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Texas State > > Department of Educational Administration and Psychological Services > Educational Leadership > Program Faculty > Erica K. Yamamura,

Erica K. Yamamura,

Program:
Education and Community Leadership
E-mail:
eyamamura@txstate.edu
Phone:
(512) 245-1856
FAX:
(512) 245-8872
Mail:
601 University Drive
Academic Services Building South (ASBS) 311
San Marcos, TX 78666

Bio: Dr. Yamamura arrived at Texas State in Fall 2007 from Carleton College where she served as a Postdoctoral Scholar-in-Residence in the Department of Education. She received her Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in Higher Education and Organizational Change from the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. She has spent the last decade working with community partnerships (Mentor Programs, Non-Profit, and University/Community Partnerships) and in student affairs (Residential Life, Outreach/College Readiness, and Educational Internships). Her research and teaching areas focus on educational equity for underrepresented students, specifically college preparation, access, and retention. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Dr. Yamamura currently enjoys Texan hospitality (especially on the highways) and is always on the hunt for good local taquerias.

conference papers

Education:

Ph.D. Higher Education and Organizational Change

Graduate School of Education and Information Studies

University of California, Los Angeles

Dissertation: Building Peer Cultural Wealth Through a University Outreach Program:

Possibilities for Moving from College Access to Improving Educational Equity

Dissertation Committee: Mitchell Chang (Chair), Sylvia Hurtado, Jennifer Obidah, & Mary Thomas

M.A. Higher Education and Organizational Change

Graduate School of Education and Information Studies

University of California, Los Angeles

B.A. Political Science

Asian American Studies

College Honors, Departmental Honors (Political Science), cum laude

University of California, Los Angeles

Departmental Honors Thesis: Asian Americans and the Model Minority Stereotype

Research Interests:
Educational policies and programs that advance educational equity for underrepresented and racially diverse students, including:

· Diversity in K-12 and Higher Education

· College Preparation and Access

· School & Community Partnerships

· College & Graduate Student Development

Current Research Projects:

COLLEGE PREPARATION AND ACCESS

College Readiness in the South Texas Border: Engaging Communities and Promoting Collaboration

This is a collaborative project with Dr. Victor Saenz and graduate students from UT Austin. Drawing from 23 focus groups of educators, K-12 and higher education administrators, families, and community members, this study explores the knowledge, access to resources, responsibilities, and future directions for college readiness in one of Texas’ most underserved communities: The Rio Grande Valley. This study will provide pertinent foundational data and analysis for various leaders in the community to address issues of college readiness.

Longitudinal Outcomes of a University Outreach Program

This qualitative case study will longitudinally examine the lasting affects of participating in a K-12 university outreach program. Students will be interviewed over the course of 6 years after initial participation in the program (senior year of high school, 1^st college year, and 4 years after enrolling in college) to assess whether and if participating in an outreach program in high school affects college success. This study will have implications for policymakers, outreach programs, K-16 partnerships, and college retention initiatives. The first two phases of data collection and analysis have been completed.

DIVERSITY IN P-16 EDUCATION

Diversifying Higher Education: Becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution

This study aims to expand our understanding of HSI’s by exploring one university’s process of becoming an HSI. In particular this study seeks to understand this process from multiple stakeholders by examining (1) what becoming an HSI means (expectations & needs) and (2) how the university is preparing for the impending status from various stakeholder groups: students (undergraduate & graduate), university administrators, and community members. This multi-pronged approach will provide an in-depth understanding of the various stakeholders perspectives in the process of becoming an HSI. Findings will inform the university’s administrators, other emerging HSI's, and expand our overall understanding of the diversification of higher education institutions.

Student Diversity at a Liberal Arts College

Our understanding of the impact of diverse learning environments comes largely from large-scale quantitative studies that have analyzed the effects of structural diversity, classroom diversity, and informal interactional diversity on student outcomes. Yet little is known about the context-specific factors that facilitate transformational experiences with racial diversity, those experiences that alter students’ values, beliefs, and dispositions in such a way that transforms their academic, social, and civic lives. This qualitative study will examine the ways in which students negotiate a diverse selective liberal arts college environment. In particular, this study seeks to understand the factors that facilitate students’ transformational experiences with racial diversity.

COLLEGE & GRADUATE STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

Latina/o Student Access & Retention

In collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs at a public 4-year university in Central Texas, this qualitative study will examine the factors that enhance Latina/o student access and retention. In particular, this study will explore students’ community cultural wealth, often overlooked or undervalued forms of support on campus, in families, and in the greater community that facilitate student access and retention. This study will expand upon traditional access and retention measures and yield future directions for both research and practice with this often under-served ethnic/racial group.

Creating Equity-Centered School Leaders: Examining the Process of Leadership Development through Action Research

At present, transformative leadership is at the core of preparing educational leaders but we know very little about the processes that translate transformative theory into effective practice. This collaborative longitudinal study (with Dr. Jennifer Jacobs, Texas State University, San Marcos) will examine Educational Leadership students’ processes of applying theory to practice through engaging in an action research project. This project will provide contributions to research and practice in the field of educational leadership by illuminating and sharing best practices on developing transformative leaders who can effectively foster equitable school environments.

Teaching Interests:

· Social and Multicultural Foundations

· Educational Policy and Practice

· Research Design

· Qualitative Methods, Program Evaluation, and Assessment

· Critical Action Research Methodologies

Courses Taught:

EDCL 5347 Understanding Environments

EDCL 6352 School as the Center of Inquiry (Introduction to Action Research)

EDCL 6358 Integrative Seminar (Action Research Design)

EDCL 6387 Principal’s Practicum (Semester I)

EDCL 6388 Principal’s Practicum (Semester II)