DPEL Faculty and Staff

Dr. Mahmoud Suleiman is a professor of Teacher Education at California State University, Bakersfield. He earned his Ph.D. from Arizona State University in 1993. He previously taught at the Maricopa Community College District, AZ; Arizona State University, Tempe; and Fort Hays State University, KS. He joined CSUB in 1999 and has created/taught a variety of credential and graduate courses in the areas of multiculturalism, equity and social justice, global education, reading/literacy, action research, instructional leadership, second language acquisition among others. During his tenure at CSUB, Dr. Suleiman has served as Director of the Multiple Subject Credential Program and as Chair of the Teacher Education Department. He is a two-time Fulbright Scholar (2009/2010) at the Bahrain Teachers College, University of Bahrain, Bahrain as well as (2016/2017) at the Faculty of Educational Sciences and Teacher Training, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
Dr. Suleiman is one of the original planning committee members for the CSUF-CSUB joint doctoral program. In addition to being among the very first core members, he is the first CSUB faculty to chair dissertation committees as well as serve on many others; since the inception of the program, he has chaired more than seven dissertations focusing on various topics such the impact of school discipline policies on African American male students’ achievement gap, critical pedagogy approach to examine the impact of poverty on teacher grading decisions, gender equity in STEM related sciences, educational entrepreneurship, self-efficacy and social capital of Latinos in career academies,…among others.

He continues his involvement in the program with the commitment to enhance an actionable doctoral culture by promoting social justice leadership to transform schools in the service area and beyond.

Dr. Brittney Beck is an Associate Professor of Teacher Education at California State University, Bakersfield. Her body of work resides at the intersection of democratic education, teacher and student activism, C-STEAM education, and university-school-community partnerships. At these intersections, she explores how school systems can best engage the material and ideological realities of the community to inform and reform curricula, pedagogy, and school climate initiatives in ways that engage teachers and students as active citizens. Dr. Beck also serves as the Project Director and Principal Investigator for the Citizen Scientist Project, which is designed to build the capacity of teachers and students to apply their budding competencies in C-STEAM disciplines to identify and address issues of community concern in collaboration with scientists and community agencies.  In doing so, she hopes to democratize science by including more diverse voices in question posing, data collection, data analysis, and data-informed advocacy. She has published her work in the American Educational Research Journal, Perspectives on Urban Education, and the Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis, as well as more public-facing articles with Teaching Tolerance.

Dr. Chandra Commuri is a professor in the Department of Public Policy & Administration. He is also currently the Faculty Director of the Teaching & Learning Center at CSUB. He teaches courses in public policy, nonprofit management, and qualitative research methods. His research interests include studying how narratives shape policy outcomes. and understanding the identity work carried out by public employees in high-stress situations. Dr. Commuri is on the governing boards at the Kern Community Foundation and the Kern Network for Children. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California.

Dr. Alem Kebede, currently Professor of Sociology/Social Theory, is a graduate of Oklahoma State University (MS: Sociology; MA: Philosophy; PhD: Sociology). Prior to joining CSUB, he had a visiting assistant professor position at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Alem Kebede's research areas include sociology of education, social theory, social movements, and cross-cultural encounters. His articles have appeared in Sociological Inquiry, Sociological Perspectives, Sociological Spectrum, Sociological Focus and Research in Social Movements, Teaching Sociology and Journal of Developing Societies. While at CSUB, Alem Kebede has taught Introduction to Sociology, Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology, Social Stratification, Social Change, Social Movements and Collective Behavior, Classical Sociological Theory, Contemporary Sociological Theory, The African Experience in the United States, Advanced Sociological Theory, Sociology of Power, Civil Rights Movement, Political Sociology, Social Psychology, Qualitative Methods, and Advanced Social Psychology. His important services to the University include: Global/Diaspora Studies Coordinator, Internship Coordinator, Graduate Coordinator and AKD advisor for Sociology Majors. During his spare time, Alem Kebede loves to train for marathons. He has run thirteen marathons, including the Boston, Los Angeles, and New York City Marathons.

Dr. Emmanuel (Manny) Mourtzanos serves as the Executive Dean of Instruction at Bakersfield College supporting the instructional and operational functions for various academic disciplines. Dr. Mourtzanos has previously served as the Vice Chancellor of Educational Services at the Kern Community College District, and as Vice President of Student Affairs. Dr. Mourtzanos has also served in numerous administrative roles in higher education over the past 29 years, including Dean of Students (California State University Bakersfield); Associate Dean of Student Services (Letourneau University); Director of Education (University of Washington School of Medicine – Graduate Medical Education); and Assistant Director of Residence Life (Seattle Pacific University). Dr. Mourtzanos has been actively involved as an adjunct faculty at various institutions throughout his career, including as an Affiliate Faculty for CSUB’s Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership since 2015. Dr. Mourtzanos earned his Ed.D. in Educational Administration from Seattle Pacific University (2005), M.A. in Student Development from Providence College & Seminary (1996), and B.R.E. in Christian Education from Tyndale University College (1993).

Dr. Juterh Nmah is an assistant professor of the Educational Counseling graduate program at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). She also serves as a core faculty member in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership (DPEL) at CSUB. At CSUB, Dr. Nmah is a proud member of the California Faculty Association where she currently serves (CFA) as a delegate-at-large. She also serves as the faculty representative on the Caring Advocates and Responsive Engagement (CARE) team and a member of the Black Student Success Council (BSSC).

Prior to coming to CSUB, she was employed as a regional coordinator with the Louisiana Board of Regents, Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA). She was previously a school counselor in Zachary, Louisiana, and in New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally from Liberia, Dr. Nmah relocated to Bakersfield after receiving her Ph.D. in educational leadership and research from Louisiana State University (LSU) in May 2020. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Georgia State University, and a Master of Education degree in school counseling also from LSU. She is passionate about working with economically disadvantaged students and ensuring students receive quality college and career readiness. Dr. Nmah’s research interests include college and career readiness, crisis management, minority male achievement, college access and equity and supervised practice and professional development. Her hobbies include volunteering, watching and playing sports, spending time with family and friends, interior designing and gardening.

Sarana Eyire Roberts (PhD) is an assistant professor of special education at California State University, Bakersfield. Her research focuses on teacher preparation, literacy, multicultural education, and online learning and teaching. She received her doctoral degree in Special Education with an emphasis in reading difficulties and multicultural education, as well as a mild to moderate Educational Specialist credential at the University of California, Riverside. She has taught classes on curriculum and instruction, research design, foundations in special education and mild to moderate support needs.

Dr. Stacy M. P. Schmidt is in her nineteenth year of teaching in the Teacher Credentialing programs at California State University Bakersfield. She has served in a variety of leadership roles including Interim Chair of the Teacher Education Department and is currently the Director of Teacher Credentialing at the CSUB AV Campus. Dr. Schmidt’s research interests include education policy, co-teaching, and differentiated instruction to provide quality instruction for all students.

Dr. John B. Stark is in his twenty-fifth year of service as both an administrator and as a faculty member at California State University, Bakersfield. He has served in various campus leadership positions, including Chair of the Academic Senate and several Senate Committees, as Director of the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, as Department Chair of Management & Marketing, as Associate Dean of the College of Business & Public Administration, and twice as Interim Dean for the School. Stark entered academia after sixteen years of practical experience in small and medium-sized organizations, in both the private and public sectors. After receiving his PhD in Business Administration from the University of Missouri at Columbia, his primary areas of instruction have been organizational behavior, small business management, and managerial skills. He has taught in undergraduate, masters, and EdD programs, earning the rank of Emeritus Professor of Management along the way. His research is in the development of trust, conflict resolution, and pedagogy, and he serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Management Education. Stark is also a consultant for area organizations in strategic planning and the development of managerial skills.

Dr. Jinping Sun is a professor of Public Policy & Administration at California State University, Bakersfield. She has taught courses in public finance and budgeting, research methods, public policy, internships, and culminating activities. Her research interests focus on public budgeting and finance, and she has published books and peer-reviewed journal articles in government budget forecasting, public pensions, and public budgeting.

Dr. Michael Szolowicz brings hard-earned perspective gained from 23 years of service as a principal, assistant principal, and teacher in comprehensive public high schools. Dr. Szolowicz's tenure as a practitioner encompassed diverse urban, suburban, and rural communities and has coincided with the national educational reform efforts of standardization and testing as seen in No Child Left Behind and the Common Core. Additionally, Dr. Szolowicz brings higher-education leadership experience, including serving as department chair and serving on the academic senate's academic affairs and faculty affairs committees. Dr. Szolowicz's scholarly interests stem from these experiences and explore the intersections of educational reform, politics, leadership, philosophy, and curriculum. He has published in Educational Administration Quarterly regarding the politics of superintendency and Teachers College Record regarding parents seeking to legalize opting out of state-mandated standardized testing. His recently published book, Who's Gonna Water My Tomatoes? School Gardens, Kitchens, and the Search for Educational Authenticity explores the edible schoolyard movement in Kern County. Additionally, he has presented at numerous national and international conferences, including the American Educational Research Association, University Council for Educational Administration, and Critical Questions in Education.

Dr. Aaron Wisman received his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Organizational Development from the University of Louisville in 2017. Dr. Wisman currently serves as an associate professor in the Educational Administration (Master of Arts) program and as Acting Director for the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership (EdD) at California State University, Bakersfield. Prior to this academic appointment, Dr. Wisman served schools and school districts identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) as an Education Recovery Specialist (i.e., consultant) with the Kentucky Department of Education. In addition, Dr. Wisman has also served as a high school biology teacher and department chair in public and private school contexts. 
Dr. Wisman’s research interests include school diversity and academic achievement of marginalized students, diversity and equity policy, state-level education reform, leadership in high-minority/high-poverty contexts, and school turnaround. He has published several peer-reviewed empirical articles in academic journals such as Education and Urban Society, Educational Policy, Educational Administration Quarterly, The Journal of Negro Education, among others.

Dr. Adam Sawyer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education where he also directs the CSUB Liberal Studies and Bilingual Authorization Programs. His research explores the nexus of migration and education with a focus on Latinx children, youth, and families. He is also a specialist in the design and study of bilingual education programs and models for place-based and culturally sustaining curricula and pedagogies for historically minoritized populations, especially in rural California. His recent work has been published by Journal of Latinos and Education, International Migration Review, and Teacher Education Quarterly, and he is co-editor of the 2013 Teachers College Press Volume Regarding Educación: Mexican American Schooling, Immigration, and Binational Solutions. Previous to his academic career, Dr. Sawyer served as a Spanish bilingual elementary school teacher in California and as an academic consultant to the Mexican National Ministry of Education. He holds an Ed.M and Ed.D from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Matt Torres currently serves as the Deputy Superintendent of Business Services for the Walnut Valley Unified School District located in Los Angeles County.  In addition, Dr. Torres currently serves as a Lecturer in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Cal State University Bakersfield. Dr. Torres has previously served as a Lecturer at Cal State University Bakersfield in the Educational Administration Program for candidates pursuing their Preliminary Administrative Credential, as well as serving as an adjunct professor with Point Loma Nazarene University. Prior to serving as the Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Torres has served as an elementary school teachers, District Office Coordinator, Director and Assistant Superintendent. Dr. Matt Torres received his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California in 2009, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Management from the University of LaVerne. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University in Liberal Arts. Dr. Torres is a certified school business official with the California Association of School Business Officers (CASBO). His research interests include the achievement gap, assessment and evaluation, and school finance. Dr. Torres was born and raised in Bakersfield and worked for a local school district for 20 years before relocating to southern California.