Meet Our Team

Dr. Ertle is Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education at Chico State where she provides integrated leadership of the First-Year Experience, REACH Student Success program and Major Quest for Undeclared students, facilitates cross-divisional collaborations for student equity and success, and supports the Dean in the advancement of UED’s growing set of programs and initiatives focused on advancing equity and student success. Having earned her EdD in Educational Leadership from UC Davis, Dr. Ertle has presented and published on equity in higher education, civic engagement and public sphere pedagogy, scholarship of learning and teaching, and institutional change. In her time at Chico State, Dr. Ertle has demonstrated collaborative and transformative leadership, creative program building, and a resolute commitment to equitable student success.

Jeanine believes strongly that higher education should be accessible and that it is the responsibility of the institution to prioritize the supports and structures that enable accessibility and student success. As a member of the research and evaluation team at EdInsights, Jeanine’s work broadly engages the measurement of institutional effectiveness and the evaluation of equity initiatives. As an educator, Jeanine has taught college and university courses on deviance and social control, social movements, ethics, and social research methods. As a researcher, her primary research focuses upon structures of power, narratives and meaning-making, and the use of multi-method research strategies including network analysis. She holds an M.S. from the University of Oregon and an M.A. from Sacramento State University, both in Sociology, along with a B.S. in Criminology from California State University, Fresno.

Laura Diep joined EdInsights in May 2022, and currently supports the organization and its projects as an administrative assistant. Laura earned her BS in Managerial Economics from the University of California, Davis. During her time there, she worked as a financial wellness peer advisor and served as the advocacy coordinator for her college chapter of Nazun (Challah For Hunger). In the former role, she taught financial wellness to her fellow students. In the latter role, she helped raise thousands of dollars for the Yolo Food Bank by baking and selling challah to the local community. A former transfer student, Laura is passionate about promoting accessibility and equity in education.

Shonda Goward, in her role as the Associate Vice Provost of Undergraduate Advising and Success at San José State University, leads a team that is responsible for advancing the university’s initiatives for student success, and ultimately graduation. As Network Director, she leads all vision and strategic direction for the team. Shonda has 18 years of professional experience in higher education administration particularly in the area of academic student support. Shonda’s current research, and passion, focuses on how universities can work to retain marginalized students and support their academic success and well-being.

Madeleine is the Network’s Research Director. In her role as Evaluation Director at EdInsights, which facilitates the Network, she focuses on evaluating initiatives aimed at promoting student success within community college and public university systems. Her research interests include: understanding how institutions can impact individuals’ development and vice versa; advancing institutional change in support of student success; and qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods. Prior to joining EdInsights, Madeleine was an adjunct lecturer at San Jose State University where she taught courses on research methods and identity development. Her previous research examined how we form identities, self-beliefs, and relationships—particularly in the contexts of talk about romance and sex, and the transition to parenthood. Madeleine received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from UC Santa Cruz and her B.A. in Child Development – Social and Community Settings from Sacramento State University.

Kalifa Madden joined EdInsights in January 2020 and plays a pivotal role in managing the center’s tactical communications needs. She oversees the strategic dissemination of information for key initiatives, including the CSU Student Success Network and the California Education Policy Fellowship Program. Kalifa earned her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communications and Public Relations at California State University, Los Angeles. She has a passion for communications, with a particular interest in crisis communications and project management. She leverages her skills to drive organizational success through creativity, collaboration, and transparency. As a first-generation transfer student, Kalifa is deeply committed to student success initiatives, advocating for equitable opportunities in education. Her prior experience as a Digital Media Manager and Social Media Specialist has equipped her with a robust skill set in digital engagement and media strategy.

Dr. Larissa M. Mercado-López is an associate professor of Women’s Studies at California State University, Fresno, where she teaches courses on women of color feminisms and engages in proactive mentorship. Within the Student Success Network, Larissa serves as Conference Director for the CSU Student Success Conference. Her academic scholarship is in the fields of Chicana feminism and Literature, and her campus service focuses on researching and improving the student parent population and the Latina PhD pipeline. Larissa is committed to public scholarship and serves as a Senior Editor for the National Center for Institutional Diversity Public Scholarship Initiative at the University of Michigan.

Ben is the UX Design Analyst & Research Assistant at Education Insights (EdInsights). In his role, Ben creates visuals that tell compelling data-driven stories. Ben has spent over ten years providing exceptional experiences to customers and clients in a multitude of fields including higher education, non-profit, immigration, medical, and tech. He graduated with a BA in Spanish and a minor in Business Administration from Cabrini University, a private school located outside of Philadelphia, PA. During the pandemic, he took the opportunity to further his education and earned a certificate in User Experience (UX) Design. Ben continues to provide positive experiences utilizing research and design thinking while sharing his passion for education, equity, and accessibility.

Daniel E. Santana joins the Education Insights Center as an Administrative Analyst. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with a minor in Political Science from Louisiana State University. In his current role, Daniel is dedicated to enhancing operational efficiencies and supporting cross-functional teams. A former Operations Team Lead in the United States Air Force, Daniel is passionate about fostering effective communication and teamwork in all aspects of his work.

Breaunna Alexander is a research associate with EdInsights focused on evaluating institutional effectiveness and initiatives to improve the community college experience. Breaunna is passionate about increasing access and success for underrepresented and underserved populations and understanding how institutions impact individuals and communities as a whole. Her previous research has utilized a variety of research methods to evaluate juvenile welfare cases and analyze the state of parole in multiple Oregon counties. Breaunna received a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Oregon State University and a BA in Psychology from San Diego State University.

Jackie Caro-Sena is a research associate at EdInsights focused on the large-scale evaluation of the California Community Colleges Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI). She uses mixed methods to evaluate IEPI’s professional development resources and help provide equitable opportunities for underrepresented students. Jackie received her Master of Arts in Education from UC Davis in June 2017 and her BA in Ethnic Studies and American Studies with a concentration in Social Policy from UC Berkeley in May 2015.

Jasmine joined EdInsights as the center’s first research assistant after serving as Institute of Education Sciences Pathways Fellow in 2017. Prior to returning to the evaluation team as a research associate, Jasmine established her devotion to social justice through the study of organizational development, racial and economic inequity, and policy advocacy within her volunteership, research, and professions. As a first-generation transfer graduate of the California Community Colleges and California State University systems, Jasmine is proud to utilize her skills in mixed-methods research to support the evaluation of the CCCCO Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative team, CSU Student Success Network, and more to increase equitable outcomes and opportunities for disproportionately impacted communities (e.g., first generation, low-income, justice-involved, people of color). Jasmine earned an M.A. in Sociology from San Jose State University and a B.A. in Sociology with an Education Minor from California State University, Sacramento.