Caitlyn Ishaq

Education

Ph.D. Education, University of California, Davis, Expected June 2028 

Emphasis Areas: Science Education; Language, Literacy, and Cultures
Advisor: Dr. Margarita Jiménez-Silva

M.A. Education, University of California, Davis, March 2022

Single Subject Science Teaching Credential (Biology and Chemistry), English Learner Authorization, Bilingual Authorization in Spanish, June 2021

B.S. Biological Sciences, B.A. Spanish, Minor in Education, University of California, Davis, June 2020

Research Experience

Graduate Director of the Teacher Education and Development Lab/Graduate Student Researcher, 2024 – Present
UC Davis School of Education 

Program Coordinator, Family Science, 2022 – 2024
National Science Foundation AISL Grant, UC Davis 

Research Assistant, Teacher Education and Development Lab, 2019 - 2022 
STEMSS CRUISE  EL US Department of Education Professional Development Grant, UC Davis

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journals

Jiménez-Silva, M., Short-Meyerson, K., Rillero, P., Ishaq, C., & Coughlin, A. (2026). Familias y ciencia: Launching science together through informal family-centric rocketry with Latina girls and parent. Family Sciences, 2(1), 1.

Ishaq, C. (2023). Making research relevant: 187º Fahrenheit! Exploring Peru’s boiling river. The Geography Teacher.

Other Peer Reviewed Outlets

Ishaq, C. (2022). Making research relevant: 187º Fahrenheit! Exploring Peru’s boiling river. Arizona Geographic Alliance.

Conference Proceedings

Ishaq, C. (2026). Making Arab American students count: From Census recognition to culturally sustaining pedagogy. In the 2026 Hawaii International Conference on Education Proceedings. Honolulu, HI.

Jiménez-Silva, M., Ishaq, C., Coughlin, A., & Short-Meyerson, K. (2026). Launching STEM futures: A familycentric rocketry program for Latina girls. In the 2026 Hawaii International Conference on Education Proceedings. Honolulu, HI.

In Progress

VanArnam, B., Ishaq, C., Godoy, M. J., Jiménez-Silva, M., Adisa O. (under review). Resources to engage and inspire elementary students to take action against food waste in school and beyond. Science and Children. 

Ishaq, C., Jiménez-Silva, M. & Rillero, P.  (to be submitted in February 2026). Parachutes and paracaidas: What’s surface area got to do with it? Science Scope.

Short-Meyerson, K., Rillero, P., Jimenez-Silva, M., Gonzalez, L, & Ishaq, C. (to be submitted in March 2026). Interactions of Latinas with their parents throughout a seven-week family science program. International Journal of Science Education.

Jiménez-Silva, M., Short-Meyerson, K., Rillero, P., Ishaq, C., Coughlin, A. (to be submitted in June 2026). Leveraging community cultural wealth in informal science education for young Latinas. International Journal for Multicultural Education.  

Jiménez-Silva, M., Ishaq, C., Cardenas-Rico, T., Kay, K., & Guzman, J. (to be submitted in August 2026). Who’s mentoring the mentors?: Mentorship through engaging in community-serving informal STEM programs. Equity and Excellence in Education.

Presentations

Ishaq, C., VanArnam, B., Godoy, M. J., Jiménez-Silva, M. (2026, April). Co-Creating change: Building authentic collaborations between primary school parents, teachers, and university researchers. Presentation at the 2026 National Association for Research in Science Teaching. Seattle, WA. 

Ishaq, C., Jiménez-Silva, M. (2026, April). Slingshot science: A hands-on way to teach potential energy and the engineering design process. Presentation at the 2026 National Science Teaching Association Conference. Anaheim, CA. 

Jiménez-Silva, M., Rillero, P., Ishaq, C. (2026, April). Blastoff! Engaging young Latinas and parents through a rocketry program. Presentation at the 2026 National Science Teaching Association Conference. Anaheim, CA. 

VanArnam, B., Ishaq, C. (2026, April). From classroom to community: Resources to engage students in food waste solutions. Presentation at the 2026 National Science Teaching Association Conference. Anaheim, CA. 

Ishaq, C. (2026, January). Making Arab American students count: From Census recognition to culturally sustaining pedagogy. Presentation at the 2026 Hawaii International Conference on Education. Honolulu, HI. 

Jiménez-Silva, M., Ishaq, C., Coughlin, A., & Short-Meyerson, K. (2026, January). Launching STEM futures: A familycentric rocketry program for Latina girls. Presentation at the 2026 Hawaii International Conference on Education. Honolulu, HI.

Ishaq, C. (2025, March). Plants with cultural significance. Presentation at Western Sierra Collegiate Academy. Rocklin, CA. 

Jiménez-Silva, M., Ishaq, C. (2025, January). Comunidad de ciencia: Building Latina STEM interest through community cultural wealth and familial problem-based learning. Presentation at the UC Davis School of Education Annual Data Blitz. Davis, CA.  

Jiménez-Silva, M., Ishaq, C., Rillero, P., & Rillero, K. (2024, November). Cultivating cultural connections: Family problem-based learning and plants with cultural significance for Latiné families. Presentation at the 2024 National Association of Biology Teachers conference. Anaheim, CA.

Ishaq, C. (2022, May). Making research relevant: 187º Fahrenheit! Exploring Peru’s boiling river. Presentation at the STEMSS CRUISE EL National Conference: Monarch Migration and Multilingualism: Teaching Content and Language in Tandem. Sedona, AZ.

Jiménez-Silva, M., Guerrero, K., Ishaq, C. (2022, April). Harlem arts, monarch migration, and Peru’s boiling river: Free bilingual STEMSS lessons. Presentation at the annual California Association of Bilingual Education Conference. (Virtual Conference). 

Ishaq, C. (2020, May). Professional development through online modules for teachers of language learners. Presentation at the UC Davis 31st Annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship & Creative Activities Conference. (Virtual Conference).

Teaching and Tutoring Experience

School of Education Teaching Assistant, 2025 – Present
University of California, Davis 
Courses: EDU 110 Educational Psychology 

Substitute Teacher,  2024 – Present
Napa County Office of Education, Napa, California

Science Teacher, 6th and 8th Grade, 2022 – 2024
Unidos Middle School, Napa, California

Biology and English Language Development Biology Teacher, 2021 - 2022
Vintage High School, Napa, California

Biology and Chemistry Student Teacher, 2021 – 2022
Vanden High School, Fairfield, California

Dual Immersion Science Student Teacher, 5th and 6th Grade, 2020
Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School, Davis, California

Spanish Tutor, UC Davis Department of Spanish and Portuguese, 2019 – 2020
Spanish Composition I and II, SPA23 and SPA24, Fall 2019, Winter 2020, Spring 2020

Private Tutor, High School Level, 2019 – 2020
Woodland, California

UC Davis CalTeach/MAST (Math and Science Teaching) Intern, 2019 - 2020
Woodland Senior High School, Douglass Middle School, Woodland, California