Dr. Maylén Sullivan—(Re)envisioning world languages instruction for social engagement and change as the 2026 California Language Teacher of the Year

Dr. Maylén Sullivan—(Re)envisioning world languages instruction for social engagement and change as the 2026 California Language Teacher of the Year

Our guest, Dr. Maylén R.R. Sullivan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maylen/], is the 2026 SWCOLT and California Language Teacher of the Year. A passionate trilingual educator originally from Cuba, she serves as the Coronado Unified School [https://coronadousd.net/] District World Language Teacher on Special Assignment (ToSA), where she leads K-12 professional development and shapes the department's vision.   Sullivan believes language is a powerful vehicle for problem solving and civic engagement — empowering students to servetheir communities, contribute meaningfully to the world around them, and take action on issues that matter. Her instruction motivates students to connect with new cultures, analyze authentic texts, engage in high-level academic discussions, and use their linguistic skills to address real-world challenges.   Sullivan's work has significantly increased the number of students receiving the Seal of Biliteracy and earning travel scholarships. A Certified Leadership Coach with a PhD in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego [https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-san-diego/], Dr. Sullivan has 16 years of teaching experience and a decade of instructional leadership, facilitating workshops for educators locally and nationally.     Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD,PMP⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jacob-easley-ii-pmp-1a6b8037/]     Sponsor NAESP [https://www.linkedin.com/company/naesp/].  National School LeadersConference–Powered by NAESP is designed for Pre-K–12 principals and assistant principals, featuring high-impact learning tracks, networking, and the newly added "Camp Lead-A-Lot" retreat. Held July 13-15, 2026, Orlando, FL, learn more and register at naespconferenence.org.     Resources: EDUP The Experience [https://www.linkedin.com/company/highereducationpodcast/posts/?feedView=all] CALanguage Teacher’s Association (CLTA) [https://www.linkedin.com/in/clta-ca-language-teachers-association-66140a277/] World Language Summer Seminar [https://www.worldlanguagesummerseminar.org/]     Greeting:  Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rrmphd111/]   Research Assistant: Emma Worthington [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-worthington/]   #EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY #TOTY#XEListeningTour

Tiffani Jaseph—Championing high-quality special education as the 2026 Arizona Teacher of the Year

Our Guest, Tiffani Jaseph [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffani-jaseph-8599b2381/], is a dedicated special education professional with 16 years of teaching experience. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Special Education from the University of Arizona [https://www.linkedin.com/school/uarizona/]. Driven by her passion for children, Ms. Jaseph began her career in general education but soon realized her true calling in special education and made the transition to that field.   Throughout her career, Ms. Jaseph has worked in three school districts. At the Sunnyside Unified School District [https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?keywords=Sunnyside%20Unified%20School%20District&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Aorganization%3A539168&position=0], she taught in an extended-day special education program for fourth and fifth graders. In this role, she provided specially designed instruction while also supporting students' needs in the general education environment. In Yuma, Arizona, she worked in a special education resource setting, where she facilitated intervention groups for students from kindergarten through sixth grade.   Currently, Ms. Jaseph teaches at Copper View Elementary School [https://cves.susd30.us/] in Sahuarita, Arizona, where she focuses on accommodating students with higher support needs. For grades kindergarten through fifth, she is committed toincluding her students in the general education environment whenever possible while ensuring that her classroom is accessible for both academic and social-emotional development. Her classroom emphasizes inclusive, strengths-based instruction tailored to diverse learning styles.   Ms. Jaseph has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including being named Teacher of the Year at both her Yuma and Sahuarita sites, a finalist for Sahuarita District [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sahuarita-unified-school-district/] Teacher of the Year, and most recently, she was named Arizona Teacher of the Year [https://azedfoundation.org/programs-and-initiatives/arizona-teacher-of-the-year/] for 2026.     Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jacob-easley-ii-pmp-1a6b8037/]     Sponsor NAESP [https://www.linkedin.com/company/naesp/].  National School Leaders Conference–Powered by NAESP is designed for Pre-K–12 principals andassistant principals, featuring high-impact learning tracks, networking, and the newly added "Camp Lead-A-Lot" retreat. Held July 13-15, 2026, Orlando, FL, learn more and register at naespconferenence.org.     Resources: EDUP The Experience [https://www.linkedin.com/company/highereducationpodcast/posts/?feedView=all]   Greeting:  Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rrmphd111/]   Research Assistant: Emma Worthington [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-worthington/]   #EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY #TOTY#XEListeningTour

Ed Alvarez and Dr. Cheryl Ingram—Dismantling Inequities for Educational Excellence at the Silicon Valley Equity in Education Institute

Our Guests, Ed Alvarez [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-alvarez-883564107/] and Dr. Cheryl Ingram [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryl-ingram-29093067/], are Executive and Executive Deputy Directors, respectively, of the Silicon Valley Equity in Education Institute [https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-valley-equity-in-education-institute/] (SVEEI).   Ed’s education experience spans the past 25 years, including roles as President and Board Chair of The National Hispanic University [https://www.linkedin.com/school/the-national-hispanic-university/], The Foundation for Hispanic Education [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-foundation-for-hispanic-education/], and the Latino Education Advancement Foundation [https://www.linkedin.com/company/leafca/]. Currently, he serves on the board of English Together [https://www.linkedin.com/company/englishtogether/] and is President of the San Francisco Bay University [https://www.linkedin.com/school/san-francisco-bay-university/posts/?feedView=all] Education Learning.     Dr. Cheryl Ingram, known as Dr. CI, is a nationally recognized DEI strategist, entrepreneur, and filmmaker with over 20 years of experience transforming organizations through data-driven equity design. She is the CEO of Inclusology, a consulting and analytics firm that has partnered with companies such as Netflix, Uber, Foursquare, and the University of Washington to build sustainable and measurable DEI systems.   In this episode profiling the Silicon Valley Equity in Education Institute (SVEEI), we discuss efforts to close educational and economic equity gaps by connecting underserved communities to pathways in technology and innovation.       Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jacob-easley-ii-pmp-1a6b8037/]     Sponsor NAESP [https://www.linkedin.com/company/naesp/].  National School Leaders Conference–Powered by NAESP is designed for Pre-K–12 principals and assistant principals, featuring high-impact learning tracks, networking, and the newly added "Camp Lead-A-Lot" retreat. Held July 13-15, 2026, Orlando, FL, learn more and register at naespconferenence.org.     Resources: EDUP The Experience [https://www.linkedin.com/company/highereducationpodcast/posts/?feedView=all]   Greeting:  Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rrmphd111/]   Research Assistant: Emma Worthington [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-worthington/] #EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY#XEListeningTour

Dr. Terrance McNeil—Elevating the work of HBCU Teacher Preparation with the AACTE HBCU TAG

Our Guest, Dr. Terrance McNeil [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdmcneil/], is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Practice and Leadership at Tennessee State University [https://www.linkedin.com/school/tennessee-state-university/], where he serves as Program Coordinator of the Higher Education Leadership Ed.D. program. With over 20 years of experience in K-12 and higher education, his work centers on equitable educator preparation, leadership development, and expanding access for underrepresented groups.   Dr. McNeil is a Faculty Innovation Fellow at StanfordUniversity [http://linkedin.com/school/stanford-university/] and has worked extensively with the National Science Foundation to support underrepresented groups in STEM. As Chair of the AACTE [https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-association-of-colleges-for-teacher-education/posts/?feedView=all] HBCU Topical Action Group and Holmes Scholar Coordinator at TSU, he advocates for equitable teacher preparation and school leadership practices. He is alsochair of the Public Education Committee for the American Bar Association’s State & Local Government Section.   Dr. McNeil was the inaugural recipient of the White House Initiative on HBCUs competitiveness award. In 2025, he washonored as the Higher Education Educator of the Year by the Our HBCUs Matter Foundation [https://www.linkedin.com/company/ourhbcusmatterfoundation/] for his impactful contributions to education and mentorship.     Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jacob-easley-ii-pmp-1a6b8037/]     Sponsor: Patriox [https://patriox.us/] oxygenated water. Drinking Patriox helps oxygenate the body, promoting overall health, energy, and vitality. Receive a 10% discount on your next purchase with the code EDUPXE.   Resources: EDUP The Experience [https://www.linkedin.com/company/highereducationpodcast/posts/?feedView=all] The Xcelerated Excellence Future Teacher Award https://www.edupxe.com/xcelerated-excellence-future-teacher-award-2025-2026/ [https://www.edupxe.com/xcelerated-excellence-future-teacher-award-2025-2026/] EDUP Xcelerated Excellence [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edup-xcelerated-excellence/?viewAsMember=true] AACTE HBCU TAG [https://aacte.org/resources/topical-action-groups/] AACTE Holmes Scholars [https://www.linkedin.com/in/holmes-scholars-586386332/]     Greeting:  Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rrmphd111/]   Research Assistant: Emma Worthington [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-worthington/] #EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY#XEListeningTour #HBCUs

Dr. Taha Duri—Leading Architecture & Design as a Social Tool at American University in the Emirates

Our Guest, Dr. Taha Duri [https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-taha-duri-ph-d-iias-3b444120b/], is a figure in the fields of architecture and design. Currently, he serves as the “Dean of the College of Design [https://aue.ae/college-of-design/]” at the American University in the Emirates (AUE) [https://www.linkedin.com/school/american-university-in-the-emirates/]. He has a rich academic background and extensive professional experience in architecture, interior design, and the built environment.   Professor Duri earned a Ph.D. in Architecture from the Universityof Pennsylvania [https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-pennsylvania/] and a Master of Science in Architecture from Pennsylvania State University [https://www.linkedin.com/school/penn-state-university/posts/?feedView=all].   He has over 20 years of teaching experience across various disciplines including architecture and health sciences. Prior to his current position, he was involved in establishing academic programs in architectural engineering and interior design in the UAE.   As a published author and artist, he has contributed articles to various international journals and has held art exhibitions in major cities like New York, London, and Dubai.   As Dean of the College of Design at the American University in the Emirates, Professor Duri is responsible for curriculum development and academic leadership at the American University in the Emirates, focusing on innovative educational practices in design.   He has provided editorial contributions to notable publications such as the New York Times and Architectural Digest.   Professor Duri continues to engage in artistic projects, with some of his works included in prestigious collections.   Professor Taha Duri is recognized not only for his academic contributions but also for his role in shaping the future ofdesign education in the region. His approach blends architectural theory with practical applications, preparing students for challenges in the contemporary built environment.   Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jacob-easley-ii-pmp-1a6b8037/]     Sponsor: Patriox [https://patriox.us/] oxygenated water. Drinking Patriox helps oxygenate the body, promoting overall health, energy, and vitality. Receive a 10% discount on your next purchase with the code EDUPXE.   Resources: EDUP The Experience [https://www.linkedin.com/company/highereducationpodcast/posts/?feedView=all] The Xcelerated Excellence Future Teacher Award https://www.edupxe.com/xcelerated-excellence-future-teacher-award-2025-2026/ [https://www.edupxe.com/xcelerated-excellence-future-teacher-award-2025-2026/] EDUP Xcelerated Excellence [https://www.linkedin.com/company/edup-xcelerated-excellence/?viewAsMember=true]     Greeting:  Dr. Rosa Rivera-McCutchen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rrmphd111/]   Research Assistant: Emma Worthington [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-worthington/] #EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY#XEListeningTour