Full-Time Faculty

Dr. Couture is an epidemiologist and an Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing and Health Professions (SONHP). She has been teaching epidemiology, data analysis and research methods in several SONHP programs, including the Master of Public Health (MPH), the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and the Executive Leader Doctor of Nursing Practice (EL-DNP) programs. Dr. Couture has been involved in research for more than ten years where she has built solid academic background in epidemiology and...

Dr. Cox is a dually board-certified adult nurse practitioner and adult psychiatric nurse practitioner, and certified public health nurse. Her specialty interests and NP work are in psychiatric mental health, addiction medicine, behavioral and community health of vulnerable populations, advocacy, and psychiatric consultation. She brings her clinical experience, interests, and enthusiasm for community and mental health to her teaching, service, clinical work, and volunteerism. Her focus is on...

Alexa C. Curtis received her PhD in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco in the Department of Community Health Systems. She is a practicing family nurse practitioner at a Federally Qualified Rural Health Center in Northern California. Her area of interest includes improving access to under-served populations through advance practice nursing services, particularly for rural youth and other vulnerable populations in rural communities.

Dr. De Natale has expertise in nursing and community outreach with teaching in both Community and Mental Health.. For the past twenty-six years, she has been involved in the Bachelors, Masters, and DNP Programs (committee member of DNP projects). The overall theme of her work and personal mission revolves around support and care for individuals and/or family while building professional purpose, practice, and furthering community partnerships. Her presentations have covered topics such as...

Dr. Mary Donnelly, DNP, MPH, FNAP, ACNP-BC, ANP-BC is an Assistant Professor in the Master's Entry MSN and the Chair of the Graduate Nursing Department at the School of Nursing and Health Professions. Her current research interests include Application of Voice Thread Technology in Graduate Education, and the teaching of genetics/genomics in Nursing curriculum. Her core interests in nursing instruction and communication methods are indispensable when it comes to creating well-rounded care...

Dory Magasis Escobar, PhD has worked in community organizing, coalition building, and grassroots leadership development for decades in Northern California and Central America.  She was Director of Healthy Communities and Community Building at a regional health system for 13 years; where she also oversaw the organization’s Community Benefit planning and reporting. Prior to that time, Dory worked for 11 years in Central America in community mental health, community-based rehabilitation, community...

Clinical Emphasis - Psychodynamically, psychoanalytically oriented adult individual psychotherapy; sub-specialization in adult development, and psychological testing and therapy with mid-life and older adults.

Dr. Dellanira Garcia, a licensed clinical psychologist, obtained her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington. She was awarded a National Research Service Award (F31) from the National Institutes of Mental Health to examine social capital and mental illness among women of Mexican descent. Dr. Garcia's research focuses on socio-cultural contextual factors impacting ethnic minority mental health and sexual risk behaviors, with an emphasis in Latino populations. Her community-...

Dr. Grinshteyn is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing and Health Professions, where she teaches a variety of courses in the MPH program. Her primary research interest relates to fear of crime and fear of violent victimization, and the association of fear with a variety of health outcomes. She is particularly interested in population-based health disparities associated with fear of violence and specifically examines these topics among older adults. Erin also does work examining...