2023 Yearbook and Impact Report: SDSU College of Education

CAUSE FOR
CELEBRATION
2023 Yearbook and Impact Report
SECTION /
1

Contents
Message from the Dean 4
Leadership 5
Academic Programs 6
Rankings 7
Impact & Innovation 8
Faculty & Staff 12
2023 YEARBOOK
AND IMPACT REPORT
Front Cover: Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs Specialization) master’s student Colleen
Novakovich celebrates with her service dog Tater tot before SDSU’s graduate student Commencement
ceremony on May 12, 2023. Photo by Sarah Wilkins.
Pages 2–3: Students at Escuela Primaria Federal Cuauhtémoc in Tijuana, Mexico greet teacher credential
candidates from SDSU’s Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education in November, 2022.
The four-day cross-border experience aims to give future educators greater understanding of the students
we share in the border region. Photo by Sarah Wilkins.
EDITORIAL
Michael Klitzing, Aranza Gutierrez Cortes,
and Aaron Burgin
PHOTOGRAPHY
Arturo E. Rivas, Sarah Wilkins, Erik Good,
and Scott Hargrove
DESIGN
Janielle Kelly and Manny Uribe
Students 16
Alumni 20
Philanthropy 22
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS / 3
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MESSAGE
FROM
THE DEAN
The summer of 2023 marked my five-year anniversary
as Dean of the San Diego State University College of
Education. As I reflect on what our college — through
the vision, dedication and hard work of our faculty and
staff — has achieved in that time, I see much cause
for celebration.
Since 2018, we have launched 14 new degree and
certificate programs. We have established four new
centers, focusing on topics such as early childhood
and anti-racism. We have significantly increased the
recruitment and hiring of tenured and tenure-track
faculty of color. And we increased the number of
scholarships available to our students by 45%.
LEADERSHIP
DEAN’S OFFICE
This past Academic Year, all our collective efforts
culminated in our highest-ever ranking by U.S. News
& World Report. SDSU placed No. 49 among graduate
education programs nationwide. We also ranked
No. 3 in Rehabilitation Counseling, No. 7 in Online
Education master’s programs, and No. 26 in Education
Administration.
Y. Barry Chung
Dean
DEPARTMENTS
Sarah Garrity
Interim Senior
Associate Dean
Rachel Haine-Schlagel
Associate Dean for
Research
Frank Harris III
Interim Associate Dean
for Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion
Patricia Lozada-
Santone
Assistant Dean for
Student Affairs
— Y. Barry Chung, Dean, College of Education
Beyond rankings, it was a year of major
accomplishments which you will read all about in this
publication. To name just a few: We were selected to
lead a World Bank-funded initiative to transform early
childhood education in the nation of Georgia (Page
9). School of Teacher Education assistant professor
Nicholas Johnson received a prestigious NSF CAREER
award (Page 13). We also set a college record in
philanthropy, as our alumni and other generous
donors shattered the $10 million mark in support of
our mission (Page 22).
Looking ahead, the College of Education is focused
on our five-year strategic plan, which outlines 22
goals to expand our research enterprise; enhance
the success and wellness of our students, faculty, and
staff; and much more. As we embark on this process, I
am grateful for the outstanding individuals who I know
will propel us to achieve these lofty but necessary
ambitions. After five years in this college, I can say
that it’s the amazing students, faculty, and staff I
work with every day that give me the most cause for
celebration.
Charles Degeneffe
Professor and Chair,
Administration,
Rehabilitation and
Postsecondary Education
Sascha Longstreth
Associate Professor and
Interim Chair, Child and
Family Development
Travis Heath
Associate Professor
and Chair, Counseling
and School Psychology
Sera J. Hernández
Associate Professor
and Chair, Dual Language
and English Learner
Education
Douglas Fisher
Professor and Chair,
Educational Leadership
Laura J. Hall
Professor and Chair,
Special Education
Marva Cappello
Professor and Director,
Joint Ph.D. Program in
Education with Claremont
Graduate University
Lynne Bercaw
Professor and Acting Director,
School of Teacher Education
4 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
LEADERSHIP / 5
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ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
The SDSU College of Education offers a wide variety of academic programs ranging from undergraduate study
to advanced degrees that prepare individuals for rewarding and impactful careers in the fields of education
and wellness.
Opened in 2014, the LEED Double
Platinum Conrad Prebys Aztec Student
Union serves as a gathering spot for
the SDSU community.
DOCTORAL & EDUCATIONAL
SPECIALIST DEGREES
• Community College/Postsecondary Education Leadership (Ed.D.
in Educational Leadership)
• Joint Doctoral Program SDSU with Claremont Graduate University
(Ph.D. in Education)
• PK-12 School Leadership (Ed.D. in Educational Leadership)
• PK-12 School Leadership with Science and Math Focus (Ed.D.
in Educational Leadership)
• School Psychology (Ed.S.)
MASTERS DEGREES
• Child Development (M.S. in Child Development)
• Child Development with a Concentration in Early Childhood
Mental Health and LPCC (M.S. in Child Development and LPCC)
• Counseling (Online-Hybrid) (M.A. in Education)
• Dual Language, English Learner Ed: Critical Literacy and Social
Justice Specializations (M.A. in Education)
• Elementary Education and Secondary Education
(M.A. in Teaching)
• Elementary and Secondary Education with a Focus in Math and
Science (M.A. in Teaching)
• Language Arts (M.A. in Teaching)
• Marriage and Family Therapy (M.S. in Counseling)
• Multicultural Community Counseling (CBB) (M.S. in Counseling)
• PreK-12 Educational Leadership (M.A. in Education)
• PreK-12 Educational Leadership/ Preliminary Administrative
Services Credential Combo Program (Online) (M.A. in Education)
• Postsecondary Educational Leadership and Student Affairs
(M.A. in Educational Leadership)
• Reading (M.A. in Education)
• Rehabilitation Counseling (M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling)
• School Counseling plus Pupil Personnel Services Credential
(M.S. in Counseling and PPS)
• Special Education, with Concentrations in Behavior Analysis and
Autism, Early Childhood Special Education, Mild/Moderate Support
Needs, and Extensive Support Needs (M.A. in Special Education)
• Teacher Leadership (via SDSU Global Campus) (M.A. in Education)
UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS & MINORS
• Child Development (B.S.)
• Child Development Minor
• Counseling and Social Change Minor
• Cultural Proficiency Minor
• Leadership Development Minor
• Liberal Studies (B.A.)
TEACHING CREDENTIALS
• Multiple Subject
• Multiple Subject (Bilingual)
• Single Subject
• Single Subject (Bilingual)
• Special Education: Clear Induction Program
• Special Education: Early Childhood
• Special Education: Mild/Moderate Support Needs
• Special Education: Extensive Support Needs
OTHER CREDENTIALS
• Administrative Services
• Reading and Literacy Leadership Specialist
ADVANCED CERTIFICATES
& ADDED AUTHORIZATIONS
• Behavior Analysis*
• Bilingual
• Cognitive Disabilities*
• Co-Occurring Disorders*
• Dual Language for Academic Literacy*
• EC-TEaMH: Early Childhood Transdisciplinary Education and
Mental Health*
• English Language Development for Academic Literacy*
• Psychiatric Rehabilitation*
• Reading and Literacy
• Rehabilitation Technology*
• Restorative Justice Practice and Trauma-Informed Care*
• Special Education Early Childhood
• Spanglish Decolonial Healing*
• Supported Employment and Transition Specialist*
*Advanced certificate
RANKINGS
The SDSU College of Education achieved its highest ever standing in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report
ranking of top graduate education schools nationwide. COE also ranked among the nation’s best in
rehabilitation counseling and online education master’s programs.
GRADUATE SCHOOL RANKINGS
#49
Among all universities
nationwide
#6
In the state
of California
#1
In San Diego County
#39
Among public universities
nationwide
#1
In the California State
University system
PROGRAM/SPECIALTY RANKINGS
#3 #7
Rehabilitation counseling
M.S. program
#26
Education administration
specialty
*Represents most recent ranking
Online education
master’s programs*
6 ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
RANKINGS / 7
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IMPACT & INNOVATION
The SDSU College of Education engages in transformative research, service, community engagement and
multi-institutional partnerships. These efforts make a positive impact on the education and wellness fields at
the local, national and global levels.
GRANTS & CONTRACTS
$29.5M ^13%
In Total Funding
in 2022-2023
TOTAL FUNDING
Increase from
2021-2022
127 21
Total Awards
in 2022-2023
TOTAL AWARDS
TOP FUNDED FACULTY
Caren Sax
Professor Emerita and
Director, Interwork Institute
$6,285,248
Cynthia Park
Professor and Executive
Director, Pre-College Institute
$1,885,687
U.S. Department of
Education Funded Projects
Nancy Frey
Professor, Department of
Educational Leadership
$4,197,428
Laura Owen
Lecturer and Executive Director,
Center for Equity and Postsecondary
Attainment | $1,616,829
CENTERS
• Center for Achieving Black Wellness and Anti-Racist Education
(CABWARE)
• Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC)
• Center for Equity and Biliteracy Education Research (CEBER)
• Center for Community Counseling & Engagement (CCCE)
• Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment (CEPA)
• Center for Excellence in Early Development (CEED)
• Center for Research in Math & Science Education (CRMSE)
• Center for Teaching Critical Thinking & Creativity (CTCTC)
• Center for Visual Literacies
• Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism
Spectrum Disorders (CSESA)
• Chinese Cultural Center (CCC)
• Interwork Institute
• National Center for the 21st Century Schoolhouse
• National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST)
• Pre-College Institute (PCI)
• SDSU Literacy Center
COE CONNECTIONS PODCAST
In 2022, the College of Education launched the COE
Connections podcast. The series, which focuses
on faculty research and scholarship in the college,
is hosted by Dr. Rachel Haine-Schlagel, associate
dean for research and associate professor in Child
and Family Development. Listen on SoundCloud and
Apple Podcasts.
COE faculty members visited an early childhood classroom during a visit to Georgia in May, 2023.
SDSU SELECTED TO
TRANSFORM EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
in Nation of Georgia
San Diego State University’s partnership with the nation of
Georgia to enhance its education system took a significant
step forward in 2022 with an initiative to empower the
nation’s youngest generation.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia selected
SDSU to lead a $4.19 million World Bank-funded effort to
transform early childhood education, which focuses on
children from ages 2-5, including 5-year-old preschoolers.
SDSU was chosen as part of a competitive proposal
process, which attracted multiple international institutions.
Over the past decade, SDSU has developed a strong
presence in Georgia, located in the Caucasus region at the
intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. In 2014,
the university partnered with the U.S. Millennium Challenge
Corporation and the Georgian government to open
campuses in the capital of Tbilisi. SDSU Georgia, which
offers degrees in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) fields, opened the following year.
The latest project will see a team of SDSU College of
Education faculty — led by Nancy Frey, professor of
educational leadership — and other U.S. experts working
alongside Georgian academics, caregivers, educators
and community members to develop an approach to
developing young Georgians.
“For the last eight years, SDSU Georgia
has been a beacon of hope and
opportunity for many Georgian students
and their families. Our collaboration with
the educational leaders in Georgia has
provided SDSU a critical foundation to
not only address this new focus on early
childhood education, but also continue
a sustainable partnership to strengthen
our role in supporting the strategic goals
of the Georgian nation.”
— Adela de la Torre, President, San Diego State University
8 IMPACT & INNOVATION
IMPACT & INNOVATION / 9
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DYNAMIC RESEARCH CONSORTIUM
GAINS UNIVERSITY RECOGNITION
For more than 30
years, the Child
and Adolescent
Services
Research
Center (CASRC)
has worked
effectively to
improve services
and evidencebased
practice
CASRC faculty
implementation
for children,
adolescents and families in mental health, behavioral health,
school, child welfare disability services, rehabilitation and
health care settings.
In late 2022, the multi-institutional and interdisciplinary
consortium of researchers gained official recognition when
SDSU’s Deans Research Council approved CASRC as an
official center within both the College of Education and the
College of Sciences.
CASRC has grown over the decades to include more than
100 researchers, statisticians, data analysts and investigators
from leading institutions such as SDSU, UC San Diego,
the University of Southern California, UCLA, UC Davis and
others. Over the past 15 years, more than a dozen CASRC
researchers with expertise in autism, behavioral health, early
childhood trauma and related fields have joined the College
of Education faculty.
PARTNERSHIP WITH COUNTY
OFFICE OF ED EMPOWERS
BILINGUAL EDUCATORS
SDSU faculty
and the San
Diego County
Office of
Education
(SDCOE) have
embarked
on a new
federally-funded
partnership to
improve the
Saúl Maldonado and Cristina Alfaro
instruction
of English-
Language Learners (ELLs) across the San Diego region.
Supported by a new 5-year, $2.9 million grant from the
U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language
Acquisition, the project creates a new professional
development certificate program that will engage about 60
preschool through 12th-grade bilingual teachers per year.
Saúl Maldonado, associate professor in the Department
of Dual Language and English Learner Education (DLE),
and Cristina Alfaro, SDSU’s associate vice president for
international affairs and executive director of the Center for
Biliteracy Education and Research (CEBER), will serve as coprincipal
investigators on the grant.
The initiative has been dubbed Project LEAL, an acronym for
Leadership, Equity and Access for Languages that spells the
Spanish word for “loyal.”
HARNESSING THE STRENGTH OF
FIRST-GENERATION FAMILIES
Wendy Ochoa and
Rosie Villafana-Hatcher
According to conventional
wisdom, parents who never
earned a degree present
singular challenges and
barriers to their children’s
chances of completing a
degree.
Wendy Ochoa, assistant
professor in the
Department of Child and
Family Development (CFD),
has teamed with Rosie
Villafana-Hatcher, director
of the Early Assessment Program in SDSU’s Office of
Educational Opportunity Programs, Outreach and Success,
on a new cross-campus initiative to support first-generation
college students that rejects such deficit framing. Their idea
is to bring parents into the fold early and help students tap
into the strengths of immigrant family structures and culture
along their journeys to college.
Supported by a family engagement grant from the
California State University Office of the Chancellor, their
“It Takes a Village” project will collaborate with local school
districts and community partners to facilitate workshops for
parents of middle schoolers and high schoolers who are
potential first-generation students.
CSP TEAM TACKLES PANDEMIC’S
IMPACT ON FOSTER YOUTH
For young
people in the
foster care
system, school
can be a
setting to build
relationships,
find a sense of
belonging and
gain access
to mental
Ashley Kruger, Tonika Green and Jennica Paz health support
services. That
place of refuge all but vanished with the COVID-19 shift to
virtual learning, and the impacts on foster youth are still
rippling out.
A team of faculty from the Department of Counseling and
School Psychology launched a program to train the next
generation of helping professionals to empower students
in the foster care system to rebuild their resilience and
experience success in the wake of the pandemic. Supported
by a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of
Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP),
Project HEAL creates an interdisciplinary collaborative of
postgraduates studying to become school counselors,
school psychologists, social workers and special educators.
Tonika Green, professor in school psychology and associate
vice president for campus community affairs, is principal
investigator on the grant, alongside Jennica Paz, associate
professor in school psychology, Ashley Kruger (’10), alumna
and lecturer in school counseling.
COE EXPANDS EQUITY WORK
THROUGH US PREP
COE faculty at the US PREP Clinical Convening in
Indianapolis
The SDSU
College of
Education
continued
the work of
advancing
equity through
US PREP
— a Bill &
Melinda Gates
Foundationfunded
coalition
to train high-quality, diverse teachers for underserved
communities.
Spearheaded by faculty from the School of Teacher
Education, Department of Special Education and
Department of Dual Language and English-Learner
Education, SDSU expanded its local partnerships to
include several districts and dual-immersion schools in San
Diego’s diverse East County and South Bay communities.
Partnerships involve district and school administrators
joining with SDSU faculty to engage in strategic planning
focused on a coherent vision of teaching, the integration
of coursework and clinical experiences, and partnership as
the driving force for change and improvement. The goal is
to collaboratively ensure SDSU students become “Day-1
ready” teachers when they get their first job.
SDSU, which has participated in US PREP since 2018, will
put its partnerships on display when it hosts faculty from
30 institutions as part of the US PREP Learning Tour in
November, 2023.
SDSU, JOINT PH.D. PROGRAM
DEEPEN TIES TO OAXACA
Building on
groundwork laid
by SDSU’s Joint
Ph.D. Program
in Education
with Claremont
Graduate
University (JDP),
a delegation
of SDSU
administrators
SDSU doctoral students in Oaxaca in 2022 and faculty
and California
elected officials traveled to Oaxaca in 2023 to preside
over the signing of a memorandum of understanding
between SDSU and La Universidad La Salle Oaxaca. The
agreement opens the door to future partnerships with La
Salle Oaxaca, a private university in the city of Santa Cruz
Xoxocotlán. Possibilities include joint programs, exchange
and visiting scholar programs, research collaborations,
conferences and more.
In 2022, the JDP, in collaboration with the International
Affairs Office, led a group of nine doctoral students to
Oaxaca for a binational seminar exploring topics related
to social justice in education. It was the culminating
experience of a semester-long course developed in
partnership with the University of La Salle Oaxaca.
10 IMPACT & INNOVATION
IMPACT & INNOVATION / 11
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FACULTY & STAFF
College of Education students are trained and mentored by 300 faculty members, including 81 tenured or tenuretrack
faculty. The college is also supported by a team of 34 staff members in the areas of administration, finance
and operations, student services, technology, assessment and accreditation, data management, communications
and development.
RACE/ETHNICITY
ALL FACULTY
American Indian/
Alaska Native
Asian/
Pacific Islander
Black
0.3% (1)
6.3% (19)
11.3% (34)
STAFF
IN FOCUS
NSF CAREER Award Recipient
NICHOLAS JOHNSON
EXPLORES HOW KIDS
LEARN MATH
Johnson’s project will follow 15 children over three years as
they advance through preschool, transitional kindergarten
(TK) and kindergarten. He’s looking to develop a more
nuanced understanding of how individual children’s
opportunities to learn play out over time as they progress
through early childhood.
Latinx
Not Specified
Two or More
White
TENURED/TENURE-TRACK FACULTY
American Indian/
Alaska Native
0
3% (9)
1.7% (5)
1.2% (1)
15%
25%
27.7% (83)
35%
45%
49.7% (149)
55%
65%
RACE/
ETHNICITY
He’ll observe individual children’s experiences in
classrooms that attempt to take up innovative approaches
to mathematics — those designed to elicit and build from
children’s thinking — with an eye on how historic patterns
of participation and exclusion may or may not reproduce
themselves even in “ideal” settings. Johnson also hopes to
bring greater attention toward what preschool teachers do
well in hopes of effecting change in elementary education,
an important consideration as California works to roll out a
PK-3 Early Childhood Specialist Instruction Credential.
Asian/
Pacific Islander
Black
Latinx
Not Specified
Two or More
White
0
6.2% (5)
1.2% (1)
2.5% (2)
13.6% (11)
15%
25%
27.2% (22)
ALL FACULTY GENDER
Female
72% (216)
35%
45%
48.1% (39)
55%
Male
28% (84)
65%
Asian/Pacific Islander 11.8% (4)
Latinx 44.1% (15)
Two or More 2.9% (1)
White 41.2% (14)
TENURED/TENURE-TRACK FACULTY GENDER
Female
67.9% (55)
Male
32.1% (26)
Nicholas Johnson’s passion for recognizing and cultivating
children’s innate mathematical abilities has led him to
a major achievement: a $1 million NSF Faculty Early
Career Development (CAREER) Award to investigate
young children’s opportunities to learn mathematics in
early childhood classrooms. The assistant professor in
the School of Teacher Education is the first College of
Education faculty member in more than a decade to receive
the NSF’s most prestigious award for early-career faculty.
“I was supported by a lot of people at
SDSU to get this NSF CAREER award. I
don’t think this would have happened
at another institution — and it wouldn’t
have happened without the really
significant investment that other faculty
make in junior faculty’s success here.”
— Nicholas Johnson, Assistant Professor, School of Teacher Education
12 FACULTY & STAFF
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THREE FACULTY MEMBERS NAMED
TO CSU LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
J. Luke Wood, Karen Myers-Bowman
and Estella Chizhik
the California State University system.
The SDSU College
of Education’s
reputation for
outstanding faculty
was never more
apparent than in
Spring 2023 when
three longtime
members of
the COE team
were tapped
for leadership
positions within
J. Luke Wood, our Dean’s Distinguished Professor
of Education and a nationally-renowned expert in
postsecondary educational equity, was named president
of California State University, Sacramento. Karen Myers-
Bowman, who previously served as senior associate
dean and chair of the Department of Child and Family
Development, was selected as dean of the College of
Education at California State University, Monterey Bay.
Meanwhile, Estella Chizhik, professor in the School of
Teacher Education and coordinator of SDSU’s liberal studies
program, was selected as chair of the Department of Teacher
Education at California State University, Long Beach.
Harris is co-director of the Community College Equity
Assessment Lab (CCEAL), a national research laboratory that
helps community colleges to identify and address systemic
barriers to equity at their institutions.
OWEN NAMED CASC COUNSELOR
EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR
Laura Owen, a lecturer in the
Department of Counseling and
School Psychology, was named
2023 Counselor Educator of the
Year by California Association of
School Counselors (CASC).
Owen previously served as
director of SDSU’s School
Counseling program and also
Laura Owen
served on the faculty at Johns
Hopkins University and American
University. In 2021 Owen became a founder and executive
director of the Center for Equity and Postsecondary
Attainment at SDSU.
Owen estimates she has trained more than 300 school
counselors. She lauds school counselors for taking a
holistic approach to the student, providing everything from
social-emotional and academic support to college and
career planning.
frank discussions of sex and sexuality. He is one of only
two certified, Spanish-speaking sex therapists in all of San
Diego County.
POMPEI WORKS FOR SAFETY,
INCLUSION FOR CALIFORNIA’S
LGBTQIA+ YOUTH
Vinnie Pompei
Vinnie Pompei, assistant
professor in the Department of
Education Leadership, is part
of a California Department of
Education committee to create
LGBTQIA+ cultural competency
training courses for California
educators. Pompei is the only
representative of higher education
participating on the committee,
which was formed by the 2019
passage of Assembly Bill 493.
The former National Director of the Youth Well-Being
Program for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Pompei is
an expert on safety and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ youth in K-12
schools. He is taking action amid a troubling climate — one
recent study indicated 50% of LGBTQIA+ youth between the
ages of 13-17 have seriously considered attempting suicide,
underscoring the critical nature of the work.
FISHER INDUCTED INTO READING
HALL OF FAME
Douglas Fisher, professor
and chair in the Department of
Educational Leadership, was
named one of five new members
of the Reading Hall of Fame — an
independent organization that
honors individuals of renown
in the literacy field. Upon his
induction on Dec. 1, 2022, he
joined SDSU professor emeritus
Diane Lapp (inducted in 2005)
Douglas Fisher
among the more than 100 living
members from around the world.
Fisher has co-authored multiple books on the topic of
literacy — including one of his first, “Improving Adolescent
Literacy,” which was inspired by his experience of
implementing a school-wide literacy plan while working for
the City Heights Collaborative at San Diego’s Hoover High
School in 1999. The focus on school-wide literacy was later
included in California’s state curriculum framework.
BROWN BRINGS ACADEMIC
EXPERTISE TO PBS KIDS
ANIMATED SERIES
HARRIS RECOGNIZED FOR
NATIONAL INFLUENCE,
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
Frank Harris III’s work to advance
equity in higher education earned
major national and statewide
plaudits. A professor in San Diego
State University’s Department of
Administration, Rehabilitation and
Postsecondary Education (ARPE)
and the College of Education’s
interim associate dean for
diversity, equity and inclusion,
Harris was named a 2022 Beacon
Frank Harris III
on Racial Equity by the Campaign
for College Opportunity. He also appeared on the 2023
RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings — Education
Week’s list of 200 U.S. university-based scholars who shape
educational practice and policy — at No. 163.
CAMARENA HONORED FOR
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY IN
SEX THERAPY
Juan Camarena, an assistant
professor in the Department
of Counseling and School
Psychology and a nationallycertified
sex therapist, was
honored for his equity focus as
recipient of the 2023 DEI Award
from the American Association of
Sexuality Educators, Counselors
and Therapists (AASECT).
Juan Camarena
Camarena — who still maintains
a practice helping patients work through issues ranging
from sexual dysfunction and relationships to sexual
identity — brings an intersectional lens to his teaching,
research and practice as he strives to give Queer, Trans,
Black, Indigenous, People of Color (QTBIPOC) a voice in
NAVARRO MARTELL NAMED
NATIONAL LATINA WOMAN OF
THE YEAR
Melissa A. Navarro Martell,
assistant professor in the
Department of Dual Language and
English Learner Education (DLE),
was named recipient of the 2023
National Latina Woman of the Year
Award from the Mexican American
Opportunity Foundation — one of
California’s largest social service
nonprofits.
Melissa A. Navarro Martell
Navarro Martell, a graduate of
SDSU’s Joint Ph.D. Program in Education with Claremont
Graduate University, is an expert on the preparation of
critically conscious multilingual educators and decolonizing
STEM education. The Tijuana native immigrated to the U.S. as
a sixth grader, and her experiences in the classroom — both
as a student and bilingual educator — inform her research.
Jeffrey Brown, assistant
professor in the department
of Counseling and School
Psychology, joined a team of
educational advisors working
for the new PBS educational
animated series “Work it Out
Wombats.” Brown’s expertise
on the trajectories of social
emotional and cognitive
functioning in youth were key to
Jeffrey Brown
his contributions for the show. His
knowledge in child development and cognitive studies were
part of the efforts to produce a comprehensible learning
experience for the children in the audience.
At SDSU, Brown’s work also focuses on the effects of
discrimination in mental health, especially among LGBTQIA+
youth and youth of color, as well as addressing these
systems of discrimination in different academic settings and
technological systems.
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STUDENTS
College of Education students are a diverse group, training for fields
such as teaching, administration, counseling, mental health and higher
education. But they share one important common thread — a desire to
make a positive difference for individuals and communities.
TOTAL ENROLLMENT
3,151
IN FOCUS
SHIRLEY NASH WEBER
CALLS BLACK FUTURE
EDUCATORS TO ACTION
PROGRAM TYPE
Bachelor’s
Degree
Certificate
Credential
Doctoral
Degree
Education
Specialist (Ed.S.)
Master’s
Degree
Undergraduate
Minor
0
0.6% (18)
1.6% (50)
5%
6.6% (208)
10%
12.5% (395)
15%
16.8% (529)
20%
20.8% (655)
25%
30%
41.1% (1,296)
35% 40% 45%
NATIVE LANGUAGE
English 75% (2,358)
Spanish 20% (616)
Shirley Nash Weber delivers her keynote address as graduate student
Monique Holbert paints in the foreground. Photo by Arturo E. Rivas.
“When our children fail, I take it as a personal assault on
me, because someone helped me to not fail,” said Weber,
who taught for 40 years in SDSU’s Department of Africana
Studies. “We have to take personal responsibility for the
world that we live in. And those of you who are teaching
have a very unique and wonderful opportunity.”
The passionate remarks by Weber highlighted an event
aimed at strengthening the university’s Black educator
pipeline. Hosted by the College of Education, Black
Resource Center and Center for Achieving Black Wellness
and Anti-Racist Education (CABWARE), The Shirley Weber
Educator Empowerment Tribute drew more than 100
attendees, many of them Black students interested in
pursuing careers in the education field.
RACE/ETHNICITY
American Indian/
Alaskan Native
Asian/
Pacific Islander
Black
Latinx
0.8% (24)
5.5% (172)
10.7% (337)
42.4% (1,335)
Other* 5% (151)
* 39 languages are represented in this category,
including four with more than 10 native speakers:
Arabic (27), Vietnamese (16), Tagalog (15)
and Somali (14).
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
SDSU’s efforts to boost Black representation in the
education field come amid research showing Black students
who have had at least one Black teacher are more likely to
excel in school and less likely to be subjected to discipline.
The event was made possible by a generous donation from
Dean Emeritus Joseph F. Johnson Jr. and professor emerita
Cynthia L. Uline.
Not Specified
Two or More
White
GENDER
5%
Female
83.7% (2,637)
0
2.5% (78)
7.6% (240)
10%
15%
20%
Male
16.1% (506)
25%
30%
30.6% (965)
35%
Non-binary
0.3% (8)
40%
45%
Decline to State 13% (411)
Heterosexual 77.3% (2,437)
LGBTQ+ 9.6% (303)
From left: Dean Y. Barry Chung, CSU student trustee Maria Linares, Shirley
Nash Weber, provost Salvador Hector Ochoa, dean emeritus Joseph F.
Johnson Jr. and professor emerita Cynthia L. Uline. Photo by Erik Good.
Shirley Nash Weber came home to San Diego State
University on Feb. 7, 2023 as one of the most powerful
people in California. As the Golden State’s first Black
Secretary of State, she is third in line to the governorship.
But as she looked out onto a room of aspiring Black
educators at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, her
message to the audience was clear: You are the ones with
the power to make positive change for Black children.
“Looking around the room and seeing
so many Black students interested in
making a difference through careers
in education was inspiring. Secretary
Weber’s powerful words were the
perfect call to action to do what is
necessary and long overdue — building
a strong pipeline of Black educators.”
— Y. Barry Chung, Dean, College of Education
16 STUDENTS
STUDENTS / 17
\

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
Courtesy photo
by Sarah Alyasi
JOINT DOCTORAL PROGRAM
FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR DISCOVERS
‘MAGIC CAN HAPPEN’ IN BELIZE
CHALDEAN CREDENTIAL STUDENT
ASPIRES TO BE A WELCOMING FACE
FOR NEWCOMERS
A MASTER TEACHER COMES
FULL CIRCLE AT THE SDSU
CHILDREN’S CENTER
ED LEADERSHIP DOCTORAL STUDENT
SEEKS TO ‘BREAK CONCRETE’ TO
MAKE SYSTEMIC CHANGE
If you were looking to find San Diego State University Fulbright
Scholar Al Schleicher in Belize in Spring 2023, you would
have needed to stray from the touristy Gringo Trail that
crosses through much of Latin America. The student in SDSU’s
Joint Ph.D. Program in Education with Claremont Graduate
University, made himself at home in the capital of Belmopan,
home to the University of Belize (UB).
Known around UB as “Professor Al,” Schleicher — a former
classroom English teacher in Los Angeles who received his
undergraduate degree from SDSU in 1997 — taught two
classes, one in English and another in research methods in
education. He also assisted a group of 15 Education and Arts
faculty members as they worked to launch a research office,
even authoring integral proposals.
He also found other ways to help, from procuring dozens
of hard-to-find books for the college’s fledgling education
research library, to getting UB’s early childhood laboratory
school ready to reopen for the first time since the pandemic.
“One of the things that’s great about the Fulbright is that you
learn a lot about yourself,” Schleicher said. “What I’ve learned
is that if a group of people or an individual is receptive to your
collaboration, magic can happen.”
Rojina Tobya was 14 when she came to the U.S. and found
herself dropped into a middle school where everything — even
the alphabet — was totally unfamiliar. A member of the Iraqi
Chaldean community, she spoke Chaldean and Arabic, but not
a word of English.
Not one teacher during her schooling spoke Tobya’s native
language. Nor could they fully understand the trauma she
was still processing. Back in Iraq, her father and other family
members had been kidnapped for ransom by the Islamic State
(IS) militant organization. They were returned safely, thankfully,
but the episode made it clear it was time to leave. The family
moved first to Lebanon, then to the U.S. in 2010.
Thanks to years of perseverance, Tobya is now ready to lead
her own classroom. Her goal? To be the teacher she wishes
she had as a newly arrived teenager. Tobya, a 2022 graduate
of San Diego State University’s Liberal Studies program, is
one of six Chaldean students who worked to complete their
student teaching in Spring 2023 in SDSU’s Cajon Valley Cohort.
The group trains teachers in El Cajon, home to a growing
community of more than 15,000 Chaldeans.
“I want to be able to help all the newcomers with their
needs,” Tobya said. “Either the language or helping parents
to understand. Honestly, my biggest hope is making a strong
connection with the families. If we have that, then we’ll help
students be successful.”
Some of Abigail “Abby” Castro’s earliest memories were made
at the SDSU Children’s Center on the east side of campus
where she played on the jungle gym at Memory Park while her
mother, Janet Castro, was serving in various positions on the
San Diego State University campus.
Today, Abby Castro is a new master’s graduate in child
development after receiving her bachelor’s degree from SDSU.
And, she’s teaching at the very center where she spent her
formative years.
Castro, who started her undergraduate studies in 2017,
originally was a hospitality major. She started working at the
Children’s Center the summer before her first year and, over
the course of the first year of school, fell in love with working
with children. By her junior year, Castro switched to a double
major in child development and recreation tourism, continuing
with child development in graduate school.
“I think about how rare it is to get these very full circle moments
of being a child at the center to becoming a teacher and
learning about child development to now working there full
time. It’s kind of incredible,” said Castro, who serves as one of
the center’s master teachers. “And now, getting to work as a
peer with people who were teachers at the center when I was a
kid, it’s just an interesting thing to reflect on and see every day
I’m working.”
Investing in educators has been Nader Twal’s calling for
more than a decade. As a program administrator in the Long
Beach Unified School District, he builds systems of teacher
professional learning — a role that the former classroom
teacher says has magnified his ability to make meaningful
impacts.
He also recently made another investment in his own
education. As a doctoral student in San Diego State
University’s Ed.D. program in educational leadership (PK-
12 concentration), part of an inaugural cohort made up of
administrators from his district.
It’s an investment he hopes will help amplify his voice as an
agent of large-scale systemic change. His passion — and
the subject of his dissertation — is the implementation of a
concept called Liberatory Design, an approach to fostering
equity and change within complex systems that shifts the
power dynamic between those who hold power and those
impacted by it.
“The analogy I always use is, people see a rose come up
through a crack in the sidewalk, and everybody says, ‘See
it’s possible — let’s go study how that rose broke through the
concrete and see if we can get others to do it,’” Twal said.
“What I’m wondering is, why is the concrete even there if we’re
trying to get roses to grow? The area where we’re planting
the seeds should be designed for them to flourish, not be the
exception. And for that to happen systems must change.”
18 STUDENTS
STUDENTS / 19
\

KATIE OSABE
FINDS REHABILITATION
— and a Calling
FROM MIGRANT STUDENT
TO STAR EDUCATOR
ANOTHER CCLEAD ALUMNA
NAMED A COLLEGE PRESIDENT
A few short years ago, it would have been easy to look at Katie
Osabe (’22, rehabilitation counseling) and see someone living
the American dream. She had a business degree, a fast-paced
lifestyle and a lucrative corporate career as a producer for
photography and video.
Below the surface, however, she hid deep dissatisfaction. As
she searched in vain for meaning, other things filled the void.
She was often driven by anger, a symptom of an unchecked
mental illness. She abused substances. Before long, she
reached a breaking point.
Today, on the other side of her own rehabilitation, the graduate
of San Diego State University’s rehabilitation counseling
master’s program is driven to help people facing similar
circumstances find their own paths.
Osabe now works as an employment specialist with Mental
Health Systems (MHS) in San Diego. In the role, Osabe assists
clients with mental health challenges, substance use issues and
physical disabilities find employment. Her duties run the gamut,
from going over resumes, to arranging interview clothes, to
personally interacting with employers on her clients’ behalf. But
above all, she provides kindness, affirmation and an empathetic
ear. And she doesn’t shy away from opening up about her own
journey when she thinks it will be helpful.
“What I find most attractive about this
field is being genuine with each other
and being unashamed. It’s part of
destigmatizing life.”
— Katie Osabe (’22, rehabilitation counseling)
Juanita Nuñez’s (2001, Liberal Studies) was named by the San
Diego County Office of Education as one of its five 2022-
2023 Teachers of the Year. It was a long road to success for
Nuñez, the daughter of migrant farmworkers who spent her
youth traveling between the California farming communities of
Salinas and Calexico. It’s an experience that forged a bold and
compassionate educator.
Nuñez is now a bilingual educator in the U.S.-Mexico border
city of San Ysidro, teaching science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) and physical education in five
different elementary schools. The San Ysidro School District
serves a border community where young people face
daunting statistics. More than 80 percent of its students are
English learners and as many as one-third have experienced
homelessness.
All five Nuñez siblings attended SDSU. And all five eventually
became educators, including the eldest, Guillermina Gina
Núñez-Mchiri, who was named dean of SDSU Imperial Valley
in 2022.
“Having that background as a migrant
student, my heart radiates pure love
and acceptance for my students. I say,
‘You know what, maybe you don’t know
the English language, but I’m here for
you.’ I know that with the right teachers
and the right environment, these
students can succeed.”
Jessica Robinson (2017, Ed.D., Community College Leadership)
was named president of Cuyamaca College. She had served
as the college’s vice president of student services since 2018.
Robinson earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from
the SDSU School of Social Work and previously served as
associate dean for student affairs in the College of Health and
Human Services.
SDSU’s Community College Leadership (CCLEAD) has
produced six community college presidents and one chancellor.
“Attending the CCLEAD program at
San Diego State was transformational.
It was a beautiful experience that
taught me the power of community
college leadership. I was a product of
a community college already, but the
program enabled me to see it through a
strong administrative, equity lens. This
program solidified that this is the work
I want to do — to make our colleges
ready for our students, not the other
way around.”
— Jessica Robinson (‘17), President, Cuyamaca College
— Juanita Nuñez (’01), San Diego County Teacher of the Year
20 ALUMNI
ALUMNI / 21
\

PHILANTHROPY
FUNDRAISING TOTALS
$10.7 MILLION
Philanthropic support directed to the College of Education from
alumni, faculty, staff and friends set a new record in 2022-23,
increasing 84% from the previous fiscal year.
To explore making a difference
through giving opportunities,
contact Megan Beardsley,
director of development, at
mbeardsley@sdsu.edu or 619-
594-2277. Or learn more by
scanning this QR code:
IN FOCUS
Alumna Laura Ortega Nava, special
education preschool teacher at W.D.
Hall Elementary in El Cajon, California.
Photo by Arturo E. Rivas.
ENDOWMENTS
The SDSU College of Education is grateful to the generous individuals and organizations who have created the
following endowments. These extraordinary gifts provide permanent, ongoing support for our students and programs,
thus helping to ensure that the College of Education has the resources to meet future needs.
ARPE Emeriti Endowed Scholarship: Disability Research
Dr. Christianna Alger Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Gertrude Bell Endowed Scholarship
Ben Ziri #218 Endowed Scholarship
Betsey Love Biondo Student Teacher Endowed Scholarship
Brydegaard Faculty Development Endowment
Patricia Calhoun Endowed Scholarship
Chinese Cultural Center Endowment
John D. Chamley Memorial Scholarship
Dr. Samuel M. Ciccati Endowed Scholarship
Josh A. Comay Endowed Scholarship in Child Development
Center for Critical Thinking Endowment
Jim and Scotty Dietz Scholarship Endowment
Mary Donaldson Endowed Scholarship
Educational Leadership Endowment
Vera Einstein Endowed Scholarship
Barbara Erickson Sisk Endowed Scholarship
Foelber Family Endowed Scholarship
Kurt Friedrich Memorial Endowment
Davene Gibson Endowed Scholarship
Halfaker Memorial Endowment
Peggy Hawley Endowed Scholarship
Judy James Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Russ and Judy James Endowed Scholarship
LaPray/Schmock Endowed Scholarship
Ray Letsinger Endowed Scholarship
Catherine Y. Lodge Endowment
Mary Catherine Martinez Endowed Scholarship
Maus Faculty Development Endowment
Jeanne Mendoza Collaboration Endowment
Mission Federal Credit Union Endowment
Margaret “Robin” Murphy Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Miriam Paine Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Dr. Leonard Pellettiri & Mary Rose Family Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Tom and Audrey Pine Literacy Center Endowment
ISMA-Qualcomm Endowment
NCUST-Qualcomm Endowment
Helen and Charles Rappe Teaching Excellence Endowed Scholarship
Dr. Ed Reed Scholarship Endowment
James Rostello Counseling and Psychological Services Endowment
Santa Cruz Family Endowed Doctoral Scholarship
Richard Servey Endowed Scholarship
Leonard Sherr Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Janet Sinegal Endowed Scholarship
Mary Alys Skulavik and Vera Jo Skulavik Endowed Scholarship
Janet Sloan Breece Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Amber Christine Soule Endowment
Joe & Betty Suozzo Education Endowed Scholarship
Georgia Tait Stooke Endowment
Leslee K. Teincuff Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Gordon Thompson Endowment
John Tucker Endowed Scholarship
Marian K. Van Kirk Endowed Scholarship
Catherine and David Want Mathematics Teacher Endowed Scholarship
Wilson Faculty Development Endowment
Erma Woike Staff Development Endowment
SUPPORT THE NEXT
GENERATION OF TEACHERS
San Diego State University has been training and preparing teachers since 1897, when it was established as the San Diego
Normal School. Today, SDSU’s College of Education is nationally respected and offers general education, bilingual and special
education credential programs that prepare the next generation of educators. Our future teachers come from all walks of life,
but they have one thing in common – they aspire to make a difference for future generations.
We are incredibly grateful to our donors who have supported our teacher preparation initiatives — especially as California
continues to experience a significant teacher shortage. Teaching is the profession that creates the foundation for all other
professions and provides opportunity.
Outstanding educators have the power to change lives, families and communities — and you do too. We invite you to join us
in this important work. To learn more about supporting the College of Education and our teacher preparation initiatives, please
contact Megan Beardsley, director of development, at mbeardsley@sdsu.edu or 619-594-2277.
22 PHILANTHROPY
PHILANTHROPY / 23
\

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