Cohort 4 | Class of 2020

Travis BeecherTravis Beecher

  • Hometown: Dania Beach, Florida
  • Undergraduate: BS in Health Care Management at Florida A&M University
  • Graduate: MS in Public Administration at Florida A&M University
  • Research Interests: I am interested in researching is social injustice within the African American Community. I am interested in researching how the barriers the African American teens face affect their education and success. Additionally, what are the methods put in place to prevent the barriers?
  • Personal Interest:  Working out, cooking, spending time with family and friends, hiking, traveling and listening to music.  

Jesus ContrerasJesus Contreras

  • Hometown: Sacramento, California
  • Graduate: MS in Educational Administration at National University
  • Research Interests: I am interested in researching the dawning, shaping, and implementation of local policy and the socio-political forces that coalesce at the local governing Board level. I am particularly interested in the role that local Boards play in the policy facilitation or obstruction of equity policy and practices across school
    districts, and the role that district administrators have in implementing local policy. 

Christopher CoxChristopher Cox

  • Hometown: San Jose, California
  • Graduate: MA in Sociology at San Jose State University
  • Research Interests: I am interested in processes related to the privatization of public colleges and universities (neoliberalism in general) and the efforts to combat such processes. The ways in which neoliberalism impacts faculty and students of color in higher education, the ways in which students and faculty of color resist (or can begin to resist) the push for a corporate-style management of public institutions (which includes the de-funding of public education), and the role of higher education in broader movements for social justice are of interest to me.  

Heidi EisipsHeidi Livingston Eisips

  • Hometown: Los Angeles, California
  • Undergraduate: Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Literature at the University of California, Berkeley
  • Graduate: Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with an emphasis in Strategy, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship at Yale University
  • Research Interests: I am interested in exploring non-screen methods of developing key STEM skills in kids. Putting kids in front of screens for excessive amounts of time, and defaulting to apps and programs that aren't fully vetted has sometimes become a knee-jerk reaction in pedagogical settings. The 40-70 year olds who were the innovators in Silicon Valley over the last 25 years did not grow up in front of screens. I'm interested in understanding how we can leverage the arts and other face-to-face teaching methods to develop kids' design thinking, logic, and empathy, all of which are critical for success in both STEM careers and in adult life. Ethics in data analytics, educational technologies for student success, and exploring the intersection between technology and student voice.
  • Personal Interests: Musical theater, creative writing, community engagement, interfaith, composting, urban gardening, hiking, languages, dance. 

Heidi EmberlingHeidi Emberling

  • Hometown: Santa Monica, California
  • Undergraduate: Language Studies at UC Santa Cruz
  • Graduate: MA in Journalism at UC Berkeley, and MA in Education (Emphasis Early Childhood) at San Francisco State University
  • Research Interests: The blending of early learning environments and K-12 schools
  • Personal Interests: Live music, performing arts/theater, guitar, hiking, biking, skiing, camping 

Angela Lyte-CrowtherAngela Lyte-Crowther

  • Hometown: San Jose, California
  • Graduate: MA in Teaching with specialization in Special Education.
  • Research Interests: I am interested in pursuing and researching Inclusion Education As Best Practices For Students With Disabilities. In my field of Special Education, I see a serious and potentially global problem with the quality and rigor of education in special education programs/classrooms.  As most states embrace the high quality academic standards of Common Core, I see a decline in the quality of instruction for students with severe learning disabilities (SLD). I attribute this decline with our inability to hire educational specialists with depth of knowledge and subject matter competency in the subjects they are teaching. 

Tri NguyenTri Nguyen

  • Hometown: Dalate, Vietnam
  • Undergraduate: BA in Sociology at UC Davis
  • Graduate: MA in Education at UC Davis
  • Research Interests:
    • Experiential learning
    • Conscious equitable practices
    • Language immersion learning
    • Social emotional learning
    • The transfer of teacher's mindset to students
    • Positive behavioral intervention and support
  • Personal Interests: Travel, international cuisine, health & wellness, classical music 

Angela SchlindweinAngela Schlindwein

  • Hometown: Cali, Colombia
  • Undergraduate:  BA in Literature and World Languages at Universidad Santiago de Cali, Cali, Colombia
  • Graduate: Master's Degree in Linguistics and Spanish at Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
  • Research Interests: The importance of play and hands-on activities in early ages to develop/learn math skills and concepts. Also how bilingualism supports a second language acquisition process
  • Personal Interests: Music, visual arts, dance, and reading fictional literature 

Laura ShroderLaura Shroder

  • Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
  • Undergraduate: BS in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University
  • Graduate: MS in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Roosevelt University
  • Research Interests: Some areas of interest include student success programming for freshmen/transfers in higher education, job placement rates after graduation, and the socio-economic barriers of first-generation students and how it relates to career readiness. I am also interested in the benefits of club involvement including how it relates to compensation, resume strength, and employment rates after graduation.
  • Personal Interests: I enjoy traveling to new destinations, spending time with my family, Ohio sports teams, and wine tasting

Prabhjot SinghPrabhjot Singh

  • Hometown: San Jose, California
  • Undergraduate: BS in Business Administration at San Jose State University
  • Graduate: MA in Special Education at San Jose State University
  • Research Interests:
    • Special Education
    • Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
  • Personal Interests: Weightlifting, running, and research

Sonia VargasSonia Vargas

  • Hometown: London, California
  • Undergraduate: BA in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology, San Jose State University
  • Graduate: MA in Counseling Education, San Jose State University and PPS Credential, San Jose State University Education/Administration & Supervision Credential - Preliminary Administrative Services, San Jose State University
  • Research Interests: My desire has only grown in regards to the area of research I would like to pursue for my doctoral studies. My keen interest lies in researching the area related to the disproportionality of Latino male student suspensions and expulsion rates. Specifically, my interest is to investigate the reasons why Latino male students are predisposed to being suspended and/or expelled at such high rates. I hope to be able to determine both direct and any ancillary factors that may play a role in this student population being suspended and expelled at these alarming levels. I endeavor to investigate what accounts for these disparities and how they may impact students overall. I would also like to examine the types of student offenses that lead to suspension and/or expulsion, particularly for repeat offenders.
  • Personal Interests: Mentoring, sewing, cooking, and traveling 

Kevin WanKevin Wan

  • Hometown: El Paso, Texas
  • Undergraduate: BS in Exercise Biology and Minor in Education at UC Davis
  • Graduate: MS in Applied School Leadership at National University
  • Research Interests: I have two research areas of interest. Behavioral psychology particularly in the areas of grit and self-efficacy leading to academic achievement; I am also interested in problem-based learning and its effectiveness in developing 21st-century skills (critical thinking skills, creativity, collaboration, communication, etc.).
  • Personal Interests: My personal interests include experiencing new cultures through travel, discovering new places to eat, and watching college basketball. 

Jennifer WangJennifer Wang

  • Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Undergraduate: History at the University of Hawaii, Manoa
  • Graduate: Curriculum and Instruction at San Jose State University
  • Research Interests: Current research interests include the influence of different learning trends, such as Design Thinking and Deeper Learning, on teacher professional development and pedagogical integration of technology.
  • Personal Interests: Traveling, Food, Art, Music.