E-Mail: joannasm@usc.edu
Phone: (303)443-2705
Office: WPH 901

Dr. Joanna Smith is a Assistant Research Professor at USC Rossier School of Education and Assistant Director of the Center on Educational Governance (CEG). From January 2007 to June 2009, she was the William E. B. Siart Research Fellow with CEG. Dr. Smith received her Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Administration from Rossier in 2004, and the title of her dissertation was "Working Together to Improve Education: Alliances between Charter Schools and Community-Based Organizations."

Dr. Smith has worked on numerous charter school studies. She is currently the research team lead for the National Resource Center on Charter School Finance and Governance, a three-year initiative funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education for which she supervises graduate student research assistants during all study activities including research design, data collection instrument creation, team trainings, data collection and data analysis, as well as the writing and dissemination of results to state policymakers, charter school authorizers and charter school operators.

E-Mail: brandodm@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-3827
Office: WPH 1003E

Dr. Brandon Martinez has worked at the high school level as both a teacher and administrator over the past 11 years. His research interests include the use of educational technology in curriculum design, instruction, teacher preparation, and student learning, and teacher training in educational technology, with a focus on classroom learning, motivation, and self-efficacy for technology. He also studies distance learning education at the K-12 and higher education levels with a focus on student engagement, motivation, and learning, and he is interested in the role of motivations and learning in best practices for professional development.

His dissertation research focused on the influence of computer self-efficacy and self-regulation on students' engagement in distance learning. Dr. Martinez recently completed a research project with Dr. Helena Seli that examined the relationship between the use of classroom clickers and student engagement at an urban high school. He currently teaches Learning Theories, Framing, and Human Development courses for the MAT program both online and on campus, the Human Motivation 511 course for the Master of Educational Psychology and Technology program, and the 525 Learning course for the Ed.D. program.

Dr. Patricia Burch joined the Rossier School of Education as a Visiting Assistant Professor in September 2009. She was appointed to Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin - Madison in the fall of 2003. Dr. Burch received her BA in English from Oberlin College in 1985, her MA in Education from Harvard University in 1991, her MA in Sociology from Stanford University in 1998, and her PhD in Education from Stanford University in 2000.

Over the past decade, Dr. Burch has conducted major studies and evaluations of K-12 education reform such as SAGE (the Wisconsin class-size initiative), systemic instructional reform in large urban school districts (Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia), professional development reforms (Chicago Philadelphia, New York City), and school-linked services (West Virginia, New Mexico, Boston, and San Diego).

Her newest work examines the role of private firms as influences in the design and implementation of K-12 education policy and how public education is being transformed "below the radar" by new forms of privatization. Her book Hidden Markets: The New Education Privatization was published by Routledge in 2009. She currently serves as a co-principal Investigator on a four year $3,000,000 study titled, "A Multi-Site Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of Supplemental Educational Services" funded by the Institute of Education Sciences Education Research Grant Program: Education Policy, Finance and Systems.

E-Mail: alangree@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 821-4216
Office: WPH 1103A
Expert Directory: http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/experts/1572.html

Dr. Alan Green joined Rossier in July 2009 as Associate Professor of Clinical Education and School Counseling Program Lead. He came from Johns Hopkins University School of Education, where he served most recently as chair of the Department of Counseling and Human Services. He earned a doctorate in counseling psychology from Howard University in Washington, DC and a master's degree in school and community counseling from California State University in Sacramento. Dr. Green was the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship for his doctoral work in Guyana on adolescent stressors, coping responses and psychological adjustment. Prior to his appointment at Johns Hopkins, he was an adjunct professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University and a clinical psychology intern at the Maryland Department of Safety and Corrections. In addition to his academic duties, Dr. Green served as Associate Director of the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute, member of the Hopkins Provost Advisory Committee, board member of Advocates for Children and Youth, and previously executive board liaison for the Empowerment Academy Charter School.

Dr. Green's current research interests include: urban school counseling; urban education; African American adolescent achievement, mental health and wellbeing; and interdisciplinary approaches to urban development and community empowerment. His most recent research projects were funded by the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute and the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Green was the principal investigator for "Project Inspiration", a federally funded Urban School Counseling demonstration program for the Baltimore City Public School System.

Dr. Green is a widely sought-after project evaluator and consultant to educational institutes and projects in the Greater Baltimore area. A sample of his past and current community projects include the Community Social Mapping Project, East Baltimore Education Initiative, the Maryland State Department of Education IDEA Partnership, the West Baltimore Middle School Targeted Student Support Services Project, the Malcolm X Middle School Mental Health Behavioral Support Program, the Merritt Education Center School-Based Mental Health Behavioral Support Program, and the Meade Middle School Community Partnership Initiative. In addition, Dr. Green has served as a consultant to the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center, the Charles H. Hickey, Jr. School, and the Connexions Academy in Baltimore. Dr. Green was a recipient of the 2006 Counselors for Social Justice 'Ohana Honors Award for his efforts to affirm diversity and advocate for social justice.

E-Mail: kstrunk@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 821-4216
Office: WPH 1103A
Expert Directory: http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/experts/1569.html

Dr. Katharine Strunk started as Assistant Professor of Education and Policy in USC Rossier in July 2009, with a courtesy appointment in the School of Policy, Planning and Development. She comes from the University of California, Davis, where she served as Assistant Professor of Education Policy in its School of Education.

Dr. Strunk's work is grounded in the theories of public and labor economics and policy analysis and utilizes quantitative methodologies taken from the fields of economics and sociology. Her research falls into three overarching categories related to K-12 education policy and reform: teacher labor markets, education governance and education finance. Specifically, her work on teacher labor markets focuses on questions concerning the determinants of teacher attrition, the retention and recruitment of high quality teachers, and the impact of teachers' unions on district- and school-level processes. Dr. Strunk's research on education governance explores the relationship between teachers' unions and school boards, and the varied impacts of accountability policies and their associated interventions. Dr. Strunk's work on education finance has generally examined the relationships between spending and student achievement.

Dr. Strunk received her doctorate from Stanford University in 2007 with a focus on Administration and Policy Analysis, and her Masters in Economics from Stanford University in 2005. She is a faculty affiliate of Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). Her work has been published in Education Finance and Policy, the National Tax Journal and the Peabody Journal of Education. She is a recipient of the American Education Research Association Dissertation Grant and the American Education Finance Association New Scholar Award. Most recently, Dr. Strunk has been funded by the California Department of Education to examine the success of California's accountability interventions targeted at districts that have reached No Child Left Behind Program Improvement Year 3 status.

E-Mail: kennetay@usc.edu
Phone: (310) 379-0844
Office: WPH 1103A

Dr. Kenneth Yates is an Associate Research Professor at the University of Southern California, Center for Cognitive Technology at the Rossier School of Education and a Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. At the Center, Dr. Yates develops training and evaluation programs and conducts research in, and applications of, cognitive task analysis methods to improve human performance, instructional design, and educational technology. At the Keck School of Medicine, he conducts research in applying cognitive task analysis methods to capture and document the expertise of the surgical faculty toward developing the teaching methods, materials, and assessments that represent both the technical skills and cognitive processes required for complex surgical procedures.

Dr. Yates has over 30 years of national and international experience in media and technology and has held executive positions at various electronic media companies. He has been a media and technology consultant on a number of USAID-sponsored international training and development projects. Recently, he developed training and evaluation programs for the US Army, conducted cognitive task analysis and designed training for counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and designed training for a US Army course in bilateral negotiations for the USC Institute for Creative Technologies.

His research focuses on the use of cognitive task analysis methods to capture and document the underlying knowledge and skills experts use to solve complex problems and the design of instruction to effectively teach this expertise to others. He is also interested in how information communication technologies can be used to deliver instruction more efficiently and to a wider audience. Dr. Yates also teaches graduate level courses in learning, motivation, and instructional design.

E-Mail: ddwyer@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-4398
Office: WPH 901D

Dr. David C. Dwyer is the first holder of the newly endowed Katzman-Ernst Chair in Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation. He comes to the USC Rossier School of Education with more than 30 years experience as an industry leader, researcher, and educator, and as an acclaimed expert in the application of technologies for learning.

Dr. Dwyer was most recently Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at KD Learning, where he developed an imaginative virtual world for children 6-12 years of age, providing them an opportunity to interact, master numerous games, proliferate and personalize virtual home environments and avatars, and engage in creative and altruistic activities.

As Chief Academic Officer at Apex Learning from 2002 to 2007, Dr. Dwyer led the development of an award winning, four-year high school core curriculum in math, science, language arts, social studies, and world languages, as well as several elective courses.

In his role as Director of Education Technologies at Apple Computer from 2000 to 2002, Dr. Dwyer led the development and implementation of the Apple Learning Interchange, a media-rich repository for examples of outstanding teaching practice. From 1986 to 1996, Dr. Dwyer was the director of the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) project. During that same period as an Apple Distinguished Scientist, he collaborated with leading research institutions to document changes in instruction and learning in technology-intensive classrooms, demonstrated technical innovations in education settings, and advised education policy leaders and educators internationally.

Dr. Dwyer was also President and Chief Executive Officer at Edpoint, Inc. from 1999 to 2000 and served as Vice President of Advanced Learning Technologies at Computer Curriculum Corporation from 1996 to 1999, where he led the Education Enterprise Group.

From his varied experience, Dr. Dwyer has written and spoken widely about innovation in education, educational leadership, and technology. Dr. Dwyer received his Ph.D. specializing in innovation and change in schools, school organizations, and program development from Washington University in St. Louis in 1981.

Noted Americans salute their favorite teacher. You can, too.

Dean Karen Symms Gallagher has been appointed to another five-year term as dean of the USC Rossier School of Education. Read more.

Celebrate 100 Years
Watch a very special event launching a year-long celebration on Innovation, Education and Transformation. Watch the event

Rossier Ed.D. Alumni have fabulous successes ...tell us your story

Get Your New Futures in Urban Ed Issue

Alumna Dr. Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana (Ph.D. '95) was confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education for the U.S. Department of Education in July.

E-Mail: crew@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-2833
Office: WPH 1100A
Expert Directory: http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/experts/1552.html

Dr. Rudolph (Rudy) Crew is a lifelong educator whose career included the chancellorship of the nation's largest school district, the New York City Department of Education, where he served from 1995-99. He joined USC Rossier in 2009 after serving as superintendent of the nation's fourth-largest school district in Miami-Dade County, Florida since 2004. He is a nationally renowned educator and education policy opinion leader. Crew recently was called upon to advise the transition team of President Barack Obama in the formulation of national education policy and now serves on the President's Education Policy Council.

Under his leadership at Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the district progressed dramatically on several fronts. Among the highlights were rising student achievement levels, higher academic and conduct standards, and dramatically reduced overcrowding, including a 91 percent decrease in the student-station deficit. The system is now viewed as a model for other districts across the nation.

As chancellor of New York City Public Schools, Crew led a number of reforms, including the adoption of curriculum standards for all schools, elimination of tenure for principals and introduction of school-based budgeting. He also was instrumental in closing failing schools and replacing failing educators.

As an author, his publication, Only Connect: The Way to Save Our Schools, has guided public discussion. Crew has received many honors, including the 2008 AASA National Superintendent of the Year. He is an associate in education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he has been part of the Urban Superintendent Program since 1992.

Associate Professor of Clinical Education
Ed.D., USC Rossier School of Education

E-Mail: tpoon@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-9747
Office: WPH 602B

Dr. Tracy Poon Tambascia is Associate Professor of Clinical Education and the Faculty Lead for the Post-secondary Administration and Student Affairs (PASA) program. As the Faculty Lead, Dr. Tambascia advises students in the PASA program, works with higher education faculty in the school in reviewing and updating the course curriculum, schedules faculty and courses, and reviews applicant files for those interested in enrolling in the PASA program. Dr. Tambascia also teaches the Student Affairs in College course in the fall (EDHP 563), the seminar course in fall and spring for second year students (EDHP 593 A & B) and also the Student Affairs in China (EDUC 610) course in the summer.

Prior to this faculty role, Dr. Tambascia worked for over 15 years in student affairs administration. Most recently, she was Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Student at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Dr. Tambascia also worked in student affairs at Whittier College for ten years, and served as Dean of Students from 2003 to 2005. She has also worked at Mount St. Mary's College (Chalon campus) and Occidental College. As dean of students, Dr. Tambascia supervised offices such as residential life, counseling services, student life, disability services, financial aid, career development, registrar and financial aid. While in student affairs, Dr. Tambascia worked in student activities, cultural affairs, orientation, and also wrote and managed grants, including several from the James Irvine Foundation and also Title V.

Dr. Tambascia's research interests include international student affairs, higher education policy, issues that affect practice in student affairs, and minority student success in higher education.

She is the author of "Negotiating Racial Conflict: The leadership role of the dean of students" in the USC Rossier School of Education magazine, UrbanEd, as well as a chapter titled "Engaging Racial/Ethnic Minority Students in Predominantly White Classroom Environments" with Stephen John Quaye and Rameen Ahmadi Talesh, in Student Engagement in Higher Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Approaches for Diverse Populations by Shaun R. Harper and Stephen John Quaye (2008).

Dr. Tambascia earned her Ed.D. in higher education administration from the University of Southern California in 2007, an M.A. in psychology from the California State University, Los Angeles in 1999, and a B.A. in psychology from Occidental College in 1992.

E-Mail: balok@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-3265
Office: WPH 1003E

Dr. Balok worked for 34 years as a teacher, counselor and administrator in LAUSD. He has been an adjunct professor at USC for eight years. His research interests include student self-concept development and teacher morale factors within the principal's sphere of influence.

Noted Americans salute their favorite teacher. You can, too.

In celebration of our 100th anniversary, Rossier will honor Alumna Cindy Hensley McCain (BA '76, MA '78) and USC President Steven B. Sample at its Centennial Gala on February 1, 2010. Mrs. McCain will receive the Dean's Alumni Achievement Award, and President Sample will be presented with the Global Education Leadership Award at the event. Read more about the Centennial Gala.

Celebrate 100 Years
Watch a very special event launching a year-long celebration on Innovation, Education and Transformation. Watch the event

Get Your New Futures in Urban Ed Issue

Professor
M.F.A. Michigan State University

E-Mail: smetros@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 821-8084
Offices: 332R CAL and 113 LVL
Expert Directory: http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/experts/1555.html

Susan E. Metros is Associate Vice Provost for Technology Enhanced Learning and Deputy Chief Information Officer. She also holds faculty appointments in design with the Roski School of Fine Arts and in clinical education with the Rossier School of Education. In her administrative role, she leads the academic community in integrating new and emerging educational technologies into teaching, learning, research, and outreach. In her role as educator and designer, she teaches courses on new literacies and has served as principal designer on several international award winning multimedia and Web-based projects. She also is active on numerous international and national boards, committees, and task forces. She has published and presented widely on innovative leadership, knowledge management, visual and digital literacy, and the role of technology in transforming education to be engaging, interactive, and learner-centered.