A graduate school is only as good as its faculty. The faculty are its lifeblood, the heart and soul of the learning, teaching, and research that takes place, and that gives a school its mission and purpose.
At USD SOLES, our faculty are both expert theorists and experienced practitioners. Many of our faculty have spent years in K-12 classrooms themselves, learning first-hand about the challenges and opportunities that come with teaching. They have been inspired to develop new curricula, conduct studies, drive research, and work with the next generation of educators to improve the quality of teacher preparation and the quality of California's classrooms.
Keep reading to learn more about what makes the SOLES faculty unique and meet five of our awesome faculty members.
The SOLES Faculty Is Committed to Social Justice
One of the most significant ways we prioritize a future-focused education for the teachers and leaders in our graduate programs is by emphasizing social justice as both a value and a practice. The changing world, the changing U.S. classroom, and the increase in social division and inequality are all signs that we need people whose minds and hearts are focused on social justice.
The mission of SOLES is to engage with students and our communities to continuously learn through inquiry and practice that supports social justice and effects meaningful change in our diverse society. We shape the future by providing inclusive education as the foundation of social justice and the means to enhance human dignity and improve the quality of life.
Many of our faculty are engaged in research and teaching on social justice issues. Here are four SOLES faculty who are pioneering methods of STEM learning for marginalized students, investigating the impact of professional development programs for teachers, and more.
Dr. Joi Spencer
Dr. Joi Spencer, Ph.D. is Associate Dean and Professor in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego. Her work sits at the intersection of mathematics education, teacher education and educational equity. She received an AERA dissertation year fellowship for her thesis, “Balancing the Equation: African American Students’ Opportunities to Learn Mathematics with Understanding in Two Central City Middle Schools.”
Her scholarly work seeks to understand and shift the mathematics learning opportunities of African American and other minority students. Spencer is also currently CO-PI on NSF’s Informal Science Learning Grant, “Bridging the World of Work and Informal STEM Education.” This study seeks to understand how we can build culturally responsive and sustaining STEM learning experiences for Latinx students.
Recently, Dr. Spencer Professor was recognized for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science by the Elementary Institute of Science for her work in the STEM fields. Check out the video profile below.
Dr. Suzanne Stolz
Dr. Suzanne Stolz, Ed.D. serves as an Assistant Professor of Special Education, working with onsite and online students. A former high school English teacher, administrator, and leader of disability programs, she has expertise in online instruction, curriculum design, school culture, inclusive education, and disability studies. Suzanne has presented her research related to the identity development of students with disabilities at national and international conferences.
Want to learn more about why Dr. Stolz is passionate about special education and disability studies? Check out our Office Hours video with Dr. Stolz below. (Office Hours is a campus wide series of casual conversations with USD professors).
She is the lead faculty member for the Online M.Ed. program's Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Inclusive Education specialization. She co-facilitated a Faculty Learning Community with the Center for Educational Excellence on UDL and continues to support UDL efforts on campus. In addition, she leads the Johnson Fellows program, an initiative to support general education teachers in better supporting students with learning disabilities. Suzanne is especially passionate about working with teachers to rethink their conceptions of disability and create inclusive school communities online and in person.
Dr. Reyes Quezada
Reyes Quezada, Ed.D. is Department Chair and Professor in the Department of Learning and Teaching. Dr. Quezada publishes and teaches in the areas of Bilingual Education, K-12 Teacher Recruitment, Issues on Faculty of Color, Instructional Models, Home-School Community Partnerships, Experiential Education and Physical Education Through Adventure Based Programs.
He has written several books on preparing educators for the unique challenges of the future including: Teaching and Supporting Migrant Children in Our Schools: A Culturally Proficient Approach and Internationalization of Teacher Education: Creating Global Competent Teachers and Teacher Educators for the 21st Century.
Dr. James Fabionar
James O. Fabionar, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor in the Department of Learning and Teaching. Dr. Fabionar’s research builds from his experiences as a former high school teacher, administrator, and cooperating teacher and explores the work of successful students and educators in challenging community and organizational contexts.
He brings critical theoretical perspectives to matters concerning vulnerable youth populations, including developing and implementing culturally responsive and socially just curriculum and instruction, extending out-of-school-time and youth development programs to low-income and marginalized populations, and building strong school-to-university pathways for historically under-served groups.
Dr. Fabionar has also been featured for Office Hours. Learn more about Dr. Fabionar and his love for the beach below!
Dr. Bobbi Hansen
Dr. Bobbi Hansen, E.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Learning and Teaching. Dr. Hansen teaches courses centered on best practice instructional strategies. Currently she is a co-investigator for a California grant with the goal of increasing student academic achievement by building sustainable professional development capacities of teachers in two urban school districts in Southern California.
Other research projects have included grants from the University of California, Berkeley and the National Corporation for Community Service to study the integration of service learning into teacher education and an investigation of GLOBE, a worldwide science educational program that unites teachers and students with an international scientific community for the purpose of studying the global environment.
Want to Become an Excellent Educator? Study with Innovative Professors
The quality of your teachers shapes what kind of teacher you become. If you're considering a teaching credential or a Master's in Education, take some time to get to know the faculty you could study under.
Reading about their backgrounds and their research interests could be the inspiration you need to direct your own passion for the field of education into a life-long career.
Want to learn more about how to become a teacher for the next generation? Download our comprehensive resource to learn more about how United States classrooms are changing, the trends shaping education, and how you can get a master's in education that prepares you for the 21st century.
Discover the future of education and your future path as a teacher today.
