Joyhanna Yoo

Anthropology

Dr. Joyhanna Yoo (she/they) is joining the Department of Anthropology as an associate professor. She is a linguistic anthropologist who studies the circulation of Korean (popular) cultural genres with fieldwork based in Seoul, Mexico City, and Los Angeles. Her research examines the meanings generated by language as it pertains to race and gender; she also has research interests in Asian American racialization and linguistic appropriation in mediatized contexts. As a first-generation student and an alumnus of the CSU system, she is most looking forward to working with Sac State students. On and off-campus, she is passionate about community- and world-building, especially as it pertains to anti-imperialist and decolonial work.

Vanessa Guzman

Ethnic Studies

Dr. Vanessa Guzman joins Chicanx/Latinx Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies as an assistant professor. She received her PhD in American Studies from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, her M.A. From Claremont Graduate University and her B.A. from UCLA. Her research attends to the covergence of criminal law and immigration law and how immigrants are impacted by crimminalization. Her broader research interests include the politics/ethics of care; labor and social movements; and political theory.

Melina Juárez Pérez

Ethnic Studies

Dr. Melina Juárez Pérez (she/her) joins Chicanx/Latinx Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies as an assistant professor. She is a Chicana scholar-poet-artist born and raised in Yokuts Lands (Central Valley, CA). She earned her BA in Political Science from CSU, Stanislaus; her MA in TransAtlantic Politics from UNC-Chapel Hill; and her PhD in Political Science from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Her work is inspired by her fat queer life & grounded in her desire for radical collective transformation, healing, and justice. You can find her poetry in The Ana and the New Mexico Poetry Anthology; and her research in journals such as the Sociology of Race & Ethnicity and Policy Studies Journal, among others. Her first book Chicana: An Autohistoria is set for publication in summer of 2025 through Lived Places Publishing.

Nicole Richards

Ethnic Studies

Dr. Nicole Richards is a native of upstate New York and joins Pan African Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies as an assistant professor. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania in English Literature before completing her Master of Arts in African American Studies at Columbia University and her PhD in American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. Nicole's research interests include Black fatherhood and Black queer feminism, Africana girlhood, and sites of West African memory and memorial. 

Erika Salinas

Ethnic Studies

Dr. Erika Salinas joins the Department of Ethnic Studies as an assistant professor. She is an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation and is also Kiowa. Salinas’ educational background includes a Bachelor of Social Work with a minor in Native American Studies from Sacramento State, a Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Southern California. Her research interests include the implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act as well as behavioral health outcomes of Tribal youth. As a Sac State Alumna, Salinas is excited to return - go Hornets!

Alfonso A. Aranda

Environmental Studies

Dr. Alfonso A. Aranda joins the Department of Environmental Studies as an associate professor. He completed his PhD at the University of California, Davis. He is a passionate scholar-activist committed to environmental justice. As the son of farmworkers, he uses community-based research to address health disparities in agricultural communities. His work combines academia and activism, empowering marginalized populations through education, research, and policy advocacy. Dr. Aranda is dedicated to fostering the next generation of environmental justice leaders.

Sigride Asseko

Dr. Sigride Asseko joins the Environmental Studies Department as an assistant professor. She received a BS in environmental studies and a dual master’s degrees in public administration and global studies from the university of Oregon and a doctorate in environmental health from Oregon State University. She is an environmental epidemiologist whose research focuses broadly on environmental health literacy, exposure assessment, and epidemiology with applications to air pollution. She loves to collaborate as she believe that the most pressing environmental health issues must be addressed with interdisciplinary team science. During free time away from work, she likes to dance, sing, and hike with her family.

Alyssa Maples

Family & Consumer Sciences

Dr. Alyssa Maples is excited to join the Family Sciences and Human Development program in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences as an assistant professor. Her research centralizes around flourishing, mental health, and belonging among college students with an emphasis on social justice and inclusion through volunteerism and campus involvement. Alyssa received her PhD from the University of Minnesota in family social science with an emphasis on couple and family therapy. She was previously a faculty member working with clinical graduate students, and is a practicing therapist focusing on trauma, addiction, and ambiguous loss.

Kehan Shen

Psychology

Dr. Kehan Shen joins the Psychology Department as an assistant professor with a specialty in Counseling Psychology. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas and completed a clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley. His research interests include psychotherapy processes and outcomes, multicultural counseling, and psychosocial factors in chronic medical conditions. He has many years of clinical experience with various university counseling centers and has provided a wide range of mental health services to a diverse clientele. In his spare time, he likes traveling, cooking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Shane Nordyke

Public Policy & Administration

Dr. Shane Nordyke joins the Public Policy and Administration Program as full professor and department chair.  She received her Ph.D. in Public Policy from Indiana University. Prior to joining Sacramento State,  she was a Professor at the University of South Dakota where she was the Director of the Chiesman Center for Democracy and previously directed the Government Research Bureau.  Her teaching is primarily in the areas of public policy and research methods.  Her research focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning and applied policy analysis. Outside of work, she is an avid reader, knitter, and hiker. She also loves to spend time with her family and her two dogs.

Laura Baker

Center for California Studies

Laura joins the Center for California Studies as the new Director of the Executive Fellowship Program. Laura is a seasoned professional with a diverse public services background spanning environmental law and policy, nonprofit leadership, and academic administration. Her prior roles include Chief of Staff at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Assistant Dean for Career Development at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. Laura was a Presidential Management Fellow with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Office of Transportation and Air Quality and completed a detail assignment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Her work with nonprofit organizations includes Placer Land Trust, Coalition for Clean Air, California Public Interest Research Group, and the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment where she representation underserved communities in the San Joaquin Valley. Laura holds a J.D. and Master of Studies in Environmental Laws from Vermont Law School and a B.A. in Communications from California State University, Fullerton.

Shannon Swanson

Center for California Studies

Shannon joins the team at the Center for California Studies as Senior Outreach Specialist. Her primary role is conducting communications and recruitment efforts for the Capital Fellows programs. Shannon holds her B.A. in Political Science from Sacramento State and is currently in Sac State’s Master of Public Policy and Administration program (double Stingers Up!). Prior to this role, Shannon served as a Policy Specialist for the Cal State Student Association and a Legislative Aide in the California State Assembly. Shannon is particularly excited to be a part of the Capital Fellows programs because they empower people to ignite successful careers in public service. In addition to her work, she enjoys traveling and most recently visited Paris for 2024 Olympics.

Annelise Green

EdInsights

Annelise (she/her) joins the Education Insights Center (EdInsights) as a Research Associate. Annelise collaborates on evaluation projects that meaningfully inform and evolve educational systems, resources, and policy.  She primarily orients her work with a transformative, humanistic, and mixed-methods perspective, particularly seeking to reflect areas of opportunity to promote equitable systemic change. Prior to joining EdInsights, Annelise discovered her vocation through the intersection of a deep passion for providing youth pathways to thrive and the power of data and evaluation to accelerate impact. Annelise obtained her Bachelor’s as a double major in Psychology and Intercultural Communications at Pepperdine University, and her Master’s in Educational Psychology with a specialization in research methods, measurement, and evaluation through the University of Connecticut. Annelise continues her studies as a lifelong learner and student of anti-racism.

Sukai Kato-Hopkins

EdInsights

Sukai (pronounced "sky") joins EdInsights as a Research Associate. Sukai earned her B.A. in Applied Linguistics and her M.A. in Higher Education & Organizational Change from the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to EdInsights, she has worked across various subfields in higher education, including institutional research, academic advising, admissions, new student programs, and retention programs. Originally from rural Japan, Sukai is passionate about education not being a one-size-fits-all solution, requiring continuous community engagement and partnerships to meet the needs of an increasingly diversifying student population. She is also passionate about the benefits of mentorship, continuing to mentor and support Japanese students interested in pursuing their higher education abroad.

Lada Thao

EdInsights

Lada joins EdInsights as an Administrative Analyst. Lada earned her B.A. in International Relations with a minor in Psychology from California State University, Chico. During her time there, Lada served as the president of the Upward Bound Alumni Association, a student organization that helps provide support to Upward Bound High school seniors through fundraising for college scholarship awards, and organizing college application and financial aid workshop to help support them in their college admission journey. She also helped organized mentorship and tutor programs to help support Chico State UB Alumni freshmen retention and helping them acclimate to University life. Lada also served as a member of the Hmong Student Association at Chico State where she helped coordinate a higher education conference for Hmong students and parents in the local community. As a first-generation college graduate herself, Lada is passionate about helping students gain access to equal educational opportunities and support to succeed in higher education.

Lara Meyer Triona

EdInsights

Dr. Lara Meyer Triona joins EdInsights in 2023 as a research associate. Lara earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Her focus at EdInsights is on evaluating institutional effectiveness and program initiatives to improve students' community college experience. Lara is passionate about ensuring California offers empowering and equitable educational opportunities. Her previous research focused on math and science learning by children in schools, museums, and other informal learning settings. Lara also has more than a decade of experience designing curriculum for various education-focused companies.

Pa Vang

Full Circle Project

Pa joins the Full Circle Project (FCP) as an Administrative Support Coordinator II. She is a first-generation college student who began her academic journey at Sacramento State University in 2019. During this time, she was involved in the FCP as a member of Cohort 8 and experienced a great impact on their academic and professional development through the program’s provision of essential campus resources and leadership skills. Pa served as a student assistant for peer advising within FCP from her junior through senior year. In this role, she supported many APIDA students, facilitating hertransition to college life. Pa graduated from Sacramento State in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specializing in Accounting. She looks forward to continuing to contribute to FCP’s mission and supporting the student community on campus.

Laura Brignone

Institute for Social Research (ISR)

Laura joins the Institute for Social Research as a Research Analyst III. She completed her BA in music at Stanford University, and she earned her MSW and Ph.D. in Social Welfare at U.C. Berkeley. She brings experience studying the role of technology in domestic and sexual violence interventions to this role, as well as an enthusiasm for applied and community-engaged research. Many of her favorite non-academic discoveries come in indie bookshops, while seated at the piano, or through dance.

Roxana Gomez

Institute for Social Research (ISR)

Roxana joined The Institute for Social Research (ISR) in February 2024 as the Operations and Administrative Assistant. Prior to joining ISR , Roxana used her background in administration in various supporting roles with local, woman-owned small businesses to several elementary school across Sacramento with a particular concentration on schools with a high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds. She has a passion for supporting the arts and local makers. She herself is a local maker and a self-proclaimed candle connoisseur; she uses her spare time creating candles, incense and soaps using only locally sourced ingredients. She is a snowboarder and a devout football (soccer) fan; you can usually find her, along with her husband and two kids, at a Sacramento Republic match when in season! She is thrilled to be a part of the dynamic ISR team and is excited to assist ISR's continuous efforts in transforming research into action and building stronger communities."

Raleigh Wilcox

Liberal Studies/Social Science

Raleigh joins the Office of Liberal Studies and Social Science as the Administrative Support Coordinator. Raleigh earned his BA in Economics at Sac State while working as a student assistant in University Housing Services and later in the Office Space Management and the Office of the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. During this time, Raleigh helped students with adjusting to college life, planning events, accessing resources and services, and making them feel welcome and valued on campus. Raleigh has also worked as a valuable team member in managing large projects and programs. As the new ASC for the Liberal Studies and Social Sciences programs, Raleigh plans to continue providing committed service to students, care for the office and the team, and help the university pursue its mission to prepare students to lead, serve, and succeed.