Cohort 5 | Class of 2021

Ivan Alcaraz-NavarroEdgar Ivan Alcaraz-Navarro

  • Hometown: Watsonville, California
  • Undergraduate: BA in Business Management Economics at UC Santa Cruz
  • Graduate: MA in Education: Administration and Supervision & MA in Education: Counseling and Student Personnel, both at San José State University
  • Research Interests: I am interested in the experiences of high school students as they transition to college and researching the new accountability system college and career readiness indicator (CCI).
  • Personal Interests: I enjoy traveling and spending time with my loved ones. 

Carrie BoscoCarrie Bosco

  • Hometown: Coldwater, Michigan
  • Undergraduate: BS in Education and Special Education with a Minor in Group Social Sciences at Western Michigan University
  • Graduate: MA in Educational Leadership and Administration at San José State Uiversity
  • Research Interests: 
    • Social-emotional learning
    • Strategies to support wellness, balance, and belonging
    • Tiers of intervention focused on school staff
  • Personal Interests: Spending time with four year old son Anthony and husband Joe, food and wine, baking, reading, traveling. 

Joe BoscoJoseph Bosco

  • Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan
  • Undergraduate: BS in Education at Western Michigan University
  • Graduate: MA in Educational Leadership and Administration at San José State University
  • Research Interests: 
    • SEL
    • Social accountability
    • Assessment
  • Personal Interests: Family, travel, sports. 

Nikki DangNikki Dang

  • Hometown: San José, California
  • Undergraduate: BS in Mathematics/Applied Science at UC Los Angeles
  • Graduate: Masters of Education at UC Los Angeles, and MA in Education, Schooling Counseling at CSU Dominguez Hills
  • Research Interests: Trust in educational leadership and its systemic change. Efficacy of school counselors in the high school system.
    Personal Interests: Travel, indoor volleyball, food adventures, and fostering interpersonal relationships. 

Jen Izant-GonzalesJennifer Izant-Gonzales

  • Hometown: Newark, California
  • Undergraduate: BA in Political Science with a Minor in History at UC Santa Barbara
  • Research Interests: Alternative education efforts that engage students and teachers in learning and the roles of county offices of education.
  • Personal Interests: Spending time with my boys, walking, eating, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. 

Taunya JacoTaunya Jaco

  • Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
  • Undergraduate: BA in Political Science at San Diego State University
  • Graduate: MA in Journalism at Regent University
  • Research Interests: The evaluation of racial and social justice within education, understanding the benefits of ethnic studies and culturally relevant pedagogy in teacher professional development programs, along with the role of teacher unions in education reform.
  • Personal Interests: Attending sporting events and concerts, photography, blogging, and spending time with family and friends. 

Mike MansfieldMichael Mansfield

  • Hometown: Austin, Texas
  • Undergraduate: BA in History and BA in Politics, both at UC Santa Cruz
  • Graduate: MA in Education at UC Santa Cruz
  • Research Interests:
    • Student efficacy
    • Student motivation
    • Testing and data
  • Personal Interests: Watching my three daughters do what they love, hiking with my wife, watching the San José Sharks, Texas Longhorns, and Warriors, and playing soccer. 

Gerald NwaforGerald Nwafor

  • Hometown: Nigeria
  • Undergraduate:  BA in Philosophy and BA in Theology, both at Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu
  • Graduate: MA in Pastoral Ministries and MA in Educational Leadership, both at Santa Clara Univerisity
  • Research Interests: Effects of corporal punishment
  • Personal Interests: Education and development 

Michelle PoirierMichelle Poirier

  • Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
  • Undergraduate: BS in Agricultural and Managerial Economics at UC Davis; BA in Mathematics at UC Santa Cruz
  • Graduate: Master of Education Coursework at San José State University
  • Research Interests: 
    • Improving preparedness for underrepresented students in STEM preparation for post-secondary opportunities
    • Increasing teacher efficacy in mathematics
    • Curriculum design
  • Personal Interests: Family, outdoors, any body of water, hiking, travel, math, games. 

Richard RuizRichard Ruiz

  • Hometown: Gilroy, California
  • Undergraduate: BA in Physical Anthropology with a Minor in Naval Science at Oregon State University
  • Graduate: MA in Leadership Education and Development at George Washington University
  • Research Interests: Disproportionate disciplinary trends of Latinx students and its effect on their academic identity and performance. Leadership education in K12 schools.
  • Personal Interests: Farming, ranching, vineyard, community outreach, leadership speaking events, physical fitness training, and writing kids books. 

Tricia RyanTricia Ryan

  • Hometown: Fremont, California
  • Undergraduate: BA in Psychology at San Francisco State University
  • Graduate: MS in Counseling Psychology at CSU East Bay; MA in Philosophy at San José State University
  • Research Interests: 
    • Value and philosophy of education
    • Higher education and policy
    • Critical leadership theories
    • Political dynamics of higher education administration
  • Personal Interests: My family, theorizing about Game of Thrones, collecting tea sets, decorating dessert tables, crafts, writing poetry, and reading.

Anne TranAnne Tran

  • Hometown: San José, California
  • Undergraduate: BS in Psychobiology at UC Los Angeles
  • Graduate: MA in Educational Leadership at Santa Clara University
  • Research Interests: Exploring the perceived impacts of cell phones on students' academic performance and mental health.
  • Personal Interests: Spending quality time with friends 
    and family. 

Mara WilliamsMara Williams

  • Hometown: San Francisco, California
  • Undergraduate: BS in Biological Sciences at UC Davis
  • Graduate: MS in Biology at UC Irvine
  • Research Interests: 
    • Student success
    • Determining overt and covert requirements for admissions to graduate programs.
  • Personal Interests: Salsa dancing, hiking, reading.

Rafael ZavalaRafael Zavala

  • Hometown: Soledad, California
  • Undergraduate: BA in History and Religious Studies at Santa Clara University
  • Graduate: MA in Early Modern European History at Saint Louis University; Ed.M. in School Leadership Program at Harvard Graduate School of Education
  • Research Interests: Organizational leadership, change, development.
  • Personal Interests: Read and discuss...love to learn new 
    computer programs...