Faculty
The Teacher Education faculty are committed to providing the highest quality education to the candidates in our program. Our courses focus on helping candidates understand research and theory in education as they relate to the daily professional experiences of teachers. We model best practices by providing a strong, student-centered curriculum with an emphasis on ongoing formative feedback to help candidates grow into the profession.
- Program Coordinators and Advising
- Secondary/SSCP Subject Area Coordinators
- Faculty Directory
- Recent Faculty Highlights
- Faculty Resources
Department Chair
David Whitenack, Ph.D.
- Professor
- david.whitenack@sjsu.edu
- Sweeney Hall (SH) 306
Teacher Education Program Coordinators and Advising
Secondary/SSCP Subject Area Coordinators
Contact your Subject Area Advisor to schedule an appointment to complete the following requirements.
NOTE: The process and availability for each advisor will vary. These meetings are an essential step in the application process and require planning.
- Please plan interview appointments at least 3 weeks prior to the application deadline.
- Some subject areas have specific windows in which they conduct interviews, mini lessons, portfolio reviews or auditions.
- English, in particular, has an early deadline for signing up for interviews that may be 5-6 weeks prior to the admission deadline.
Faculty Directory
LoriAnn Abrahams
- Lecturer
- lori.abrahams@sjsu.edu
Katya Aguilar, Ph.D.
- Professor
- Intern Program
- katya.aguilar@sjsu.edu
- Katya's Spotify playlist
Stefanie Aichele-Chang
- Lecturer
- Elementary Education Field Supervisor
- stefanie.aichele@sjsu.edu
Mariana Alwell
- Lecturer
- mariana.alwell@sjsu.edu
Jolynn Asato, Ph.D.
Heidi Beck
- Lecturer
- heidi.wittmer@sjsu.edu
Katie Bell
- Lecturer
Shannon Bui
- Lecturer
- shannon.anido@sjsu.edu
Ashley Busby
- Lecturer
- ashley.busby@sjsu.edu
Louise Bernbaum
- Lecturer
- louise.bernbaum@sjsu.edu
Allison Briceño, Ed.D.
- Associate Professor
- allison.briceno@sjsu.edu
- Twitter: @abriceno21
Robert Calonico
- Lecturer
- robert.calonico@sjsu.edu
Paulette Cobb
- Lecturer
- paulette.cobb@sjsu.edu
Laurel Cress
- Lecturer
- laurel.cress@sjsu.edu
Elaine Chin, Ph.D.
- Emeritus Professor
- elaine.chin@sjsu.edu
Kristy Cross
- Lecturer
- kristy.cross@sjsu.edu
Jennifer Diehl
- Lecturer
- jennifer.diehl@sjsu.edu
Brent Duckor, Ph.D.
- Professor
- brent.duckor@sjsu.edu
- Twitter: @BrentDuckor
- Brent's Spotify playlist
Lisa Edsall Giglio
- Lecturer
- lisa.edsallgiglio@sjsu.edu
Mark Felton, Ph.D.
- Professor
- mark.felton@sjsu.edu
- Mark's Spotify playlist
Asha Finkel
- Lecturer
- asha.sudra@sjsu.edu
Nancy Freschi
- Lecturer
- nancy.freschi@sjsu.edu
Ednita Fuentes-Mortenson
- Lecturer
- ednita.fuentes-mortensen@sjsu.edu
Terri Furton
- Lecturer
Melissa Gonzalez
- Lecturer
Janet Gutierrez
- Lecturer
- janet.gutierrez@sjsu.edu
Maryann Haggerty
- Lecturer
- maryann.haggerty@sjsu.edu
Carol Hartunian
- Lecturer
- carol.hartunian@sjsu.edu
Christina Hewko
- Lecturer
- christina.hewko@sjsu.edu
Janice Holly
- Lecturer
- janice.holly@sjsu.edu
Carrie Holmberg, Ed.D.
- Lecturer
- carrie.holmberg@sjsu.edu
- Twitter: @CarrieHolmberg
Amy Huang
- Lecturer
- amy.huang@sjsu.edu
Jonathan Hubbs
- Lecturer
- jonathan.hubbs@sjsu.edu
Suzanne Hughes
- Lecturer
- suzanne.hughes@sjsu.edu
Salvador Huitzilopochtli
- Lecturer
- salvador.huitzilopochtli@sjsu.edu
Kara Ireland D'Ambrosio, D.M.A.
- Lecturer
- Student Teacher Placement Coordinator
- kara.irelanddambrosio@sjsu.edu
- Kara's Spotify playlist
Jan Kaay
- Lecturer
- janet.d.kaay@sjsu.edu
Nora Lang
- Lecturer
- nora.lang@sjsu.edu
Lara Ervin-Kassab, Ed.D.
- Assistant Professor
- lara.kassab@sjsu.edu
- Twitter: @drlarakassab
- Lara's Spotify playlist
Jennifer Madigan, Ed.D.
Jila Maleksalehi, Ed.D.
Roxana Marachi, Ph.D.
- Professor
- roxana.marachi@sjsu.edu
- Twitter: @ConnectEdProf
Tiffani Marie, Ph.D.
- Assistant Professor
- tiffani.marie@sjsu.edu
Kellie Martinico
- Lecturer
Ralph McKay, Ed.D.
- Lecturer
- ralph.mckay@sjsu.edu
Marianne Mehuys
- Lecturer
- Admissions / Advising / Program Coordinator
- marianne.mehuys@sjsu.edu
Rebecca Messina
- Lecturer
- Field Experience Supervisor
- rebecca.messina@sjsu.edu
Daniela Miranda
- Lecturer
- danielle.miranda@sjsu.edu
Katie Mlakar
- Lecturer
- katie.mlakar@sjsu.edu
Eduardo Muñoz-Muñoz, Ph.D.
- Assistant Professor
- Critical Bilingual Authorization Program Coordinator
- eduardo.munoz-munoz@sjsu.edu
- Eduardo's Spotify playlist
Deb Nemecek
- Lecturer
- deborah.nemecek@sjsu.edu
Paula Oakes
- Lecturer
- paula.oakes@sjsu.edu
Kris Olson
- Lecturer
- kris.olson@sjsu.edu
Sara Perez
- Lecturer
- sara.perez01@sjsu.edu
Chiara Perry
- Lecturer
- chiara.perry@sjsu.edu
Tatiana Pineda
- Lecturer
Luis Poza, Ph.D.
- Associate Professor
- luis.poza@sjsu.edu
- Luis' Spotify playlist
Colette Rabin, Ed.D.
- Professor
- colette.rabin@sjsu.edu
Ana Ramirez
- Lecturer
- ana.ramirez@sjsu.edu
Nicky Ramos-Beban
- Lecturer
- nicky.ramosbeban@sjsu.edu
Kathryn Ribay
-
- Assistant Professor
- kathryn.ribay@sjsu.edu
Rebeca Rios
- Lecturer
- rebeca.rios@sjsu.edu
Rosalinda Rocha
- Lecturer
- rosalinda.rocha@sjsu.edu
Berrnadette Rodriguez-Young
- Lecturer
- berrnadette.rodriguez@sjsu.edu
Heather Schlaman
- Lecturer
- heather.schlaman@sjsu.edu
Heidi Schmittel
- Lecturer
- heidi.schmittel@sjsu.edu
Rebecca Setziol
- Lecturer
- rebecca.setziol@sjsu.edu
Helen Smith
- Lecturer
- helen.smith@sjsu.edu
Tasha Snow
- Lecturer
- tasha.snow@sjsu.edu
Elizabeth Stavis
- Lecturer
- elizabeth.hepworth@sjsu.edu
Grinell Smith, Ph.D.
- Professor
- grinell.smith@sjsu.edu
Patricia (Patty) Swanson, Ph.D.
- Professor
- patricia.swanson@sjsu.edu
Shawn Vecellio, Ph.D.
- Lecturer
- shawn.vecellio@sjsu.edu
Tammie Visintainer, Ph.D.
- Assistant Professor
- tammie.visintainer@sjsu.edu
- Twitter: @tavisint
Wanda Watson, Ed.D.
- Associate Professor
- wanda.watson@sjsu.edu
- Twitter: @WaWatty
Laurie Weckesser
- Lecturer
- laurie.weckesser@sjsu.edu
Amber Woodward
- Lecturer
- amber.woodward@sjsu.edu
Sandra Zuniga Ruiz
- Assistant Professor
- sandra.zunigaruiz@sjsu.edu
Recent Faculty Highlights
Dr. Brent Duckor and Dr. Carrie Holmberg co-presented “Continuous Improvement Through Improved Formative Feedback Practices: Progress Guides as Tools for Equity-Based Instruction and Scaffolds for Deeper Learning” with Shannon Soza, Principal, and George MacArthur, Teacher, of the Mount Pleasant Elementary School District, and Amanda Faulkner of Partners in Schools at the 100th Annual California Educational Research Association Conference “Reimagining Education - Using Data and Evidence to Reshape our Future.”
Dr. Allison Briceño has co-authored a forthcoming book, Conscious Classrooms: Using Diverse Texts for Inclusion, Equity and Justice Professional Development, which has been written to help teachers to include diverse texts and to support them in developing an equity lens in the classroom.
Dr. Roxana Marachi was quoted in the article "Instagram and teens: How to keep your kids safe" by the Associated Press.
Dr. Tammie Visintainer has become a Co-PI for a newly-received $600,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science award for the project "Multidisciplinary Teacher Research Experience in Engineering (M-TREE)."
Dr. Allison Briceño and Dr. Eduardo Muñoz-Muñoz co-published "It Is Not If, But When: Organizational and Leadership Recommendations for The Upcoming Demand for Expanded Dl Programs and Their Articulation" in the Journal for Leadership, Equity, and Research.
Multiple Subject Credential Program Supervisor and Lecturer Asha Sudra Finkel has been selected as September’s honorary poet laureate for Santa Clara County! Learn more about the Santa Clara County Poet Laureate program at svcreates.org/poet-laureate-program/
Dr. Lara Ervin Kassab presented "Considering Community and Trauma" as part of the SJSU Lurie College of Education K-12 Teaching Academy and was subsequently featured in a Q&A on the SJSU Newsroom blog regarding how educators and parents can prepare for the 2021-2022 academic year after a year of remote and hybrid teaching and learning.
Dr. Wanda Watson co-presented "Bringing Our Humanity to the TK-5 Classroom Through an Ethnic Studies Stance" as part of the SJSU Lurie College of Education K-12 Teaching Academy.
Dr. Tammie Visintainer presented "Reimagining K-16 (Science) Teaching and Learning During a Time of Crisis" as part of the SJSU Lurie College of Education K-12 Teaching Academy.
Dr. Brent Duckor and Counselor Education faculty Dr. Lorri Capizzi co-presented the webinar “How can Teachers, School Counselors, & Administrators support educational outcomes for students in foster care during extraordinary times?” as part of their SJSU Center for Collaborative Research Excellence in Education (CCREE) and in collaboration with the CSU Center for Closing the Opportunity Gap (CCOG).
Dr. Allison Briceño and Dr. Roxana Marachi presented “Teaching Pre-service Teachers to Enact Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy: Shifting Critical Consciousness” and “Philanthro-Capitalism and Equity Doublespeak: When ‘Innovation’ is Exploitation and Silicon Solutions Fuel Next Level Systemic Racism” at our Spring 2021 Lurie College of Education Faculty Research Symposium.
Dr. Luis Poza, Dr. Eduardo Muñoz-Muñoz, and Dr. Tammie Visintainer collaborated with SJSU faculty Dr. Ahoura Zandiatashbar, California Assemblymember Robert Rivas, and the Watsonville High School ECHO Leadership Academy to better understand the impact of known gaps in broadband internet access across California’s 30th Congressional District and published a report of their findings.
