Research @ the Beach

Kelli Sanderson, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor 
Advanced Studies in Education & Counseling
College of Education

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 Walking through the zócalo in Oaxaca, Mexico during the teachers’ annual strike period is a multisensory experience—banners draped across tentpoles, loudspeakers competing for attention, families and organizers moving through the square. In that public space, demands for justice are not abstract. They are spoken, painted, argued, and rehearsed. My research begins in places like this, where teachers’ work cannot be reduced to classroom instruction alone, and where many educators insist on a core principle: “El maestro luchando también está enseñando”—the teacher fighting is also teaching. Notably, in 2006, teachers in Oaxaca’s local union chapter, Sección 22, manifest this adage in real life, when they were involved in a months-long insurrection that pitted teachers and civil society against state and federal agencies and forces. 

I came to this research as a former high school teacher who grew up regularly traveling to Mexico, including Oaxaca, where I learned that teacher unionism and community struggle have shaped educational life for decades. As a doctoral student, I decided to pursue long-term ethnographic fieldwork to examine how teachers become political actors, how policy travels across borders, and how educators defend local knowledge and community dignity when confronted with reforms that claim universality. My research attempts to map “resistance” as a concrete set of actions rather than an abstract approach to teaching. In sharing the stories of teachers in Oaxaca’s Sección 22, my goal is to highlight the everyday work of teaching in contexts marked by inequality, state repression, and conflict. 

One strand of my research examines how global education reforms collide with regional histories and local realities. In my Politics & Policy article, I show how Oaxaca’s Sección 22 teachers interpreted national reform efforts as an extension of global modernization projects—especially standardization and universal evaluation—backed by powerful international actors. Teachers’ resistance was rooted in claims to regional and professional autonomy, and in a refusal to allow “the global” to overtake local teaching traditions and the political identity of Oaxacan educators. 

A second strand focuses on teacher preparation and what I describe as a distinct formation—a process of becoming—cultivated in Mexico’s rural normal schools. In “Trained to Resist,” I argue that these institutions educate teachers not only through coursework, but through a “political curriculum” that is co-curricular, collective, and tied to community engagement. Normalistas learn repertoires of organizing and public pedagogy because they are trained to work in marginalized communities where the boundaries between school and community are blurry, and where teachers are expected to defend students, families, and local rights alongside their instructional work. 

Most recently, in “Demanding Justicia,” for a special issue of Globalisations, Societies and Education, I identify the ways Oaxacan teachers practice “justice-oriented teaching” outside the classroom as they participate in movements and struggles. Drawing on ethnographic data collected over five years and interviews with 40 teachers, teacher educators, union officials, and student teachers, I map four justice orientations—economic, political, cultural, and humanistic—that guide how Sección 22 educators define injustice, mobilize with communities, and position teaching as a public act. 

At CSULB, this research supports teacher education that is historically grounded and attentive to the relationship between schools, communities, families, students, and professional educators. It also offers a framework for helping future teachers think concretely about what “social justice” requires in action—not as a slogan, but as an ethical orientation shaped by local context and material conditions. Beyond the university, my work contributes to wider conversations about democratic schooling and the role of educators in defending communities, particularly when reforms and political forces threaten to erase cultural specificity or narrow the meaning of teaching. 

Dr. Abdelhamid’s research is interdisciplinary and contributes to four primary streams that significantly affect society: (1) Healthcare Information Technology, (2) Information Privacy, (3) Information Security, and (4) Artificial Intelligence (AI). His contributions are particularly significant because they address emerging and insufficiently examined areas.  

A major portion of his work focuses on privacy and security challenges in healthcare. As patients’ digital footprints expand and AI use cases for health data exchange continue to evolve, sustained research in this area is essential. 

The digitization of healthcare and the growing use of generative AI have introduced substantial privacy and security risks. Major breaches at insurance companies and healthcare organizations have exposed the billions of personal records of of Americans, undermining patient trust in healthcare systems. Dr. Abdelhamid’s research goes beyond technical safeguards to examine behavioral and organizational factors, including motivations for unauthorized access and the experiences of individuals affected by privacy and security breaches. 

In parallel, Dr. Abdelhamid has expanded his research in information security and cybercrime, with particular emphasis on phishing attacks and pig-butchering scams. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, cybercrime resulted in approximately $16.6 billion in losses in the United States in 2024 alone, with phishing accounting for the highest number of reported complaints. His work examines the psychological, organizational, and contextual factors that increase vulnerability to these attacks. 

More recently, Dr. Abdelhamid’s research has extended into responsible and generative artificial intelligence, focusing on transparency, accountability, security, and ethical deployment, particularly in healthcare and business environments. Across all research streams, he seeks to produce rigorous empirical work that advances theory while offering actionable insights for organizations and policymakers. 

Dr. Abdelhamid’s research has received national and international visibility. He has been interviewed by Reuters for an article related to patient privacy and by the Long Beach Post for an article related to AI, and his work in healthcare IT has been cited by The Huffington Post. His research on online gaming addiction has also been featured by Neuroscience News. 

He has published in leading journals such as the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR), the Journal of Biomedical Informatics (JBI), and Decision Support Systems (DSS). Dr. Abdelhamid currently serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Electronic Commerce Research (JECR) and has held numerous leadership roles at premier conferences, including AMCIS, ICIS, INFORMS, HICSS, and major security-focused venues. Notably, he served as Chair of the Cybercrime in Healthcare Minitrack at HICSS 2024—ranked the top business conference by research.com—and will serve as an Associate Editor for the ICIS 2026 Cybersecurity and Privacy Track. In recognition of his contributions to academia, he received the 2023–24 Edward M. McAleer Jr. Excellence and Innovation Award. 

He currently has three papers under review: one examining pig-butchering scams, another focusing on blockchain technology in healthcare, and a third addressing generative AI in healthcare.

My interest in combustion started as an undergraduate student at Rutgers University after I took thermodynamics and fluid mechanics—two of the subjects that are central to combustion. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work in two research labs at Rutgers that focused on combustion related work (engines and combustion synthesis of nanomaterials). This interest grew further during my doctoral work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I studied metal and dust combustion. Prior to coming to CSULB, I was a researcher at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake where my work turned to improving range and safety of solid rocket and air-breather propulsion systems. 

Currently, my research focus is on energetic materials (e.g., solid propellants, pyrotechnics) and multiphase combustion related to novel combustion systems such as chemical looping combustion (CLC). These topics combine combustion with materials science. My students and I investigate how small changes in the micro and nanoscales of crystalline materials affect the combustion process and evolve while these materials are reacting. Recently, our work has extended to understanding the manufacturing processes of energetic materials. These topics have provided students with extensive hands-on experiences and provided unique opportunities such as attending scientific conferences and conducting experiments at synchrotron facilities (i.e., particle accelerators that produce high intensities x-rays used to probe the condensed phase materials during reaction). As a result, many students from my research group have gone to doctoral programs, government and national labs, and prominent aerospace companies. 

My research lab, the Solid Propulsion and Combustion Lab, is and has been funded by the Office of Naval Research, Army Research Office, National Science Foundation, Air Force Research Lab, among local sponsors to support student research. Between the sponsors and academic collaborators, we are advancing the science necessary to improve propulsion systems for national security and launch vehicles. Our work with CLC seeks to overcome current limitations due to the attrition of so-called oxygen carrier particles to more efficiently capture and sequester carbon dioxide from power plants. Beyond combustion applications, the progress we have made understanding resonant acoustic mixing will facilitate sustainable manufacturing of batteries, concrete, pharmaceuticals, as well as energetic materials. The most important part of these advances is the impact they have on student growth and preparation for industry and graduate school. 

My broad enthusiasm for population ecology grew from an interest in understanding the processes governing the evolution and maintenance of individual variability within populations. I have cultivated this interest since my first year as a graduate student at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras where I researched the demography of reef-building coral populations. Soon enough I realized I was more intrigued by the general research question and less intrigued by the study organism. Right after defending my doctoral dissertation in coral reef ecology, I became a postdoctoral researcher at the Caribbean Primate Research Center. At the center, I studied the long-term dynamics of the Cayo Santiago rhesus macaque population. I was able to contribute to basic science through the quantification of demographic variability and density-dependent dynamics in a social primate, as well as applied science by designing management plans for population control. Years later I accepted other challenges farther from home, conducting postdoctoral research on monkeys at the University of Southern Denmark and on amphibian populations at the University of Richmond in Virginia. 

At CSULB, my lab continues to study factors that shape the demographic fate of individuals by capitalizing on the Cayo Santiago rhesus macaque population. We are particularly interested in quantifying the evolutionary demography of social mammals. For this, we received a grant from the National Science Foundation and are currently investigating the links between socially driven phenotype distributions and demographic rates. We are also interested in modeling socially driven health dynamics. For this, we received a grant from the National Institutes of Health and are currently developing a comparative primate model system to yield unbiased information about the multiple states of health that socially stratified individuals experience in their life course. Another area of high impact that students in my lab have recently developed is the study of extreme weather events and how they shape individual survival and reproduction.  

Part of my mission is to develop projects that are built on a foundation of education and training aimed at broadening opportunities for quantitative and field research for CSULB students. These opportunities have provided students with training on question and prediction design, as well as computer coding and advanced statistical analyses within a biological context. I envision many more collaborations with undergraduate and graduate students, and I hope to continue to provide opportunities that highlight the readiness and competitiveness of CSULB students.

My research interest in adapted physical education stems from a commitment to improving motor performance, physical activity participation, and quality of life for individuals with disabilities. I am particularly driven by the belief that inclusive, evidence-based physical education and sport opportunities can empower individuals across the lifespan while fostering understanding and collaboration among students, families, and professionals. 

My research program focuses on improving motor performance and physical activity outcomes for individuals with disabilities through inclusive and adapted physical education practices. I have authored 44 peer-reviewed journal articles, 1 textbook, 5 textbook chapters, and delivered 107 scholarly presentations at the state, national, or international levels. Collectively, my work has contributed to advancing research, professional preparation, and inclusive practices in adapted physical education. I have secured over $4 million in external grant funding, including $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education to support the preparation of adapted physical education graduate scholars and a recent collaborative grant with speech-language pathology to promote interdisciplinary training. Other current grants include funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focused on equitable and inclusive assessment practices for autistic students, and funding from the Louisiana State Department of Education to validate the Competency Test for Adapted Physical Education. 

My work has a strong and sustained impact on both the CSULB campus and the broader community through long-standing outreach, service-learning, and inclusive programming. I serve as a co-faculty director for Camp Nugget, a sports camp for youth with and without disabilities that has been part of CSULB for 56 years. In 2025, Camp Nugget served over 180 youth, providing inclusive physical activity experiences while offering CSULB students meaningful hands-on learning opportunities. I also co-direct Camp Abilities, a sports camp for youth with visual impairments, now in its second year at CSULB in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Beyond campus, I have assisted with Camp Abilities Iceland and Camp Abilities Bangladesh, extending CSULB’s impact to the global community. In addition, I coordinate a Transition Practicum (youth 18 to 21 years with disabilities) in collaboration with the Long Beach Unified School District, bringing approximately 60 LBUSD students to campus each week for hands-on physical activity experiences. This practicum also provides interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities with speech-language pathology, engaging more than 20 student volunteers each semester. These initiatives exemplify CSULB’s mission of inclusive excellence, community engagement, and experiential learning. 

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Educational Doctorate in Educational Leadership

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Devery Rodgers

Coalition-Building through Affinity: A Case Study of Black Graduate Student Success

Graduate school can be isolating and stressful. That can be especially true for underrepresented students as the result of limited representation, racialized stressors, and a diminished sense of belonging. This study examines how racial affinity and coalition-building can serve as meaningful support systems for Black graduate students, highlighting the crucial importance of belonging to academic persistence and success.

Using a qualitative, descriptive phenomenological approach, the study examines an affinity coalition composed of three Black doctoral students and one doctoral faculty member at a large urban public university. Data was collected through in-depth dialogic narratives and analyzed using Cohen et al.’s (2002) Coalition-Building Framework. This methodology allowed the researchers to explore how shared identity, peer support, and faculty mentorship functioned as strategies for recruitment, retention, and persistence within the doctoral program.

Preliminary findings revealed two central themes: ideological unity and the collective climb. Participants reported that coalition-building through racial affinity strengthened their sense of belonging, resilience, and motivation to persist despite systemic barriers. The impact of this research extends to the CSULB campus by informing practices that support underrepresented graduate students through affinity coalitions. More broadly, the study contributes to national conversations on equity in higher education by demonstrating how intentional community-building can foster leadership resilience and long-term success for marginalized scholars.

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Maggie Ogle
MFA in Dance 
Thesis Advisor: Colleen Dunagan 

Dancing with Dopamine: Exploring ADHD and Autism Through Inclusive Practice

Dancing with Dopamine, challenges deficit-based models of learning by positioning neurodivergent cognition as a valuable and innovative approach to dance composition and education. I bring an interdisciplinary background in Kinesiology, Dance, and Sociology to my choreographic research. Diagnosed with ADHD and Autism in adulthood, I became interested in how neurodivergent traits—such as impulsivity, hyperfocus, and sensory sensitivity—might serve not as barriers but as generative tools in artistic and educational contexts. 

This study uses practice-based research methods to investigate how dopamine-related cognitive patterns influence movement choices and regulation strategies. I work with neurodivergent and neurotypical dancers using task-based improvisation, sensory labs, object play, and reflective tools like journaling and movement-based feedback. These choreographic environments are designed to activate dopamine and explore its effects on attention, motivation, and creative choice making. 

Findings indicate that dancers exposed to sensory-rich stimuli—such as texture play, rhythmic sounds, or fidgeting—display heightened focus, risk-taking, and compositional complexity. By incorporating neurodivergent-driven methods in both rehearsals and classroom settings, I found improvements in self-regulation, engagement, and authenticity in creative work. My research also shows that masking behaviors (attempts to appear neurotypical) suppress creative flow and the ability to learn and store new information, while inclusive practices encourage spontaneity and deeper exploration when presented with unfamiliar content. This suggests that pedagogical models designed with neurodivergent regulation strategies in mind can create more equitable learning environments by offering deeper access and multiple entry points into classrooms. 

This work contributes to CSULB’s commitment to equity in the arts by reshaping pedagogical approaches in dance education. It expands the intersection of dance studies, neuroscience, and disability theory, offering new frameworks for choreography and teaching that are adaptable to diverse minds and bodies. I aim to continue this work through interdisciplinary collaboration with neuroscientists using EEG tools to measure attention and brain activation during learning activities, further linking cognitive science with embodied artistry. This quantitative data will help validate the neurological impact of sensory-driven choreographic strategies and support the development of evidence-based, inclusive pedagogical frameworks. 

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Natalie Flores
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Barbara Caplan

My research interests first stemmed from my personal experience with my brother. For context, my brother was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, and as a result, I grew up with an ABA therapist coming to my house frequently. During this time, I would participate in his sessions and view his therapist's teachings. I became intrigued by how sibling family dynamics played a role in his sessions, and I wanted to pursue it further. This curiosity led me to major in Psychology and minor in Child Development and Family Studies, where my coursework gave me insight into how families operate through a clinical psychology lens. I was also introduced to the fundamentals of research and exploring my research interests further. During my third year at CSULB, I was accepted into the McNair Scholars Program, where I received faculty mentorship. I am fortunate to have Dr. Barbara Caplan as a mentor and to be part of her research lab, the Community Autism Research for Equity (CARE) Lab. 

Through my time as a McNair Scholar, I participated in a summer research internship, where I worked closely alongside my mentor. During this time, I created a research poster titled “Family Composition and Family Engagement in Community Early Intervention Services” where I examined the relationship between parent engagement and their marital status. The data I used were from an evidence-based naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention trial called Project ImPACT. Towards the end of my internship, I presented at the annual McNair Summer Research Symposium, where I was also chosen to be a student speaker. This process has taught me to think more critically and exposed me to other topics that can contribute to caregiver engagement. Afterwards, I collaborated with my peers to present another research poster for an upcoming conference at the Western Psychological Association. For this poster, I was interested in viewing how siblings play a role in caregiver engagement. With help from my peers and mentor, we researched “Comparing Levels of Caregiver Engagement in Early Intervention Services by Sibling Disability Status”. This examines how caregiver engagement levels in early intervention can differ if the sibling of the child receiving services has a developmental disability. This research was also using the data from Project ImPACT. While working on this poster, I learned more about my own research interests and was exposed to understanding how siblings can be a factor to consider in therapeutic settings.

Becoming a McNair Scholar has granted me many different opportunities that have contributed to my research experience and my education. I learned how to navigate personal challenges such as being a first-generation student and facing imposter syndrome. The program also assisted me in finding a graduate school that fits with my research interests and in navigating the process overall. It also allowed me to be mentored by Dr. Caplan and join her research lab. Through my mentorship, I was able to enhance my research skills, give back to my community, and expand my curiosity. I am very grateful to have a mentor who has given me wisdom, patience, and been supportive throughout my research journey. I appreciate all the advice I have been given, and I hope to continue what I have learned in graduate school