Summary of Service
The service I engage in frequently incorporates my research and instructional interests. Service to the profession, university, school and community influence how I teach and the topics I research. Instead of being separate responsibilities, all aspects of my academic engagement interact and inform each other. Three overarching goals inform my service: improving teaching and instruction, increasing educational access, and building partnerships between K-12 and postsecondary institutions.
Improving Teaching and Instruction
Research-based, successful and innovative teaching strategies create a learning environment where students have an opportunity to explore curriculum at deeper levels and feel comfortable taking risks. As such, I take an interest in opportunities to serve on committees charged with reviewing instructional strategies and creating new learning environments. As a member of the School of Education's technology committee, I assisted in developing a plan for a flexible learning lab based upon research in the field of teaching and learning as well as conducting our own assessment of the school’s needs. We submitted several proposals for university grants that were funded. The new flexible learning space allows faculty to explore innovative learning techniques while also exposing future teachers and administrators to new approaches to learning.
As a member of the doctoral working group in the School of Education, I worked with colleagues to review and refine the program requirements. We collaboratively took steps to integrate the classes between departments in order to better serve students. As a result of significant changes that have occurred within the doctoral program over the past several years, I served as the coordinator and editor for the revised Doctoral Student Handbook for the Department of Educational Administration and Leadership. The document, which will be revised annually, accurately reflects the program requirements and resources. In addition, I serve as chair of the curriculum committee within the School of Education.
At the university level, I serve on the General Education Committee. As a member, I have had the opportunity to assist with the interview process for a new instructor within the Pacific Seminar program as well as being a member of the scholarship subcommittee that was charged with determining how to disburse the Thomas J. Long Foundation General Education Scholarship money. During the 2012-2013 academic term, I served as the chair of the committee. Similarly, I was asked to sit on a committee created by the Center for Teaching and Learning that involved faculty representatives from around campus. The function of this advisory group was to make recommendations about how the Center could serve faculty as well as determining how funding intended to improve teaching would be distributed to faculty.
At the professional level, I actively engage in conversations with colleagues at universities across the nation about innovative teaching. In 2012, the Qualitative Special Interest Group (SIG) developed a mentor program for graduate students interested in receiving support developing proposals for the American Education Research Association’s (AERA) national conference. I was paired with a doctoral student who needed advice about how to create a successful proposal for the conference.
Increasing Educational Access
Since 2006, I have been involved in research-based programs designed to increase educational access for underserved and marginalized students. I assisted in designing and implementing college access summer bridge programs for low performing schools in Los Angeles. Based upon that experience and my action research in this area, I serve as founder and director of the Creating Opportunities via Education (COVE) college access program. In collaboration with the Lincoln School District, I developed three
COVE programs: Freshman Summer Institute, Sophomore Institute and Middle School College Club. The two institutes allow high school students to spend five weeks over the summer learning about the college transition process. Students learn how to develop a high school plan that will make them more competitive in the college application process. Both institutes are designed to assist underserved and marginalized student groups. The Middle School College Club began as a pilot program in 2011 with Sierra Middle School. This past academic year I worked with Pacific students to develop a club embedded in the after school program that teaches middle school students about college. The goal of all COVE programs is to increase college access for marginalized groups as well as serve the local Stockton community.
I also have worked with organizations serving homeless and undocumented students to address the unique educational needs of these students. For example, over the past three years I have worked with undocumented student groups at UC Berkeley and Delta Community College involved in developing strategies to give students access to college. These opportunities to serve the student groups involved in my research enrich both my service and research engagement.
I take a similar approach in working with first-generation graduate students. For example, I serve as an external writing coach for doctoral students at the University of Southern California who need additional support navigating the transition to graduate-level writing. I work with these students individually to develop goals and then provide extensive feedback on manuscripts. The conversations I have with these students and their mentors have helped me develop support strategies that I utilize with doctoral
students at Pacific.
Building Partnerships between K-12 and Postsecondary Institutions
In order to address the artificial barriers between high school and postsecondary institutions, I work collaboratively with high schools to develop programs for underserved students. Working with programs like COVE, I get the opportunity to consider and shape the role of postsecondary institutions in meeting the educational needs of students.
At the professional level, I served as a member of the Local Guest Educators Initiative at the American Education Research Association, which was charged with developing a program for local teachers and educational leaders at the AERA conference in order to bridge the divide between research at universities and practice in K-12 schools. During the 2013 AERA conference in San Francisco I served as the LGE coordinator as well as organizing the social justice initiatives at the conference. I was also selected as a Young Academic Fellow for the Institute for Higher Education Policy in 2012. In collaboration with other fellows, I reviewed current research on K-12 and postsecondary linkages in order to create summaries for policymakers interested in expanding collaboration between institutions. The new program—Policy Direct—launched in the fall of 2012 and gives policymakers greater access to research-based findings concerning higher education issues.
Over the next three years, I will be co-editing three special journal issues related to increasing educational access for marginalized students. Kristan Venegas and I are editing two issues of the Journal of Latino-Latin American Studies focused on how Latina/o college students experience the transition through college. In addition, I am working with Linda Skrla and Peter Miller on a special issue of the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education that explores how social institutions have responded to student homelessness.
Improving Teaching and Instruction
Research-based, successful and innovative teaching strategies create a learning environment where students have an opportunity to explore curriculum at deeper levels and feel comfortable taking risks. As such, I take an interest in opportunities to serve on committees charged with reviewing instructional strategies and creating new learning environments. As a member of the School of Education's technology committee, I assisted in developing a plan for a flexible learning lab based upon research in the field of teaching and learning as well as conducting our own assessment of the school’s needs. We submitted several proposals for university grants that were funded. The new flexible learning space allows faculty to explore innovative learning techniques while also exposing future teachers and administrators to new approaches to learning.
As a member of the doctoral working group in the School of Education, I worked with colleagues to review and refine the program requirements. We collaboratively took steps to integrate the classes between departments in order to better serve students. As a result of significant changes that have occurred within the doctoral program over the past several years, I served as the coordinator and editor for the revised Doctoral Student Handbook for the Department of Educational Administration and Leadership. The document, which will be revised annually, accurately reflects the program requirements and resources. In addition, I serve as chair of the curriculum committee within the School of Education.
At the university level, I serve on the General Education Committee. As a member, I have had the opportunity to assist with the interview process for a new instructor within the Pacific Seminar program as well as being a member of the scholarship subcommittee that was charged with determining how to disburse the Thomas J. Long Foundation General Education Scholarship money. During the 2012-2013 academic term, I served as the chair of the committee. Similarly, I was asked to sit on a committee created by the Center for Teaching and Learning that involved faculty representatives from around campus. The function of this advisory group was to make recommendations about how the Center could serve faculty as well as determining how funding intended to improve teaching would be distributed to faculty.
At the professional level, I actively engage in conversations with colleagues at universities across the nation about innovative teaching. In 2012, the Qualitative Special Interest Group (SIG) developed a mentor program for graduate students interested in receiving support developing proposals for the American Education Research Association’s (AERA) national conference. I was paired with a doctoral student who needed advice about how to create a successful proposal for the conference.
Increasing Educational Access
Since 2006, I have been involved in research-based programs designed to increase educational access for underserved and marginalized students. I assisted in designing and implementing college access summer bridge programs for low performing schools in Los Angeles. Based upon that experience and my action research in this area, I serve as founder and director of the Creating Opportunities via Education (COVE) college access program. In collaboration with the Lincoln School District, I developed three
COVE programs: Freshman Summer Institute, Sophomore Institute and Middle School College Club. The two institutes allow high school students to spend five weeks over the summer learning about the college transition process. Students learn how to develop a high school plan that will make them more competitive in the college application process. Both institutes are designed to assist underserved and marginalized student groups. The Middle School College Club began as a pilot program in 2011 with Sierra Middle School. This past academic year I worked with Pacific students to develop a club embedded in the after school program that teaches middle school students about college. The goal of all COVE programs is to increase college access for marginalized groups as well as serve the local Stockton community.
I also have worked with organizations serving homeless and undocumented students to address the unique educational needs of these students. For example, over the past three years I have worked with undocumented student groups at UC Berkeley and Delta Community College involved in developing strategies to give students access to college. These opportunities to serve the student groups involved in my research enrich both my service and research engagement.
I take a similar approach in working with first-generation graduate students. For example, I serve as an external writing coach for doctoral students at the University of Southern California who need additional support navigating the transition to graduate-level writing. I work with these students individually to develop goals and then provide extensive feedback on manuscripts. The conversations I have with these students and their mentors have helped me develop support strategies that I utilize with doctoral
students at Pacific.
Building Partnerships between K-12 and Postsecondary Institutions
In order to address the artificial barriers between high school and postsecondary institutions, I work collaboratively with high schools to develop programs for underserved students. Working with programs like COVE, I get the opportunity to consider and shape the role of postsecondary institutions in meeting the educational needs of students.
At the professional level, I served as a member of the Local Guest Educators Initiative at the American Education Research Association, which was charged with developing a program for local teachers and educational leaders at the AERA conference in order to bridge the divide between research at universities and practice in K-12 schools. During the 2013 AERA conference in San Francisco I served as the LGE coordinator as well as organizing the social justice initiatives at the conference. I was also selected as a Young Academic Fellow for the Institute for Higher Education Policy in 2012. In collaboration with other fellows, I reviewed current research on K-12 and postsecondary linkages in order to create summaries for policymakers interested in expanding collaboration between institutions. The new program—Policy Direct—launched in the fall of 2012 and gives policymakers greater access to research-based findings concerning higher education issues.
Over the next three years, I will be co-editing three special journal issues related to increasing educational access for marginalized students. Kristan Venegas and I are editing two issues of the Journal of Latino-Latin American Studies focused on how Latina/o college students experience the transition through college. In addition, I am working with Linda Skrla and Peter Miller on a special issue of the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education that explores how social institutions have responded to student homelessness.