Cohort 2012

Lorri Capizzi is a lecturer in the Department of Counselor Education at San Jose State University for the last seven years as a Lecturer, GE Coordinator, Field Site coordinator, and Project Manager. Her research interests include examining social justice-based school counseling and its role in increasing access to higher education for foster youth, minority students, and students from low-income families.

Dr. Capizzi holds a B.A. in Child Development, a master's degree in Special Education, and a second master's degree in Counseling and Student Personnel from San Jose State University. She received her doctorate for her dissertation titled AB 97 Implementation for Students in Foster Care: A Case Study of Three School Districts.

Francisco Castillo is the Director of the Jack Holland Student Success Center at San Jose State University’s Lucas College and Graduate School of Business. He has previously held positions as Director of Undergraduate Advising at San Francisco State and as the Assistant Director of the Engineering Student Success Center at San Jose State University. His research interests are in the areas of STEM culture and in the success and persistence in STEM, factors and services that enable first-generation and low-income students to reach degree attainment. He holds a B.A. Degree in Chicano/o Studies from UC Santa Barbara and earned an M.S. in Counseling with an emphasis in Student Development in Higher Education at CSU Long Beach. He received his doctorate for his dissertation titled Completion for AS-T Business Administration Students at San Jose State University. 

Dr. Omar Murillo is Director of the U.S. Department of Education Title III Grant at Mission College. In this capacity he oversees the Title III AANAPISI federal grant supporting a variety of academic and student support services aimed at increasing student transfer to four year institutions, integrating STEM career information into course curriculum, and improving campus climate and sense of belonging. Previously, Dr. Murillo was the Program Coordinator for the TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) Program at CSU Monterey Bay (CSUMB). In his role, Dr. Murillo provided budget administration, leadership, direction and coordination for the program, ensured federal regulatory compliance and developed partnerships with staff, faculty and research areas to create and provide an inclusive climate supportive of first generation, low-income and students with disabilities. 

Outside of education, Dr. Murillo has served as the Board President for the Alisal Center for the Fine Arts in Salinas, California (2013-2016) and continues to serve on the Board in various capacities. He also served as Chapter President for the Central California Chapter of the Western Association for Educational Opportunity Personnel (WESTOP) in 2014-2015.

Dr. Murillo holds a M.A. in Education with a concentration in Counseling and student Services from San Jose State University and a B.A. in Liberal Students with a minor in Spanish from CSUMB. He received his doctorate from San Francisco State University (SFSU) for his dissertation titled, "Family away from Home: Support Systems for Multi-generational Hispanic Students at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)". He received his doctorate for his dissertation titled Family away from Home: Support Systems for Multigenerational Hispanic Students at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

Courtney Paulger is program associate in science in the Teacher Professional Development program at West Ed. Before that, Dr. Paulger served as the Manager of Science Action Clubs and the STEM Afterschool Professional Development Program at the California Academy of Sciences. She began her career in education working as an informal science educator and served as a consultant and administrator in STEM education. Her research interests are in the areas of STEM access and opportunity for underrepresented youth and adults, evaluating the effectiveness of STEM programs, pathways to STEM careers, and professional development.

Dr. Paulger holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Lewis & Clark College and a Master of Science from Northeastern University. She received her doctorate for her dissertation titled Voices of Successful Women Advanced Technological Education Graduates: Counternarratives .

Mark Reibstein is currently an English teacher at Woodside High School. He has been a teacher for thirty years, with some time also as a department head, and, briefly, an administrator, in schools as diverse as Iolani in Hawaii, the Masters School of New York, an international school in Thailand, and a university in Japan. In addition, he is also a writer of children's books (notably, Wabi Sabi). His research interests are in the areas of educational reform and teacher-empowerment to generate curricular reform.

Dr. Reibstein holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queens College, received his teaching credential from UC Berkeley, and a Master of Arts in Philosophy and Education from Columbia Teachers College. He received his doctorate for his dissertation titled Amplifying Teacher Voice: Veteran High School Teachers During CCSS Implementation.

Nancy Reyes is a counselor for the Student Support Services and TRiO Program at Hartnell College in Salinas, California. Dr. Reyes' research interests include: the impact the Student Support Services / TRiO programs have on graduation and transfer rates at the community college level; the impact a community college first year experience curriculum has on first generation, low income students; the impact continuous academic advising has on students’ transfer and graduation rates.

Dr. Reyes holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish from UC Berkeley and a Master of Arts in Counselor Education from San Jose State University. She received her doctorate for her dissertation titled The Desire to Persist: Voices of First Generation Latino Community College Students.

Kathleen Schoenecker is an Administrative Systems Analyst for the IT department at Ohlone College.  Previously she worked with the Disabled Students Programs and Services at Ohlone coordinating student accommodations, provides academic and disability counseling services, and teaches math to students with learning disabilities. She serves on numerous college committees and is actively involved in the California Association for Postsecondary Education and Disability.  Dr. Schoenecker holds a B.A. in Liberal and Civic Studies from Saint Mary's College and a master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Diego State University. She received her doctorate for her dissertation titled Implementing Student Success and Support program Services in a California Community College District

Christine Solari is the Administrative Director of the Stanford Medicine Teaching and Mentoring Academy. In this role she collaborates with the faculty co-directors to oversee all aspects of the Academy's programming, which promotes excellence in teaching and mentoring through grants programs, teaching and mentoring skills training, peer coaching and mentoring programs, and appointments and promotions support.

Prior to this role, Christine served in the School of Medicine first as the Pre-clerkship Curriculum Manager in the Office of Medical Education and then as the Curriculum Administrator in the Registrar's Office. Before arriving at the School of Medicine, Christine held a variety of roles in education. Her classroom teaching experience includes serving as a lecturer at both SFSU and the College of San Mateo, as well as teaching in SFSU's Educational Opportunity Program's Summer Bridge. Her administrative experience includes serving as the Associate Director of California Campus Compact, a statewide membership organization that supports colleges and universities as they engage students in service learning, building bridges between their academic study and its application to real world problems. Additionally, she served as the director of Stanford Upward Bound, a federally-funded college access program for low-income high school students who will be the first in their families to attend college. In this role, Christine also taught Education 102: Examining Social Structures, Power and Educational Access to Stanford undergraduates selected as Youth and Education Summer Fellows. Her passion for teaching and educational equity is the common thread that runs through her professional experience.

Christine earned her B.A. in English with minors in Women's Studies and French at U.C. Davis, her M.A. in English Literature with an emphasis on teaching composition at San Francisco State University. She earned her doctorate for her dissertation titled  It's Tensious Work: A Case Study of Anti-Racist Educators.

Tram Vo-Kumamoto is the Vice President of Instruction at Berkeley City College. Prior to this appointment, she was the Dean of Science and Math at Chabot College where she provided leadership and oversight over seven different disciplines: Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics. Previously Vo-Kumamoto served as the Faculty Counselor and Coordinator for Matriculation at Chabot where her accomplishments included leading the college’s migration from paper and pencil to computer adaptive assessment, revamping the early Decision Program, and developing ‘just in time’ counseling services for students. She holds a B.A. in Psychology & Social Welfare from UC Berkeley and a M.S. in Counseling from CSU Hayward.