CDIP Recipients 2018-2019

Ana Avendano

Discipline: Education

Ana Avendano received her B.A. in Latino Studies from California State University, East Bay, and her M.A. in Mexican American Studies from San José State University. She is currently in her third year at the University of San Francisco, pursuing an Ed.D. in International and Multicultural Studies. Ana’s curriculum vitae demonstrates her pursuit of diversity through her community leadership as a mentor and activist, her conference presentations highlighting pressing issues in the Latinx community, and her current position as an Assistant Project Director for a five-year Hispanic Serving Institution grant funded program aimed at improving transfer and completion rates for Hispanic and high needs students. Ana embraces liberatory praxis as a foundation for a transformative education. She seeks a collaborative approach to teaching and learning by students and professors, infusing global social justice into this process as well. Her academic goals are informed by her experience as a first-generation CSU student from an immigrant community. Ana has a long standing association with her mentor, Dr. Magdalena Barrera, Associate Professor, Mexican American Studies, dating back to 2009. Dr. Barrera states in her letter of recommendation that Ana, as a McNair scholar, has been building up to doctoral work for several years. Dr. Barrera and Ana have built a collaborative plan of support that will not only provide Ana with real-time access to the classroom, but will build on developing her research skills and publication profile.


Laura Shroder

Discipline: Educational Leadership

Laura Shroder received her B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University, and her M.S. from Roosevelt University, with a Certificate in Executive Leadership. She is currently attending San José State University pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. Laura is a full-time lecturer at San Francisco State University where she has been teaching classes in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department within the College of Business for four years. In addition to her teaching duties at San Francisco State University, Laura is the Director their Hospitality and Tourism Management Global Student Career and Professional Development Program where she works to coordinate internships and career opportunities for students and industry partners. Laura chose to pursue an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership instead of a Ph.D. in Hospitality Management because she was interested in the elements of diversity and equity that were integral to an Ed.D. program. Laura’s research interests are centered on the underrepresented minority students in hospitality. Laura participates fully in her citizenship at San Francisco State University as a member of multiple faculty committees, including the Curriculum Committee, the Enrollment and Promotion Committee, and the Development Committee. Laura’s mentor, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Andy Feinstein, compliments her embrace of CSU values and her support of diverse populations. Dr. Susan Roe, Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management, San Francisco State University, will act as a Laura’s co-mentor in the execution of a the joint collaborative plan developed for Laura’s advancement and ultimate goal of become a tenure-track faculty member.


Stacy Schwartz

Discipline: Art History, Visual Culture

Stacy Schwartz received her B.A. in the History of Art at the University of Kansas, and her M.A. in Art History and Visual Culture at San José State University. She is currently attending the University of California, Santa Cruz, pursuing her Ph.D. in Visual Studies. Her research interests are both interdisciplinary and intercultural, and focus on and investigate intersections between today’s conceptions of ethnicity and identity with representations of cultural memory. Stacy’s work in the non-profit sector includes extensive teaching experiences. As a Tauber Holocaust Education Fellow, Stacy spent three weeks in Israel training alongside educators from around the world and developed an art-driven workshops intended for classroom use entitled Visualizing Holocaust Identities. The collaborative plan developed with Stacy’s mentor, Shannon Rose Riley, Chair of the Humanities Department and Professor of Humanities and the Creative Arts, is ambitious. Stacy, already a Teaching Assistant at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will be provided experience teaching in an interdisciplinary department, learning both broad context and the ability to develop specialized work by others into effective pedagogy. In addition to other areas of research, Stacy and Dr. Riley will explore a digital humanities approach to knowledge production and dissemination. In this she will benefit from the ongoing support of her thesis advisor, Beverly Grindstaff, who as interim associate dean is unavailable to mentor her in this award. Stacy will continue her community service and university citizenship by identifying and participating in CSU committees where she can observe campus governance in action.


Halima Kazen-Stojanovic

Discipline: Social Documentary Film

Halima Kazen-Stojanovic received her B.S. in Radio & Television Journalism/Mass Communications from San José State University, and her M.A. in Business and Economic Journalism from New York University. She is presently pursuing her Ph.D. in Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Halima is a well-seasoned lecturer, having taught in the School of Journalism at San José State University since 2012. Since 2017, Halima has also been a lecturer within San José State University’s Justice Studies Department. Her background in news reporting is equally impressive, as is her understanding of Afghanistan, its politics, human rights, and women’s issues. Halima’s research interests have been utilized by the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Her Ph.D. research will build upon her 15 years of fieldwork and theorize on the development and impact of international women’s rights programs in conflict or post-conflict countries. Halima’s commitment to the CSU mission is demonstrated by her continued teaching and support at San José State University, and her own personal refugee experience. Halima’s mentor is Phylis West-Johnson, Director of Journalism & Mass Communications at San José State University. Dr. West-Johnson has known Halima for two years and is impressed by Halima’s command of the classroom. Halima’s students appreciate her real-life experiences and respond well to her lectures. Halima and her mentor will work together on their collaborative plan to continue to build Halima’s already considerable skills in research, teaching, and professional development.


Ricardo Chavez

Discipline: Art History and Visual Culture

Ricardo Chavez received his B.A. in Art-Art History from California State University, Sacramento, and will receive his M.S. in Art History and Visual Culture from San José State University in Spring 2018. His thesis focus on the nexus of contemporary printmaking and social and political activism speaks to his deep engagement with social justice. As a 2017-2018 Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholar, Ricardo has had the opportunity to visit Ph.D.-granting universities and is awaiting acceptance. Ricardo is the first member of his family to attend university and has spent his college career in the CSU system, both in schooling and student positions. He is passionate about the opportunities made available to a diverse population. Simply put in his own words, “Any fears I had about someone with my personal background belonging in the world of higher education disappeared as I discovered everyone else who walked a similar path to get to where we all were.” His mentor, Dore Bowen, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Art History and Visual Culture Program, states that he is “committed to equality and quality – essential components of an education in the California State University system.” Ricardo and Dr. Bowen have developed a collaborative plan to enrich Ricardo’s teaching experiences, expand his reach through conference papers, journal articles and grant proposals, as well as concentrate on his continued academic and intellectual growth at San José State University.


Andrea Jamison

Discipline: Library and Information Science

Andrea Jamison received her B.B.A. of Business Administration from Robert Morris College, her M.A. in Education in Teaching from Concordia University, her M.S. in Library and Information Science from Dominican University, and is presently pursuing her Ph.D. in Library and Information Science, which an interest in multicultural children’s literature at Dominican University. Andrea has a variety of experience in both education and library and information services. Andrea understands educational inequality. She has seen it in poor urban communities where the lack of access to books and technology spurned her passion into librarianship. Kristen Rebmann, Associate Professor, School of Information, San José State University, will act as Andrea’s mentor. Andrea will design a program of research relating to social justice, equity, and information inclusion through her study of underrepresented perspectives in youth literature. Dr. Rebmann believes that the CDIP program will create intellectual and professional relationships with the Cal State University system. The joint collaborative plan calls for Andrea to seek opportunities to teach college level courses part-time and continue her research. Although Andrea has not attended college in California, her dedication to the CSU mission is evident through her work.