JDP Lead Lab Presenter Bio's
Using Queer Epistemologies to Explore Equity and Justice in Educational Spaces
Presentation Date: 2/26/24
Dr. Allison Mattheis, Professor
Allison Mattheis is a Professor in the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and M.A. in Educational Foundations programs at Cal State LA. Her research and teaching interests include the sociocultural analysis of policy interpretation and implementation, queer studies in education and LGBTQIA+ identities and experiences, and STEM educational and workplace cultures and climates. She is currently a co-PI on the NSF-funded collaborations ADVANCEGeo Partnership and FieldSafe, and is leading a study exploring how K-6 teachers and credential students understand comprehensive sex and wellness education for diverse genders and sexualities.
Lucio Lira, Pride Center Counselor Coordinator, Mesa Community College, Doctoral Student, UCSD
Lucio Lira (He, They, Él) is a multicultural and academic counselor in the community college system. Lucio works at Mesa College as the Pride Center Counselor Coordinator, supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. In his two roles, Lucio helps LGBTQIA+ students and allies with their academic journey, empowers folx to become advocates and allies through creating and facilitating Safe Zone trainings, creates and promotes equity-minded services for students, and helps others find and practice their leadership skills. Lucio grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, and is a first-generation student. As a transborder student, Lucio needed to cross the border daily to attend Chula Vista High School and Southwestern College, where he earned his A.A. in Psychology. Lucio transferred to UC Davis, where he obtained his B.A. in Psychology. Later, he ventured and obtained his M.S. in Multicultural and Social Justice Education Counseling from the Community Based Block program at SDSU. Lucio is currently completing his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the joint doctoral program at UCSD and CSUSM. He is honored to start his Doctoral studies and to contribute with research that supports the needed interventions to help LGBTQIA+ students in community colleges to succeed. Throughout Lucio’s career, he has supported community members through psychotherapy services. Lucio is an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) and helps folx in therapy to enhance their self-awareness and reconnect with their inner power. Lucio’s leadership has supported building collaborations to provide free psychotherapy services to LGBTQIA+ refugees in shelters in Tijuana and workshops to help human rights defenders learn how to practice community care.
Strength and Resiliency: Reimaging Relationships with Self, Others, and Institutions
Presentation Date: 3/8/23
Dr. Maria Oropeza Fujimoto, Associate Professor
For over 20 years, Maria has worked in higher education with staff, faculty and administrators cultivating communities of support and accountability to create spaces for with culturally, linguistically and economically diverse students to show up as their authentic selves.
She is a scholar committed to partnering with educational leaders and institutions to transform the pipeline to higher education by reimaging engagement in education and developing shared visions and equitable and inclusive processes that shift everyday practices, and builds capacity of leaders and community members. Her approach to leadership development, research, and professional learning draws on critical frameworks and is rooted in focusing on intentions prior to examining outcomes.
As Associate Director of Educational Leadership at California State University Los Angeles, she develops opportunities to lead, impact and transforming how higher education leaders work with culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse populations to center the strengths of stakeholders. Her research elevates of the work of individuals and communities resisting and fighting for justice in education, highlights how inequities are maintained through the practices of limited support and documents policies and practices that foster equitable access and outcomes to and through college.
Prior to joining the faculty, she worked as a student affairs practitioner in the areas of leadership development, multicultural affairs, academic advising, and women’s issues. She has a comprehensive view of the programmatic, administrative, and fiscal aspects of programs and services. Her experience includes writing proposals and managing grants, faculty development, curriculum development, diversity workshops, developing strategic plans, restructuring and revitalizing programs, and program assessment.
In addition to her work with CSULA, she is also involved with Junto Podemos: Together We Can! a community-based movement towards inclusive and authentic change in a school district in San Gabriel Valley, California.
Institutionalizing Anti-racist Education in K-12 Settings
Presentation Date: 3/15/23
Dr. Miguel Zavala, Associate Professor
Miguel Zavala, Ph.D., is the former Associate Dean in the College of Ethnic Studies and current Professor of Urban Learning in the College of Education at Cal State LA. The son of Mexican immigrant industrial workers, he has dedicated a significant part of his life to education and community organizing. Miguel, a former middle school teacher in LAUSD, has been engaged in community organizing, helping build teacher-led organizations in South Los Angeles. Over the last 15 years he has held leadership positions in the California Chapter for the National Association for Multicultural Education (CA-NAME), and he has worked to develop transformative spaces for preparing ethnic studies teachers. His research centers on the intersection of ethnic studies pedagogies, critical literacies, and decolonization. His most recent publications include Raza Struggle and the Movement for Ethnic Studies, Rethinking Ethnic Studies (co-edited volume), and Transformative Ethnic Studies in Schools (co-authored with Christine Sleeter). His research has contributed and supported the institutionalization of ethnic studies in California public schools. He helped found the journal Ethnic Studies Pedagogies.
Leading from the Inside Out
Presentation Date: 4/19/24
Dr. Ashanti Hands, President, San Diego Mesa College
Dr. Ashanti Hands is the proud president of San Diego Mesa College, one the largest community colleges in California, serving over 29,000 students per year. Dr. Hands was appointed as the 7th president of Mesa College on July 1, 2022, and has an educational career spanning three decades. Dr. Hands is a student-centered practitioner and disruptor of the status quo with a deep commitment to equity, diversity, justice, inclusion, belonging, and student success. She purposefully pursues areas of access, completion, and post-college success with an emphasis on closing equity gaps for minoritized students. Dr. Hands’ ‘why’ is rooted in creating conditions that matter for students to succeed.
Dr. Hands has provided leadership for the college-wide initiative to become the leading college of equity and excellence. Her leadership has launched student equity, guided pathways, Promise, and basic needs programs focusing on the minoritized and underserved and is creating space for courageous leadership amongst her team. Her college is widely recognized for its adoption of data-informed decision-making to ensure equitable outcomes.
Dr. Hands' service includes membership on several boards including the San Diego Mesa College Foundation, San Diego Youth Services, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, James E. Scott Academy Board and the Nandi Organization, a professional network of women of African ancestry who serve to inspire, support, nurture, mentor, and empower community college women students, faculty, staff, and administrators. She also serves as an adjunct professor in the San Diego State University doctoral program in Community College Leadership.
Before joining Mesa College as dean of student affairs and vice president for student services, she served as dean of student affairs at the University of California, San Diego. A native of Inglewood California, Dr. Hands received her doctor of education in educational leadership with a community college specialization and a master of arts in education/multicultural counseling from San Diego State University, plus a bachelor of arts in sociology with a minor in ethnic studies from the University of California, San Diego.
Forge Ahead: Mastering Challenges in Academia and Beyond through Mental Grit and Positive Reframing
Presentation Date: 4/26/24
Dr. Franklin Garrett, Associate Dean, San Diego College of Continuing Education
Dr. Franklin Garrett serves as the Associate Dean of Student Support Services at the San Diego College of Continuing Education. He is a first-generation college student who has dedicated his career to supporting student development and achievement. He has 18 years of experience working as a counselor, advisor, college instructor, program coordinator, research, student affairs director and higher education administrator. His experience in higher education includes strategic planning, multicultural counseling, advising, and student services coordination. Dr. Garrett received his bachelor's in sociology and his master's degree in education with an emphasis on multicultural counseling at San Diego State University, and his doctorate degree in educational leadership from UC San Diego/CSU San Marcos. His scholarship is on the persistence factors for first-generation African American students and student success strategies.
Cultural Proficiency: Leading with Purpose Using Culturally Responsive Leadership Practices to Empower Teams across Educational Systems to Ensure Student Success
Presentation Date: 5/17/24
Dr. Theresa Meyerott, Professor
Dr. Theresa Meyerott graduated from the University of California at San Diego with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, received an M.S. in Psychophysiology and Biofeedback from the California School of Professional Psychology, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Social Justice from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) and California State University San Marcos (CSUSM). She holds a single-subject teaching credential in science and health, a clear administrative services credential, and professional development and special education law certifications.
Dr. Meyerott is currently an Assistant Professor for Data-driven Educational Leadership at California State University, Los Angeles, in the division of Applied and Advanced Studies in Education. Her research focuses on the academic success of historically marginalized students along the K-16 education continuum and the intersectionality with school culture, cultural proficiency, sense of belonging, STEM, and identity.
In addition to being a professor at California State University Los Angeles, Theresa continues to enjoy teaching as a lecturer for the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at UCSD. In addition, Dr. Meyerott is a Senior Associate for the Center for Culturally Proficient Educational Practice (CCPEP).
Over the past 23 years, Dr. Meyerott has held various positions in public education, ranging from university director, community college director, classroom science teacher, district administrator, and state accountability coordinator. Theresa is an achievement-focused K-16 administrator with a career focused on empowering formal and non-formal leaders, teachers, staff, and students to succeed. A skilled leader of research-driven initiatives, including community engagement, professional development, project-based learning, STEM teacher training, special education, curriculum improvement, Local Control Funding Formula, Local Control Accountability Plan, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Title 1, and other State and Federal programs to improve students’ educational development and academic success.
Dr. Meyerott believes all students can learn with innovatively designed, culturally proficient programs, curricula, and instructional strategies implemented to accommodate the diversity of learners today. This successful learning environment can be achieved through culturally proficient educators who believe everyone can learn and achieve their dreams.
Mercedes Hubschmitt, Director in Learning Support Services and Homeless and Foster Liaison, Poway Unified School District, Doctoral Student, UCSD
Mercedes Hubschmitt is a Director and Homeless Liaison for the Poway Unified School District (PUSD) in San Diego, California. Before her tenure as a central office administrator, Mercedes served as an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) teacher and high school counselor. In each role, she strived to ensure voices and needs of historically underserved students were heard.
A collaborative educator, Mercedes has presented at the National Association for Education of Homeless Children and Youth and the California Department of Education's Statewide Homeless Conference. Additionally, Mercedes serves as Senior Associate with the Center for Culturally Proficient Educational Practice (CCPEP) where she facilitates learning focused on Equity and Access for teams of educators across the country.
Recognized as a Teacher of the Year, Counselor of the Year, and a UC San Dieg JDP Chrispeels Fellow, Mercedes fiercely advocates for students in improving their educational outcomes.
