M. Yianella Blanco
Assistant Professor
Dr. Yianella Blanco is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education. Her research interests focus on the teaching and learning of Latine/x histories and experiences, particularly those of Central America(ns) and how those intersect with American empire. Dr. Blanco’s research draws from community-based and participatory action research methods.
Faheemah N. Mustafaa
Assistant Professor
Dr. Faheemah N. Mustafaa joined the School of Education in 2019 as an Assistant Professor in Learning and Mind Sciences and is a member of the Human Development Graduate Group. Trained as a psychologist, her scholarly work centers on improving student experiences across the lifespan (K-20), with particular emphasis on middle childhood and adolescent development across diverse contexts, including schools, out-of-school programs, and family settings.
Alicia Rusoja
Assistant Professor
Dr. Alicia Rusoja’s interdisciplinary research lies at the intersection of Latinx/Chicanx studies, critical education/critical literacy studies, and university-community/research-practice partnerships. As a Latina immigrant and activist-scholar, she employs participatory and critical community-based qualitative research methodologies to understand the immigrant rights organizing of Latinx immigrant youth, adults and families.
Charles E. Wilkes II
Assistant Professor
My research attends to the teaching and learning of Black learners in K-16 contexts. One strand of my research has focused on Black learners’ experiences in mathematics classrooms. A second strand of my research attends to how mathematics instruction supports the learning of mathematical content and the nurturing of positive mathematics identities for Black learners. The third and final strand of my research is supporting pre-service teachers’ and in-service teachers’ development of teaching equitable practices through interventions and professional development.
