Cal State LA proudly welcomes an exceptional group of new tenure-track professors.
Cal State LA's New Faculty - Fall 2024
Veronica Ahmed, Ph.D.
English
Education
- Ph.D., Purdue University
Research Interests
Black and feminist bookstores, 20th and 21st Century Black literature, Literature and Gender, Literary Activism, Black girlhood studies, Qualitative Research Methods, Black literacy, History of the Anthology/Collections, Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies, Feminist Publishing History.
Final Project Title
Literary Kinship: An Examination of Black Women Writer-Activists’ Networks of Literary Activity, Community Care, Activism, and Healing in the 20th and 21st Centuries
Hometown
Atlanta, GA
Jeannette Vaught, Ph.D.
Liberal Studies
Education
- Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
Research Interests
Environmental Studies, Science and Technology Studies, Human-Animal Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies
Dissertation Title
Science, Animals, and Profit-Making in the American Rodeo Arena
Hometown
Nokesville, VA
Seolah Kim, Ph.D.
Economics & Statistics
Education
- Ph.D., University of California, Riverside
Research Interests
Applied Econometrics
Dissertation Title
Three Essays on Nonparametric Hypothesis Testing
Hometown
South Korea
Natalie Liberman, Ph.D.
Management
Education
- Ph.D., Washington State University
Research Interests
Restorative Justice Organizational Behavior Inclusion and Belonging
Dissertation Title
Managerial Reintegration in the Workplace: A Restorative Justice Approach
Hometown
San Fernando Valley, CA
Kelly Eunjung Yoon, Ph.D.
Marketing
Education
- Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
Research Interests
Digital and Social Media Marketing
Dissertation Title
How Posting Goal-related Photos on Social Media Affects Consumer Goal Motivation: The Divergent Effects of Photos About Goal Intent versus Goal Pursuit
Hometown
Seoul, South Korea
Daniel Garzón, Ph.D.
Curriculum & Instruction
Education
- Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder
Research Interests
Bilingual Education, Language Policy, Language Ideologies, Teacher Education
Dissertation Title
Languaging in Miami in Restrictive Times: A Letter of Hope
Hometown
Miami, FL
Jeong Han Kim, Ph.D.
Special Education and Counseling
Education
- Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Interests
Psychosocial Adaptation to Chronic Illness and Disability
Dissertation Title
Virtue and Character Strengths, Coping, and Quality of Life for People with Chronic Illness and Disability
Hometown
Busan, South Korea
Sarah Manchanda, Ph.D.
Special Education and Counseling
Education
- Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Research Interests
1) Stigma-based bullying, bystander intervention, and youths' moral reasoning; 2) Promoting teacher diversity and wellbeing; and 3) Universal design for learning and pedagogical strategies to foster inclusion in higher education br />
Dissertation Title
A Mixed-Methods Exploration of the Ethical “Grey Areas” in Bullying and Bystander Intervention: Centering the Perspectives of Youth with Specific Learning Disabilities
Hometown
Cerritos, CA
Mark Baldwin, Ph.D.
Computer Science
Education
- Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Research Interests
Human Computer Interaction, Assistive Technology, Participatory Design
Dissertation Title
Human Computer Interaction, Assistive Technology, Participatory Design
Hometown
Chicago, IL
Jesus Beltran, Ph.D.
Computer Science
Education
- Ph.D., Center of Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada (CICESE)
Research Interests
AI, ML, Optimization with applications in drug discovery and design, health informatics, Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HCAI)
Dissertation Title
Methods for optimal selection of molecular descriptors for classification of antimicrobial activity and design of new peptides
Hometown
Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico
Joseph Lucey, Ph.D.
Civil Engineering
Education
- Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Research Interests
Coastal Engineering
Dissertation Title
Characterizing Compound Coastal Flood Risk in Urbanized Communities: A Multivariate Approach
Hometown
Los Angeles, CA
Lourdes Alberto, Ph.D.
Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies
Education
- Ph.D., Rice University
Research Interests
Cultural Studies, Indigenous Studies
Dissertation Title
Mexican American Indigeneities
Hometown
Los Angeles, CA
Eurina Cha, Ph.D.
Nursing
Education
- Ph.D., Walden University
Research Interests
Immigrants and minority's health disparity, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders' health, Korean-Americans health access, Integrated nursing education, virtual learning
Dissertation Title
Korean immigrant women's perceptions of cervical cancer screening in Hawaii
Hometown
I was born and raised in Seoul Korea. Later our family immigrated to Hawaii when I was 19 years old.
Joelle May, Ph.D.
Public Health
Education
- Ph.D., UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management
Research Interests
Modifiable and policy-relevant factors that influence health behavior and health outcomes, including disparities in health and access to care, social and environmental determinants of health, health behaviors, and chronic health conditions.
Dissertation Title
Examining Obesogenic Behavior Through the Lense of the Food Environment
Hometown
Newport Beach, CA
Ming-Chih 'Darren' Sung, Ph.D.
Kinesiology & Nutritional Sciences
Education
- Ph.D., Oregon State University
Research Interests
Enhancing motor behaviors and cognitive function of individuals with developmental disabilities through physical activity.
Dissertation Title
Cross-cultural Comparison and Relationship of Motor Skills and Executive Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Taiwan and the United States
Hometown
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Andrew Aman, Ph.D.
Biological Sciences
Education
- Ph.D., University of Utah
Research Interests
Development and evolution
Dissertation Title
Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates multiple aspects of lateral line morphogenesis
Hometown
Pocatello, ID
Crystal Slanzi, Ph.D.
Psychology
Education
- Ph.D., University of Florida
Research Interests
Behavioral assessment and intervention in mental health, maternal and child health, and inclusionary practices
Dissertation Title
Further Evaluation of the Extended No-Interaction Condition as a Screening for Behavioral Function
Hometown
Hope, BC, Canada
Katie Perry, MLIS
Library and Information Science
Education
- MLIS, San Jose State University
Research Interests
Information Literacy, History of Black Librarianship, and Multiracial Identity in Data
Hometown
Los Angeles, CA
Ariana Varela, MLIS
Library and Information Science
Education
- MLIS, San Jose State University
Research Interests
feminist pedagogy in library instruction, critical information literacy, and student-centered approaches to instruction and outreach
Hometown
Downey, CA
Alice Chou, M.S.
Health Center
Education
- M.S. in Counseling, California State University, Los Angeles
Research Interests
Decolonizing mental health, destigmatizing mental health, service utilization in minoritized and marginalized populations, cultural identity, disability and independent living, developmental pathways, trauma, intergenerational trauma, suicidology, psychopathology in minoritized and marginalized populations.
Hometown
Los Angeles, CA
Manny Estrada, M.S.
Psychology
Efrain Kuk, M.S.
Psychology
Education
- M.S., California State University, Long Beach
Hometown
Los Angeles, CA
Elizabeth Mendez, M.S.
Psychology
Katherine Santana, M.S.
Psychology