快活林性息

Dr. Kristina Meshelski

I am an Associate Professor of Philosophy at 快活林性息. My research focuses on economic justice, including the way that it intersects with gender and racial justice. In the community, I am active with the Democratic Socialists of America-Los Angeles, as well as the Los Angeles Tenants Union. I'm available to mentor FIS students interested in or taking philosophy classes, or to provide support for FIS students experiencing housing insecurity.

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Alicia Ivonne Estrada

Alicia Ivonne Estrada is a professor in the Chicana/o Studies Department at California State University at Northridge. She has published on the Maya and Guatemalan diaspora in Los Angeles as well as on contemporary Maya literature, film and radio. She is co-editor with Karina O. Alvarado and Ester E. Hern谩ndez of the critical anthology听U.S. Central Americans: Reconstructing Memories, Struggles and Communities of Resistance听(University of Arizona Press, 2017). Estrada鈥檚 work has appeared in听Romance Notes,听Latino Studies,听Revista Canadiense de Estudios Hisp谩nicos, among other journals and anthologies. Her current book project is on the Maya diaspora in Los Angeles. Since 2006, she has actively collaborated with the Maya radio collective听Contacto Ancestral. The show has been on the airwaves for over a decade on the community radio station KPFK.

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Dr. Marquita Gammage

Marquita M. Gammage is a Full Professor in the Africana Studies Department at California State University, Northridge (快活林性息). She earned her PhD in African American Studies from Temple University. Her research examines the calculus of media effect on the sustainability of anti-African racist ideologies through the intersection of race, gender, and media. By analyzing current popular media productions (news, reality TV, television dramas, social media, etc.) paired with an Afrocentric historical and cultural lens, her research demonstrates how the continued misrepresentations of Blacks in the media can be predictive of future public policy initiatives that endanger the freedom and liberties of African Americans. 听

The power of culturally grounded education can transform individuals and communities. I whole-heartedly support formerly incarcerated students because they will become the change agents their communities need to thrive in an unjust society.

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Laura H Wimberley

I grew up in Delaware and attended Oberlin College in Ohio, then moved to California to earn my Ph.D. in political science at the University of California San Diego.听 I earned my Master鈥檚 in Library & Information Science at San Jos茅 State University and worked at a community college in Oregon and the University of Colorado before arriving at 快活林性息, where I鈥檝e been a librarian since 2011. I鈥檓 a queer woman and a mother.

I鈥檓 here for all students, to help you orient your lived experience in deep scholarship, to offer you mind-expanding books, and to get you the data to become an expert.

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Dr. Nicole R Blalock

Dr. Blalock (釒踞弽釒┽帬釒ㄡ彺/she/her) is an Aps谩alooke, Cherokee, Chickasaw and settler-Danish and settler-English professor in American Indian Studies who grew up on Cow Creek Umpqua, Tolowa Dee-ni鈥�, and Tutuni homelands. She focuses on access, retention, and success in education, healing from intergenerational trauma, and decolonial and artivist work. 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.

Never forget that your voice and experience are valued and valuable. I am here to listen to you and support what you need to feel safe and be successful.

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Nayan G. Ramirez, Ph.D.

I鈥檓 Dr. Nayan G. Ramirez, an Assistant Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies (CJS) at 快活林性息. I received my Ph.D. in Sociology from Penn State. Broadly, my interests include gender and sexualities, juvenile delinquency, and social network analysis. My research focuses on the experiences of queer youth during adolescence and how different factors lead them towards and away from the juvenile justice system. Previously, I have collaborated on other projects related to the school-to-prison pipeline, including examining the effects of suspension and expulsion on elementary-school children. I also regularly teach classes in juvenile justice, criminological theory, and statistics in CJS.

As someone whose work focuses on preventing youths鈥� contact with the justice system, I鈥檓 excited to help you in any way I can on your educational journey at 快活林性息

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Khanum Shaikh

Khanum Shaikh teaches in the department of Gender and Women鈥檚 Studies at 快活林性息. She is originally from Pakistan but has spent most of her life living in Los Angeles. Prior to being an academic, she was a community organizer and an advocate with various social justice projects in L.A. Her research is on gender and/in Muslim communities and is driven by the desire to understand and intervene in oppressive ideologies that shape our thinking and the institutions that sustain them.

She has published in various journals including听Meridians: Feminism, Transnationalism, Race,听Frontiers:听 A Journal of Women鈥檚 Studies, Feminist Formations, and听Journal of Middle East Women鈥檚 Studies. She is currently working on a project about intergenerational resistance to gendered regulation within families 鈥� the contradictions of sustaining communities while pushing against the cultural norms that hold them together 鈥� in ways that complicate mainstream discourses of individual choice. She has a passion for teaching and is continually inspired by the perseverance of students at 快活林性息. She has two sons who keep her busy and laughing (mostly). At some point in life, she鈥檇 love to travel and see more of the world.

I am committed to supporting formerly incarcerated students at 快活林性息 because I believe in the intrinsic dignity and value of every human being. I believe that each of us is deserving of access to knowledge that can transform our minds and our futures. At the same time, I believe that institutionalized knowledge must be transformed by our lived experiences. I welcome Project Rebound to 快活林性息 and am committed to offering whatever support I can to help build this prison to school pipeline.

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Aimee Carrillo Rowe

Aimee Carrillo Rowe听(Ph.D., M.F.A.) is a Professor of Communication Studies at 快活林性息. She works across writing genres as a memoirist, feminist theorist, and culture critic. Her books include听Power Lines: On the Subject of Feminist Alliances听(Duke, 2008),听Answer the Call: Virtual Migration in Indian Call Centers听(Minnesota Press, 2013), and听Silence, Feminism, Power: Reflections at the Edges of Sound听(Palgrave, 2013). Her current projects include听Queer Xicana: Performing the Sacred听on the politics of healing, longing, and Indigenous erasure in queer Xicana performance, and a memoir about queer motherhood entitled,听After Birth: Memoir of a Queer Family.

Dear Students. I am SO glad you鈥檝e made your way to the 快活林性息 campus. I鈥檓 sure that was no easy task. I want you to feel empowered here. 快活林性息 is uniquely positioned to give us theoretical language and organizing tools for social change. Your voice and experiences MATTER here. Know that you belong and you have so much to contribute.

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Kent Baxter

Kent Baxter is Associate Dean of the College of Humanities at 快活林性息. He is also a former chair of and faculty member in the Department of English. His research and teaching interests include children鈥檚 and young adult literature, modern American literature and culture, and issues of age and ageism in literature and culture. He is the author of The Modern Age: Turn-of-the-Century American Culture and the Invention of Adolescence (The University of Alabama Press, 2008), Critical Insights: Coming of Age (EBSCO/Salem Press, 2012), and various other publications on the socially constructed category of the adolescent and teen.

As Associate Dean, I can assist formerly incarcerated students with any issues related to course scheduling, registration, major/minor declaration, academic grievances, among other things. I believe our university is a venue for all students to empower themselves and transform their lives.

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Gina Masequesmay

I support FIS because we all deserve a second chance. Having worked as a community organizer at the Indochinese Youth Center that was part of an Asian American and Pacific Islander coalition of community-based organizations working on drug, alcohol, and gang prevention, I had spoken against police use of mug books that racially profiled and arrested innocent people. Still na茂ve on many issues, I went to graduate school to learn more about sources of inequities to see how I can intervene. I have been teaching at 快活林性息 for 20 years now and still believe in supporting youth who have been historically marginalized and oppressed.

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Clement Lai

Clement Lai is an associate professor of Asian American Studies who teaches courses at 快活林性息 on critical thinking, on contemporary issues, on urbanization, and on government and the political process. He earned his Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley in 2006, and he also has a MA in Geography, including studying Geography at 快活林性息 in the early 1990s, so he is a 快活林性息 alum. His research focuses on the political mobilization of multiracial communities and on the geography of racism. He is originally from Southern California. In his spare time, he plays punk rock guitar.

How and Why I support formerly incarcerated students: I support formerly incarcerated students through my classes, which cover incarceration or immigrant detention/deportation. Examining incarceration helps us understand contemporary racism and capitalism and how political mobilization might dismantle this system.

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Dr. Monica Gallegos

Dr. Monica Gallegos completed her M.A. in Communication and Journalism at the University of New Mexico, and her PhD at the University of Arizona with a focus in Health Communication and a minor in Public Health. Dr. Gallegos studies how interpersonal relationships impact health in underrepresented, underserved, understudied, and at-risk populations, including Latinxs, pregnant women seeking treatment for opioid addiction, as well as incarcerated women, their children, and the guardians of their children. Dr. Gallegos teaches a variety of courses at the undergraduate level, including Interpersonal Communication, Health Communication, Communication Theory, Intercultural Communication, Public Speaking, Advanced Public Speaking, Health Campaigns, and Lifespan Communication. At the graduate level, Dr. Gallegos teaches Health Communication and Interpersonal Communication.听

I am excited to be involved with Project Rebound because I believe that mentorship and a college education can give formerly incarcerated students a strong chance to thrive in their/our communities.

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Yarma Vel谩zquez Vargas

Yarma Vel谩zquez Vargas (Ph.D., Florida State University, 2008) is a Professor of Communication in the Chicanx Studies Department. Yarma鈥檚 areas of research interest include Media Studies, Performance Studies, and Cultural Studies. Her work is dedicated to cultivating social justice and diversity through her research, teaching, and service.

I am here to learn and if you need help with your school or work presentations, and your nonverbal communication skills my doors are open.

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Dr. Melisa Galvan

Dr. Galv谩n is an associate professor in the Chicana/o Studies department. She holds a Ph.D. in Latin American history from UC Berkeley and writes on the early history of contraband trade in the circum-Caribbean. Her research embraces new interdisciplinary and transnational frameworks and examines the ways in which the region's development had a much wider impact on national Mexican immigration, trade, and diplomatic policies than scholars have previously recognized. 听She mostly teaches large GE history courses, where she aims to expose students to the importance of approaching 鈥淎merican鈥� history from a multicultural perspective. In her free time, Dr. Galv谩n enjoys spending time with family, being outdoors, and reading.

While I don鈥檛 discuss it much, I currently have 2 first cousins that are incarcerated in California. I write to them regularly and know firsthand the impact that incarceration can have on families. I look forward to the day that I can spend time with them again, and hope to serve as a resource to you at 快活林性息. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

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Nelida Duran

I am a native Angeleno, born and raised in Boyle Heights. I am also homegrown, that is I have earned my degrees in nutritional science and public health at Cal State LA and UCLA, respectively. Food justice informs my course curricula, research, and service to the university and community. My research experience has given me the privilege to work with First Nations, low-income Latino and African American communities, and people living with HIV/AIDS. My research focuses on addressing food and nutrition-related health disparities within the context of behavioral health interventions, global environmental change, and removing systemic barriers to healthy eating.

Welcome! I support you because I believe in humanity, justice, and equity. More importantly, I believe in you and the power of education in transforming lives and communities.

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Dr. Jackyln Stallcup

My home department is English, where I teach courses in children鈥檚 literature, literature for adolescents, and nineteenth-century novels.听听 Like many of our 快活林性息 students, I attended a local community college (Cerritos).听 I then graduated from Cal Poly Pomona and earned my Ph.D. in English from UC Riverside.听 My work in children鈥檚 literature focuses on the issue of power and representation, including an essay on satire, the academic community, and听Captain Underpants, and another on the political implications of 鈥渢aming鈥� Swift鈥檚 satire when creating children鈥檚 versions of听Gulliver鈥檚 Travels.

I am so glad that you have joined us here at 快活林性息!听 Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns鈥擨 love meeting with students and am excited to be able to help you in your educational journey.

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Kate Stevenson

I听am the daughter of a university math professor and a social worker, which makes social justice issues related to math education irresistible to me.听 Moreover, it makes 快活林性息, my academic home for 20 years, my dream job. At 快活林性息, I have had the privilege of learning from students whose lived experiences have been very different from my own. These lessons have made me a much more effective teacher and a better person. One story that stands out was my experience working remotely with an incarcerated student. He took one of my very advanced math courses from prison, and his work was some of the most brilliant I have ever seen from any student at any institution. By the time he left prison, after serving a 10 year sentence, he had completed his BS in math and was well situated for his new life. I believe strongly that the mission of 快活林性息 is to treat each person with dignity, respect, and optimism.听 For that reason, I would be delighted to support Project Rebound students, particularly as they navigate the math world.

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Dr. Suzanne Scheld

I am a cultural anthropologist, professor, and acting chair of Anthropology Department. I am known for my research on urban environments, public space, small community museums, and community engagement. I have conducted fieldwork in West Africa and the United States, and am interested in the intersections of culture, space, representation, and social justice. I am also interested in innovative teaching methods and am committed to experiential learning and fostering student-led initiatives at 快活林性息 and in the local community. I have engaged Project Rebound students in internships where they have helped to support local cultural heritage organizations research and archive their collections. I have also helped Project Rebound students lay the groundwork for creating an archive for their own organization. Many Project Rebound students major in Anthropology, and I have sought to involve them in department activities such as giving talks about their research at the department鈥檚 annual symposium, the Anthro Expo, among other activities. I have also sought to make the Department of Anthropology a space where Project Rebound students feel supported and can be themselves. It has been rewarding to teach Project Rebound students. They are courageous and invested students who have helped me to become a better instructor and have encouraged others to affirm the value of inclusivity and education as a means for social transformation.

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Dr. Nalya Rodriguez

Dr. Nalya Rodriguez (She/They) is an Assistant Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies at 快活林性息. They received their M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California Irvine, where they were active in creating spaces for Central American students to engage in conversations about issues and research on Central America. Nalya鈥檚 research focuses on race, policing, and violence in the US and Central America. Their research examines the social and legal conditions which have constructed Central Americans as terrorists in the US between 1980 and 2010 through an intersectional approach studying the convergence of terrorism, criminal, and immigration legal systems. As an Indigenous Maya Ch鈥檕rti鈥�, gang impacted scholar and activist Nalya organizes from this positionality in and out of school, advocating for an abolition of the police state and an investment in youth development, education and enrichment programs. As an undergraduate and graduate student, they were a founding member of the Underground Scholars Initiative, a student organization led by formerly incarcerated and system impacted students, at UC Berkeley and UC Irvine. Their involvement in organizing on and off campus is one of the main reasons Nalya maintains a commitment to creating inclusive spaces for formerly incarcerated students at 快活林性息.

Working with Project Rebound students is more than just advocating for students to gain access to higher education. It requires a long-term commitment to push the university to provide adequate resources for retention and graduation and connecting students with post-graduation career opportunities. Supporting formerly incarcerated students means supporting all students' ability to learn from educators that come from all walks of life.

Abram Milton

Abram Milton received his bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology from Chapman University and his Master's and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Fielding Graduate University. Dr. Milton joined University Counseling Services as a staff counselor in October 2018. Within 快活林性息, he works with university students and has placed a special interest to work with military veterans, Muslim students, men of color, and international students. Dr. Milton also continues his research on Sleep Paralysis as a member of Social Psychiatry Research Unit at the University of California 鈥� San Diego (UCSD) in La Jolla, CA, and his research on Free Arts and Trauma at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA. Major psychological research interest include military, veterans, posttraumatic stress, traumatic brain injury (TBI), trauma, substance abuse, addictions, suicide, interpersonal relationship, mindfulness, spirituality, men issues, international students, grief & loss, gender violence, diversity, and university counseling.

The resiliency and hard work of each student is a true testament to your strength and dedication. I am truly honored and humbled to help you on your journey.