Faculty Leadership Team

Dr. Cara Maffini (she/her)

Associate Professor, Co-Founder & Director of HDCC

Child and Adolescent Development

Dr. Maffini's research encompasses intersections of culture, mental health, and trauma particularly among adolescents and emerging adults with a focus on underserved populations. Grounded in her training in counseling psychology, her research serves to inform campus and community-based intervention and prevention programs.

Dr. Robert Marx (they/them, he/him)

Associate Professor, Director of Queer Hope Institute

Child and Adolescent Development

Dr. Marx is an interdisciplinary scholar, and his community-engaged research and practice focus on queer and trans youth development, as well as the supports and structures in families, schools and communities that can help LGBTQ+ young people thrive.

Dr. Zachary McNiece

Assistant Professor

Counselor Education

Cynthia Van Laar, M.A., CCC-SLP (she/her)

Director of Clinical Education

Communicative Disorders and Sciences

Cynthia Van Laar oversees the Kay Armstead Center for Communicative Disorders (KACCD), which has partnered with HDCC to bring services closer to the families we serve. Cynthia possesses over 20 years of experience working as a licensed and certificated speech-language pathologist.

Dr. Jacqueline Bergman (she/her)

Assistant Professor

Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging

With a focus on the interplay of psychosocial factors and health behaviors within marginalized communities, Dr. Bergman's research aims to employ a community-based participatory research approach to develop tailored programs and resources that promote holistic health and well-being.

Dr. Courtney Boitano (she/her)

Lecturer

Occupational Therapy

Dr. Boitano has over 15 years experience as an occupational therapist working in a variety of pediatric settings and school based practice. Her clinical practice focuses on children with developmental disorders and parent support. Courtney is passionate about interprofessional practice and collaboration to provide families with comprehensive care.

Dr. Michael Dao (he/him)

Assistant Professor, Director of SJSU Human Rights Institute

Kinesiology

Dr. Li Shen (Jesslyn) Chong (she/her)

Assistant Professor

Psychology

Dr. Li Shen (Jesslyn) Chong's research utilizes a biopsychosocial and community-based participatory research approach to understand how life adversities and stress response systems influence the risk of socio-emotional and health problems and racial/ethnic health disparities. The goal of her research is to inform and optimize interventions.