Faculty/Staff Profiles

The ECS department has recruited a strong, diverse faculty and an exceptional group of graduate students of diverse ethnicities. By building a vibrant, energetic and diverse department, we are able to enjoy an exciting intellectual climate that brings together the insights of many different research traditions and many different groups. We have a mix of critical scholars with overlapping research interests and strong disciplinary roots. One faculty member studies the education of Indigenous people (Cynthia Benally), two are educational sociologists (Leticia Alvarez Gutiérrez, William Smith), one is a curriculum researcher (Karen Johnson), two are educational philosophers (Audrey Thompson, Frank Margonis), one studies Pacific Islander Education (Kēhaulani Vaughn), and two study language and education (Veronica Valdez, Wenyang Sun). Additionally, we have José Gutiérrez who specializes in cognitive development and math education and Frankie Santos Lannan who focuses on college access and success of minoritized students. Added to our research interests, our faculty bring together life experiences of African Americans, American Indians, Chinese, Latinxs/Indigenous, Pacific Islanders, Jewish Americans, and European Americans. The faculty teach a variety of courses focused on the history, social, cultural, feminist, literary, political, economic, and linguistic contexts of BIPOC in the United States and abroad.

 Many of our faculty have strong academic connections in Ethnic Studies & Gender Studies. Dr. William Smith has a joint appointment in the area of African American Studies.

Recent Faculty Publications >>

Faculty

**contact is available by email only unless phone number is listed**

	Veronica Valdez - View Profile Department Chair, Professor SAEC 3285 veronica.valdez@utah.edu 801-587-7814 Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1:00pm - 3:00pm or by appointment
	Leticia Alvarez Gutiérrez- View Profile Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies SAEC 3295 leticia.alvarez@utah.edu 801-587-7814 Office Hours: By appointment		Cynthia Benally - View Profile Assistant Professor SAEC 3287 cynthia.benally@utah.edu 801-213-3465 Office Hours: Monday and Wednesdays 3:00pm - 4:00pm and by appointment
	José Francisco Gutiérrez - View Profile Assistant Professor SAEC 3283 jose.gutierrez@utah.edu 801-587-7814 Office Hours: By appointment only, email me directly at jose.gutierrez@utah.edu to schedule a meeting		Alexander Hyres - View Profile Assistant Professor SAEC 3271 alexander.hyres@utah.edu 801-587-7814 Office Hours: NA
	Frank Margonis - View Profile Professor SAEC 3289 frank.margonis@utah.edu 801-587-1528 Office Hours: Thursdays 2:00pm - 4:00pm and by appointment		Frankie Santos Laanan - View Profile Professor SAEC 3202E frankie.laanan@utah.edu  801-587-1711 Office Hours: By appointment
	William Smith - View Profile Professor SAEC 3286 william.smith@utah.edu 801-587-0354 Office Hours: By appointment		Wenyang Sun - View Profile Assistant Professor wenyang.sun@utah.edu 801-587-7803 Office Hours: Tuesdays 2:00pm - 4:00pm and by appointment
	Kehaulani Vaughn -View Profile Assistant Professor SAEC 3269 kehaulani.vaughn@utah.edu 801-587-7814 Office Hours: TH 3:00pm - 4:30pm and by appointment.
Staff
	Jason Newnum Academic Advisor  SAEC 3282 jason.newnum@utah.edu Office Hours: M, W, Th, F: 8am-5pm; T: works remotely		Josephine Amoakoh, PhD Associate Director, APEX Program  SAEC  josephine.amoakoh@utah.edu Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:am to 5:PM
	Sarah Vorsheck Administrative Assistant SAEC 3284 Sarah.vorsheck@utah.edu Office Hours: M, T, Th, F: 8:15-4:45pm; W: works remotely
Emeritus
	Donna Deyhle  Professor Emerita donna.deyhle@utah.edu		Karen A. Johnson - View Profile Professor Emerita Johnson.karen.ann@utah.edu
	Harvey Kantor - View Profile Professor Emeritus harvey.kantor@utah.edu		Audrey Thompson - View Profile Professor Emerita SAEC 3285 audrey.thompson@utah.edu 801-587-7814 Office Hours: By appointment