Faculty Experts
From the discovery of new planets to the work of noted criminologists, SF State offers a wide variety of scholars who are the most distinguished in their fields. This directory identifies academics who possess insight and knowledge of diverse subjects and who are willing to work with journalists whenever possible. The faculty experts directory is compiled by the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications.
If you need immediate assistance finding an expert, please call (415) 338-1665 or email pubcom@sfsu.edu.
Jason Henderson
Professor of Geography & Environment
Office Phone: (415) 405-2483
Email: jhenders@sfsu.edu
Jason Henderson is an expert on the geography and politics of transportation and land use in cities, particularly San Francisco, New Orleans and Atlanta.
Areas of Expertise:
Urban transportation
Conflict over urban space and car parking
Bicycle politics in San Francisco
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Geography, University of Georgia
Colleen Hoff
Professor of Sexuality Studies and Director of the Center for Research and Education on Gender and Sexuality
Office Phone: (415) 817-4510
Email: choff@sfsu.edu
Colleen Hoff is a clinical psychologist with expertise on how relationship dynamics affect sexual risk among gay couples.
Areas of Expertise:
Sexual health
HIV/AIDS prevention
Sexual risk among gay male couples
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology
Barbara Holzman
Professor Emerita of Geography & Environment
Office Phone: (415) 338-7506
Email: bholzman@sfsu.edu
Barbara Holzman is an expert on how plant species and communities react to natural and human disturbances such as fire and mining, and has conducted research on Lake Merced and Point Reyes National Seashore.
Areas of Expertise:
Biogeography
Natural resource management
Environmental issues
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Wildland Resource Science, University of California, Berkeley
Karen Hossfeld
Associate Professor of Sociology
Office Phone: (415) 338-7059
Email: hossfeld@sfsu.edu
Karen Hossfeld is an expert on Silicon Valley's immigrant labor force, particularly women in production jobs.
Areas of Expertise:
Gender and society
Women workers in high tech
Labor organizing in immigrant communities
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Sociology, University of California, Santa Cruz
Ryan Howell
Professor of Psychology
Office Phone: (415) 405-2140
Email: rhowell@sfsu.edu
Ryan Howell is an expert on the link between purchasing habits and happiness and how such factors as personality and an individual's approach to the past, present and future affect their happiness. His research suggests that people gain greater happiness from spending money on life experiences rather than material items.
Areas of Expertise:
The relationships among wealth, consumption and happiness
Factors that affect human happiness
Personality and happiness
Highest Degree: Ph.D, social/personality psychology, University of California, Riverside
Dina Ibrahim
Professor of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts
Office Phone: (415) 338-1528
Email: ibrahimdinaa@yahoo.com
Dina Ibrahim analyzes the post-9/11 visual framing of American television news representation of Arab and Muslim societies, as well as the psychological impact of television depictions on Jewish and Muslim audiences in the U.S. and Middle East. She has reported for the BBC World Service Radio in London, CNN in Atlanta and Cairo, National Public Radio in Austin, Texas, and United Press International in Cairo. She has co-produced an award-winning radio show on KPOO 89.5 FM in San Francisco and currently produces the show ArabTV that airs on San Jose Community Channels 15 and 27.
Areas of Expertise:
Middle Eastern politics
Middle Eastern media
Islam
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Journalism, University of Texas
William Issel
Professor Emeritus of History
Office Phone: (415) 338-2250
Email: bi@sfsu.edu
William Issel studies the history of the U.S. since 1900 and is an expert on the role of ethnicity, race, religion, and politics in American cities, particularly the city of San Francisco.
Areas of Expertise:
Modern U.S. urban history
Religion and politics in U.S. history
Civil liberties and civil rights in U.S. history
Highest Degree: Ph.D., American Civilization, University of Pennsylvania
Russell Jeung
Professor and Chair of Asian American Studies
Office Phone: (415) 338-7586
Email: rjeung@sfsu.edu
Jeung is an expert in Asian American Christianity and secularism; he also studies nonreligious Chinese in the United States. He is the author of "Sustaining Faith Traditions: Race, Ethnicity, and Religion Among the Latino and Asian American Second Generations" (NYU Press, 2012) and "Faithful Generations: Race and New Asian American Churches" (Rutgers University Press, 2005). He also co-produced the video documentary, "The Oak Park Story" (2010), about his organizing work in the Latino and Cambodian communities of Oakland, California. Currently, Jeung is working on a memoir about life in East Oakland.
Areas of Expertise:
Asian American communities
Community issues
Religion
Highest Degree: Ph.D., sociology, University of California, Berkeley