College of Continuing Education at Sacramento State

Jackie Alcalde Marr joined Sacramento State in 2014 and teaches leadership courses at the College of Continuing Education. She is the founder of Evolutions Consulting Group, providing business consulting, facilitation, and coaching to individuals and teams.

As a data scientist, Professor Anna Baynes looks for meaning from the mounds of information that’s collected every day. From the apps and games on our electronic devices to online shopping and visits to the doctor’s office, “that’s billions and billions of data,” says Baynes, who’s worked with software engineering teams from around the world in understanding big data. During the new Data Science Academy, students will apply computer science techniques to discover interesting trends and insights hidden inside everyday data.

Dr. Brooke Choo started teaching at the College of Continuing Education in 2015 in the learning disabilities (LD) assessment courses. She is a learning disabilities specialist and psychologist and currently works at Irvine Valley College coordinating the Student Success Center. 

If you can decipher “P B & J,” then you can start coding, says Devin Cook, a computer science professor at Sacramento State and instructor of the Coding Academy. “Students might believe that computer science is difficult or complicated or frustrating,” he says, “but if they can write down how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, they can program a computer. It’s the same exact thing.” 

Larry W. Culler joined Sacramento State in 2014, teaching his communication workshop, “The Effective Communicator,” at the College of Continuing Education. Larry is the owner of Culler Consulting, primarily focusing on communication consulting and facilitating his workshop. 

Before starting his own consulting business, he had a long career in the computer industry and held positions with Burroughs/Unisys, Intel and Schoolhouse Software. 

Growing up in China, Jun Dai didn’t own a computer but he was still able to master video games. He got access to computers and the internet through “net bars” that rented machines by the hour. And there, he discovered his passion and a profession, not as a gamer but as a defender. Cyber defense is Professor Dai’s specialty at Sacramento State.

Marcia Durst owns Durst Event Strategies, and joined Sacramento State in 2014 as an instructor in the Meeting and Event Planning Certificate Program at the College of Continuing Education. “It was a great opportunity to share my experience, to help people breaking into the field or just getting started. It was a natural fit for me.”

“The program is very well known in the events community, which is important for students to know.”

Matt Fisher joined Sacramento State in 2013 teaching in the Business Analyst Program. Matt is currently the chief of training with the 70th Air Refueling Squadron, United States Air Force Reserve.

While an active reservist for 19 years, he held civilian positions as a contract negotiator for Petroleum Properties Land Company, a competitive intelligence analyst and supervisor for VSP, the sales and product director for The Dentist Insurance Company, and was an IT implementation consultant for KAI Partners.

Sacramento State graduate Lance Hastings returns to the University, this time as an instructor in the Exploring Careers in Manufacturing Academy. He’s currently president and chief executive officer of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association and was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve on the Future of Work Commission. That commission, which includes leaders from technology, labor, business, education and other sectors across California, is examining jobs of the future and planning educational and training pathways.

Michael A. Hodge joined Sacramento State in 2014, teaching in the online supervisory program at the College of Continuing Education. Michael is the owner of Organizational Development Services and teaches at the Los Rios Community College District Government Training Academy.

Elena Honeycutt joined Sacramento State in 2015, teaching in the Human Resources Management Certificate program  at the College of Continuing Education. Elena is a senior consultant in the organization effectiveness department with Health Net, Inc.

 Before joining Health Net, Elena held human resources positions with Sutter Medical Foundation, Comcast and AT &T Wireless.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in business, human resources from Sonoma State University and a master’s degree in human resources management from Golden Gate University. 

Brad Hunt has worked as both an EMT and paramedic skills instructor with the Sacramento State Prehospital Education Program since January 2018. In 2019, Brad took on the position of Lead Instructor in the EMT course. Brad started his career in 2002 with a private ambulance company in Stockton, California, where he worked in the 911 system as an EMT for 3 years.

Stewart Knox’s dedication to workforce development has defined his career. He is currently executive director and a governor appointee to the state Employment Training Panel. He has also served executive roles for a number of partnerships and municipalities and brings his strategic and practical leadership to CCE’s Workforce Development Professional Certificate and Apprenticeship programs.

Professor Laurie Kubicek has been teaching law to undergraduate students in the California State University and the University of California systems since 1998. She has taught in the Division of Criminal Justice at Sacramento State since 2002. A member of the State Bar of California, her areas of interest include criminal law, judicial process and legal research. 

Bob Lanter, executive director of the California Workforce Association (CWA), is co-creator of CCE’s Workforce Development Professional Apprenticeship Program. He teaches professional skills - specifically the practical know-how on forming strategic alliances with employers, labor, industry and education.

Kris Lea joined Sacramento State in 2009, teaching in the Train-the-Trainer, HR, Master Analysis and State Supervisor Basics programs at the College of Continuing Education. Kris is an executive consultant with KAI Partners, a local IT consulting firm.

Before joining KAI Partners, Kris held positions with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Kaiser Permanente and Intel Corporation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems, a master’s degree in organization development (OD), and is finishing up her doctoral degree in OD.

Ingrid E. Lundquist CSEP joined Sacramento State in 2014 teaching in the Meeting and Event Planning Certificate program. Ms. Lundquist is the owner of The Lundquist Company, event design, management and production. She is also founder of The Book-In-Hand Roadshow which presents workshops on topics of interest to writers. Ms. Lundquist holds a Masters of Arts degree in Fine Art, a Bachelors of Art in Fine Art, and a Bachelors of Art in English, all from Sacramento State University (now, California State University Sacramento).

Allison Martin, a biology instructor, researcher and alumnus of Sacramento State, will return to her roots teaching high school students, as leader of the Health Careers 101 Academy. “I hope after participating in the health academy, students are able to see that there are many opportunities in healthcare, to help people and build rewarding careers with financial security,” said Martin, who will be teaching in the Summer Academies program for the first time in 2019.

Rosanne McHenry joined Sacramento State in 1999, and currently teaches classes for the State Supervisory Online Certificate Program at the College of Continuing Education.

Rosanne initially developed a series of online business skills classes called The State Training Center Virtual Classroom. These classes were redesigned to become ELearning for Government Professionals. She’s taught many other classes at CCE, including Critical Thinking Skills, Analytical Skills and Time Management. 

Lisa Montanaro joined Sacramento State in 2013, teaching in the areas of productivity, organization, and time management at the College of Continuing Education. Lisa is the owner of Lisa Montanaro Global Enterprises, LLC, which she founded in 2002.

Robin Purdy has planned and implemented federal workforce legislation, developed customer-centered workforce policy, engaged businesses and other partners in developing a one-stop system for job seekers and is now, preparing the next generation of workforce leaders in California as an instructor in CCE’s Workforce Development Professional Apprenticeship Program.

Katherine Raines has taught writing courses at Sacramento State since 2012, but it wasn’t until 2017 that she taught her first online class for the Bachelor of Science in Career and Technical Studies (BSCTS) degree completion program.

Her challenge was to fold an entire semester’s worth of work – in this case, multicultural children’s literature – into a five-week online course.

Raines picks up the story from there, in her own words:

Diane Schoendienst has been part of the Sac State Paramedic Program since 2017. Her primary focus is introducing paramedic students to anatomy and physiology, and how these relate to human disease processes. She is a lead instructor during dissection labs at the Sacramento Coroner’s Office, where paramedic students further connect concepts of A&P with disease.

Whenever he travels, Abhijeet Shirsat takes along a long a list of recommendations. He likes to know if a place lives up to its reputation, like the time in Philadelphia where he stood in line for three-and-a-half hours for a Philly cheese steak sandwich. “I’m passionate about travel and food. Hospitality is my life,” said Shirsat, professor in Sacramento’s State Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism Management, who’s leading the Hospitality and Tourism Academy.

Xiaoyan (Sherry) Sun, a computer science professor at Sacramento State, will lead the Digital Forensics Academy and introduce students to one of the fastest growing fields in information security. “The worldwide prevalence of electronic devices has increased the need for digital forensics and created high demand for skilled digital forensics investigators,” said Sun.

Rustin Vogt, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and a Sacramento State graduate, has helped us expand our Summer Academies for High School Students. He has also put his expertise to use on a couple of fronts in the community. This year he will be teaching Presentation Skills for College with Kelly Siefkin, a development director at the College of Continuing Education and the Alumni Association.

Tyler Wade joined Sacramento State in 2009 teaching in the State Supervisory Training Certificate Program. He is currently a people developer with People Development Systems (PplDev).

Before joining PplDev, he held positions with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the California State Legislature, and Intel Corporation. He earned his master’s degree in public policy from Pepperdine University and is a member of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), serving as president of the Sacramento chapter in 2012.

Nicole Welch joined Sacramento State in 2012 teaching in the Train-the-Trainer Certificate Program. She is currently the principal consultant and executive coach with Transformation Catalysts.

Nicole has provided training, coaching and organization development strategies to public and private clients in California and has worked with the California Department of Public Health, California Employment Development Department and the California Department of Transportation. She currently teaches a management and leadership course at American River College.