Jessica Avila
ETS Program Advisor, College Opportunity Programs
Jared Beldon
GEAR UP Program Advisor, College Opportunity Programs
Samuel Blanco III
Associate Director, Pre-College TRIO Programs, College Opportunity Programs
Damian Chapman
Assistant Dean, Finance, Administration and Strategy Development
Susanna Cooper
Executive Director, Wheelhouse
Before joining the School of Education to initiate Wheelhouse, Ms. Cooper served as an independent consultant and as longtime advisor on pre-K-to-14 education issues for the leader of the California State Senate. In that role, she shaped and shepherded the Pro Tem’s education agenda, provided counsel on education budget matters, and led multi-year campaigns to increase quality pre-kindergarten opportunities for low-income children, reduce the number of high school dropouts, and strengthen high school-post-secondary pathways.
Tracy Falk
Undergraduate / Graduate Program Coordinator
Lindsey Ferguson
ETS Shasta Program Advisor, College Opportunity Programs
Elizabeth Zeiger Friedmann
Research Fellow
Betsey Friedmann is a research fellow at Wheelhouse and the California Education Lab. She received her Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in School Organization and Educational Policy from the University of California, Davis. Her research focuses on issues related to college access and success, including financial aid and transfer pathways from community colleges.
Jacqueline Galicia
Academic Coordinator, Upward Bound, College Opportunity Programs
Jennifer Gama
Assistant Director, College Opportunity Programs, Educational Talent Search
Maddy Gorrell
Senior Writer
As Senior Writer, Maddy oversees content strategy and creation that promotes faculty and graduate student research. She also leads production of the monthly newsletter and collaborates with stakeholders on website changes.
Chris Griesemer
Executive Director, Sacramento Area Science Project
Eva Guralnick
Director of Marketing and Communications
Eva Guralnick joined the UC Davis School of Education in June 2015 as the Director of Marketing and Communications. As the chief marketing officer for the School she manages all branding and outreach efforts.
Jennifer Gutierrez-Padilla
ETS Program Advisor, College Opportunity Programs
Anna Harrison
Siskiyou County Upward Bound Program Assistant, College Opportunity Programs
Peggy Harte
Youth Education Program Manager, Center for Community and Citizen Science
Peggy Harte develops citizen science curriculum as well as professional learning opportunities for K-12 educators, engaging with students and teachers across a variety of projects ongoing at the Center for Community and Citizen Science. She is a former classroom teacher and elementary science specialist with over 20 years of experience.
LaToya Hervey
Program Advisor, College Opportunity Programs, Educational Talent Search
Sylvia Hill
Program Policy Analyst, Upward Bound/ETS Shasta, College Opportunity Programs
Chelsey Baxter
ETS Shasta Outreach Advisor, College Opportunity Programs
Stephanie Jauregui
GEAR UP Program Advisor, College Opportunity Programs
Karina Jimenez
Administrative Assistant
Karina Jimenez is the Administrative Assistant for the California Education Lab and Wheelhouse. She assists with research and administrative activities across the two centers. Before working for the School of Education, Karina worked as a Peer Advising Counselor and Special Projects Assistant for the UC Davis Center for Educational Opportunity Program. Karina holds a B.A. degree in History and two minors in English and Latin American and Hemispheric Studies from the University of California, Davis, and graduated with High Honors.
Akemi Joe
Business Services Coordinator
Akemi Joe earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UC Davis in 2014. She brings with her an extensive knowledge of the campus from her previous work at the School of Education Student Services, Office of the Chancellor and Provost, and Design and Construction Management.
Rae Johnsen
GEAR UP Program Policy Analyst, College Opportunity Program
Anne Jones
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Community Partnerships
Anne Jones is the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Community Partnerships for the School of Education. She provides leadership, planning and management of programs and services in all areas relating to student services, school partnerships and K-12 youth programs, creating and overseeing services that promote student and academic success. As a key advisor to the Dean and member of the Senior Leadership team, Jones plays a central role in student and academic program planning, policy setting, outreach, strategic planning, organizational development, and risk management.
Car Mun Kok
Director of College Opportunity Programs
Dr. Car Mun Kok joined the UC Davis School of Education in November 2021 as the Director of College Opportunity Programs, housed under the REEd Center. Car Mun provides leadership for the federally funded GEAR UP, Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound programs which serve middle and high school students throughout the Sacramento Valley and Northern California areas.
Alyssa Macias
Upward Bound Assistant Director, College Opportunity Programs
Tom Mackey
Managing Executive Director of Development
Thomas (Tom) Mackey started his role as Managing Executive Director of Development for the School of Education in May 2024.
Robin Martin
Director of Educational Research and Evaluation
Robin Martin joined the UC Davis School of Education in 2016 as the Director of Educational Research and Evaluation. Having served in both K-12 policy organizations and public school districts, Robin brings over 13 years of practiced experience in education policy, research, assessment, and program implementation and evaluation.
Alyssa McManus
ETS Shasta Program Advisor, College Opportunity Programs
Jordan McManus
ETS Shasta Program Advisor, College Opportunity Programs
Sophia Meals
Marketing Specialist
As the Marketing Specialist, Sophia works on marketing strategy and develops content for everything from social media to the monthly newsletter, web presence, print pieces, and more. She loves building relationships across campus, tracking social media analytics, and the oxford comma.
Ryan Meyer
Executive Director, Center for Community and Citizen Science
I direct the Center for Community and Citizen Science at the UC Davis School of Education. Our mission is to help scientists, communities, and citizens collaborate on science to address environmental problems as a part of civic life. Learn more and sign up for our mailing list here.
Lola Muldrew
Associate Program Chair, Teacher Education
Education
Ph.D., Math Education, University of California,
Davis, December 2012
Dissertation Title: The Meaning of Adversity within
Traditional K-12 Math Classrooms in the United States from the
Perspective of African-American Individuals
Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Ambrose, School of Education
Master of Arts in Teaching Mathematics (M.A.T.), University of California, Davis, June 2007
Dr. Christina E. Murdoch
Executive Director, Center for Applied Policy in Education (CAP-Ed)
Education is all a matter of building bridges.
—Ralph Ellison, author of Invisible Man
Center for Applied Policy in Education (CAP-Ed)
Christina E. Murdoch serves as Executive Director of the Center for Applied Policy in Education within the UC Davis School of Education. In this role, Christina develops and directs professional learning programs for school district superintendents, principals and teachers including the following:
• Superintendents’ Executive Leadership Forum (SELF)
Katie Parry
Siskiyou County Upward Bound Science Instructor, College Opportunity Programs
Sherrie Reed
Executive Director
Sherrie Reed serves as Executive Director for California Education Lab. In this role, Sherrie is managing and directing the research efforts of numerous federal and foundation grants and supporting the faculty Principal Investigators. These projects represent unprecedented collaboration among the primary public education segments in the state of California, including formal partnership between the University of California, Davis and the California Department of Education, and collaboration with the California State University Chancellor’s Off
Mary M. Reid
Director of Student Support, Outreach, Recruitment and Student Experience
Rachel Restani
Research Fellow
Rachel Restani advocates for social justice through mathematics education. After teaching high school mathematics in linguistically and economically diverse communities, Rachel has been driven to support teacher education and professional development using problem-based methods that align with students’ cultural backgrounds.
Bree Rodriguez
PhD/MA Graduate Program Coordinator
About:
Briana (Bree) Rodriguez currently serves as the Ph.D./MA Graduate Program Coordinator in the School of Education. Bree has been working within the CSU and UC system since 2018, and began working exclusively with graduate students and programs since 2019. In her spare time she enjoys baking, traveling, and shuttling her son from one activity to the next.
Professional Philosophy:
Crasandra Shelton
Siskiyou County Upward Bound Etna High School Advisor, College Opportunity Programs
Amanda Toering
Academic Personnel Analyst, Associate Deans’ Office
