Archived News and Events

KUDOS

•  Karen Brzoska, Cohort III, Cal Poly Pomona emphasis in Educational Technology Leadership, has been promoted to the position of Associate Director of I&IT Learning at Cal Poly Pomona.

•  Cindy Vyskocil, Cohort III, CSULB emphasis in Higher Education and Community College Leadership, has accepted a new position as Associate Vice President of Human Resources at Long Beach City College. Ms. Vyskocil formerly was the Director of Equity and Diversity at Fullerton College.

•  CSU/UCI Alumnus David Hernandez, Ed.D., Ph.D., has co-authored an article "Choosing and Using Citation and Bibliographic Database Software" in the May-June 2008 issue of Diabetes Educator, a journal targeting nursing researchers.

•  Nancy Watkins, CSU/UCI student in Cohort III, CSU Fullerton emphasis in K-12 Instructional Leadership, has been appointed to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing: Committee on Accreditation. This is a highly-competitive four-year appointment to evaluate accreditation reports on teacher education programs. Congratulations to Nancy!

•  Second Book Published:  Robert Pletka, Ed.D., has published his second book: Educating the Net Generation.  Dr. Pletka has adapted his research from My So-Called Digital Life (Santa Monica Press) to examine why so many students resist engaging in formalized education in schools.  Using personal interviews, student photographs, and his own experiences as a science teacher, technology coordinator and associate superintendent, Dr. Pletka identifies unique characteristics of the Net Generation and offers recommendations for changes in school policy and financial investment.  Copies of Educating the Net Generation can be ordered from Santa Monica Press (www.santamonicapress.com)

•  Dr. David Hernandez, 2005 graduate, was featured in the Orange County Register on July 3, 2007 in the feature: Call Him Overqualified.   The article drew attention to David as a life-long learner, garnering a total of seven college degrees so far, including and Ed.D. and a Ph.D.  Of interest to the reporter was David’s simultaneous teaching of university-level courses (master’s and doctoral levels) and public school kindergarten.

•  Cohort IV student and high school history teacher Carl Duncan was featured in the San Bernardino County Sun article A Lesson in Recent History on June 4, 2007.  The article, which ran in both county and local editions, explored how creative teachers at the high school and college levels are using recent historical events, such as 9/11, to stimulate student engagement and critical thinking.

•  Cohort IV student, Richard Rams, was featured in the April 2007 issue of OC Metro as one of the 40 Under 40: OC’s Most Successful Young Entrepreneurs and Execs.  Rick was Interim Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships at Golden West College when he joined the CSU/UCI Joint Ed.D., Higher Education and Community College Leadership emphasis.  While a student, he received a career advancement to Dean of Student Support Services at Cypress College.

•  Vince Carbino, doctoral student in Cohort I: CSULA Urban Educational Leadership emphasis, has been awarded the Human Relations Commission Certificate of Recognition by the City of Los Angeles. Vince received this award for his work in fostering dramatic changes in student culture and positive school atmosphere during his tenure as Principal at South Los Angeles Area High School.

•  Renee DeLong Chomiak, CSU/UCI doctoral student in Cohort II: Higher Education and Community College emphasis, has joined the Doctoral Fellows Program, Community College Leadership Development Initiatives Foundation (CCLDIF). The Fellows program is designed to bridge the gap between academic research and the issues and problems faced by community college leaders by encouraging research and collaborative alliances among community college constituencies in the western region.

•  Jonathan O'Brien, Cohort I doctoral student in the CSULB emphasis in Higher Education and Community College Leadership, has accepted the position of Senior Associate Dean of Students at Occidental College, Los Angeles.

•  Kirran Moss, CSU/UCI doctoral student in Cohort II: Higher Education and Community College emphasis, has been selected for the Doctoral Fellows Program, Community College Leadership Development Initiatives Foundation (CCLDIF). The Fellows program, currently housed at the University of San Diego, is designed to bridge the gap between academic research and the issues and problems faced by community college leaders, by encouraging research and collaborative alliances among community college constituencies in the western region .

•  Diego Ochoa, Cohort I, has received another career-advancing promotion while a student in this program. Mr. Ochoa is the new Principal of Palmdale High School.

•  Vince Carbino, Cohort III student, has received his second promotion while in the program. Mr. Carbino is the new co-principal of South Los Angeles New High School #1.

•  Gayle Fenton's research was featured at the NACADA National Conference (National Academic Advisors Association). Her presentation: 2003 NCAA Academic Standards: More of the Same?, was delivered to 3400 members and subsequently received the NACADA Commission on Student-Athletes recommendation. On November 7 Ms. Fenton will be co-presenting with three CSULB faculty members at the national Students in Transition Conference on the responsibility of faculty in promoting student success.

•  Jonathan O'Brien’s research has been selected for presentation at three conferences.

• Counseling as a Leadership Practice for Intercultural Settings will be presented at the Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges and Employers in Phoenix, Arizona on December 2005.
• Advancing Professionally Through the Doctorate was presented at the Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day at Long Beach, California in October.
• The Lived Experience of Adult Male Students in Community College was presented at the UC Educational Leadership Colloquium in Sacramento, California in June 2005.

•  Robert Pletka's book accompanying his statewide digital project, "My So called Digital Life," is available from the publisher, Santa Monica Press or may be ordered from amazon.com. In May, 2005, Mr. Pletka, Technology Director for the Covina-Valley United School District, coordinated the culminating multi-media event for this multi-level project when the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts showcased video and photographic work by 2,000 teenagers, using 300 camera and 30 days to document their world.

•  Lorraine Test has been selected by ACSA Region XVII as the recipient of the 2005 Valuing Diversity Award. She will be honored at a banquet on Mary 4, 2005. Congratulations to Lorraine!

Congratulations to Kurt Suhr, Cohort II, K-12 Instructional Leadership emphasis, for his successful defense of his dissertation proposal at CSU Fullerton on November 8. Kurt's proposal was entitled: Laptops and Fourth Grade Literacy: Assisting the Jump Over the "Fourth Grade Slump." For his research, Kurt will be investigating improvements in academic performance between fourth grade one-to-one laptop students and a matched group and improvements between and within the groups over a two year period. Kurt will be examining student scores on the CST ELA subtest and total ELA scaled scores, controlling for student background variables. Appreciation is expressed to members of Kurt's committee: Chair Victoria Costa, Ph.D., CSUF; Mark Warschauer,; Ph.D. UCI Primary Reader; Ronald Oliver, Ph.D., CSUF Reader; Penny Collins, Ph.D., UCI Reader; and Leslie Grier, Ph.D., CSUF Outside Member, Child and Adolescent Development.

Congratulations to Feliza Ortiz, CSU/UCI Cohort III student, Urban Educational Leadership emphasis. Feliza has accepted the position of Director of Education for the National Council of La Raza. Her area of responsibility includes California and the Far West.

Congratulations to Shelia Hill, Cohort I CSU/UCI doctoral student in the CSULB Higher Education and Community College Leadership emphasis, for her successful defense of her dissertation proposal at CSU Long Beach on October 24. Shelia's proposal is entitled: The Exploration of Spirituality as a Means of Coping and Persistence in African American Female College Students. Appreciation is expressed to committee members Dawn Person, Ed.D., Chair from CSU Long Beach; Liane Brouillette, Ph.D., UCI Primary Reader; Anna Ortiz, Ph.D., CSU Long Beach Reader; Michael E. Martinez, Ph.D., UCI Reader; and Larese Hubbard, Ph.D., Professor from CSU Long Beach, Black Studies Department.

Congratulations to Nancy Watkins, Cohort III CSU/UCI doctoral student in the CSUF K-12 Instructional Leadership emphasis, for her successful defense of her dissertation proposal at Cal State Fullerton on October 19. Nancy's proposal was entitled, Teachers as Policy Makers: New Directions for Education Reform. She will be examining the role of K-12 public school teachers in educational policy development at the state level. Appreciation is expressed to committee members Louise Adler, CSUF, Chair; Beth van Es, UCI Primary Reader; Wayne Wah Kwai Au, CSUF Reader; Michael E. Martinez, UCI Reader; and Shelly Arsnault, Outside Member from CSUF Political Science.

Congratulations to Vanitha Chandrasekhar, Cohort II student in the CPP emphasis in Educational Technology Leadership. Vanitha successfully defended her dissertation proposal today entitled "Promoting 21st Century Learning: A Study of the Changing Role of Teachers in One-to-One Laptop Classrooms." Vanitha will carry out a qualitative case study of six teachers of varied backgrounds in a culturally and linguistically diverse school district that has implemented a one-to-one laptop program. Drawing on interviews, observations, and examination of teacher- and student-produced artifacts, Vanitha will analyze the instructional practices that occur in one-to-one laptop classrooms and the factors that enable teachers to meet their instructional goals.

Thank you to committee members Shahnaz Lotfipou (Cal Poly Pomona, chair); Dorothy MacNevin (CPP); Teshia Roby (CPP); and Beth van Es (UCI) for their outstanding contributions.

Congratulations to Dr. Kirran Moss for her successful defense of her dissertation "Preventing the Storm From Gathering? A Case Study: The California State University Math and Science Teacher Initiative." The defense was held at UC Irvine on August 22, 2007. Dr. Moss's dissertation focused on the efforts of the 23-campus CSU system to increase the number and quality of science and mathematics (STEM) teachers prepared by the state system. The CSU program (CMSTI) parallels and complements the UC program (SMI/CalTeach). Dr. Moss found that the strategies pursued by the 10 initially-funded CSU campuses varied widely, as did initial indicators of which campuses actually increased the number of candidates who received California teaching credentials in mathematics and science. Strategies included vigorous undergraduate recruitment, expansion of curricular offerings, and targeted marketing. Dr. Moss found that while the CSUs and UCs expanded their credentialing programs marginally, the private and for-profit sector expanded much more, raising questions about the comparability of preparation across sectors. Appreciation is expressed to members of the dissertation committee: Dawn Person, Ed.D., Chair (CSU Long Beach); Michael E. Martinez, Ph.D., UCI Primary Reader; Anna Ortiz, Ph.D., CSULB Reader; and Steve D. Boilard, Ph.D., Director of Higher Education, Legislative Analyst's Office, Sacramento. Thank you also to Candidacy Committee member Dr. George Miller from UC Irvine Department of Chemistry for his invaluable support.

Congratulations to Dr. LaWanna Shelton for her successful defense of her dissertation entitled "Caught in the Middle: Overrepresentation of Middle School Second Language Learners in Special Education." Dr. Shelton's study began with an in-depth quantitative analysis of the representation, and, in certain cases, overrepresentation of particular levels of English language learners in particular special education categories. She then carried out a document analysis of psychological reports and a series of interviews with school psychologists to analyze what factors may contribute to overrepresentation. Her study sheds light on an extremely important but understudied topic, and is of great interest to scholars, policy makers, and school districts. Appreciation is expressed to committee chair, Anne Hafner from CSULA, committee members Mary Falvey of CSULA , Mark Warschauer of UCI, Alfredo Artiles of Arizona State University, and proposal committee member Armin Schwegler of UCI.

Congratulations to Dr. Christine Copp, CSU/UCI Cohort I, Cal Poly Pomona emphasis in Educational Technology Leadership, for her successful defense of her dissertation, Students, Faculty, and Administrators: Perception of Hybrid Instruction in Higher Education. The defense was held on Monday, May 14, at UC Irvine. Dr. Copp addressed the question: What is required of an institution of higher education to deliver successful hybrid course experiences? Her research examined student, faculty, and administrator preferences for technology, the benefits they associated with hybrid instruction, and differences in perception among the three groups. Based upon her findings, Christine recommended that IHEs consider three components -- infrastructure, policies, and pedagogical practices -- when developing ways to promote successful experiences with hybrid courses. Thank you to committee members Shahnaz Lotfipour, Ph.D., Chair, Cal Poly Pomona; Leticia Oseguera, Ph.D., UC Irvine Primary Reader; David Levin, Ph.D., Cal Poly Pomona; and Liane Brouillette, Ph.D., UC Irvine.

Congratulations to Dr. Theresa Yoro, CSU Fullerton Cohort II, for her successful defense of her dissertation: Meaning to Read or Reading for Meaning: Promoting Reading Comprehension Proficiency of Latino English Learners. The defense was held at CSU Fullerton on Thursday, May 10, 2007 .For her research Dr. Yoro used a path analysis model to examine the strength of the relationship between Latino English learner's reading comprehension proficiency and three reading process skills: oral reading fluency, oral English language proficiency, and academic vocabulary knowledge. Appreciation is expressed to committee members Evelyn Weisman, Ph.D., CSUF Chair; George Marcoulides, Ph.D., CSUF; Michael E. Martinez, Ph.D., UCI Primary Reader, and Carol Booth Olson, Ph.D., UCI.

Congratulations to Dr. Sheila Coleman, Cohort II CSUF emphasis in K-12 Instructional Leadership, for her successful defense of her dissertation, Raising the Curtain on Theater Arts for Latinos: Finding Voice, Cultural Capital, Literacy, and Ethnic Identity in High School Theatre Arts Classes. Dr. Coleman's defense was held at CSU Fullerton on Monday, March 4. Dr. Coleman studied the benefits reported by students, faculty, and administrators from high school students' participation in theatre arts education classes. She found that there were both cognitive and affective benefits and that theatre arts classes provided an enriched environment for high-level pedagogical practices. Among the student benefits identified were improved communication skills, development of process writing, increased reading comprehension, improvements in fluent creative thinking, accelerated acquisition of the English language, and increased interpersonal and educational connections. Two important findings from Dr. Coleman's research were (1) learning through the arts immersed students in non-traditional pedagogical practices, and (2) participation in theatre arts enhanced the cultural capital of Latino students while simultaneously valuing their ethnic identity. Committee members encouraged Dr. Coleman to continue working to bring about changes in district and state level policy so theater arts will become a valued part of the high school curriculum and will be recognized for promoting personal development and academic achievement among high school students. Thank you to committee members for their support and contributions: Chair Joyce Lee, Ph.D., CSU Fullerton; Liane Brouillette, Ph.D., UC Irvine Primary Reader; Fred Ramirez, Ph.D., CSU Fullerton; and Kim Burge, Ed.D., UC Irvine.

Congratulations to Dr. Denise Collier, graduate of CSU/UCI Joint Ed.D. Cohort I, CSULA Urban Educational Leadership emphasis. Dr. Collier successfully defended her dissertation--Sally Can Skip But Jerome Can't Stomp: Perception, Practice, and School Punishment--on March 22, 2007, at UC Irvine. Dr. Collier studied the perceptions and beliefs teachers have about African American male students and how these beliefs intersect with the classroom management strategies utilized with African American male students. Her findings included identification of differential and deleterious treatment, evidence of cultural and contextual dissonance, and emphasis on aesthetic instead of authentic caring. Dr. Collier's research has important implications for addressing why disproportionate numbers of African American males experience suspensions, expulsions, and placement in Special Education classes. In addition, her findings also suggest that educational practices in the elementary grades may be laying the groundwork for subsequent Latino-black hostilities in middle and high school.  Thank you to committee members Lawson Bush, V, Ph.D., Chair (CSULA); Michael E. Martinez, Ph.D., UCI Primary Reader; Tyrone Howard, Ph.D. (UCLA); and Ruth Johnson, Ed.D. (CSULA).

Congratulations to Dr. Robert Pletka for his successful defense of his dissertation: "Engagement and Beloning Through Computer Supported Collaborative Learning." Robert's defense was conducted at UC Irvine on December 7.  Appreciation is extended to the dissertation committee members: Chair Amy Gimino, Ph.D. (CPP); UCI Primary Reader Gilberto Q. Conchas, Ph.D.; Liane Brouillette, Ph.D. (UCI) and Robert Nideffer, Ph.D. (UCI). Recognition also is given for the support provided by Professor Christina Dehler and Cal Poly Pomona Co-director Shahnaz Lotfipour.  The committee commended Robert for the depth and breadth of his study and for the impact his projects (My So-called Digital Life and EMaze) are having on teachers and students throughout California.

Congratulations to the second doctorate in the CSU/UCI Joint Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Leadership: David Hernandez, Ph.D., Ed.D., Cohort II student in the CSU Fullerton emphasis in K-12 Instructional Leadership. David successfully defended his dissertation October 23, 2006, at Cal State Fullerton. Committee members included Louise Adler, Ph.D., Chair (CSUF); Michael E. Martinez, Ph.D., Primary Reader (UCI); Ron Oliver, Ph.D. (CSUF); and David Drew, Ph.D. (Dean of Educational Studies, Claremont College ). David's dissertation is entitled "Teacher Induction: Easing the Beginning Teacher's Transition into the Profession and Reducing Attrition". David investigated the types of support beginning teachers believe would be valuable in terms of their induction years. David's finding included the following:

• The desire of beginning teachers to leave the school site was related to principal competence, collaborative leadership style, communication skills, and principal encouragement.
• The desire of beginning teachers to leave the profession was related to principal openness, honesty and trustworthiness and collaborative leadership style, communication skills, and principal encouragement.

CSU/UCI Joint Ed.D. Honors First Doctorate: Gayle Fenton, Cohort I student in the CSULB emphasis in Higher Education and Community College Leadership, successfully defended her dissertation on June 19, 2006. Committee members included Dawn Person, Ed.D., Chair (CSULB); Michael E. Martinez, Ph.D., Primary Reader (UCI); Anna Ortiz, Ph.D. (CSULB); James Kim, Ph.D. (UCI); and Timothy Plax, Ph.D. (CSULB).

           Gayle's dissertation is entitled "Athletes and Academia: The Effect of the NCAA 2003 Academic Standards on University Support Services". For her research Gayle utilized a mixed methods design that included document review of historic reports on intercollegiate athletics, review of NCAA propositions, open-ended survey questions, and a researcher-developed questionnaire mailed to all academic support administrators in the 326 Division I institutions.

           A summary of Gayle's findings from the data analysis included the following:

• NCAA propositions created negative consequences without substantially increasing academic success.
• Institutions reported needing more academic support resources to meet new NCAA standards.
• Campus-wide support units may be adversely affected by increased need for academic assistance for student-athletes.
   Recommendations based upon the findings included the following:
• Changing middle school and high school preparation of prospective freshmen student-athletes
• Changing coaching and advising philosophy at community collegesChanging the culture of college sports: recruiting philosophy and practices
• Providing the necessary academic support for "at risk" students
   Gayle is the Director of Student Athletic Services and the Vice Provost's Special Assistant for Student Success at CSU Long Beach

Congratulations to the second doctorate in the CSU/UCI Joint Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Leadership: David Hernandez, Ph.D., Ed.D., Cohort II student in the CSU Fullerton emphasis in K-12 Instructional Leadership. David successfully defended his
dissertation October 23, 2006, at Cal State Fullerton. Committee members included Louise Adler, Ph.D., Chair (CSUF); Michael E. Martinez, Ph.D., Primary Reader (UCI); Ron Oliver, Ph.D. (CSUF); and David Drew, Ph.D. (Dean of Educational Studies, Claremont College ). David's dissertation is entitled "Teacher Induction: Easing the Beginning Teacher's Transition into the Profession and Reducing Attrition". David investigated the types of support beginning teachers believe would be valuable in terms of their induction years. David's finding included the following:

• The desire of beginning teachers to leave the school site was related to principal competence, collaborative leadership style, communication skills, and principal encouragement.

• The desire of beginning teachers to leave the profession was related to principal openness, honesty and trustworthiness and collaborative leadership style, communication skills, and principal encouragement. David adds his Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Leadership to his Ph.D. in Executive Management from Claremont College, a MA in Education, a MBA in Information Systems, and three bachelor degrees. David currently is teaching kindergarten in the Newport Mesa School District and university courses at Cal State Fullerton.