Anupama Joshi
Associate Professor of Child and Family Studies; Ph.D., Purdue University
Contact: (323) 323-5417
E-mail: ajoshi@calstatela.edu

Professor Joshi is an expert on interpersonal conflict resolution, social development during middle childhood, peer relationships, and research methods. She has published numerous articles and presented many conference talks on her areas of specialty.

Fluent in: Marathi, Hindi.

Pamela K. Kisor
Director, Anna Bing Arnold Children’s Center; M.A., Pacific Oaks College
Contact: (323) 343-2470
E-mail: pkisor@cslanet.calstatela.edu

Pamela Kisor has 23+ years experience as a teacher and administrator of child development programs. She serves on both the Los Angeles City and County Child Care Advisory Boards, which focus on providing quality child care for the Los Angeles community, educating community leaders on child care issues and monitoring laws which affect the delivery and quality of child care in the State. She is the past chair of the California Council of State University Children’s Centers, which provides information on issues concerning child care in the State University system. Her special interests are public/private partnerships for support of child care, child development, teacher training, increasing professionalism in the field, and parent education.

Yafen Lo
Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies; Ph.D., Ohio State University
Contact: (323) 343-5842
E-mail: ylo2@calstatela.edu

Dr. Lo is an expert in child development and early childhood education.

Fluent in: Chinese, Taiwanese.

Edward M. Lopez
Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies; Ph.D., UC Santa Cruz
Contact: (323) 343-5414
E-mail: elopez3@calstatela.edu

Dr. Lopez is an expert on teaching research methods; ethnic identity and cultural awareness; parenting; child and adolescent development; and urban families. His research examines familial, peers, school, and community factors contributing to school attrition, resilience, and retention of ethnic minority youth-from middle childhood to adolescence and young adulthood-with a focus on mathematics and identity development.

Fluent in: Spanish.

Leslie Ponciano
Assistant Professor of Child and Family Studies; Ph.D., UCLA
Contact: (323) 343-4593
E-mail: lponcia@calstatela.edu

Dr. Ponciano’s most specific area of expertise is in the study of attachment relationships formed between young children and significant adults, such as foster parents and child care providers. She has worked extensively within the foster care system as a social worker, foster parent, and researcher. She taught courses in child development (infancy, social-emotional development, cognitive development) and in education (early childhood curriculum, child/family/community, educational psychology). She also conducted research in teacher sensitivity, childcare quality, attachment relationships, and multicultural and antibias curriculum. She is currently beginning a project examining foster youth as a subculture.

Marlene Zepeda
Professor of Child and Family Studies; Ph.D., UCLA
Contact: (323) 343-4643
E-mail: mzepeda@calstatela.edu

Dr. Zepeda focuses on parent-child relations and infant development in Spanish-speaking populations. A second interest is parent education for Spanish-speaking groups.

Fluent in: Spanish.