History of IDEA
Jeannie Oakes, Founder and Former Director
Research
2011 Educational Opportunity Report: Free Fall
May 4: IDEA answers key questions about LAUSD a-g policy
Students
A number of Graduate Student Researchers contribute to IDEA's projects.
Melanie Bertrand
Melanie Bertrand is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA. She conducts qualitative research for the annual Educational Opportunity Report. Melanie is a Ph.D. student in education at UCLA and is interested in critical discourse analysis and race. She enjoys dancing and hiking.
Ebony Cain
Ebony Cain is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA. She researches the Multiple Pathways approach to high school, which provides students trajectories for both college and career. Ebony is a Ph.D. student in education at UCLA and is interested in civic engagement among youth. She enjoys live music and opportunities to discuss and experience all aspects of popular culture.
Cueponcaxochitl
Cueponcaxochitl is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA. She conducts research on the digital divide in technology use in public schools. She is a Ph.D. student in education at UCLA and is interested in ‘critical spiritual pedagogy,’ an approach that supports students’ spiritual and emotional development, facilitates critical engagement in traditional classroom settings, and prioritizes academic achievement for all students. Dianna loves going hiking with friends and her pitbull-lab mix Canela.
Rhoda Freelon
Rhoda Freelon is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA. She analyzes state and national education data for IDEA's annual Educational Opportunity Report. Rhoda is a Ph.D. student in education at UCLA and uses quantitative research methods to investigate the intersection of race and class in educational inequality. She enjoys tennis, travel, music, and photography.
Clifford Lee
Clifford Lee is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA. He is currently coaching teachers and doing research in the Exploring Computer Science program. He is a Ph.D. student in the Urban Schooling division at UCLA and his dissertation focuses on the intersections of a culturally-responsive video gaming project that emphasizes computational thinking and English language arts. Cliff enjoys watching documentaries, foreign films, sports, reading and working out. He also loves taking excursions with his wife and 2 year old son.
David Medina
David Medina is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA. He analyzes state and national education data for IDEA’s annual Educational Opportunity Report. David is a Ph.D. student in sociology at UCLA and his research interests include education, social stratification, and immigration.
Nicole Mirra
Nicole Mirra is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA. She co-facilitates the Mayor’s Council of Youth Research, a group of high school students investigating conditions in local schools. She is a Ph.D. student in education at UCLA who is interested in critical pedagogy and curriculum in English Language Arts classrooms, civic engagement, critical race theory, among others. She enjoys photography, literature, traveling, film, theater, restaurants, baseball, and chess.
Jesse Moya
Jesse Moya is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA, currently involved in the Linked Learning project, which studies an alternative approach to high school. He is also the Communications Specialist at IDEA, editing the Education News Roundup, a daily collection of news stories on education reform. He is a Ph.D. student in education at UCLA whose dissertation research focuses on the learning and development that take place as urban youth participate in community-based activism organizations. Jesse likes to travel and play sports.
Wendy Perez
Wendy Perez is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA and is currently a part of the Powerful IDEAS Project. She is a Ph.D. student in education at UCLA. Her academic interests include exploring issues involving Latinos and college access. Activities that she enjoys are spending time with friends and family, walking, reading, attending cultural events, and listening to live music.
Jean Ryoo
Jean Ryoo is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA. She conducts research on the digital divide in technology use in public schools. Jean is a Ph.D. student in education at UCLA whose research interests include Korean dual-language schools and homeless youth. She enjoys surfing and hiking with her dog Soda.
Bryan C. Ventura
Bryan C. Ventura is a Graduate Student Researcher at IDEA. He is involved with the Communities for Public Education Reform project and the Educational Opportunity Report. Bryan is a Ph.D. student in education at UCLA and is interested in school discipline and alternative schools within the context of school dropout, pushout, and school-to-prison pipeline. He enjoys traveling and endurance sports (swimming, biking, and running).
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