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 Ferreira
Associate Professor and Chair of Race & Resistance Studies
Office Phone: (415) 338-1645
Email: cheo@sfsu.edu
Jason Ferreira's teaching and scholarship focus on the history of radicalism within and across communities of color.
Areas of Expertise:
Race
Racial politics and inequality
Social movements / protests
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Comparative Ethnic Studies, UC Berkeley
Dawn-Elissa Fischer
Associate Professor of Africana Studies
Office Phone: (415) 338-1726
Email: def@sfsu.edu
Dawn-Elissa Fischer teaches courses on international Black popular culture, information technology and visual ethnography. She is an expert in studies of sound, music and social justice in international Black popular culture, including non-Black consumer interest in Black popular culture. Co-director of the Sound and Social Justice Commons, Dr. Fischer is also a founding staff member of Dr. Marcyliena Morgan's Hiphop Archive.
Areas of Expertise:
International Black popular culture
Student success
Graduation/retention strategies
Highest Degree: PhD, Anthropology, University of Florida
Connie Marie Gaglio
Associate Professor of Management
Office Phone: (415) 338-7490
Email: cmgaglio@sfsu.edu
Connie Marie Gaglio is an expert in entrepreneurship and the identification of opportunities in business and social influences that interact with business opportunity.
Areas of Expertise:
Entrepreneurship
Opportunity recognition
innovation and social influences
Highest Degree: Ph.D. Psychology, University of Chicago
Marcela García-Castañon
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Office Phone: (415) 405-2403
Email: mgcs@sfsu.edu
Marcela García-Castañon is an expert in American politics, Latino politics, immigrant/immigration policy and politics, political communication and methodology. Her research explores notions of membership and citizenship development within immigrant communities and their connection to political and civic engagement. Her current work examines the political membership process of Mexican immigrants in the United States through familial, educational and pre-migration experiences. She has worked in radio and public relations.
Areas of Expertise:
Latino politics
Immigration and immigrant populations
Public opinion and voting behavior
Highest Degree: Ph.D., University of Washington
Sheldon Gen
Associate Professor of Public Administration
Office Phone: (415) 817-4458
Email: sgen@sfsu.edu
Sheldon Gen is an expert on environmental policymaking at the city, state and federal level, and education policy in San Francisco, particularly teacher attrition rates.
Areas of Expertise:
Environmental policy
Estimating the monetary value of environmental assets
Environmental justice
Highest Degree: Ph.D., Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology
Gretchen Lynn George
Assistant Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics
Office Phone: (415) 338-3421
Email: glgeorge@sfsu.edu
My areas of expertise include: 1. Nutrition and weight loss in adolescents 2. Community and nutrition education, wellness 3. Macro and micronutrient metabolism, dietary patterns to reduce cardiovascular disease 4. Impact of the soda tax on the community 5. I have been a Registered Dietician since 2003
Areas of Expertise:
Nutrition and weight loss in adolescents; Community and nutrition education; wellness; Macro and micronutrient metabolism; dietary patterns to reduce cardiovascular disease; impact of soda tax on the community
Highest Degree: PhD Nutritional Biology with a designated emphasis in the Program in International and Community Nutrition,
Trevor Getz
Professor and Chair of History
Office Phone: (415) 338-7561
Email: tgetz@sfsu.edu
Trevor Getz is an expert on how countries transition to post-conflict healing, particularly after ethnic conflict, and he also studies how societies collectively think about the past and portray it in museums and monuments.
Areas of Expertise:
History of Africa
Colonialism in Africa
Apartheid and reconciliation
Highest Degree: Ph.D., University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies
Sam Gill
Professor Emeritus of Information Systems
Office Phone: (415) 338-6240
Email: sgill@sfsu.edu
Sam Gill is an expert in information systems, systems analysis and design and database management. During his career, Gill has worked as an IT consultant for a variety of companies around the world.
Areas of Expertise:
Information systems strategy
Application modeling
Information technology architecture
Highest Degree: Ph.D. Information Systems, University of California, Berkeley