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2023 Agenda

Welcome Address

Keynote Address - Student (DAY 1) Faculty (DAY 2)

Student Research Presentations

Panel Discussions - Student Leadership (DAY 1) Educator Research (DAY 2)

Thank you to our Welcome Address Speakers!

  • Dr. Vinicio Lopez - Vice President Instruction, Skyline College
  • Danni Redding Lapuz - Dean Social Science and Creative Arts Skyline College

About our Keynote Speakers

Faculty Keynote

A. Villela-Smith

A. Villela-Smith (she/her) is a non-binary Black queer multimedia performer, producer, educator, activist, and DJ. In 2015, she graduated with her master's degree in Ethnic Studies at SF State. Since, she has been teaching comparative ethnic and Black Studies for the past six years.

A's previous research centered on Black queer media. She looked at how film and television constructed Black female masculinity and how that representation informs the lived-experiences of Black masculine of center cisgendered women. 

A has also engaged in constructing Black queer representation. Her TV series Dyke Central (2012), centered the experience of a Black masculine of center lesbian living in and navigating through Oakland queer scene.

As a performance artist, A engages in theatrical storytelling through multimedia and drag performance.

Check out more about Professor Villela-Smith

Student Keynote

Student Keynote Speaker 2023

Mowen Tan has completed her second year studying at Skyline College. She is majoring in Computer Science, and is also an international student from China. Currently, she works for the International Student Program. Whenever she has some free time, she enjoys reading books because they transport her to another world. If you have any good book recommendations, please let her know!

The research project Mowen Tan completed was a literature review of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In her keynote speech "Treasures for the Future", Mowen shared her personal experience with solitude and expressed how " Solitude does not need to be a sad thing; it gives us pause to reflect." She also described the sometimes solitary nature of the research process, stating "It is normal to feel solitary when doing research."; but also shared how a relationship with your advisor/mentor makes you feel "not alone" as the "The mentor is someone who is truly interested in supporting your growth and work."

Meet our Educator Research Panelists

M. Ricardo Flores

Dr. Ricardo Flores is an Instructional Technologist at Skyline College. He attended College of San Mateo and was a McNair Scholar at Cal State EastBay where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in Education from Stanford University’s Learning Design and Technology Program, and an Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Social Justice from San Francisco State University

A first-generation college student, Dr. Flores began his college career in 1988 in the EOPS Program and has held various positions in the San Mateo County Community College District. Currently, his research interests lie at the intersection of four main areas; educational technology, professional development, student equity, and social justice. He is specifically interested in investigating how college students from marginalized and underserved populations utilize technology for self-agency and self-advocacy. He is intrigued by the emerging challenges and opportunities the Covid-19 crisis brings about for educators and students and how technology and leadership can help create equitable experiences in the new normal. He is also interested in all things related to instructional design and technology (IDT) or instructional systems design (ISD) as it is also known and how this field of practice will evolve to meet the needs of teachers and students post 2020. At the end of the day, Dr. Flores' raison d’être is to help make the world a better place.

In addition, he is an animal lover (you may occasionally see his cute dog on campus), and enjoys traveling, meeting new people, reading epic novels, and rolling on the mats training jiujitsu.


Denise Hum

Denise Hum is a Professor in the Math Department at Skyline College and a native of the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from San Francisco State University, where she majored in Math and minored in Computer Science. She earned at Masters Degree in Statistics from Cal State EastBay.

Professor Hum started teaching in the San Mateo Community College District in 2007 and helped develop and grow several innovative courses and programs including Math Jam and Math 225 Fast Track to Calculus. 

She is an author of academic papers and presenter at national conferences and workshops, among them the 2021 National Workshop on Data Science Education and the ASEE-American Society for Engineering Education Conference where most recently in 2022 she presented a paper on the Development of an Alternate Pathway into STEM, outlining the progress of the Skyline College initiative to use Introduction to Statistics as an on-ramp to data science, computer science, engineering, and other STEM disciplines.


Mustafa Popal

Mustafa Popal is a Professor of History at Skyline College. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from University of California, Riverside and earned a Master of Arts from, California State University, East Bay.

Professor Popal started teaching at Skyline College in 2014 and teaches all of his classes through the lens of identity, which emphasizes the importance of history when attempting to understand ourselves. In an interview about the course History of Ethnic Groups in California (HIST 240), he said "Identity provides the human mind a sense of meaning, purpose and truth, all prerequisites for engaging in the day-to-day activities necessary for survival and existence."

When he isn't teaching history and leading forward new initiatives like Skyline College Comprehensive College Redesign Project, Professor Popal is passionate about music and performs as a DJ. Visitors to his office often enter to the sounds of his favorite artists.


Michael Song

Dr. Michael Song is a Professor of Biology at Skyline College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Reed College and earned his Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Song is a regular presenter at professional conferences and has been published in multiple professional journals including The American Journal of Botany, The American Fern Journal, American Naturalist, and Current Biology to name a few.

Along with his knowledge of Biology, Dr. Song has extensive language skills. In addition to English, he speaks conversational French, Russian, and Spanish and is proficient in reading Ancient Greek and Latin.


About our Alumni and Student Leadership Panelists

Allen Bustos

Allen Bustos - Skyline College Alumni

Student Intern at San Francisco State University

Former ASSC Senator & Project Change Ambassador

Chris Ceguerra

Chris Carlo-Ceguerra - Skyline College Alumni

Current Student UC Berkeley

Reporter, The Daily Californian

Former Copy and Features Editor, Skyline View

Eureka Soriano

Eureka Soriano - Skyline College Student

ASSC Commissioner of Activities

2023 Crestmoor Scholar

San Mateo County Youth Leadership Institute intern

Florence Thwe

YunMyat (Florence) Thwe - Skyline College Student

ASSC Senator

Vice President Northwest District Phi Theta Kappa

Honors Club and WISER Club


2022 Agenda

Welcome Address

Keynote Address - Faculty (DAY 1) Student (DAY 2)

Student Research Presentations

Panel Discussions - Student Leadership (DAY 1) Faculty Research (DAY 2)

Thank you to our Welcome Address Speakers!

  • Dr. Melissa Moreno - President, Skyline College
  • Gabriela Nocito - Director of the Learning Commons
  • Danni Redding Lapuz - Skyline College Interim VP Instruction

About our Keynote Speakers

Faculty Keynote

Watch John Ulloa's Keynote

John Ulloa

Professor John Ulloa’s days are spent teaching History and Cultural Anthropology at Skyline College in the world of academia, but he is also an integral member and advocate of the international Lowrider community. As a native of Modesto, California and eventual owner of six different lowriders, Ulloa began “cruising” at age 16 when he bought his first Lowrider, a ‘65 Impala Station Wagon. From that moment forward, Professor Ulloa’s passion for the sociocultural history of Lowrider, personal experiences, and research positioned him as a thoughtful and informative expert on lowrider culture.  In addition to acting as conference co-chair of the 1st Annual International Lowrider Studies Conference, Professor Ulloa presented the Opening Ceremony Seminar at The Lowrider Experience at CSU San Marcos in 2018 and was a curator for the Skyline College Art Gallery’s Lowrider Worldwide Exhibit in 2017. Additionally, Professor Ulloa led a Study Abroad course in Cuba and was the Skyline College Honors Transfer Program Coordinator until 2020.

 

Student Keynote

Watch Jonathan Mariano-Smith's Keynote

Jonathan Mariano-Smith

Jonathan Mariano-Smith studied Mechanical Engineering while at Skyline College and successfully achieved his goal to transfer to a 4 year university program. During his time at Skyline he completed 4 internships, including the nEXO internship. Jonathan also completed an honors project on Carbon Capture and Storages impact on Anthropogenic Warming and he worked as a PI Leader (tutor) in the Stem Center and a Lab Assistant in the Electronics Lab. Outside of school Jonathan likes to ride his motorcycle and live on the edge.

Meet our Faculty Research Panelists

Watch Faculty Panel Recordings

Carla Grandy

Dr. Carla Grandy is the STEM Division Dean at Skyline College.  She holds a B.S. in Environmental Geology from Texas Christian University, a M.S. in Oceanography from Oregon State University, and a PhD in Earth Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Prior to becoming the STEM Division Dean Dr. Grandy taught Earth Science, Geology, and Oceanography at community colleges. She joined the Skyline College faculty in 2014. Since joining Skyline College, Dr Grandy has served in many leadership roles at including Director of Guided Pathways and Comprehensive Redesign, Chair of the Educational Policy Committee, and Faculty Lead for the Earth Science Department.


Lynsey Hemstreet

Associate Professor Lynsey Hemstreet is a cosmetologist and educator native to the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from San Francisco State University, where she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts. Her research explores the intersection of beauty standards, gender and media.

In the salon she applies principles of technical craft to haircutting, color, and styling while developing creative approaches to career education. A two-time winner of the Skyline College President's Innovation Fund, her team created the first international service learning trip available to college cosmetology students. Lynsey earned a cosmetology certificate from College of San Mateo and has trained with industry artists from Wella, TIGI, and Redken.


Katie Hern

Dr. Katie Hern is an English Instructor at Skyline College and Co-Founder of the California Acceleration Project (CAP). CAP’s professional development programs support the state’s 115 community colleges to use high school grades for placement, replace stand-alone remedial courses with corequisite models, implement math pathways, and teach with high-challenge, high-support pedagogy. In 2016, the Washington Monthly named Dr. Hern and CAP co-founder Myra Snell to their list of the “16 Most Innovative People in Higher Education.” Dr. Hern’s most recent publication Getting There focuses on the implementation of AB 705 across California. She has published 20 articles, book chapters, and reports.

Dr. Hern holds a doctorate and master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Mills College, a master’s degree in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from New York University. Her past roles include serving as an English faculty member at Chabot College, Co-Director of California’s Faculty Inquiry Network, and Dean of Academic Affairs at John F. Kennedy University.


Shaun Perisho

Dr. Shaun Perisho is currently a Professor in the Psychology Department at Skyline College. He studied Physics as an undergraduate student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, then completed his PhD in Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Perisho has conducted research on sea lion behavior in the Florida Keys, social dynamics of pigs at the University of Pennsylvania, and dolphin echolocation for the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program. His primary research interests include stress-coping strategies and fractal dynamics in mammal behavior.


Nicole Porter

Dr. Nicole Porter holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from University of the Pacific, Stockton, California where she did a study on perceptions of race, ethnicity and culture, a M.A. in Cross-Cultural Teaching from National University, La Jolla, California and a B.A. in Communication Disorders from Eastern Washington University, Cheney, Washington.

Dr. Porter is a servant leader and strives to see her colleagues and students become “Producers of Education”. Her recent study of race, ethnicity, and culture led her to further work in developing, “Critically Reflective Cultural Practitioners”.


Kolo Wamba

Dr. Kolo Wamba is an educator and Professor Physics at Skyline College, and technology professional with experience in the semiconductor equipment and radiation detector industries. Along with teaching Physics, Professor Wamba co-leads along with Professor Emilie Hein, the Skyline nEXO group which contributes to the ongoing detector research and development and analysis efforts currently taking place at SLAC and at Stanford.

Dr. Wamba holds a B.S. in Applied Physics from Columbia University in New York City, a M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University where his dissertation title was “Aspects of the R&D for the Enriched Xenon Observatory for Double Beta Decay.


About our Student Leadership Panelists

Allen Bustos

Allen Bustos

ASSC Student Senator

Project Change Ambassador

Curtis Chow

Curtis Chow

Honors Transfer Club President

Tara Grover

Tara Grover

ASSC Student Senator

Sustainability Intern

Shannon Hoang

Shannon Hoang

ASSC Commissioner of Activities 

nEXO Intern

Benjamin-Rafael Mingoa

Benjamin-Rafael Mingoa

Peer Instructor

Biology & Chemistry Scholar


2021 Agenda

Welcome Address

Skyline Faculty Research Panel

Student Research Presentations

Keynote Address

Student Leadership Panel

Thank you to our Welcome Address Speakers!

  • Danni Redding Lapuz - Skyline College Dean, Social Science/Creative Arts
  • Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza - Vice President Instruction, Skyline College
  • Dr. Melissa Moreno - President, Skyline College

About our Keynote Speaker

Dr. Shaun Perisho

Dr. Shaun Perisho is currently a Professor in the Psychology Department at Skyline College. He studied Physics as an undergraduate student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, then completed his PhD in Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Perisho has conducted research on sea lion behavior in the Florida Keys, social dynamics of pigs at the University of Pennsylvania, and dolphin echolocation for the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program. His primary research interests include stress-coping strategies and fractal dynamics in mammal behavior.

Meet our Faculty Research Panelists

Dr. Liza Erpelo

Dr. Liza Marie S. Erpelo (English) has been at Skyline College since 2003, teaching the range of English courses as well courses on Filipino American literature, Asian American literature, queer literature, and comic books/graphic novels. She is the coordinator of the Kababayan Learning Community (KLC) at Skyline College, which focuses on the Filipinx and Filipinx American student experience.

Dr. Erpelo completed her Educational Doctorate in Educational Leadership at SFSU in Fall 2020. Her project "Kababayan of Care: Growing Our Own Connectedness, Consciousness, and Collective Story" examines how the culturally responsive pedagogy practiced in the KLC classrooms provides students with a place to develop their sense of self and belonging, and essentially, their academic success.


Dr. Tony Jackson

Dr. Tony Jackson's (Psychology) experience includes graduate and undergraduate instruction. He is part of the ASTEP family at Skyline, and assisted in developing the GROWTH handbook, Adewole Project and ASTEP Math Academy. Research includes violence prevention, Afro-centric treatment models, neuropsychology and brain wellness. He serves as President of the Bay Area Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists, Co-Clinical Director of PranaMind Center and served as Executive Director of the Therapists In Residence Program. Dr. “J” also serves on the boards of the LoveNotBlood campaign and the African American Health and Wellness Committee for Alameda County.

Dr. J (aka “Tone”) grew up in gang-ridden O.G. Crip territory in South Central L.A. Stanley “Tookey” Williams was part of Tone’s neighborhood. He was asked to speak in protest of Tookey’s execution with notables including Joan Baez and Angela Davis. Dr. Jackson’s experience growing up in south central Los Angeles has been a catalyst for his work in treatment of trauma, substance abuse prevention, counseling, gang intervention, jegnaship and music production focusing on positive imagery and lyrical content.


Prof. Kaylee Matheny

Professor Kaylee Matheny (Sociology) earned her BA in Sociology and Creative Writing from Emory University, after which she taught high school English for two years in her hometown of Griffin, Georgia. She earned her MA in Sociology from Stanford University, where she is currently a PhD candidate in Sociology of Education and Education Policy. At Skyline, Professor Matheny has taught Introduction to Sociology, Contemporary Social Problems, and Introduction to Research Methods. In her research, Professor Matheny uses mixed methods to study the relationship between socioeconomic status and educational experiences and outcomes. She has projects using national data to understand recent trends in educational achievement, a project analyzing the impact of offering the Pell Grant to fund dual enrollment, and a project to understand how parents from different social class backgrounds and in different places conceptualize their children’s postsecondary pathways. When she is not interviewing participants or fixing an error in her code, Professor Matheny loves to cook, read, and play board games.


About our Student Leadership Panelists

James Joseph

James Joseph

Psi Beta President

Ryan Luong

Ryan Luong

Honors Transfer Club President

Noreen Singh

Noreen Singh

McNair Scholar, Skyline Alumni

CSU Stanislaus (Psychology)