Graduate Students

Abby is a doctoral candidate in the Policy, Politics, and Leadership cluster. Her research focuses on decision making and implementation using concepts from organizational theory. Her current research project is a three-year study about how district leaders in California are using their federal...Read more about Abby Slovick

Adrianna Jeanpierre is a candidate in cohort 24 for the Masters in Educational Leadership at the Principal Leadership Institute.

Adrianna currently works as a school psychologist in West Contra Costa Unified School District with 14 years of experience. She has worked in the same capacity...Read more about Adrianna Jeanpierre

Alexandrea Creer Kahn began her journey as a doctoral student in the Berkeley School of Education's Leaders for Equity and Democracy (LEAD) in 2023. Alexandrea's research areas of focus include equity within teacher education, teacher residencies, and identity affirming teacher education...Read more about Alexandrea Creer Kahn

As a UC Chancellors Fellow, Alexis Meza is a Ph.D. Student in Education in the Critical Studies of Race, Class, and Gender at the Berkeley School of Education. He received his Bachelor's Degree from UC Riverside in Psychology and Education and a Master's from New York University (NYU) in Higher...Read more about Alexis Meza

Alifea Davis is a Master’s degree candidate in the 24th Cohort of the Principal Leadership Institute at UC Berkeley’s School of Education. Alifea was raised in North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a student-athlete. Graduating, with intentions of...Read more about Alifea Davis

Alexandra (Ally) Collard is a first-year PhD student in the Graduate Group in Science and Mathematics Education (SESAME). Ally has Bachelor's degrees in Chemistry and Math from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Master's degree in Chemistry from Institut Polytechnique de Paris, where she...Read more about Ally Collard

Ángel Vargas Rico is a Chicano social justice practitioner and educator and a Master's degree candidate in the 24th cohort of the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) program at UC Berkeley's School of Education. Ángel is committed to yielding equitable outcomes for historically underserved...Read more about Ángel Vargas Rico

Ankita Rakhe (she/her) is a doctoral student in Cohort 2 of the Leaders in Equity and Democracy program. She has been a Student Affairs practitioner for 20 years with a deep investment in diversity, equity and inclusion advocacy; conflict mediation and restorative justice; and leadership...Read more about Ankita Rakhe

Ashley Zhou is a student of the Joint Doctoral program in special education with UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University. Her research focuses on structures of race, class, gender, and disability in special education through the role of the paraprofessional. Analyzing historical...Read more about Ashley Zhou

Ben is an MA student in the Language Literacy and Culture specialization. As a linguist in industry, Ben has worked at Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Capital One before coming to Berkeley. For over ten years, they have also worked as a linguistic consultant with the Houma Language Project, an...Read more about Ben Wood

Brittney's research is focused on language development and, in particular, how children develop relational concepts through social interaction and embodied activity. Her current projects are related to language development among children who communicate using Augmentative and Alternative...Read more about Brittney Cooper

Candace is a Master's degree candidate in the 24th cohort of the Principal Leadership Institute program at UC Berkeley's School of Education. Her academic interests in education include Ethnic Studies pedagogy, building culturally relevant and sustaining curriculum, socio-emotional learning ,...Read more about Candace Thomas

Carlos Rivera Bernabé (he/him) is a doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at the University of California, Berkeley, under advisement of Dr. Frank C. Worrell.

Prior to Berkeley, he received his bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Southern California with a...Read more about Carlos Rivera Bernabé

Cassandra Yee (She/her/ella) is a third year PhD student in the School Psychology program at the Berkeley School of Education. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Arizona in 2021. Cassandra’s current research focuses primarily on Latine immigrant youth risk and...Read more about Cassandra Yee

Chelsea Card has worked in the California public school system for fifteen years. She is entering her twelfth year as a classroom educator in the San Francisco Bay Area holding foundational single subject credentials in both math and science, as well as a multiple subject credential earned from...Read more about Chelsea Card

Cristina S. Méndez (she/ella) is a Chicana educator, scholar, and poet. Her research focuses on the lived experiences and sense-making of Maya Mam women lideresas who organize for the vitality of their language, culture, and their communities across the United States, México, and Guatemala....Read more about Cristina Méndez

David is a formerly incarcerated PhD candidate in the School of Education. He grew up in Berkeley and Oakland and is interested in refusing/unsettling/troubling the logics of the university and the Carceral State from an abolitionist autonomous sensibility....Read more about David Maldonado

David Stevens is a doctoral student in the Social Research Methodologies cluster at the UC Berkeley School of Education. His research interests center on the development of alternative models for educational data analysis and their practical applications including informing instructional...Read more about David Stevens

David Tommasini is a Master's degree candidate in the 24th cohort of the Principal Leadership Institute program at UC Berkeley's School of Education.

David is currently a high school math teacher at Oakland High School, where he has taught for 4 years. Along with teaching, David is also...Read more about David Tommasini

Edwin Carlos (He/Him) is a 1st year PhD student in the School Psychology program at the School of Education. He is a 2nd generation Filipino American from Renton, Wash., and graduated with a Bachelor's of Arts in psychology and a minor in education from Stanford University in 2020....Read more about Edwin Carlos

Ekene Azuka is a PhD student in the School Psychology Program within the Berkeley School of Education (BSE). Prior to joining the BSE, Ekene received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Cognitive Studies and Psychology from Vanderbilt University's Peabody College in 2021.

As a graduate...Read more about Ekene Azuka

Elaine Luo is a PhD candidate in the School Psychology Program at Berkeley School of Education (BSE). Prior to joining the BSE, Elaine received her MEd in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2020 and her BA in Education Sciences from the University of...Read more about Elaine (Hua) Luo

Elena Lycette DeNecochea is a Master's Graduate Student at the Berkeley School of Education (BSE) specializing in the Cultural Studies of Sport in Education (CSSE) program. She is an Assistant Coach for JV Football at El Camino Fundamental High School and a Substitute Teacher for the San Juan...Read more about Elena DeNecochea

Ella M. Crawford is a doctoral student in the Policy, Politics, and Leadership cluster at the Berkeley School of Education. She studies instances of organizational change in higher education through policy interventions. During her Phd, Ella is studying a case of technology implementation and...Read more about Ella M. Crawford

Emely N. Lugo (she/ella) is a second-year doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at UC Berkeley's School of Education (BSE).

Before joining BSE, Emely pursued her studies in Psychology and Child Development at California State University, San Bernardino...Read more about Emely Lugo

Emily Reich (she/her) is a third-year doctoral student in the Policy, Politics, and Leadership cluster in UC Berkeley's School of Education. She comes to graduate school with questions about the ways in which bureaucracy and the school staff who wield it shape the educational lives of...Read more about Emily Reich

Emily Springhart is a Master's degree candidate in the 24th cohort of the Principal Leadership Institute program at UC Berkeley's School of Education. Her educational interests include special education, program development, mental health supports and services, and inclusive educational...Read more about Emily Springhart

Enrique Valencia López is a PhD student in the Policy, Politics and Leadership cluster at the School of Education. His research interests relate to three broad areas: the stratification of education by gender, immigration status and ethnicity; the measurement of teacher working conditions...Read more about Enrique Valencia López

Francis Rojas has been an educational leader at the two largest and diverse high schools in the Bay Area over the last 20 year - James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., (2002-2017) and Milpitas High School in Milpitas, Calif., (2017-current). He has served in various roles from...Read more about Francis Rojas

Francis is a graduate student in the Principal Leadership Institute at UC Berkeley School of Education. His academic interests include critical pedagogy, equity-focused learning and instruction, and educational leadership for social justice.

Francis earned his Bachelor’s degree in...Read more about Francis Estabillo

Franklin B. Mejía received a BA and a Masters in Education at the University of California, San Diego and is currently a 4th year graduate student in the School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, he is finalizing his third prequalifying paper and is studying for...Read more about Franklin B. Mejía

Golzar Ejadi (she/her) is a first-year doctoral student in the School Psychology Program at UC Berkeley's School of Education (BSE).

Before joining BSE, Golzar earned her Master of Science in Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Psychology at San Francisco State University. There,...Read more about Golzar Ejadi

As a child, Ali and his family immigrated to the United States from Pakistan and settled in Englewood, New Jersey. As a proud New Jerseyan, he earned his Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, followed by a Master's degree in Biological Science Education at...Read more about Haider Ali Bhatti

Henry Sales Leonel Hernandez, a first-generation college student from an Indigenous Maya Mam immigrant family from Guatemala, is a doctoral candidate in the Language, Literacy, and Culture cluster at UC Berkeley’s School of Education. His path as an Indigenous Maya Mam has been shaped by...Read more about Henry Sales Hernandez

Hetvi Desai is a doctoral student in School Psychology. Having immigrated to the U.S. from India as a child, Hetvi's personal experience has informed her research interests. She focuses on adjustment and acculturation in school systems, specifically examining how cultural identities impact...Read more about Hetvi Desai

Hoyun Kim is a PhD student in the Policy, Politics, and Leadership cluster at the School of Education. Her research interests lie in the experiences of students in higher education and examining postsecondary institutions as organizations: topics pertaining to student agency, equity,...Read more about Hoyun Kim

Ilke Bayazitli is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program at UC Berkeley. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Boğaziçi University in 2021. She then received her master's degree in Psychological Science with a concentration in Social, Personality, and Affective...Read more about Ilke Bayazitli

Irma Muñoz Daniels (she/her/ella) is a doctoral student in Cohort 2 of the Leaders in Equity and Democracy program. Irma’s research interests include school leadership, student success, and school leader resilience in alternative school settings.

After earning an undergraduate degree from...Read more about Irma Muñoz Daniels

Isaac Felix (he/him/his) is a doctoral student at UC Berkeley’s School of Education. Originally from Tijuana, Baja California, México, Isaac grew up crossing the México-U.S. border daily to attend public schools in San Diego. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Human Biology and Society and...Read more about Isaac Felix

Isabella C. Brown is both a Marcus Foster and Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program Fellow. She holds an MA from San Francisco State University and is a second-year PhD student in the Joint Doctoral Program with the University of California, Berkeley. In Spring 2019, she was appointed to the...Read more about Isabella Brown

Ivon is an educational leader with over a decade of experience dedicated to advancing equity and justice in early childhood education. Her diverse roles—including teacher, director, founder of private centers and family child cares, and Head Start coordinator—have provided her with a...Read more about Ivon Gomez Vargas

Jackie is a PhD student in the School Psychology Program under the advisement of Professor Frank Worrell. Jackie’s primary research interest include: understanding the educational experiences of low income, Latine students; parent education as a mediator for Latine students academic...Read more about Jackie Lopez Santiago

Jake grew up in rural New Hampshire in a family of teachers, and learned to admire educators from an early age. In college, he did his best to reconcile his interests in climate science and storytelling, graduating from Harvard with a BA in Environmental Science & Public Policy and a minor...Read more about Jacob Barton

Jacqueline Anton is a student in the Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education. Her research addresses embodied mathematics interventions for students with moderate/ extensive support needs. She is also interested in inclusive mathematics pedagogy and teacher education. Her work is inspired by...Read more about Jacqueline Anton

Ja’Nya is a second year PhD student in the Education Policy, Politics and Leadership cluster. She is a proud East Coast native, raised in the “DMV”: DC, Maryland, Virginia region. She started her career as a Special Education Teacher and case manager, eventually transitioning into roles around...Read more about Ja’Nya Banks

Jennie Greenstein is a 5th year PhD candidate in the School Psychology Program in the Berkeley School of Education. She is currently completing her full-time doctoral internship at the Colorado School Psychology Internship Consortium in Denver, CO. Jennie’s dissertation is titled Coordination of...Read more about Jennie Greenstein

Jeremy Martin is a doctoral candidate and Eugene Cota Robles Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley. He studies the politics of philanthropic organizations and their involvement in K-12 public education with a particular focus on foundations that are created by Black people. More...Read more about Jeremy Martin

Jill Yochim (she/her) is a student in the Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education. Her research involves teachers' knowledge of reading, their merging of reading and culturally responsive practices, and the impacts of state dyslexia legislation. Jill’s research interests have been influenced...Read more about Jill Yochim

Jin Hyung Lim is a PhD candidate in the School Psychology Program at the University of California, Berkeley School of Education. Jin Hyung’s research focuses on identifying risk and resilience factors that support the well-being of school members (e.g., students, families, teachers, and school...Read more about Jin Hyung Lim

Jose R. Aguilar Jr. is an enthusiastic and driven scholar-educator. He brings a wealth of experience and a solid commitment to addressing systemic issues in education. Born out of his personal experiences as a first-generation college student and a keen observer of the challenges faced by...Read more about Jose Aguilar

Josephine (Josie) Ingram (she/her) is a doctoral student in the Language, Literacy, and Culture cluster at UC Berkeley's School of Education. Her research interests include LGBTQ+ inclusivity in education, creative writing pedagogy, queer literacy frameworks, digital learning spaces, and...Read more about Josephine (Josie) Ingram Defaye

Joy Esboldt is a doctoral candidate in the Critical Studies of Race, Class, and Gender cluster at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Education. Her research focuses on teachers’ learning about race, equity, and power as it intersects with gender and cultural politics. Joy’s work...Read more about Joy Esboldt

Julia Zhu is a doctoral candidate in the Critical Studies of Race, Class, and Gender program at UC Berkeley’s School of Education. Her work explores the ways that college students in China perceive social class and meritocracy, and how social economic and educational changes have shaped their...Read more about Julia Zhu

Julien Putz is a first-year doctoral student in the Graduate Group of Science and Mathematics Education (SESAME) at UC Berkeley. His primary advisor is Prof. Dor Abrahamson and he is an active member of the Embodied Design Research Laboratory. He is interested in understanding and modelling the...Read more about Julien Putz

Julissa is a doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program at UC Berkeley. She was born and raised in Southern California to two hard-working immigrant parents from Mexico and El Salvador. Julissa completed her undergraduate studies at UC Irvine and graduated with honors with a BA in...Read more about Julissa Navas

Kathy Locke is a Master's degree candidate in the 24th cohort of the Principal Leadership Institute program at UC Berkeley's School of Education. She has been teaching since 2002, beginning in Oakland as a first grade teacher and a founding teacher at Think College Now Elementary School. She has...Read more about Kathy Locke

Katy has worked in special education since 2015. Currently, she serves as the resource program specialist and special education team leader at Sutro Elementary School in the Richmond District of San Francisco. Throughout her nine years in education, Katy has also held roles as a paraprofessional...Read more about Katy Memon

Kayla Thomas is a third-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at the BSE. She graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and minors in Education and Spanish. During her time at Stanford, she received the Andrea Naomi Leiderman Fellowship, allowing...Read more about Kayla Thomas

Kelly is a fifth year doctoral candidate at the Berkeley School of Education in the Learning Sciences and Human Development cluster. Kelly’s work is deeply informed by her teaching experience in Oakland, California and former students. In pursuing a graduate degree, Kelly hopes to highlight the...Read more about Kelly Billings

Ken Singer is a grad student in the Learning Sciences. A stubborn and rebellious child of educators and entrepreneurs, he started his career as a tech entrepreneur and then transitioned into higher ed, proving once again that despite all efforts, some of us become our parents. Ken has spent his...Read more about Ken Singer

Kevin Quintero (He/Him/His) is a PhD candidate in Policy, Politics, and Leadership at UC Berkeley’s School of Education. Kevin’s research interests are using methodological and theoretical approaches to reveal the causes of political, social, and educational inequalities. His current research...Read more about Kevin Quintero

In 2021, Kyla Kemble (she/her) joined the school psychology program at the Berkeley School of Education, under the advisement of Dr. Frank C. Worrell. A New Jersey native, she received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology Honors at Seton Hall University in 2021.

Broadly, Kyla’s current...Read more about Kyla Kemble

Darryl is a visionary Learning Scientist and performance‑enhancement specialist, He is set to complete his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in Spring 2025. His career blends the strategic execution skills honed while directing large‑scale U.S. Navy operations with deep...Read more about Lieutenant Darryl Diptee

Malcolm Norrington is a lifelong, holistic, systems thinker with experience as an administrator (vice principal and summer school principal, 2019–2023) at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, California.

Malcolm is currently the principal at El Cerrito Senior High School (2023–present) in...Read more about Malcolm Norrington

Mark Pommer is a doctoral candidate in the UC Berkeley School Psychology program. Mark received his EdS in school psychology from Columbia University. His current research is dedicated to translating psychological research findings into applied school and clinical psychology practice....Read more about Mark Pommer

Meg Escudé is a phd student in the Learning Sciences and Human Development cluster. Her research engages community-based afterschool educators in the co-development of liberatory learning experiences for young people. Meg has over 12 years of experience as an educator and program director in...Read more about Meg Escudé

Meg Everett is a Regent’s Fellow and Doctoral Candidate in the Learning Sciences and Human Development (LSHD) cluster with a Designated Emphasis in New Media. Her research interests include critical media literacy, the intersection of schools and social media, and computer-mediated learning and...Read more about Meg Everett

Nathaly Santos is a doctoral student within the Policy, Politics, and Leadership cluster at the Berkeley School of Education. Her research centers Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and the ways in which colleges and universities adopt and embody an HSI identity at the organizational...Read more about Nathaly Santos

Nicole Cedillo is an accomplished educator, researcher, and advocate for equitable education with a rich background in history, feminist studies, and English language development. With a Master of Arts in History from Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts in Feminist Studies and History from...Read more about Nicole Cedillo

Pa N. Vue or Paj Hnub Vwj was born in Thailand and came to the United States in 1990. She has nearly a decade of experience working with high school and college students as an academic advisor and writing center coordinator. She is currently a PhD candidate in the School of Education at UC...Read more about Pa Vue

Prince Estanislao (he/they) is a student in the Joint Doctoral Program in Special Education. He serves as an intern supervisor and course instructor at San Francisco State University (SFSU). Furthermore, he is a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) contributing to both the Berkeley Center for the...Read more about Prince Estanislao

Qifan Zhang is a PhD student in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, with a concentration in Policy, Politics, and Leadership. Qifan graduated from Tianjin University and received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. From there, she continued...Read more about Qifan Zhang

Qing Cai is a doctoral student in the Social Research Methodology cluster at Berkeley School of Education. As a passionate researcher and reading advocate, her work focuses on bi-literacy, measurement and assessment of reading.

Qing’s research focuses on the challenges in reading...Read more about Qing Cai

Quennie Dong is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program at the University of California, Berkeley. Quennie graduated from UC Irvine with a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior and a minor in Education. She then attended Florida International University and received...Read more about Quennie Dong

Ratih is a PhD student in the Learning Sciences and Human Development at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on promoting epistemic diversity and cultural funds of knowledge in students by integrating culturally situated embodied cognition into mathematics education....Read more about Ratih Ayu Apsari

rocky chiasson is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) at UC Berkeley’s School of Education, with an anticipated graduation in Summer 2025. With 19 years of experience in California’s public school system, rocky brings a deep commitment to student...Read more about rocky chiasson

Ryan Anthony is a Master’s Degree candidate in the 24th Cohort of the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) at the UC Berkeley School of Education.

Ryan is entering his 12th year working at public schools across California & Connecticut, half those years spent as a school administrator...Read more about Ryan Anthony

With nearly 30 years in education, Sara Stone has held roles as an elementary and middle school teacher, principal, network superintendent, assistant superintendent, and currently, superintendent of Albany Unified School District. Throughout her career, she has prioritized creating safe,...Read more about Sara Stone

Sarah Goulart is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Berkeley School of Education, specializing in social research methods. As a first-generation student with a strong interest in the transfer student experience, Sarah's research focuses on the challenges in the transfer process. She examines...Read more about Sarah Goulart

Siqi Huang is a Ph.D. candidate in Science and Mathematics Education at the University of California, Berkeley, mentored by Felix Klein Medalist Alan H. Schoenfeld. Siqi holds a B.S. in Mathematics from UCLA and an M.A. in Mathematics under Fields Medalist Richard Borcherds from UC Berkeley....Read more about Siqi Huang

Thong M. Trinh is a Berkeley Fellow and PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley, where his research focuses on Higher Education Policy, particularly on Finance. His work explores critical issues such as student willingness to pay, university budgeting, and the design and...Read more about Thong Trinh

Umara Hansen (she/her) is a third-year doctoral student in the School Psychology program at UC Berkeley. She graduated with the highest honors, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of Ottawa, where she earned a B.Sc. in Psychology and conducted research on the impact of stress on well-being...Read more about Umara Hansen

Victoria Rosales-Mangisel is a dedicated educator and Master's degree candidate in the 24th cohort of the Principal Leadership Institute program at UC Berkeley's School of Education. Victoria's education journey began in 2014 as a paraeducator in a moderate-severe classroom, followed by a role...Read more about Victoria Rosales-Mangisel

Weiying is a PhD candidate in Learning Sciences and Human Development cluster in the School of Education at UC Berkeley, with a Designated Emphasis in New Media. Her current research focuses on: 1) designing culturally responsive pedagogy using educational technologies, 2) designing adaptive...Read more about Weiying Li

Doria Xiao is a Ph.D. candidate in Social Research Methodologies at the University of California, Berkeley, with an anticipated graduation in Spring 2025. Her research focuses on psychometrics and quantitative methods in education, with particular emphasis on Bayesian statistical modeling...Read more about Xingyao (Doria) Xiao

Xinyu (Celia) Wei is a second-year Master’s student in the Learning Sciences and Human Development program at the School of Education at UC Berkeley. As an international scholar from China, Xinyu desires to help students celebrate productive struggles, leverage everyday experiences, and...Read more about Xinyu (Celia) Wei

Yared is a PhD student in the Learning Sciences and Human Development cluster at UC Berkeley’s School of Education with a focus on Language, Literacy, and Culture. Before graduate school, Yared was a community organizer and educator in South Philadelphia where she worked with the Latinx...Read more about Yared Portillo

Yesenia Castro-Michell is a Master's degree candidate in the 24th cohort of the Principal Leadership Institute at UC Berkeley's School of Education.

Yesenia has worked in education since she was a student in Los Angeles Unified Schools District (LAUSD). She has worked in a variety of...Read more about Yesenia Castro-Mitchell

Yi (Joe) Zhou is an international student from China. He is a PhD student in the Learning Sciences and Human Development cluster at UC Berkeley's School of Education, advised by Professor Elliot Turiel. Yi is hugely interested in the broad topic of morality, and enjoys reading ethical theories...Read more about Yi Zhou

Zoe Silverman is a doctoral candidate in Learning Sciences & Human Development at UC Berkeley. Her research engages video-based interaction analyses of talk, gaze, gesture, touch, space, and movement during facilitated education programs to illuminate how participants — both human and non-...Read more about Zoe Silverman

Zohal is a doctoral student in Berkeley's Learning Sciences and Human Development program. She fervently believes in including learners, practitioners, and community voices in research design and development. Through a collaborative approach, she aspires to understand how youth develop critical...Read more about Zohal Shah

Zubin Hu started his journey in China before moving to California at the age of 16 to attend high school. This transition sparked his curiosity about the American educational system motivating him to pursue a BA in Math with a concentration in Teaching from San Francisco State University. He...Read more about Zubin Hu