Melva G. Alvarez
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Melva G. Alvarez is the statewide coordinator for the Puente Project’s Math and Science (MaS) initiative serving community college faculty and students across California. With nearly 20 years of experience, she has created student-centered programs that support first-generation community college students, focused in STEM. A Puente alumna herself, Melva is committed to equity and community-building, drawing from her own journey as a first-generation, parenting college student.
Danielle J. Armedilla
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Kayton Carter
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 14
Kayton Carter is a seasoned higher education leader and equity advocate with over 25 years of experience in k-12, student support services, college access, and academic advising. He currently serves as Executive Director of Academic Advising Enrichment at UC Davis, where he leads campuswide efforts to professionalize advising, strengthen retention, promote equity-centered student success, and improve undergraduate graduations
Shanine Coats
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Background
With over 20 years of service in the K-12 public education system, Shanine Coats currently serves at the Sacramento County Office of Education as the Executive Director of the School of Education. Prior to this role, she served as Director of Strategic Initiatives to the Sacramento County Office of Education where she led the county-wide Career Pipeline, an initiative with a vision to provide career pathways for aspiring educators and mental behavioral health practitioners.
Michelle Cody
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Michelle Cody is interested in special education, Black students in K-12 education, and math education. She wants to create a system of change and support the brilliance around her.
Horacio Corona Lira
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 17
Background
Horacio Corona Lira was born in Las Tortugas, Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in Lindsay, California. He is the first in his family to attend and graduate from college, receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology with minors in education and Chicano studies from the University of California at Berkeley. He attributes much of his success to the work ethic instilled in him by his parents and his campesino upbringing. Horacio has over 10 years of professional experience in student affairs, student equity, and leadership in higher education.
Donelle Davis
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 10
Grace Ebron
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 16
Gerry Panelo Elizondo
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
With over 25 years of experience in higher education, Gerry Panelo Elizondo has served in a variety of leadership roles across public and private institutions within and beyond California. Her career has spanned student affairs, academic affairs, finance and administrative services, with functional expertise in areas such as commuter and non-traditional student services, student unions, campus activities, residence life, enrollment management, and auxiliary services.
Rebecca Farivar
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Rebecca Farivar serves as the Senior Manager of UC Berkeley’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) where she collaborates with faculty and staff to support the university’s teaching mission. Prior to joining CTL, she worked with university faculty to develop fully online courses as an instructional designer, a role she stepped into after teaching English literature, writing, and language classes at universities and community colleges in Germany and California for several years.
Sela Fessehaie
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Throughout her career in education and educational research, Sela Fessehaie has dedicated herself to finding ways to improve the educational system to better serve all students. Her doctoral studies are focused on approaches to empowering students and their families to navigate the educational system to their benefit. She currently works at the California Department of Education as an Education Research & Evaluation Consultant.
Marlyn Gomez
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Mandeep Kaur Sahota
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Mandeep Sahota is the Content Coordinator of the Teachers College Internship Program at the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, where she leads innovative teacher preparation programs grounded in equity, culturally responsive pedagogy, and research-based instructional practices. A doctoral candidate in the UC Davis CANDEL program, her research examines the experiences of Sikh students in secular high school settings and investigates how educators can create culturally responsive environments for non-Western religious identities.
Junia Kim
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Junia Kim is the Cradle-to Career Director of Programs and Evaluation for the Hayward Promise Neighborhoods grant project led by CSUEB. Prior to this role, she spent a decade in schools, mainly as a middle school teacher in Oakland. In her free time, Junia enjoys audiobooks, aerial silks, and backpacking and leads her nonprofit, Seen52, which serves foster youth in Alameda County. Junia holds degrees from UC Berkeley, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and High Tech High GSE.
Kuni Kondo
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Kuni Kondo is a dedicated higher education professional with 18 years of experience in the University of California system. Currently serving as the Manager for Portfolio Development and Marketing in the Scholarships Department at UC Irvine’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, he brings a wealth of knowledge to providing equity and access to education through scholarship opportunities. His extensive experience within the UC system allows him to navigate the complexities of higher education administration effectively.
Michelle Kreuzer-Moore
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 20
Michelle Kreuzer-Moore, MBA, serves as the assistant dean of Student and Academic Affairs at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE). With more than 25 years in higher education across public, private, nonprofit, and for-profit settings, she specializes in serving adult and nontraditional learners. At CPE, Kreuzer-Moore leads multiyear strategy in learning innovation, instructional design, enrollment management, new program development, digital marketing, alumni engagement, and learner support.
Diana Lizarraga
Ed.D. student-CANDEL Cohort 12
Education
- MA, University of San Francisco | Human Resources and Organizational Development. Emphasis in Higher Education structures, STEM diversity, and leadership development.
- BS, UC Davis | Agricultural Systems and Environment. Emphasis in Communications and Information Systems. McNair Research Scholar, NSF LSAMP/CAMP- MURALS Research Scholar, and Hugh Edmondson Pathology Research Fellow, CALESS Member.
- AA, Math, Engineering, and Science | Sacramento City College.
Xiomara López
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Background
Xiomara López (she/her/ella) is a higher education professional with over a decade of experience advancing equity and student success, particularly within Latiné communities. She currently serves as Director of El Centro and Latiné Student Success at UCSC, where she supports students through community building, culturally affirming programs, campus-wide advocacy, and initiatives focused on improving student retention and graduation. Xiomara holds a M.Ed. in Educational Counseling from USC and a B.A.
Ana Maciel
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 20
Ana Maciel (she/her) is a student services professional and educator with over eight years of experience working in the California Community College system. She currently serves as the Senior Coordinator of the First Year Experience (FYE) Program at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California, where she leads and sustains a comprehensive first-year program supporting students from historically underrepresented backgrounds through their transition into higher education.
Mary Martin
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Christopher Nguyen-Pheneger
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Christopher Nguyen Pheneger serves as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement at UC Davis, where he leads initiatives to promote inclusive leadership, institutional capacity-building, and employee engagement. His professional and research interests include equity-centered organizational change, shared governance in higher education, and leadership development. Through the CANDEL program, Christopher aims to explore how public universities can institutionalize structures that sustain meaningful engagement across diverse stakeholder groups.
Isela Pena-Rager
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 12
Education:
- Ed.D. – Educational Leadership – UC Davis (in progress)
- M.A. – Spanish, Applied Linguistics & Graduate Certificate in Second Language Studies – Purdue University
- B.A. – Art, specialization in Photography – University of La Verne
Research Interests:
Robert Penman
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Background
Robert Penman has more than two decades of experience in undergraduate admissions, recruitment, and outreach, most of that time at the University of California. He joined UC Davis as executive director of Undergraduate Admissions in 2021. In his role, he provides leadership for the recruitment and admissions of undergraduate students, as well as four K-to-14 outreach and academic preparation programs, and serves as the university’s chief outreach officer.
Marguerite Phillips
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 13
Linda Plutino
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 20
Linda Plutino is an educational researcher and policy analyst with extensive experience advancing student success and equity in higher education. Currently serving as the Lead Institutional Researcher in Enrollment Management at UC Davis, she leads policy analysis, data reporting, and strategic planning efforts across key administrative areas including Financial Aid, the Registrar, and Undergraduate Admissions. Her work directly supports senior leadership in setting and achieving institutional enrollment goals through evidence-based decision-making.
Lisa Raffel
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Lisa has more than 30 years of experience in a wide variety of educational settings. She is currently Executive Director of Bridge the Gap, a Marin County nonprofit focused on increasing educational equity through partnerships with public schools. Previously she led two independent schools in the East Bay, and served as Division Director at Catholic Charities of the East Bay, focusing on college entry and success for first-generation students.
Martin Reed
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Alejandro Sandoval
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Alejandro is a higher education professional with a background in data systems and program management, currently pursuing an Ed.D. to drive meaningful change in access and equity initiatives. With experience leading cross-functional teams and optimizing digital solutions for statewide educational programs, he blends technical expertise with a strong commitment to student success. Alejandro is especially interested in leveraging research to influence policy, mentor emerging leaders, and expand his impact on educational success for all.
Luly Sbeta
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Luly (she/her) is a first-generation Arab American Higher Education Professional whose professional background includes residential life, student advocacy, restorative justice, and Title IX work, with current service at UC Berkeley as an Advisor directly supporting over 150 student groups within Organization Advising and Student Involvement Services (OASIS).
Katie Schiller-Tang
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Katie Schiller-Tang is a primary grade classroom teacher at Natomas Unified School District, with over a decade of prior experience in social research and public health leadership in New York City. Her research interests center on teacher workforce development, with a focus on recruiting and retaining diverse, multilingual educators to better reflect and serve increasingly diverse student populations.
Kellie Rene Sequeira
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Monica Simeon
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Cynthia Simmons
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Arra Jane Soriano
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Arra Jane Soriano is a higher education professional currently serving as the manager of Workforce Programs and Innovation at the UC Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento. In her role, she leads a team of coordinators and pathway programs dedicated to advancing health and education equity. Arra Jane is particularly passionate about initiatives that promote experiences and opportunities for learners who are committed to providing culturally competent healthcare to communities that need it most.
Ân Tạ
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Ân Tạ is a doctoral student in the CANDEL program with over 15 years of experience advancing equity-centered initiatives across K–12, adult education, higher education systems, and communities. His research focuses on collaborative, community-led strategies to address complex social challenges and empower historically underserved populations to lead transformative change.
Katherine Zedonis
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 21
Zedonis is the Director of Membership Services for the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A), a role she has held since March 2022. She oversees membership governance, committee operations, legislative processes, and works closely with Conference Commissioners on appeals and interpretative matters.
