Leonard Abbeduto
Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Director of UC Davis MIND Institute and Tsakopoulos-Vismara Endowed Chair
Tony Albano
Associate Professor
Dr. Tony Albano is an Associate Professor in the School of Education where he teaches courses in testing, assessment, and data science. His research aims broadly to improve teaching and learning via effective educational and psychological measurement, including through improvements in psychometric methods for scaling and modeling assessment results, and through enhanced accessibility in test design and implementation. Dr.
Rebecca Ambrose
Professor
After teaching middle school math for ten years, I decided to pursue a PhD to get a fresh perspective on the issues I observed every day in my classroom and thought that maybe I could help develop remedies that would help other teachers, as well.
Rebekka Andersen
Associate Professor, University Writing Program
Heidi Ballard
Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow
Heidi Ballard is the Founder and Faculty Director of the Center for Community and Citizen Science. You can find more information about her past and current projects, and sign up for occasional updates at the Center’s website.
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.
Gina Bloom
Associate Professor, English
Research Interests: Digital technologies, especially virtual and mixed reality; educational games; drama-based pedagogy and arts integration across the curriculum
Read the full profile at the English Department website
Natalia Caporale
Assistant Professor of Teaching, Dept of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior
Read the full profile at the College of Biological Sciences.
Scott Carrell
Professor Emeritus, Department of Economics
Scott Carrell is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the UC Davis Economics Department and a Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Austin. His primary area of research is in the economics of education. Professor Carrell is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Research Fellow at Institute for the Study of Labor, and a Faculty Fellow at the Civitas Institute at UT-Austin. He spent 10 years as an active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force, retiring from the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2015.
Cynthia Carter Ching
Professor
Cynthia Carter Ching (she/her/hers) is Professor of Education and Associate Dean for Academic Programs in the UC Davis School of Education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-2022, she served as the UC Davis Interim Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education. In her research, funded by the National Science Foundation and others, she examines the intersection of technology, learning, collaboration, and identity. Her work examines how children, youth, and adults represent and negotiate aspects of themselves via technology in classrooms, in online environments, and in games.
Harry H. Cheng
Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education (C-STEM)
Kory Lawson Ching
Assistant Professor in the University Writing Program
Ga Young Chung
Assistant Professor, Asian American Studies
Sam Clarke
Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, founder and director of the Medical Education Fellowship in the Department of Emergency Medicine
Marcela G. Cuellar
Associate Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow
Marcela Cuellar joined the School of Education in July 2014. She received her doctorate in Higher Education and Organizational Change at the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies. Her research examines access and equity in higher education, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and emerging HSIs, and Latinx student success. More specifically, Dr. Cuellar employs quantitative and qualitative methods to explore Latinx students’ experiences at HSIs and emerging HSIs and how they are empowered as a result of their educational experiences during college and beyond.
Natalia Deeb-Sossa
Assistant Professor, Chicana/o Studies
Joe Dumit
Professor, Department of Anthropology Sociocultural Wing and Science and Technology Studies, and Chair, Performance Studies
Kerry A. Enright
Associate Professor
I research the relationship between Latinx students’ everyday uses of language (English and Spanish) and their engagement in language and literacy practices in institutional settings (classrooms and professional work-study placements). Some schools identify bilingual adolescents as “limited” in their English proficiency even though they use sophisticated literacy repertoires outside of school; other learners are deemed ”fluent” in English but still struggle with the language and literacy demands of their academic coursework or workplace.
Nancy Erbstein
Associate Professor in Residence
My work focuses on how communities and regions produce and disrupt disparities in youth well-being, with emphasis on disparities associated with race/ethnicity, immigration, socio-economic status and geographic location. My interest in youth well-being situates my activity at the intersection of educational reform, public health, youth development and community development. I ground my work conceptually at the nexus of theories of development in social ecological contexts, critical human geographers’ analyses of space and place as socially produced, and critical race theory.
Emilio Ferrer
Professor, Department of Psychology
Read the full profile at the Department of Psychology website
Dana Ferris
Professor, University Writing Program, Associate Director for ESL and Chair of DE WRaCS
Kevin Gee
Professor and Chancellor's Fellow
Laci Gerhart-Barley
Assistant Professor of Teaching, Evolution and Ecology
Randi Hagerman MD
Professor of Pediatrics, Endowed Chair in Fragile X Research, Medical Director of the MIND Institute, Director of the Fragile X Treatment and Research Center
Cassandra M.D. Hart
Professor and Chair of CANDEL
Cassandra Hart is an associate professor of education policy. She evaluates the effects of school, state and national education programs, policies, and practices on overall student achievement, and on the equity of student outcomes. Hart’s work has focused on online education in both K-12 schools and community colleges, school choice programs, school accountability policies, and effects on students of exposure to demographically similar teachers.
Maciel Hernández
Assistant Professor, Human Ecology
Read the full profile at the Human Ecology Website.
Jennifer Higgs
Associate Professor
Jennifer Higgs is an Associate Professor of Learning and Mind Sciences and Language, Literacy, and Culture. Drawing from sociocultural learning theories and employing methodologies such as design-based research and survey research, she investigates young people’s and teachers’ sense-making of digital tools and ecologies that invite new forms of reading, writing, and participation; support structures that may help teachers facilitate equitable uses and understandings of digital technologies; and the spread and scale of educational innovations in our advanced digital age. Dr.
Anne Iaccopucci
Assistant Professor of Teaching, Human Development & Family Studies
Margarita Jimenez-Silva
Professor
Prof. Margarita Jimenez-Silva’s research focuses on preparing and supporting teachers to work with culturally and linguistically diverse learners, especially in addressing emergent bilinguals’ linguistic and academic content development. More specifically, her research strands include teacher education pedagogy and curriculum, educational policy, and family/community engagement. Her research has been published by journals such as Harvard Educational Review, Childhood Education, and the Journal of Research on Childhood Education.
Michal Kurlaender
Chancellor’s Leadership Professor
Michal Kurlaender investigates students’ educational pathways, in particular K-12 and postsecondary alignment, and access to and success in higher education. She has expertise on alternative pathways to college and college readiness at both community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. In addition to working with national data, Kurlaender works closely with administrative data from all three of California’s public higher education sectors—the University of California, the California State University and the California Community College systems.
Lauren E. Lindstrom
Professor
Dr. Lauren E. Lindstrom is an active researcher whose areas of interest include autism and developmental disabilities, special education, career and college readiness and transition services for youth with disabilities, and access to quality education for families in poverty. She has been recognized internationally for her work promoting employment and access for individuals with disabilities. She is an affiliated faculty member at the UC Davis MIND Institute and a member of the UC Davis Graduate Group in Education.
Kwan-Liu Ma
Professor, Computer Science
Lee Martin
Professor
Danny C. Martinez
Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow
Danny C. Martinez is a Professor in the Language, Literacy, and Culture program area in the School of Education. His research explores the cultural and linguistic practices of Black and Latinx youth in literacy learning contexts, and teacher learning as it relates to leveraging youths’ rich communicative resources. His research is inspired by his experience as a literacy teacher in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Paco Martorell
Professor and Chair of the Graduate Group in Education
Francisco (Paco) Martorell joined the School as an assistant professor in July 2014. Martorell completed his PhD in economics at UC Berkeley. Prior to joining the School, he was an Economist at the RAND Corporation and was a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School since 2006. He has broad research interests in both higher education and K-12 policy. Current projects cover areas including developmental education in colleges, the effects of grade retention, the returns to for-profit colleges, the impacts of school facility investments, and community college tuition subsidies.
Dan Melzer
Associate Professor and Associate Director for Expository Writing (UWP 1)
Read the full profile at the UWP website
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 other members of the public collaborate on science to address environmental problems as a part of civic life. Learn more and sign up for our mailing list here.
Elizabeth Montaño (she/her/ella)
Associate Professor of Teaching in Education
Education
Doctorate in Education: Educational Leadership for Social
Justice
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
California Single Subject Credential in English with CLAD
Certification
University of California, Berkeley (current)
M.A. in Education: Language, Literacy and Culture
University of California, Berkeley
B.A. in Political Science & Chicana and Chicano Studies
University of California, Los Angeles
Faheemah N. Mustafaa
Assistant Professor
Dr. Faheemah N. Mustafaa joined the School of Education as an assistant professor (Learning and Mind Sciences) in 2019. She is also a member of the Human Development Graduate Group because of her background in psychology, focus on student experiences across their lifespans, and interests in children’s development across contexts (including school, community, and the home).
Adrienne Nishina
Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
Marianne Page
Professor, Economics and Deputy Director of Center for Poverty Research
Cynthia M. Passmore
Professor
Research Interests
Science Education; Secondary Education
Education
Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction – University of Wisconsin, Madison – 2002
Broadcast, Print or Electronic Media
modelbasedbiology.com
modelinglivingearthbiology.org
Alexis Patterson Williams
Associate Professor and Chair of Teacher Education
Alexis Patterson Williams, Ph.D., joined the School of Education in July 2015 as an Assistant Professor in science education. She is currently a CAMPOS Faculty Scholar and is excited to work with her cohort to develop a research center that focuses on increasing the participation of women of color in STEM related fields.
Patricia D. Quijada
Associate Professor
Education
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin –
Madison
Emphasis: Human Development Minor: Youth Studies and
Multicultural Education
Ed.M., Youth Development: Prevention Science and Practice
Harvard University, Graduate School of Education
Ed.M., Counseling Processes
Harvard University, Graduate School of Education
Multiple Subject, Elementary Credential
University of San Diego
B.A. and B.S. Political Science and Sociology
University of California at Riverside
Gloria M. Rodriguez
Professor and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs
Office hours: Winter and Spring Quarters 2020 — By Appointment Only
Gloria M. Rodriguez’s current research explores notions of educational investment that reflect efforts to build upon community strengths in order to address community needs within and beyond educational settings. Dr. Rodriguez also engages in research that focuses on the political economic conditions and educational trajectories of Chicana/o-Latina/o communities, other communities of color, and low-income populations in the U.S.
Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica
Associate Professor of Teaching in Education and Bilingual Coordinator–Spanish
Dr. Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica is an Associate Professor of Teaching in Education and the Spanish Bilingual Authorization Coordinator. A UC Davis alumnus, she earned her bachelor’s degree in human development and minor in Chicana/o Studies from UC Davis. While at UCD, she participated in the California Mini-Corps program where she served as a teaching-assistant in schools with large numbers of migrant students. She received her multiple subject teaching credential with a bilingual authorization (formerly known as BCLAD) from CSU Sacramento.
Heather Rose
Associate Professor
Office hours: By appointment. Room 125 SOEB.
Research Interests
Economics of education; Education Policy and Governance; Quantitative methods; School finance
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.
Claudia H. Sanchez-Gutierrez
Assistant Professor, Spanish
Read the full profile at the Spanish Department website.
Trish Serviss
Assistant Professor, University Writing Program
Michael V. Singh
Assistant Professor in Chicana/o Studies
Nicole Sparapani
Associate Professor
Nicole Sparapani, Ph.D., is an associate professor within the School of Education and the MIND Institute. Dr. Sparapani’s background in speech-language pathology, developmental psychology, and education has informed her research agenda, which focuses on the dynamic and transactional interplay between children and their classroom environment. The overarching goal of her research agenda is to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of neurodivergent learners, including children on the autism spectrum. Dr.
Aubyn Stahmer
Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and UC Davis MIND Institute
Read the full profile at the MIND Institute website.
Brie Tripp
Assistant Professor of Teaching, Dept of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior
Read the full profile at the College of Biological Sciences.
Nancy Tseng
Associate Professor of Teaching in Education and Bilingual Coordinator–Mandarin
Dr. Nancy Tseng is an Associate Professor of Teaching in Education in the School of Education. She began her career in education as a public elementary school teacher. Her research interests focus on the development of productive student-teacher relationships in elementary classrooms, identifying instructional practices that support mathematics learning and teaching, and pre-and in-service teacher education. Dr. Tseng received a BA in psychology, elementary teaching credential, and MA from the University of California, Davis. She has a Ph.D.
Yuuko Uchikoshi Tonkovich
Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Programs
Research Interests
Early Childhood; Multilingual Learners; Bilingualism and Bilingual Education; Educational Television and Multimedia; Language Acquisition; Early literacy Development; Quantitative Methods
Professional Experience
Professor, School of Education, University of California, Davis, 2019–present
Associate Professor, School of Education, University of California, Davis, 2012–2019
Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of California, Davis, 2004–2012
Kalindi Vora
Professor, Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies
Matt Wallace
Associate Professor of Teaching in Education
Education
- BS—University of California, Davis
- MA—San Francisco State University
- PhD—University of California, Davis
Professional Experience
- Associate Professor of Teaching in Education, UC Davis, 2023–present
- Lecturer/Supervisor of Teacher Education, UC Davis, 2012–2023
- Director, Math for America Berkeley, 2012
- Lecturer, University of California, Berkeley, 2012
- University Supervisor, California State University, East Bay, 2011-2012
- Mathematics Teacher, Elk Gr
Megan Welsh
Associate Professor and Chancellor’s Fellow
Megan Welsh joined the School in July 2014 as an assistant professor in educational assessment and measurement. Since 2008, she was an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut. Her primary areas of research include test validity analysis, the use of assessment as an educational reform lever, grading, and evaluation of educational programs.
Carl Whithaus
Professor, Writing and Rhetoric and Director of the University Writing Program
Read full profile at the University Writing Program.
Michael Wilkes
Professor, School of Medicine and Director of the Global Health Sciences
Read the full profile at the School of Medicine.
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.
Lawrence (Torry) Winn
Associate Professor of Teaching in Education, Chancellor's Leadership Professor, Chair of Undergraduate Programs, Executive Director of Transformative Justice in Education (TJE) Center
Dr. Lawrence Torry Winn brings over twenty-five years of diverse professional experience, collaborating and consulting with a range of organizations including foundations, cities, schools, colleges/universities, and non-profits. Notable partners include Casey Family Programs, Annie E. Casey, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, City of Newark (NJ), City of Madison (WI), St. HOPE, University of California, Berkeley, Sierra Health Foundation, MLK Sr. Community Resources Collaborative, and Race to Equity.