FACULTY STEERING COMMITTEE
Nicole Blalock (ᎾᏍᎩᎠᎨᏴ/she/they)
Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies
nicole.blalock@csun.edu
- PAST FACULTY
Dr. Nicole Blalock (Crow, Cherokee, and Chickasaw descendant; settler-Danish and settler-English) is a first-generation professor of American Indian Studies who grew up on Cow Creek Umpqua, Tolowa Dee-ni’, and Tutuni homelands. She focuses on access, retention, and success in education, healing from intergenerational trauma, and decolonial and artivist programming and scholarship. In addition to her partnerships in Indigenous communities, she previously worked as a teacher in a school embedded in a juvenile incarceration facility with students 8 to 18 years of age.
Tracy Lachica Buenavista (she/her/hers)
Professor, Asian American Studies
tracy.buenavista@csun.edu
- *CURRENT FACULTY
Dr. Tracy Lachica Buenavista is a 1.5-generation college student and second-generation Pinay/daughter of Filipino immigrants. In her research she utilizes critical race theory to examine how race, (im)migration, and carcerality shape the educational access, retention, and experiences of BIPOC students and educators. Her community work supports undocumented immigrant students and other systems-impacted youth to persist in education and beyond.
Rosa Furumoto (she/her/hers)
Professor, Chicana/o Studies
rosa.furumoto@csun.edu
- PAST FACULTY
Dr. Rosa RiVera Furumoto is a CSUN Chicana/o Studies professor and a longtime community activist working with students and community members to address environmental justice, immigrant rights, and educational equity. She wrote the CHS Department’s undergraduate Social Science Subject Matter Waiver program and provides advice and support to K-12 teacher candidates.
Will Garrow (he/him/his)
Associate Professor, Deaf Studies
william.garrow@csun.edu
- *CURRENT FACULTY
Dr. Will Garrow is originally from upstate New York, where he was first introduced to the Deaf community through snowboarding and ever since, he has been very involved with the Deaf community. His research and activism focuses on how the intersectionality of audism and the other isms impact our society and how communities use Community Cultural Wealth to resist various forms of oppressions.
Dimpal Jain (she/her/hers)
Associate Professor, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
dimpal.jain@csun.edu
- *CURRENT FACULTY
Dr. Dimpal Jain is a daughter of immigrants and the first in her family to earn a Ph.D. She is proud of her family title of "Book Doctor." Her research explores student-of-color equity issues and the community college transfer function through a critical race framework.
Theresa Montaño (she/her/ella)
Professor, Chicana/o Studies
theresa.montano@csun.edu
- PAST FACULTY
Dr. Theresa Montaño concentrated on Ethnic Studies as a college student for Asian, Black and Chicano Pride (EPIC-CSULA). She taught Chicana/o Studies at Lincoln High School, co-chairs the Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Coalition and was a member of California’s Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Advisory Committee. A Chicana/Chicano Studies professor, Dr. Montaño is active in the California Faculty Association.
José Paez (he/him/his)
Assistant Professor, Social Work
jose.paez.84@csun.edu
- *CURRENT FACULTY
Dr. José Paez's work focuses on creating a liberation-based and intersectionality informed pedagogy and social work practice. He seeks to disrupt coloniality through involvement in various collaborations bridging community members, activists, organizers, students, and teachers. He has a background in improv theater, spoken word, and as a basketball coach.
Stevie Ruiz (he/him/his)
Assistant Professor, Chicana/o Studies
stevie.ruiz@csun.edu
- PAST FACULTY
Dr. Stevie Ruiz is an interdisciplinary teacher and scholar whose research interests lie at the intersections of comparative ethnic studies, environmental law, and land conflict in California. Dr. Ruiz came into Ethnic Studies because he believes in the principles of community and rebuilding a world that is in dire need of reconstruction.
Theresa White (she/her/hers)
Professor and Chair, Africana Studies
Director, The Black House
theresa.white@csun.edu
- PAST FACULTY
Dr. Theresa White is Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, Vice President of the CSUN Faculty Senate, Director of the Black House, Co-Chair of the Black Student Success Council, and a Commissioner for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Her research interests include Black cultural studies, Black feminist theory, film criticism, intersectionality, documentary film production, visual sociology and critical media literacy.
STUDENT COORDINATORS
Kaylee X. Josefina
Kaylee is a graduate student in CSUN’s Michael D. Eisner College of Education. Kaylee believes firmly in expanding access to undergraduate research opportunities for underrepresented students; she is also an advocate of creating welcoming environments that are inclusive of everyone, regardless of gender, race, orientation or faith.
PAST CONTRIBUTORS
Stephanie Barboza (she/her/hers)
Special Projects Liaison
Chicanx Studies and Minor in American Indian Studies
Stephanie is a first-generation student from the San Fernando Valley. She is passionate about advocating for culturally competent resources that directly impact students. She believes wholeheartedly in the positive impact that Ethnic Studies programs and faculty have on students of color and those from underrepresented communities.
Candy Escobedo (she/her/hers)
Student Programming Coordinator
Chicana/o Studies
Candy is a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants that always instilled a strong work ethic, ambition, and the importance of varied forms of education. She's worked with students of color of all ages, from toddlers to adult ESL learners in New Orleans, Santa Fe, and Los Angeles.
Genesis Velez (she/her/hers)
Student Communications Coordinator
Spanish Language/Culture and Minor in Political Science
Genesis is the ESEPP Communications Coordinator for ESEPP. She is in her last semester of school and super excited to graduate. Among her favorite things to do is try new food with her sister, box, and since she’s spending more time at home, learning to make her two favorite foods—pupusas and sushi. She is excited to work with all the amazing ESEPP students so that she can continue learning from them!