EdD Educational Leadership Program
RISING
2024 Carnegie Project for the Education Directorate Convening, Honolulu, Hawaii
D I R E C T O R ‘ S
M E S S A G E
WelcometotheSpring2025editionoftheEdD Newsletter Inthisedition,Iamexcitedto sharewithyouourstudentsfromCohorts9andbelowwhohavesuccessfullydefended theirdissertationthissemester!Ialsoincludethosewhocompletedtheirdissertation researchlastFall2024andthosewhowillcompletetheirdissertationinSummer2025. These20leader-scholarsandleader-practitionershaveproducedamazing transformativeresearchthatwouldhopefullyimprovetheconditionsofthepartiescolleagues,students,staff,etc.-theyserve.Pleasedonothesitatetoreachouttothem ifyouwouldliketolearnmoreabouttheirresearch.Youmayaccesstheirdissertation documentshere.Also,intheremainingpagesofthisnewsletter,Ihighlightthe impressiveachievementsofourformerandcurrentstudentsandcorefaculty.
Pleasereachouttomeifyouhavequestions,issues,inquiries,andotherconcerns.Ifyou areinterestedinobtainingyourEd.D.degreeatSJSU,pleaseknowthatour13thcohort beginsinSummer2026.WerecentlycompletedtheadmissionsprocessforCohort12 thatwillstartthisSummer2025,andIamhappytoinformyouthatweintendto welcome60(!)newstudents Moreinformationaboutthenewcohortwillbeprovidedin theFall2025newsletter.
Formoreinformationaboutvariousaspectsofourprogram,Iinviteyoutoregisterto attendoneofourinformationsessions,whichbeginsinlateAugustthisyear.Please knowthatweofferhybridandfullyonlineoptionsforcompletingyourdoctorate Also,in partnershipwiththeSantaClaraCountyOfficeofEducation'sLeadersinEducational AdministrationProgram,weofferacombinedEdD/PreliminaryAdministrative CredentialforinterestedandqualifiedPK-12teachersandteacherleaders.
ThankyouandhaveawonderfulSummer2025!
FerdieRivera,Director
GRADUTING STUDENTS
Jean Clothilda Woolcock (Cohort 9)
DoctorofEducation
ConnieL.LurieCollegeofEducation
EducationalLeadership
Undergraduate:BA,1983,Universityofthe WestIndies
Graduate:MS,1997,SanJoséState University
DissertationTitle:TheInequitable Access:BlackandLatinxStudentsinAP Courses
Chair:LuisPoza
Members:ThomasMoriarty,DonaldHarris
Elizabeth Regina Wirtz (Cohort 9)
DoctorofEducation
ConnieL.LurieCollegeofEducation
EducationalLeadership
Undergraduate:BA,2019,WhittierCollege
Graduate:MA,2022,NationalUniversity
DissertationTitle:DegreesofFreedom: HowProjectReboundFacilitatesAccess toHigherEducationforAdjudicated Adults
Chair:ArnoldDanzig
Members:LilianaCastrellon,Joseph Bosco
GRADUTING STUDENTS
Suzanne Paulazzo (Cohort 3)
DoctorofEducation
ConnieL.LurieCollegeofEducation, EducationalLeadership
Undergraduate:BA,1999,CSU,Chico
Graduate:MA,2005,NotreDame University
DissertationTitle:Engagementof
SecondaryHistorySocial-Science
TeacherswithProfessionalDevelopment: APhenomenologicalStudy
Chair:FerdieRivera
Members:MarkFelton,JoeHeffernan
Valentín García Cabrera (Cohort 9)
DoctorofEducation
ConnieL.LurieCollegeofEducation–EducationalLeadership
Undergraduate:BA,2005,SanJoséState University
Graduate:MA,2010,SanJoséState University
DissertationTitle:“AreYouMyCounselor?”
ACalltoAction:HowLatinxGeneral
Chair:DoloresMena
Members:MariaLedesma,IsaacEscoto
GRADUTING STUDENTS
Kevina Brown (Cohort 7)
DoctorofEducation
ConnieL.LurieCollegeofEducation, EducationalLeadership
Undergraduate:BAinGraphicDesign, SanJoseStateUniversity
Graduate:MAinEducationalCounseling, SanJoseStateUniversity
DissertationTitle:HowCanWeDoBetter?
UnderstandingStudentExperiencesand SupportNeedsDuringandAfterthe COVID-19Pandemic.
Chair:RoxanaMarachi
Members:MariaLedesma,Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica
Kaur Brar (Cohort 9)
DoctorofEducation
ConnieL.LurieCollegeofEducation–EducationalLeadership
Undergraduate:BAinBiology,CSU Bakersfield(MinorinChemistry)
Graduate:MAinBiology,CSUBakersfield
DissertationTitle:AddressingEquityGaps inSTEM:ASelf-Study
Chair:DavidWhitenack
Members:TammieVisintainer,Misty Stroud
GRADUTING STUDENTS
James Aguirre (Cohort 9)
DoctorofEducation
ConnieL.LurieCollegeofEducation, EducationalLeadership.
Undergraduate:BAinAmericanStudies, UniversityofCalifornia,Davis.
Graduate:MAinEducation,Universityof California,Davis,CredentialsinEnglish/ ELD.
DissertationTitle:Queereducatorsin AffinityFamilyPersonal-Professional Development.
Chair:RobertMarx.
Members:VeneiceLacy,TrudyGross.
Daniel Burfeind (Cohort 9)
DoctorofEducation
ConnieL.LurieCollegeofEducation–EducationalLeadership
Undergraduate:BAinHistory& InternationalRelations,Universityof Redlands.
Graduate:MAinHigherEducation, UniversityofRedlands.
DissertationTitle:Astudyoffactorsthat influencestudentvotingbehaviorfor collegeactivityfeesatpublicfour-year universities.
Chair:MariaFusaro
Members:MariaLedesma,LeslieWilliams
GRADUTING STUDENTS
Martin Gutierrez (Cohort 8)
DoctorofEducation
ConnieL.LurieCollegeofEducation, EducationalLeadership
Undergraduate:BAinPoliticalScience& MinorinEducation,UniversityofCalifornia, Davis.
Graduate:MAinEducation/Administration &Supervision,SanJoseStateUniversity.
DissertationTitle:EducatorPerspectivesof HighSchoolLongTermEnglishLearners
Chair:RebecaBurciaga
Members:EduardoMunozMunoz,Roberto Renteria,YolandaJimenez
Alexsandra Knode (Cohort 9)
DoctorofEducation
ConnieL.LurieCollegeofEducation–EducationalLeadership
Undergraduate:BAinEnglish,SanJose StateUniversity
Graduate:MAinEnglish|Comparative Literature,SanJoseStateUniversity ResearchInterests:Equityinagriculture andalternativeeducationthrough agriculturalprograms.
DissertationTitle:EquityandAccessibility in4H
Chair:RachelO’Malley
Members:Notavailable
S T U D E N T A C H I E V E M E N
Amanda Olivas – Cohort 11
Vice-Chair (2025–26) of UPCEA Diversity Board
Earned Google AI Essentials badge
Invited to Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Volunteered in Undocu5k fundraiser for AB 540 students
Andrew Nguyen – Cohort 10
AppointedAssociateDirector,TitleIX& EquityatSFBU FormerlyatSJSU,heled initiativesaroundpolicy,analytics,and compliance.
Buu Thai – Cohort 2
Promoted to Administrative Services Manager, County of Santa Clara
Elected Trustee, San Jose-Evergreen Community College Board
FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS
MeganThieleStrong
Op-edpublishedinTheFulcrumon governanceanddemocracy
AppointedInterimChair,Teacher EducationDept.
Co-authoredmultiplepeerreviewedpublicationson translanguagingandbilingual education
AllisonBriceno