Dissertations

We are proud to provide access to the dissertations that our students have written as part of the requirement for their doctoral degree. Below is a list by cohort of titles with a link to ScholarWorks, a searchable database where the actual dissertations are available. To search our full collection of doctoral dissertations, you can follow the link to ScholarWorks.

Cohort 13: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2022

2019 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2022
Graduate Dissertation Title
Thomas Bauer For Classrooms Rooted in Love, Liberation, and Justice: An Examination of White Teachers Walking the Winding Path Toward Transformative Practices

Emily Borg

Navigating Personal and Organizational Ruptures in Social Justice Movements: An Intimate Inquiry
Jamie M. Chan Exploring the Development of BIPOC Preservice Teacher's Pedagogical Practices and Identity During a Linguistic and Equity Focused Science Teaching Practicum Course
Danny Chau "What More Can I Do?": The Lived Experiences and Psychological Well-Being of Chinese American University Students
Kelly Fletes Homegrown: Testimonios of Latinx College Students in a Culturally Affirming FYE Summer Bridge Program
Ricardo M. Flores Flexible Learning Environments: Minoritized College Students' Experiences in HyFlex
Pamela Galano Building Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Structures at an Alternative High School
Ashlee Gutierrez Dreaming New Possibilities: Humanizing Leadership and the Path to Liberation in TK–12 Schools
Tatiana Harrison Funds of Knowledge in Carceral Secondary Mathematics Learning
Wesley Hingano "Hella Tongan - Hella Oakland"; Lived Experiences and Educational Reflections of Young Tongan Men in Deep East Oakland, California
Larissa Hsia-Wong Finding My People and Finding Myself—How Kindergarten Teachers of Color Humanize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Independent Schools
Philonda Johnson-Grant Un/Spoken Maps: How Black Women Principals Experience and Respond to Anti-Black Linguistic Racism
Gokce Kasikci  
Debby Lu Which Elementary Schools Benefit From Philanthropy in California's Sixth Largest District? Implications for Educational Equity
Steven Petelo Talanoa Analysis of Justice System Impacted Tongan Students' Experiences in Community College
Edrina Rashidi  
Roberto Renteria Navegando El Doctorado as First-Generation Latinx Male Doctoral Students
Hossein Ray Saray Peer Mentorship In Interdisciplinary STEM Education: The Underrepresented Groups Experience
Ruby Turalba

Cohort 12: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2021

2018 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2021
Graduate Dissertation Title
Richard D. Bridges Examining Positive Outcomes: What Makes Black Learning Communities So Successful
Melody Qu Chen Social Justice and Diversity Issues in a Chinese Language Program at the University Level
Dayamudra (Ann) Dennehy Educate, agitate, organize: grassroots Dalit educators transforming learning in south India
Isauro Michael Escamilla

Learning stories—Improving dual-language instruction, assessment, and teacher inquiry in preschool education

Mathew Espinosa Toward Linguistically Responsive Leadership
Samantha Kessler The Virtual Front Door: How Digital inequities Impact Access to Online Education
Andrew King

How classroom interactions affect student engagement and completion in community college transfer courses by race and discipline

Elizabeth (Libby) McDonagh

"We Were the Outcasts Together": Academic Identity in Latinx Continuation School Students

Ellen Murray Assessing the Geography of College Opportunity in California: The Impact of Place, Race, and Socioeconomic Standing in the Postsecondary Trajectories of a Sample of Californian Students
Iris Phillips

#BlackGirlTelling: Affirmation Through Black Feminist Digital Activism

Yohana Quiroz

Trascendiendo barreras—Testimonios of Latina leaders in early care and education

Gwendolyn DeWees (Rehling)

Caught in the Intersection: Educational Trajectories of Emerging Bilingual High School Students With Disabilities

Rochelle Reodica

In-Between: Centering Lived Experiences of Multiracial Students in Independent Schools

Sylvia Rodriguez Douglass

"Tricky" and "Intense:" Examining educators' perception of the "Ability Line" in a high-performing, independent school

Christian Jesus Rubalcaba

Diversifying k-12 school leadership through culturally responsive mentoring and sociopolitical consciousness

Candice Paul One Caring Adult: Factors Affecting Teacher's Experiences During Social Emotional Learning Implementation
Florentino Ubungen

Kapwa: A Qualitative Study on Filipino American Male Community College Students

Julie Yick-Koppel

Ethnic Studies and Creating Transformative Change in California Schools

Cohort 11: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2020

2017 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2020
Graduate Dissertation Title
Ishman Anderson Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z: T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. and My Other Brother (MOB) as Revolutionary Praxis 
Milena Angelova The Effect of AB 705 Requirements for Co-requisite Course Work on the Equitable Success of Students
Jesus Angulo Intracultural Bullying Among Latinx High School Students: Building Safe Learning Communities Through Cultural Wealth Leadership
Denicia Carlay The Power of Youth Voice: A Critical Analysis of the Foster Care Experience and Implications for Educators
Sushini Chand

Hamari kahani – Indo-Fijian American Women in higher education leadership

Christopher Collins Structural Racism Disguised as (Micro)Agressions: A Narrative Inquiry into the Lived Experience of Men of Color
Eleanor M. Cundiff

Understanding principals' agency in reducing teacher attrition in high-poverty schools: a multicase study

Isabel Eliaschev Understanding Dual Language Learners in Atlanta: Voices from Venezuelan and Latinx Families
Liza Erpelo Kababayan of Care: Growing our Own Connectedness, Consciousness, and Collective Story
Michelle Ferrer A Love Letter Written on Bamboo: Centering Educators' Stories on Restorative Justice
Erika Flores First-Year Latinx Students Navigating Mathematics Course Selection and AB 705 During Year 1 Implementation
Lauren Ford The Development of Positive Mathematical Attitudes and Fifth Grade Female Students
Sarait Martinez Ortega Voices of Indigenous Resistance: Indigeneity and Schooling in Rural California
Silindra McRay Mitigating the Classroom Effects of Implicit Bias on Minority Student Achievement
Martha Melgoza Moving Beyond the Self: Veteran Early Childcare Educator Leaders Reconceptualize Family Engagement
Elisa Meza Transforming Systems from Within: Experiences of Practitioners of Color in Elementary Schools
Jones Molina Nurturing Neighborhood Spirit: Culturally Responsive Mentorship in Community-Based Educational Spaces (CBES)
Lee Porscha Moore (In)Visible Magic: Narratives of Black Girls’ Experience Developing and Negotiating Their Academic Identity
Nathaniel Nevado I Got A Story to Tell: How Hip Hop Pedagogy Informs College Counseling Practices
Theresa Micha Kasumi Oda-Burns Identities and Experiences of California Community College Students Using Accessibility Support Services
Adam Paulson Evaluating the Effectiveness of Blended Learning for Historically Underrepresented High School Students
D'Andrea Robinson Queens Gettin' Lit! A Strategy for Black Elementary School Girls in Education
Laurie Robinson Positioning and Repositioning: Developing Teacher Identities for a More Positive Positioning of Students Learning English
Norma Salcedo “I Know I Can Count on Them”: A Program Evaluation of an Undocumented Student Resource Center
Harjot Sawhney Self-Study Exploring Pedagogy to Engage Community College Students in Chemistry
Haneefah Shuaibe-Peters Black Women Leaders in Early Childhood Education: Understanding Our Ethic of Care
Leslie Tresun Local District Decision-making -- Student Voice and the Role of Community Organizations
Ashley Waggle Educational Experiences of Students Learning English: Deconstructing Barriers
Ashley Williams Advancing Teacher Preparation Reform: A Study of EDvance and ECE Teacher Competencies
Crystal Wong Student Engagement Through the Lenses of Five First-Generation College Freshmen
Daniel Zarazua Creating Healthy High School Teacher-Student Relationships Through an Ethic of Care

Cohort 10: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2019

2016 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2019
Graduate Dissertation Title
Ana Maria Barrera Testimonios of Undocumented Students in Higher Education: A Critical Latina Feminist Phenomenology
Sheryl Cavales Doolan Equity-Oriented Instructor Perspectives on Teaching Developmental English in the Community College
Charles La Von Cole III Beyond Grit and Resilience: How Black Men Impacted by the Crack Epidemic Succeeded Against the Odds and Obtained Doctoral Degrees
Tabitha Conaway "You Gotta Care": Hearing the Stories of Previously Incarcerated Youth in Community College
Samyalisa Enright Early Childhood Educational Leaders' Views on Preschool Discipline, Suspension, and Expulsion
Landon Hill Re-thinkin' Language Rules: The Educational and Psychological Impacts of African American Students Navigating Various Language Practices
Alexander Jones California State University Education to Employment Pipeline
Marilyn Jones The Comeback Queens: Understanding Black Women's Transition from Incarceration to Higher Education
Janeen Malatesta Integrating a College Transition Curriculum Into Senior English: Increasing Access & Persistence
Mary Reynolds Supporting Girls Towards the Development of Positive Mathematical Identity
Mallory Stevens AB 288 Dual Enrollment: From Policy to Practice

Cohort 9: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2018

2015 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2018
Graduate Dissertation Title
Ronald J Andrade The Influence of Validation on Academic Outcomes for Oceania Community College Students
Gina Carole Baleria Counteracting Othering: Increasing Belonging & Curiosity to Improve Student Success
John Ballard Anti-Racist Leadership in a High Performing Public High School: A Design-based Study of Detracking Mathematics
Wissem Chefai Bennani Contributors to the Successful Transfer of International Community College Students
Donald Frazier A Symbolic Interactionist Analysis of Undercredited Black Males' Socio-Academic Realities at a High-Achieving Public High School
Jose Lopez The Effects of Service-Learning on the Academic Success of First-Generation College Students
Vanson Nguyen Co-Constructing Power Relations in a Community College Mathematics Classroom
Roam Romagnoli Decarcerating California: A Critical Trans Politics Approach to Prison Higher Education
Arielle Joelle Smith Social Reproduction in the Community College Classroom

Cohort 8: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2017

2014 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2017
Graduate Dissertation Title
Melissa Padilla Cervantes Program Evaluation: Gaining Access 'N Academic Success
Heather Clary-Wheeler Using Student Voice to Scale Up Success at Suburban Schools for Black and Latino Students
Alejandro Guerrero Identifying Transformative Teaching Practices for Chican@/Latin@ Community College Students
Nolan Higdon Effective Critical Media Literacy Pedagogy in Higher Education: Turning Social Justice Theory into Practice
Katrina Keating Noncognitive Variables for Placement: A Randomized Control Trial
Nancy Martinsen Taking Notice: The Lived Experiences of Pacific Islander Students in Higher Education
Vanessa Mercado Food and Housing Insecurity Among Students at a Community College District
Laurie Murdock Exploring Teacher Learning Processes Within a Community of Practice to Serve Latina/o Biliterate Students
Robert Nakamoto Pedagogy of Racial Dissonance: Managing and Counteracting Implicit Racial Bias in Education
Marlai Ouch Patterns of Academic Success of Southeast Asian Americans
Janine Saunders Educational Experiences of Incarcerated Youth: Doing School While Doing Time
Janelle Waldrep Strengths of First-Generation College Students in Education Abroad
Brittany Anais Wiley

Parables of Passing and Pedagogy: A Practitioner Study of Teaching Africana Literature Online

Cohort 7: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2016

2013 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2016
Graduate Dissertation Title
Trisha Gonzales-Waters Therapeutic Classrooms as Refuge for Students with Behavioral Problems
Julie Jang Special Education Transition: Preparing Students with Learning Disabilities for Post-Secondary Education
David Lee Predictive Validity of TOOLS
Clyde Lewis When 1st Feels Like 2nd: Understanding the Experiences and Academic Journey of California State University First Generation Doctoral Students
Lillian Marrujo-Duck Talking Ourselves into Outcomes: Teaching, Learning, and Equity in California Community Colleges
Billy Martin A Case Study Investigation of Practices and Beliefs of Teachers at a STEM-Focused Elementary School
Angela Meeker "Just Showing our Culture": Latino/a Students Constructing Counter-stories Through Baile Folklórico
Joshua Pong Effects of a Comprehensive Array of Droupout-Prevention Interventions: Responders vs. Non-Responders
Holly Royaltey Level Up: Dual Enrollment in the AVID and International Baccalaureate Programs 
Valerie Royaltey-Quandt Preparing Educational Leaders for Queer Inclusion in Schools
Supinda Sirihekaphong Resurfacing Race: Recruitment & Retention of Faculty in the California Community Colleges
Maia Steward Collective Critical Conversations: A Pilot Study to Address Equity in a Suburban Teacher Induction Program
Timothy Weekes Culture and Character: A Case Study Analysis of Three High-Performing California Charter Schools Serving Minority and Low-Income Students

Cohort 6: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2015

2012 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2015
Graduate Dissertation Title
Francisco Castillo Baccalaureate Completion for AD-T Business Administration Students at San José State University
Lori Capizzi Implementation for Students in Foster Care: A Case Study of Three School Districts
Omar Murillo Family Away from Home: Support Systems for Multi-Generational Hispanic Students at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)
Courtney Paulger Voices of Successful Women Advanced Technological Education Graduates: Counternarratives
Mark Reibstein Amplifying Teacher Voice: Veteran High School Teachers During CCSS Implementation
Nancy Reyes The Desire to Persist: Voices of First-Generation Latino Community College Students
Kathleen Schoenecker Implementing Student Success and Support Program Services in a California Community College District
Christine Solari "It's Tensious Work": A Case Study of Anti-Racist Educators
Mary Streshly Change Leadership and Female Superintendents

Cohort 5: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2014

2011 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2014
Graduate Dissertation Title
Diana Balgas Predictive Factors in Baccalaureate Degree Attainment Among Latin@ College Students
Darren Battaglia Teacher and Organizational Characteristics Predict Teacher Retention
Eric Claravall Creating and Sustaining Classroom Knowledge Through Teacher Research: Morphology as Design Intervention for Struggling Learners
Megan Corry The Evolution of Crisis at City College of San Francisco
Meredith Dillon Male Pacific Islander Student-Athletes at the California Community College
Ana Gutierrez Bridging the Community College Divide: Developing Homegrown Educators in Salinas
Jeanine Hawk Show Me the Money: Investment in Equitable Outcomes for California Community College Students
Carol Hill Putting the Community in Community Schools
Armineh Noravian Building Technical Capital Among Community College Students In Advanced Technological Education
Avani Patel An Evaluation Study of Ravenswood's Youth Transitioning To and Through High School
Carissa Purnell Amor Sin Condiciones: The Impact of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy on Latin@ Students
Kelvin Quan Academic Journeys of Chinese American High School Girls and Their Immigrant Parents
Marla Williams Dollars and Sense: Examining Academic Investments in Urban Continuation School Programs
Rebecca Wong Factors That Promote the Adoption of Acceleration Among Community College Mathematics Faculty

Cohort 4: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2013

2010 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2013
Graduate Dissertation Title
Lael Adediji Transfer Students: Actions for Success and Perceptions of University Support
Jeffery Alves Technology Practices of High School Social Science Teachers in Socioeconomically Diverse Classrooms
Blanca Arteaga It's About Being Genuine and Having Heart: Latinos' Perspectives of College Counseling
Brenda Bachechi How Teacher's Efficacy Impacts Their Attitude Towards the Inclusion of All Learners
Kathrina Bell Similar Goals & Dueling Agendas: Perceptions of Campus Internationalization and Equity Policies
Thomas Drescher The Impacts of Differential Resources in California Basic Aid Elementary School Districts
Lisa Everett Re-envisioning Professional Development: A Case Study of a California Community College
Jacqueline Vo Felbinger Examining the Association of District Size and the Opportunity Gap: A Mixed Methods Study
Andrea Goldfien Planting Seeds for Implementation: Expanding Access Through Community College STEM Bridge Programs
Rama Kased Countering Oppression: Examining Metro's Model of Social Justice Education
Julissa Mendoza Gonzalez Harvesting Hope Through La Corrida: The Experiences of Highly Mobile Migrant High School Students
Macheo Payne The Three Commitments: Critical Race Theory and Disproportionate Suspension of Black Males
Richard Ramos Stopping at the Starting Line: Community College Students Who Apply But Do Not Enroll
Damien Robinson Out of the Mouths of Babes: Hope & Hopelessness in Middle School Students of Color
Tara Taupier In Other's Words: How Important is Critical Pedagogy For Students of Color in a Suburban High School?
Anjanette Winckler The Role of the Principal at High Performing Title I Schools

Cohort 3: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2012

2009 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2012
Graduate Dissertation Title
Lisa M. Andrew Professional Development That Prepares Administrators to Lead Organizational Change
Scott Cline Impact of the Institutional Financial Aid Process on Students of Color
Dayo M. Diggs "Planned Happenstance": African American Retention Programs Promoting Completion With Cultural Relevant Pedagogy
Jefferson L. Flowers Understanding and Unlocking the Potential of Online Academic Advising
Theresa E. Hansen Promising Pedagogical Practices in African American Learning Communities
Jeanne Louise Knapp An Analysis of Environmental Sustainability Instruction in California Public High Schools
Savita Malik Engaging in the Beautiful Struggle: Influence of Faculty Learning Communities on Teaching
Joseph McCreary One School's Journey Through Understanding and Implementing Culturally Relevant Teaching Practices: A Principal's Perspective
Deepa Mukherjee Implementation and Impact of State-Mandated Intervention for Schools in Program Improvement
Roseann Myers Promising Student Services Practices in the African American Learning Community
Victoria M. Quijano Writing in Disciplines: A Study of an Upper Division Writing Assessment Policy at SFSU
Laurie Ann Scolari First-Generation Students of Color: Easing Their Transition to Community College
Darrick A. Smith Staff Culture and School Transformation: Enabling at a Small School for Equity
Lygia Stebbing Supporting Diversity in the Early Childhood Workforce
Kelly M. Stuart Taking Science to Afterschool: Supporting Identity Development for Low-Income Latino Youth
Patricia Sullivan A Trail of Breadcrumbs: Black Early Childhood Education Student Success in Higher Education
Lisa A. Thomas A Phenomenological Study: An Analysis of No Confidence Votes Among Presidents in California Community Colleges
Sharon Turner Community Based Organizations as Initiators of Partnerships with Community Colleges
Lorianne R. Ventura Impact of Timing of Algebra on Future Mathematics Achievement
Maria D. Villanueva Transforming Parents, Students, and Community: A Case Study of the Madres Involucradas Program

Cohort 2: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2011

2008 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2011
Graduate Dissertation Title
Gwen Agustin Response to Intervention: Moving Towards Equity and Social Justice in Special Education
Arlene Daus Magbual Courageous Hope: Critical Leadership Praxis of Pin@y Educational Partnerships
Lawrence Edwardson Adult ESL Learner Transition: Insights into Participation in a Community of Practice
Luis Escobar Breaking Barriers: A Qualitative Study of the Educational and Social Transformational Experiences of Latino Males
Vidrale Franklin The Perspectives and Experiences of African American Female Elementary School Principals
Michael Gallagher Compassion, Accountability, and Collaboration: Effective Teachers in High Poverty Schools
Angélica Garcia Ser Educada: The Persistence and Resistance Strategies of First-Generation Latinas
Raymond Kaupp The Gap Between Latino and White Student Achievement in Online Classes
Amy Lee Negotiating Space: Critical Race Counterstories of First-Generation College Students of Color
Pamela Mery A Mixed Methods Study of a Statistics Pathway for Community College Students Placed into Developmental Mathematics
Susan Myers Community College Counseling, Student Education Plans, and Educational Outcomes : A Quantitative Analysis

Cohort 1: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2010

2007 Cohort: Dissertations from the Graduation Class of 2010
Graduate Dissertation Title
Deborah Budd Institutional Effectiveness and the Relationship to African American and Latino Transfer Rates
Michelle Donohue Supervision and Career Advancement of Women in Higher Education Administration
Janet L. Egiziano How Gendered Values Impact Institutional Effectiveness: A Case Study of Leadership
Matthew Harris Impactful Student Learning Outcomes of One-to-One Student Laptop Programs in Low Socioeconomic Schools
Matt Kritscher How Peer Mentors Affect the Persistence of Community College Students of Color
Vincent Matthews The Impact of Results Based Budgeting on the Oakland Unified School District
Alexis Montevirgen Consciousness, Resistance, and Praxis: Counter-Narratives of Transformative Leaders of Color
Newin Orante Transformative Leadership and Resistance: (Re)Constructing Self as Leader in Today's Community College
Curt Sanford Inquiries into L2 Writing Practice: Professional Learning Communities in Community College ESL
Stacey Shears Understanding African American Community College Transfer Students' Experiences: A Qualitative Case Study
William Watson Latino Educational Attainment in a California Community College: The Impact of Social Capital