Dean's Graduate Advisory Board

Cynthia Gail Blockburger
Vice President
Education Leadership Policy & Practice - Doctoral

Reason for serving on DGAB: 

As a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Arizona and a Graduate (Master of Arts Teaching & Teacher Education), I would be honored to serve on the Dean’s Graduate Advisory Board. My goal will be to utilize my professional training/performance and experience, leadership skills, administrative background, and teaching of multiple subjects.

Working with DGAB will allow me to continue delivering diversity, equity, and inclusion for students, faculty, and staff and assist the COE grad student community in having a clear path to achieving strategies and resolutions of issues regarding graduate students.

Fun Fact: One fun fact about me is that I love riding dirt bikes, bodybuilding, and watching classic black-and-white movies.

Jonathan Vela Enriquez (he/him/his)
Ed.D. Educational Leadership

Areas of Interest: Undocumented Latinx students in higher education, with a particular focus on Dreamers.

Fun Fact: I'm half Ecuadorian and Colombian. Grew up in New Jersey, but call Brooklyn, NY home.

Elizabeth Estrella (she, her, ella)
Masters in Higher Education 

Areas of Interest: Higher Education, specifically residence life and creating a culture of integrity, inclusion, and diversity in representation and thought so residence hall staffs can feel equipped to support residents in the dorms. 

Fun Fact: I am currently a Human Resources Operations Coordinator at Tucson Electric Power. I have been at TEP for over 2 years now with my prior role being the first and only Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Intern for the company. 

Hannah Gentry (she/her/hers
Higher Education (Masters)

Areas of Interest: Gender-Based Violence on college campuses, and Housing and Residential Life.

Fun fact: Loves podcasts! If you have any recommendations, let me know :)

Laurel Hendrickson (she/hers)
Teaching, Learning, & Sociocultural Studies

Areas of Interests: Second Language Acquisition, Spanish, Dual-language/Bilingual Ed Student Motivation.

Fun Fact: I make stunning paper snowflakes, people with traits considered to connote introversion are often skilled in interpersonal interactions, you are definitely awesome and we will soon meet:)

Priscila Ledezma (she/her/ella)
Educational psychology 

Areas of Interest: Motivation and Health Behavior Health Promotion with a focus on Sexual Health 

Fun Fact: I have a husky named Pearl. About 99% of the pictures on my phone are of Pearl.

Lorrie Yates (she/her/hers)
School Psychology - Doctoral

Research Interests: Trauma-informed practice within Arizona K-12 schools.

Reason for serving on DGAB: As a non-traditional student, I am excited to serve on the DGAB on behalf of the many other non-traditional graduate students embarking on their graduate studies later in life. I am also passionate about equality and inclusion within the Arizona education system across the lifespan.

Fun Fact: I had a 20 year career as an executive in homebuilding prior to returning to college to complete my undergraduate degree in psychology and graduated with my undergraduate degree in psychology four days after my youngest son graduated with his undergraduate degree!

Tasnim Alshuli (she/her/hers)
Teaching and Teacher Education - Doctoral

Research Interests: Primarily Mathematics Education with a focus in both Cognitive Science and Visual Impairments, as well as general experience in STEM education.

Reason for serving on DGAB: My experiences as a graduate student and a former coordinator for a tutoring program for the College of Education increased my interest in higher education administration related work and responsibilities. I am also involved in leadership positions related to advocacy for more diversity, access, and inclusion for individuals with access and inclusion challenges when it comes to disabilities and religion, and would like to continue to be in such opportunities in higher education. And finally, I am interested in learning, mentoring, and networking along with my fellow graduate students and faculty.

Tara Burke (she/her/hers)

Higher Education - Doctoral

Research Interests: My research centers managerial professionals: those who labor in the academy without the protection of tenure or civil service, e.g., university staff. I draw conceptually from two frameworks: critical collective agency and critical scientific management, seeking to understand how managerial professionals experience workplace bullying, and how they employ agency to counter its effects. Secondary interests include academic prestige, graduate and professional education, and mixed methods of inquiry.

Reason for serving on DGAB: I was invited to serve on the Board through my role as the graduate student representative to College Council. Working with a diverse, deeply engaged group of graduate students across departmental boundaries allows us to identify and interrogate issues systemic to COE graduate study, and to seek solutions to identified challenges in a communal, supportive environment.

Fun Fact: I am a near-native Phoenician and student affairs professional who works full-time at the UArizona College of Pharmacy on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. I'm an avid day hiker, Orange Theory devotee, globetrotter and small dog lover.

Sergio Castro (he/him/his)
Educational Psychology - Doctoral

Research Interests: I am interested in student success in, and access to, higher education with a focus on understanding attitudes, effective learning, and student experiences.

Reason for serving on DGAB: I decided to serve on the Dean's Graduate Advisory Board to be able to offer a voice on behalf of my fellow graduate students. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary nature of this board is important to making progress towards the many serious issues facing our community. 

Fun Fact: I enjoy Disney way too much.

Sarah Eggleston (she/her/hers)
Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies - Doctoral

Research Interests: Legal education, with emphasis on writing and academic support.

Reason for serving on DGAB: Wanted to increase communication among programs/departments, as well as give my colleagues a stronger, larger voice within the School of Education.

Allison Fairchild (she/her/hers)
School Psychology -Doctoral

Research Interests: Academic achievement and family relationships in students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds.

Reason for serving on DGAB: I feel fortunate to be part of the Dean's Graduate Advisory Board, because it provides an opportunity to voice our concerns as graduate students and collaborate with students from other departments. Outside of the board, I am a graduate associate for the Access Wellness and Relational Determinants of School Success (AWARDSS) and Sleep To Enhance Participation in STEM (STEPS) research labs. After graduation, I hope to work as an elementary school psychologist and then transition into a research career.

Maritza Marquez Olague (she/her/ella)
President
Educational Leadership & Policy - Doctoral

Research Interests: Educational reforms, Equity, Networks and Decision Making.

Reason for serving on DGAB: I would like to contribute to generate changes that benefit and empower students. 

Fun Fact: I am proudly a four paws mom. 

Felisia Tagaban Gaskin (she/her/hers)
Higher Education - Doctoral

Research Interests: Higher Education, with a focus on supporting educational pathways for Indigenous students.

Reason for serving on DGAB: My hope is the same wherever I go: to provide voice, perspective, and representation for the Indigenous student/staff community.

Fun Fact: The summer before my senior year in high school, I participated in MedStart and loved my experience in Tucson so much I decided to stay here!

Baylee Hodge (she/her/hers)
School Psychology - Educational Specialist

Research Interests: Advocacy for social justice and mental health services within the school system.

Reason for serving on DGAB: The opportunity to be a voice for my program heavily influenced my decision to serve on the Deans Graduate Advisory Board. I am always looking for new ways to grow professionally, and this seemed like the perfect experience for that.

Fun Fact: When I retire, I want to start/own a club swim team wherever I am!

Jason La Rosa (he/him)

School Psychology - Masters

Research Interests: Providing school psychology services for indigenous populations.

Reason for serving on DGAB: To better understand and implement improvements to the academic systems in place to better serve the student population.

Jacqueline Mullins (she/her/hers)
Secretary
Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies - PhD - 4th Year

Research Interests: Student services, with a focus on teacher-student relationship development and its impact on student motivation and academic progress.

Reason for serving on DGAB: I have been a part of U of A, and COE for many years in different roles; as a student worker, undergrad and graduate student and now as a university staff employee at the SALT Center. I believe this experience with COE specifically has allowed me to gain a better understanding of the students, staff and faculty and the importance of community on campus. My goal for working with DGAB is to help further establish a strong sense of community for graduate students, and strive to provide any additional support needed by the community.

Fun Fact: I have two super cute French Bulldogs named Milo and Maple. 

Taylor Roloff (she/her/hers)

Educational Psychology - Doctoral

Research Interests: I am very interested in teacher identity development and how emotions, goals, power dynamics, and ways of knowing facilitate teacher  "Critical Consciousness" and professional identities.

Reason for serving on DGAB: My commitment as a doctoral student is the inclusion of multiple perspectives, bodies of knowledge, and ways of knowing. My reasons for serving on the DGAB is to collaborate with other graduate students across disciplines throughout the college in order to facilitate an authentic dialogue surrounding graduate student needs within the COE