Faculty

CEI supports faculty across all disciplines to integrate local environmental challenges into course curriculum and research.

Why incorporate environmental challenges into your teaching and research?

Urgent Need: Environmental changes are a primary driving force for disruption and change across the planet. More than ever, higher education needs to find ways to prepare students to take on these challenges and prepare a workforce where professionals across all sectors have the knowledge, skills and experience to work collaboratively on emerging local challenges.
Teaching Effectiveness: Incorporating outdoor learning and real-world projects (and even field experiences in general) into your courses can help you achieve your teaching goals. These approaches are two of the most effective high-impact teaching practices, improving students' academic success, self-esteem, problem-solving, motivation to learn, and classroom behavior.
Student Recruitment & Retention: SSU's recovery plan is based on attracting and retaining students through graduation. Outdoor and real-world learning experiences are documented to increase student recruitment and retention, as well as wellness and mental health.
SSU Core Values: SSU core values are diversity and social justice, sustainability and environmental inquiry, connectivity and community engagement, and adaptability and responsiveness. Engaging in projects with CEI helps faculty in all disciplines incorporate all four of these core values into their teaching.
Public Liberal Arts & Sciences Identity: SSU's academic identity is to prepare students of all backgrounds for meaningful and impactful careers by emphasizing learning experiences addressing the challenges of our time and enriched by our unique location in Sonoma County. A key element of our identity are high-impact learning experiences
RTP Community Service Requirement: To infuse the connectivity and community engagement value into SSU curriculum, most SSU departments require faculty to undertake community service. Working with community partners on real-world projects often fulfills teaching, research and community service criteria simultaneously.

Faculty Support & Services

We support faculty in all disciplines to incorporate outdoor and real-world learning into courses and research. We provide connections to regional initiatives and the unique cultural, economic and environmental challenges at each SSU preserve and garden. Contact us or come to a biannual Open House to learn more.

Outdoor Classrooms and Laboratories: CEI actively encourages field trips and research by all SSU faculty to preserves and gardens. Ask us for a tour!
- Stocking Native Plant Garden: 5 acres, on campus. No reservations necessary.
- Fairfield Osborn Preserve: 450 acres, 6 miles from campus
- Los Guilicos Preserve: 40 acres, 16 miles from campus
- Galbreath Wildlands Preserve: 3,670 acres, 60 miles from campus
Facilities and Vehicles: Preserve resources are available to faculty at no cost:
- Looking for a place to host your next meeting? Consider the FIGR Learning Center at the Osborn Preserve for retreats, events and meetings. Wifi & digital classrooms available.
- Facilities (FIGR Learning Center, Bob & Sue's Campground, White Oak Camp) can be reserved through CEI's on-line reservations.
- Vehicles (CEI Vehicles (5-person capacity), Galbreath off-road vehicles (18-person capacity). Contact us directly to reserve CEI vehicles.
Class and Research Projects: We help you:
- Identify a regional environmental challenge relevant to your discipline or course goals.
- Give you a tour of preserves and gardens to scope ideas.
- Provide funding through CEI's Grants for you to engage your students in environmental inquiry
- Access data from previous studies.
- Join interdisciplinary academic-community teams conducting research on water, fire, forests, and land management challenges (Education into Action).
- Engage your class in finding solutions to challenges at preserves and gardens(Eco Edge)
Curriculum Development: We help you:
- Identify local case studies and knowledgeable speakers to incorporate into your courses.
- Suggest extra credit for your students as part of CEI’s multidisciplinary series Dig into Nature.
- Build student observation, communication and critical thinking skills with asynchronous learning modules (The Virtual Field).
- Engage students in internships that teach leadership skills (Trainings). Students receive 1 unit as part of training and 1 unit applying those skills to local challenges. Internships (stipend or course credit) in water planning, garden stewardship, natural history & education, land management, or research topics proposed by faculty mentor
Public Outreach: CEI outreach programs (Dig into Nature) are opportunities for you and your students to present research results or lead tours and workshops. Over 40 events each year get students connected to local landscapes, teach them new skills, and provide information on how to get involved in regional issues.

Sonoma State University Faculty*

Emily Acosta Lewis, Communication & Media Studies
Owen Anfinson, Geology
Manza Atkinson, Chemistry
Sarah Baker, English
Zeke Baker, Sociology
Jeff Baldwin, Geography, Environment & Planning
Gina Baleria, Communication & Media Studies
Lisa Bentley, Biology
Glen Brassington, Psychology
Julie Bright, Biology
Grace Brown, Mathematics & Statistics
Elizabeth Burch, Communication & Media Studies
Megan Burke, Philosophy
Martha Byrne, Math
Fawn Canady, Curriculum Studies and Secondary Education
Elizabeth Chamberlin, Geography, Environment & Planning
Caroline Christian, Geography, Environment & Planning
Matthew Clark, Geography, Environment & Planning
Michael Cohen, Biology
Lynn R. Cominsky, Physics & Astronomy
Dan Crocker, Biology
Kristen Daley, Theatre Arts & Dance
Vanessa Dodge, Geography, Environment & Planning
Paul Draper, Theatre Arts & Dance
Scott Eberle, Psychology
Johnna Edmunds, Nursing
Charles Elster, Early Childhood Studies
Kristen Ely, Business Administration
Steve Estes, History
Roxanne Ezzet, Sociology
Kevin Fang, Geography, Environment & Planning
Farid Farahmand, Engineering Science
Steven Farmer, Chemistry
Allison Ford, Sociology
Nick Geist, Biology
Armand Gilinksy, Business
Gurman Gill, Computer Science
Robert Girling, Business Administration
Derek Girman, Biology
Robin Glas, Geology
Michelle Goman, Geography, Environment & Planning
Mary Gomes, Psychology
Mark Gondree, Computer Science
Jackie Guilford, Geography, Environment & Planning
Nathan Haenlein, Art
Debora Hammond, Hutchins School of Liberal Studies
Merlin Hanauer, Economics
Neil Hancock, Engineering
Susan Hayes, Economics
Jess Hazlewood, English
José Hernández Ayala, Geography, Environment & Planning
Susan Herring, Mathematics
Heidi Herrmann, Geography, Environment & Planning
Alex Hinds, Environmental Studies & Planning
Natalie Hobson, Mathematics & Statistics
Claudia Holt, Psychology
Scott Horstein, Theatre Arts & Dance
John Isom, Geography, Environment & Planning
Tom Jacobson, Geography, Environment & Planning
Matthew James, Geology
Elizabeth Jones, Early Childhood Education
Lakine Kahn, English
Sara Kassis, Engineering
Kurt Kemp, Art
Christine Koh, Physics and Astronomy
Ali Kooshesh, Computer Science
Melina Kozanitas, Biology
Brigitte Lahme, Math
Rheyna Laney, Geography, Environment & Planning
Justine Law, Liberal Studies
Anamary Leal, Computer Science
Kyuho Lee, Business Administration
Shannon Lee, Biology
Joseph Lin, Biology
Rick Luttmann, Mathematics
Lynne Lyle, Early Childhood Education
Alexis Macnab, Theatre Arts & Dance
Matty Mookerjee, Geology
Mike Moore, Geography, Environment & Planning
Kathy Morris, Literacy Studies & Elementary Education
Lynne Morrow, Music
Nicole Myers, Geology
Christina Nichols, Saturday Hybrid BA Liberal Studies
Nadiya Parekh, Business Administration
Gillian Parker, Philosophy
Mark Perri, Chemistry
Bruce Peterson, General Education University Studies
Adrian Praetzellis, Anthropology
Margaret Purser, Anthropology
Jeremy Qualls, Physics
Nathan Rank, Biology
Jonah Raskin, Communication & Media Studies
Bala Ravikumar, Computer Science
Emily Ray, Political Science
Jeffrey Reeder, Spanish
Suzanne Rivoire, Computer Science
Deborah Roberts, Nursing
Greg Roberts, Art
Rocky Rohwedder, Environmental Studies & Planning
Rob Rowlands, Engineering
Mohamed Salem, Engineering Science
Talena Sanders, Communication & Media Studies
Greg Sarris, Native American Studies
Nanette "Sheri" Schonleber, School of Education
Michael Schwager, Art
Nanette Schonleber, Early Childhood Education
Scott Severson, Physics
Shiela Shupe, English
Martha Shott, Mathematics & Statistics
Bülent Sökmen, Kinesiology
Daniel Soto, Geography, Environment & Planning
Kaitlin Springmier, Library Administration
Wendy St. John, Biology, and Geography Environment & Planning
John Stayton, School of Business and Economics
David Sul, Political Science
John Sullins, Philosophy
Zeno Swijtink, Philosophy
Shubbhi Taneja, Computer Science
Elizabeth Thach, School of Business and Economics
Erica Tom, Native American Studies
Beth Ann Turner, Music
Travis Wagner, Geography, Environment & Planning
Andy Wallace, Philosophy
Tim Wandling, English
Laura Waters, Geology
Laura Watt, Geography, Environment & Planning
Tia Watts, Computer Science
Richard Whitkus, Biology
Thomas Whitley, Anthropology
Damien Wilson, Wine Business
John Wingard, Anthropology
Chingling Wo, English
Carmen Works, Chemistry
Nansong Wu, Engineering
Adam Zagelbaum, Counseling

Other University Faculty*

Zaid Abdo, Colorado State University
Brian Alford, The Ohio State University
Edgar Rosas Alquicira, Lane Community College
Sean Anderson, California State University, Channel Islands
Christina Andruk, Iona University
Shelley E. Arnott, Queen’s University
Jessica Bean, UC Berkeley
Natalie Beenaerts, Hasselt University
Shawn Behling, Western Washington University
Anne Belden, Santa Rosa Junior College
John Benson, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Theresa Black, Pennsylvania State University Scranton
Jason Bond, University of California, Davis
Elizabeth Borer, University of Minnesota
Soren Brauner, Ashland University
Cini Brown, Colorado State University
Carolyn Butler, Santa Rosa Junior College
Jarrett Byrnes, University of Massachusetts Boston
Lalita Calabria, Evergreen State College
Sierra Cantor, Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District
Justin Chaffin, The Ohio State University
Itchung Cheung, Oregon State University
Richard Cobb, UC Davis
Scott Collins, University of New Mexico
Christina Colon, Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York
Louis Comfort, University of Pittsburgh
Sandy Connelly, Rochester Institute of Technology
Rebecca Corbin, Ashland University
Irina Costache, California State University, Channel Islands
Jennifer Dijkstra, University of New Hampshire
Caprice Disbrow, Napa Valley College / Santa Rosa Junior College
Katie Dobkowski, Woodbury University
Neil Driscoll, UC San Diego
Barbara Dugelby, St. Edward's University
Akif Eskalen, UC Davis
Chris Feldman, University of Nevada, Reno
Linda Fergusson-Kolmes, Portland Community College
Daniel Fernandez, CSU Monterey Bay
Paul Foster, University of Michigan
Matt Furmanski, California State University, Channel Islands
Shannon Galbraith-Kent, Thomas More University
Corey Garza, California State University, Monterey Bay
Phillip Gedalanga, CSU Fullerton
Dana Gehring, Oglala Lakota College
Albert Gonzales, California State University, East Bay
Lissy Goralnik, Michigan State University
Ted Grosholz, UC Davis
Margret Hatch, Penn State Scranton
Laura Hainsworth, Emory & Henry College
Mike Hamilton, Clackamas Community College
Lisa Holeski, Northern Arizona University
Marge Holland, University of Mississippi
Eric Hongisto, University of San Francisco
Jennifer Howeth, University of Alabama
Mattias Johansson, University of the Bahamas
Jennifer Johns, Chemeketa Community College
Shirley Johnson, Mendocino College
Cora Johnston, University of Virginia
Rebecca Kauten, University of Iowa
Graham Kent, University of Nevada, Reno
Meena Kharatmal, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research)
Melissa Kilgore, Lane Community College
Liz King, California State University, Channel Islands
Will Kipling, University of California, Berkeley
May Beth Kolozsvary, Siena College
Nancy Lane, Bellevue College
Amy Lawrence, Olympic College
Heather Leslie, University of Maine
David Lewis, University of South Florida
Chris Lorentz, Thomas More University
David Lowry, Michigan State University
Raymond Lucchesi, University of San Francisco
Zachary Lundeen, University of Utah
Terryanne Maenza-Gmelch, Barnard College
Marion Mann, Oregon Coast Community College
Michelle Marko, Concordia College
Tony Marks-Block, California State University, East Bay
Deedra Mcclearnm, Duke University
Marianne McGrath, California State University, Channel Islands
Mary McKenna, Howard University
Stacey McNulty, State University of New York, Environmental Science & Forestry
Ross Meentemeyer, North Carolina State University
Carolyn Mehan, Pennsylvania State University
Jonah Merritt, UC Berkeley
Randy Mitchell, University of Akron
John Mull, Weber State University
Jennifer Neale, American River College
Peter Nelson, University of California, Berkeley
Susan Nuernberg, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Sel Ozcelik, Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Jorge Ramos, Stanford University
Kevin Raskoff, Monterey Peninsula Community College
Andrew Reinmann, City University of New York - Hunter College
Karla Respress, South Florida State College
Kelly Riedinger, Oregon State University
David Rizzo, UC Davis
Sofia Rodriguez-Brenes, Organization of Tropical Studies
Joan Rundles, University of West Alabama
Eric Sanford, UC Davis
Linda Sartor, St. Mary's College
Patricia Saunders, Ashland University
Teresa Scheuller, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Alison Scoville, Central Washington University
Brieanna Shaw, Santa Rosa Junior College
David Shaw, Oregon State University
Fraser Shilling, University of California, Davis
Laura Spence, Sterling College
Pam Stalker, Napa Valley College
Clare Steele, California State University, Channel Islands
Jane Stewart, Colorado State University
Deidre Sullivan, Monterey Peninsula Community College
Regis Super, Université de Rennes
Steven Swain, University of California Cooperative Extension Marin & Sonoma Counties
Erika Szonntag, Oregon State University
Francis Trail, Michigan State University
Bibit Traut, City College of San Francisco
George Twaddle, Ivy Tech Community College, South Bend-Elkhart Campus
Maricio Ulloa, University of Chile
Van Bloem, Clemson University
Kristen Waring, Northern Arizona University
Diana Wheat, Linn-Benton Community College
Amy Whipple, Northern Arizona University
Joe Whittaker, Concordia College
Christopher Woltemade, Shippensburg University
Peter Yang, Case Western Reserve University
Kiyoko Yokota, State University of New York Oneonta
Amanda Young, University of Alaska
Victoria Young, Savannah State University
Laura Yahdjian, Universidad de Buenos Aires
Lydia Zeglin, Kansas State University

_{*list last updated July 2023}