Fellows 2023-24

Agustín Cervantes, Ed.D., is responsible for the management and leadership of all
functions pertaining to outreach, community relations, academic and career advisement, and statewide credential (licensing) processing operations. He also teaches courses in Educational Foundations and Urban Studies. In 2022, he was appointed to serve as a member of the Committee on Accreditation by the California Commission on teacher credentialing. He currently serves as a board member for the Los Angeles Community Impact Hub Advisory Council, which is supporting the establishment of 12 Teen Tech Centers in Los Angeles County. In 2012, he was named “Educator of the Year” by the Association for Mexican American Educators, Inc. – Silicon Valley Chapter. His research interests include competency-based learning, andragogical strategies, social capital and civic engagement, as well as teacher recruitment, retention, and motivation. Agustín holds two bachelor’s degrees in urban studies and Spanish and Portuguese, and a master’s degree in education from Stanford University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Paula Fonacier Tang conducts fiscal and policy analysis for the Department of Finance where she serves as fiscal advisor to the Administration on various state K-12 education issues. Her policy areas include the Department of Education state operations, State Board of Education, community schools, children’s mental health, and the coordination of federal funds. In previous roles, Paula served as a college access advisor for first-generation and low-income youth through the federal TRIO Programs, and as a consultant for the UC Office of the President where she completed a policy analysis on UC college outreach and academic preparation programs. Paula earned her master’s in public policy from UC Berkeley and a bachelor’s in sociology with a minor in community development from UC Davis.

Jessica Howard is a native Angeleno who has led innovative public-private education policy partnerships for the past decade. As Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives at Calbright College, she is co-constructing the future of higher education and economic opportunity for working adult learners. During her role as CEO of the Californians Dedicated to Education (CDE) Foundation, Jessica channeled millions of philanthropic dollars to seed pilot programs which were ultimately sustained as state-funded, system-level initiatives in partnership with the California Department of Education. Her work has grown a more diverse and supported educator workforce, increased the quality and accessibility of STEAM learning, rallied support for more equitable standards implementation, enhanced labor-management collaboration, reinvented state accountability standards, and brought private and public funders together to better resource California’s teachers, students, and schools. She holds a master’s in education policy from the University of Pennsylvania, a bachelor’s in art history from Williams College, and is a former Education Pioneers fellow. Jessica is a founding board member of the New Leaders Council Los Angeles Chapter and of Shero’s Rise, which empowers girls in underserved communities through educational programming and meaningful mentorship to activate their inner strengths and guide their journey of internal discovery.

Michelle collaborates with community partners to ensure every San Diego student can achieve their aspiration of a post-secondary education. Michelle directs the foundation’s strategies and investments in K-12, expanded learning, teacher diversity and college pathways. She is a member of the Grantmakers for Education, OST Impact Group Steering Committee and active member of California Education Funders Collaborative. She previously served as Director of Communications for the San Diego Housing Federation where she led advocacy efforts around affordable housing and sustainable land-use policies. As Director of Programs for the U.S.-Mexico Philanthropy Partnership, she supported a binational network of 21 community foundations working to build philanthropy and community leadership in the borderlands. Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in political science and Latin American studies from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership and management from the University of San Diego. Michelle serves on the leadership council of the Latina Giving Circle of San Diego.

Elisabeth (Betsy) Kim, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of education and leadership at California State University in Monterey Bay. Previously, she was a Robert Curvin postdoctoral associate at the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies at Rutgers University in Newark. She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic where she focused her work in the areas of youth development and education. Her research uses a mixed-methods approach to explore the links between education policy and educational equity, with a particular focus on how contemporary policies moderate or exacerbate inequities for low-income students of color. Her research interests include bilingual education policy, student discipline policy, access to advanced STEM coursework and FAFSA completion. She taught first grade in a public school in Harlem as part of the New York City Teaching Fellows program. Betsy holds a doctorate in education policy from the Teachers College at Columbia University.

Andrew T. Medina advises the senate leader and members on TK-12 and higher education
policy. Previously, he served as legislative director for Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris.
He formerly served as California policy manager for Asian Americans Advancing Justice –
California (Advancing Justice-CA) where he was responsible for advocating Advancing
Justice-CA’s legislative agenda in the California State Capitol, as well as expanding and
strengthening coalitions that serve the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and
Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in the state. Prior to joining Advancing Justice-
California, Andrew served as the consultant for the California Asian & Pacific Islander (API)
Legislative Caucus, which is comprised of AANHPI members of the California State
Legislature. He started at the California State Assembly in 2004 as a scheduler for former-
Assemblymember Judy Chu and later served as a legislative aide and then legislative director
for former-Assemblymember Mike Eng before joining the API Legislative Caucus in 2009. He
was a founding member of the Asian and Pacific Islander Capitol Association (APICA) and the
Sacramento Chapter of the New Leaders Council.

Brittnee Amberley Quintanar, Ph.D., has worked in higher education since 2006, primarily with community colleges located in the Inland Empire, a region with historically low college-going and completion rates. For the past decade, Brittnee has worked in various counseling capacities, including general counseling, the Transfer Center, the Career Center, TRiO/SSS, and Title III-HSI Engineering Pathways. Presently Brittnee serves as counselor, guidance instructor, and guided pathways faculty coordinator at Norco College. Brittnee is passionate in helping students realize and achieve their academic and career goals by providing guidance, support, and encouragement as students navigate the complexities of our higher education systems. Her students are the inspiration for her policy-focused advocacy and research. Her 2021 qualitative dissertation study examined systemic and institutional barriers that inhibit California student access and completion of baccalaureate-level education for both first-time freshmen and transfer-intending students. As Guided Pathways Faculty Coordinator, Brittnee led a 2022-23 school-wide reorganization to align operational and student-facing structures, including clarifying distinct academic pathways for students that align with living wage careers. This role required intense collaboration with and support of students, classified professionals, faculty, department chairs, Academic Senate, collegewide councils, and managers.

Abby Schachner, Ph.D., a senior researcher at the Learning Policy Institute. She co-leads LPI’s early childhood learning team and is a member of the Whole Child Education team, where she is working to translate research on social, emotional, and academic development and the contexts that support such development, including a well-prepared workforce, to inform policy and practice. Abby has more than 15 years of experience in conducting research on learning and development to better understand what works for whom and under what circumstances so that all children can succeed. Prior to joining LPI, she led educational efficacy research on digital programs and initiatives at an educational technology company and was a principal education researcher at SRI International’s Center for Learning and Development, where she led research and technical assistance projects at the state and federal levels focused on social and emotional interventions, special education, home visiting, and using data for program improvement. She holds a doctorate in human development from the University of California, Davis and a bachelor’s in psychology with minors in cognitive science and women’s and gender studies from Georgetown University.

Stephanie Sowl, Ph.D., oversees two portfolios of grants: one focused on rural learners, postsecondary institutions, and community partners and the other focused on supporting faculty and administrators primarily through professional development and learning at ECMC Foundation. Stephanie has worked over 15 years in higher education – from being a student worker in admissions and registrar’s offices during her bachelor’s, to an academic advisor, retention coordinator, and research analyst at Arizona State University, and a research assistant on issues in higher education. Her research in how social and economic conditions of communities influence perceptions toward the value of higher education has led her to interest in understanding local and state policy. Stephanie earned bachelor’s degrees in accounting and mathematics from Blackburn College, a master’s degree in education, organization, and leadership from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a doctorate in higher education from Iowa State University.

Maya Valree supports policy research and analysis in the area of parenting students in California higher education systems and schools at the Education Trust–West (ETW). Before joining ETW, Maya worked as the graduate student coordinator for the Students with Dependents program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she engaged campus and community stakeholders to increase programming and institutional support for parenting students. Maya is an active board member of Project Self Sufficiency, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping low-income single parents graduate with the skills necessary to achieve economic independence. Maya takes immense pride in her educational journey, having earned an associate’s in public policy from Santa Monica College, a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of California, Irvine, and a master’s in higher education counseling and student affairs from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Chenoa S. Woods, Ph.D., works to drive the California State University’s signature student success efforts, which ensures that every student has the resources and support to obtain an affordable, high-quality degree. With the Office of the Chancellor, she has facilitated developmental education and critical course reform across the system; supported academic advising and student belonging programs; expanded services for transfer students and students needing additional academic assistance; led equity initiatives to enhance pedagogical practices that increase course success; and managed more than six million dollars in foundation funds. Prior to joining the CSU in 2018, Chenoa was a research faculty member at Florida State University working with the Center for Postsecondary Success. She earned her doctorate in education policy and social context from the University of California, Irvine, where her dissertation research explored college access and choice. She is an alumna of California State University, Long Beach, having earned a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in school counseling.