Faculty

Xornam Apedoe is an associate professor in the Department of Learning and Instruction at the University of San Francisco. Her research interests have generally focused on issues related to learning, teaching, and the design of STEM+C (C = computer science) learning environments in both formal (K-16) and informal educational settings.  An overarching goal of her research is to identify strategies for addressing the inequities of who participates in STEM+C, and pathways for broadening and...

Patricia Busk is a Professor in the Learning and Instruction Department, beginning at USF in the Counseling Psychology Department. She has been a visiting professor in the School of Education at the University of California at Berkeley and prior to USF faculty, she was an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University.

Sisi Dong is a postdoc fellow at University of San Francisco, specializing in the home learning environment and its correlation with early childhood cognitive development. Her research mainly employs quantitative research methods to explore strategies that enhance children's learning experiences at home, ultimately preparing them for success in school and daily life.

Nicola McClung was a teacher in San Francisco public schools for eight years prior to receiving her doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on critical literacy and multiliteracies during early childhood, and she examines children’s literature and identity development for students who are often marginalized in print.  She is also interested in critical quantitative research and the use of statistics to promote equity and social change. She is cofounder of Xóchit...

Quinn is a Senior Director of Computational Thinking and Learning Pathways at the national education non-profit Digital Promise in Redwood City, CA. His research at Digital Promise examines the effectiveness of different activities by which to introduce students to programming and how computational thinking (CT) can support core curricula coursework. His research has been supported by a number of state and federal grants, including awards from the National Science Foundation and the US...

Dr. Sul’s current work and research focuses on the design and development culturally specific assessments, a class of culturally responsive assessments, for use within systems of evaluation. His work has been labeled “transformative” by collaborative partners from across North America, Hawai‘i, and the Caribbean. Sul completed his doctorate in Education at the University of San Francisco and served as the 2021 Chair of...