Faculty
Matt Wallace Appointed Associate Professor of Teaching in Education
Dr. Matt Wallace has been
appointed Associate Professor of Teaching in Education as of July
2023. Wallace graduated from UC Davis with a BS in psychology and
a minor in math, earned his teaching credential and MA at San
Francisco State University, taught in high schools in the Elk
Grove and Washington Unified school districts for eight years,
and then returned to UC Davis for his PhD in mathematics
education.
Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica Joins School of Education Faculty
This summer, the School of Education
welcomed new faculty member Claudia
Rodriguez-Mojica as an Associate Professor of Teaching in
Education and the Spanish Bilingual Authorization Coordinator.
She comes to UC Davis after eight years as an associate professor
of teacher education at Santa Clara University, and a previous
role as a Senior Researcher at nonprofit Education Northwest in
Portland, Ore.
Nancy Tseng appointed Associate Professor of Teaching in Education
Dr. Nancy Tseng, formerly a Lecturer/Supervisor in the School of Education’s Multiple Subject Credential Program, has been appointed Associate Professor of Teaching in Education as of July 2023. She will continue to serve as the coordinator of the School’s Mandarin Bilingual Authorization Program. “I’m excited that in this new role, I can continue to focus centrally on the teaching and mentoring of teaching credential candidates and MA students,” she said. “At the same time, this role affords the opportunity to think more deeply about ways to link research and practice and use this knowledge in the preparation of future teachers.”
Marcela Cuellar Named 2022-23 Chancellor’s Fellow
School of Education Associate Professor Marcela Cuellar has been named a UC Davis 2022-23 Chancellor’s Fellow, an honor given each year to a handful of associate professors or newly promoted full professors to support their groundbreaking scholarly work and service to the university as dedicated teachers and campus citizens. She will retain the title for five years.
Alicia Rusoja Joins School of Education Faculty
Dr. Alicia Rusoja joined the School of Education faculty as an assistant professor in July 2022. She studies the literacy, teaching and learning practices of Latinx immigrants organizing for their own and others’ human rights. Among other research projects, Rusoja is in the second year of a five-year study on the impact of COVID-19 on the educational, literacy and organizing practices of Latinx immigrants in South Philadelphia.
Yianella Blanco Joins School of Education Faculty
Dr. Yianella Blanco joined the faculty of the School of Education as an assistant professor in July 2022 in the language, literacy and culture emphasis area. Blanco earned her bachelor’s degree in History at University of Massachusetts–Amherst and her two master’s degrees at Long Island University–Brooklyn and Teachers College, Columbia University, before returning to Columbia for her PhD in social studies education.
Danny C. Martinez Named Chancellor’s Fellow
Associate professor and noted scholar of Black and Latinx language and literacy practices Danny C. Martinez joined a select cohort of faculty as a 2021-22 Chancellor’s Fellow.
The Chancellor’s Fellow program awards $25,000 in funding to outstanding faculty who are helping to solve complex and pressing problems.
Kevin Gee Named 2020-21 Chancellor’s Fellow
School of Education Associate Professor Kevin Gee has been named a UC Davis 2020-21 Chancellor’s Fellow, an honor given each year to a handful of associate professors or newly promoted full professors to support their groundbreaking scholarly work and service to the university as dedicated teachers and campus citizens.
Megan Welsh Becomes Sixth Chancellor’s Fellow from School of Education
School of Education Associate Professor Megan Welsh has been named a 2019–2020 UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellow, a title she will hold for the next five years. The Chancellor’s Fellows Program recognizes associate professors or recently promoted full professors who produce groundbreaking scholarly work and serve the university as dedicated teachers and campus citizens. It is one of the most prestigious honors conferred on faculty members at UC Davis.
New Faculty Spotlight: Elizabeth Montaño
Elizabeth Montaño, EdD returned to the School of Education last year as an Associate Professor of Teaching in Education. She is the first in the School’s history to hold this new teaching professorship title. Montaño previously served as a Lecturer and Supervisor of Teacher Education from 2013–2015. Now she primarily teaches in the CANDEL and undergraduate minor programs. In Fall 2019 she will become the Co-Director of CANDEL, alongside Prof. Kevin Gee. Their duties will include reviewing the sequencing of CANDEL courses and faculty advising models.
New Research Finds Just One Same-Race Teacher Can Impact Students’ Lives
Having an elementary teacher who looks like you can make a big impact. According to new research conducted by School of Education Associate Professor Cassandra Hart, we can now measure that impact more precisely.
UC Davis evaluation team receives $125,000 contract to help reduce African American child deaths in Sacramento County
In Sacramento County, African American children are
dying at twice the rate of their peers. Over the past three
years, a community-based campaign has been working to reduce
these tragic deaths, and now a team of three UC Davis researchers
are joining the effort.
Lee Martin Named a Chancellor’s Fellow
Fifth School of Education Researcher Honored in Consecutive Years
Lee Martin, associate professor of education, has been selected as a 2017-18 UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellow, a title he will hold for five years. The Chancellor’s Fellows Program recognizes associate professors or recently promoted full professors who are “the rising stars who shine as teachers and campus citizens, and whose scholarly work already puts them at the top of their fields — garnering attention far and wide.” It is one of the highest and most prestigious honors given at UC Davis.
Michal Kurlaender Named Influential Education Researcher for Third Year in a Row
Professor Michal Kurlaender continues to be one of the leading university-based scholars who are doing the most to influence educational policy and practice in the United States. This is the third consecutive year that she has been included in the RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings published in Education Week.
Maisha T. Winn and Lawrence Winn Join School of Education
Will Establish a Center for Restorative Justice
This summer the School of Education welcomed Maisha T. Winn, PhD and Lawrence (Torry) Winn, JD to the School of Education. Maisha T. Winn has been appointed as a Professor, and the UC Davis Chancellor and Provost additionally have extended her the new honorary designation of “Chancellor’s Leadership Professor.” Torry Winn will serve as an Academic Administrator. The Winns, who are married, will jointly develop a center for restorative justice to be located within the School of Education.
Nicole Sparapani Joins Faculty
Nicole Sparapani, PhD joined the School of Education faculty this summer as an Assistant Professor in Early Childhood Education. Sparapani, who earned her doctorate in Communication Science and Disorders at Florida State University, is a certified speech-language pathologist. She completed her postdoctoral studies on individualizing student instruction at Arizona State University and the Institute for the Science of Teaching and Learning.
Faculty Awards and Honors
Rebecca Ambrose
- University of California, Davis Award for Excellence in Service to Graduate Students (2015)
- Markham Mathematics Collaborative, Improving Teacher Quality Grant from California Post-Secondary Education Commission (2006)
- Scholarship and Creativity Award.
