to-Face Cohort 17: Class of 2026

• Research Interests: Post-covid policies and their impact on student success
• Professional Role: University Registrar
• Hometown: Modesto, CA
• Current Location: Fresno, CA

Khou Yang-Vigil

She/Her/Hers

Online Cohort 7: Class of 2025

• Research Interests: Mental health, Advocacy and support for underserved at-promise students in Higher Education, AsianCrit - particularly Southeast Asians in Higher Education, Culture and Leadership
• Professional Role: Director of Equity and Access Programs
• Hometown and Current Location: Santa Rosa, California