IDEA's Staff

Jerchel Anderson

Jerchel Anderson is the Director of Finance and Personnel at IDEA. She manages IDEA’s project budgets, tracks grant spending, supervises staff, and prepares research proposals. Jerchel is also the manager of UC ACCORD, where she provides similar financial services. Jerchel has a daughter in college and a son in high school. She enjoys romance novels, photography, computer technology, and football (especially the Dallas Cowboys).

Claudia Bustamante

Claudia Bustamante is the Director of Communications at IDEA. She promotes the research center's work and expertise through media outreach, original content and partnerships with community-based organizations. Before coming to IDEA, Claudia worked as a K-12 education reporter in Inland Southern California. Claudia has a master's in journalism from the University of Southern California and a bachelor's in communications and classics from UCLA. She loves to travel, run and learn new things (currently, the accordion).

Carolyn Castelli

Carolyn Castelli is the Publications Coordinator at IDEA. She provides administrative support to the director and is responsible for proof-reading all publications, brochures, and proposals generated by IDEA. She loves to read, swim and travel. An avid gardener, she grows tomatoes and a variety of herbs in her garden. Carolyn and her husband attend all of the UCLA men’s basketball home games.

Jessie Castro

Jessie Castro is an Administrative Specialist at IDEA, where he manages logistics for meetings, travel, special events, and publications. He also provides technical support for the staff. Jessie is a Formula One auto racing enthusiast and enjoys going to the beach. A UCLA graduate in political science, Jessie continues to support Bruin football.

Sophie Fanelli

Sophie Fanelli is Director of Research & Policy at IDEA. She manages the production of IDEA’s annual Educational Opportunity Report and works closely with researchers examining Multiple Pathways, educational equity and adequacy, parent and student engagement, and state and federal educational policies. Prior to joining IDEA, Sophie was a research fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, where she was a key member of the Williams v. State of California litigation team. Sophie has a law degree and a Master’s degree from Université D’Aix-en-Provence, in France, and a joint Masters in history and political Science from Université d’Aix and Universita La Sapienza, in Italy. Sophie also conducted research at the University of Texas at Austin as a Foreign Lawyer Fellow. Originally from France, Sophie is a foodie who enjoys playing tennis, hiking with her dogs, and attending political rallies.

Julie Flapan

Julie Flapan is the Director of Public Engagement at IDEA. She facilitates the Educational Justice Collaborative, a statewide network of grassroots organizations, policy advocates and researchers working toward more equitable and fully resourced public schools in California. Julie's research interests include community organizing for school reform, anti-bias education, and cross-racial teacher/student relationships. Her publications include Tolerance Matters, Diversity Education in the U.S. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Julie completed her doctorate at UCLA. She enjoys dancing, art, and yoga, as well as playing in the park with her three small children.

Nickie Fung

Nickie Fung provides administrative support at IDEA. She performs a range of office tasks, updates the website with daily compilations of news coverage about education, and archives news articles. Nickie is a student at UCLA who is entering her third year. She serves on the UCLA Dance Marathon Committee and enjoys meeting new people.

Martin Lipton

Martin Lipton edits the written material produced by IDEA, including a weekly summary of education news. He was editor of Learning Power: Organizing for Education and Justice by Jeannie Oakes and John Rogers, and he was co-author with Jeannie Oakes of Teaching to Change the World and Making the Best of Schools, among other projects.

Jane Margolis

Jane Margolis is a Senior Researcher at IDEA who studies segregation within learning environments; gender and race socialization in education; and how inequality is produced in our society. She has received several National Science Foundation grants focused on these issues. She has built partnerships between higher education and K-12 to address inequities within computer science education. Jane is the lead author of two award-winning books: Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing and Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women in Computing. She enjoys writing, visual arts, music, travel, and nature.

Nery Orellana

Nery Orellana is the Art Director at IDEA. He designs brochures, posters, logos, murals and websites. Nery has a BA in Art from California State, Los Angeles, and worked with designer Saul Bass for five years. He is interested in a range of art forms, including painting, illustration, ceramics, block printing, and photography. Originally from Guatemala, Nery is bilingual/bicultural and enjoys learning about the world’s cultures, music and languages.

Jared Planas

Jared Planas is the Communications and Technology Coordinator at IDEA. He manages the institute’s website and administers technology solutions for the staff. Currently Jared is earning at Master’s in Urban Planning at UCLA, focusing on housing and community economic development. Jared is a music and computer technology aficionado.

Marisa Saunders

Marisa Saunders is a Senior Research Associate at IDEA who researches the Multiple Pathways approach to high school education. A graduate of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, she is interested in the K–12 and postsecondary transitions and trajectories of underrepresented youth and the alleviation of disparities in students’ access to basic educational resources. She was the co-editor with Jeannie Oakes of Beyond Tracking: Multiple Pathways to College, Career and Civic Participation.

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