Alexander Jun, PhD.,  Executive Director

Alexander Jun, Ph.D., is Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Higher Education at Azusa Pacific University’s School of Behavior and Applied Sciences. Dr. Jun is a TEDx speaker and has engaged in extensive scholarship beyond his own campus including service as a Global Fellow with the Center for Khmer Studies (CKS) in Cambodia, International Research Fellow at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, and Scholar in Residence at Belmont University.

Jun is Associate Editor of the Journal of Behavioral and Social Sciences. He has written several books, including From here to university: Access, mobility, and resilience among urban Latino youth(Routledge Press 2001), White Out: Understanding White Privilege and Dominance in the Modern Age (Peter Lang, 2017) and White Jesus: The Architecture of Racism in Religion and Education (Peter Lang, 2018). Dr. Jun holds a Ph.D. in education from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Jun holds a Ph.D. in education policy from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, where he earned a Ford Foundation fellowship to conduct research on college preparation programs for urban youth. Professor Jun teaches courses in diversity and social justice in higher education, comparative higher education, and qualitative research methods. Dr. Jun serves as APU’s qualitative research consultant, and joined APU’s faculty after 15 years of service as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Southern California.

Christopher S. Collins, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate

Dr. Collins is Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Higher Education at Azusa Pacific University’s School of Behavior and Applied Sciences. Dr. Collins is interested in research on the role of higher education related to poverty reduction, knowledge extension, public good, and social rates of return. Recent publications includeHigher Education and Global Poverty: University Partnerships and the World Bank in Developing Countries (Cambria Press, 2011) and Education Strategy in the Developing World: Revising the World Bank’s Education Policy (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2012). In addition, he has published articles in The Review of Higher Education, Higher Education, and the Journal of Higher Education. He recently completed projects with the Association for Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU) looking at African-U.S. university partnerships, and with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) looking at degree qualifications. He earned a Ph.D. with the “Best Dissertation Award” from the Higher Education and Organizational Change program at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. He also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific.

Tabatha L. Jones Jolivet, Ph.D., Senior Research Associate

Dr. Tabatha L. Jones Jolivet is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Higher Education at Azusa Pacific University. She holds a PhD in Education from Claremont Graduate University, where she received the Winifred Hausam-Helen Fisk Award for Distinction in the Study of Higher Education. Her dissertation, “’A Peculiar People’ and Their ‘Strange Freedom’: The Spiritual Habitus and Wealth Cultural Workers Employ in Liberatory Higher Education Praxis,” explored the intersectional phenomena of spiritual community, social justice, and higher education praxis among justice workers in forty U.S. colleges and universities. A higher education leader for nearly 20 years, she served as associate vice president for student life, Title IX coordinator, and associate dean of student affairs at Pepperdine University prior to coming to Azusa Pacific University. She is committed to higher education as a public good, and therefore, grounds her research agenda in spiritually-minded, community-engaged praxis. As an educator, leader, minister, and public speaker, she strives to institutionalize diversity, equity, and inclusion; prevent and reduce sex and gender-based violence; and advance social justice aims.

Allison Ash, Ph.D., Research Team Leader
BA, Music, Hope College
MDiv, Fuller Theological Seminary

Dr. Ash is a Research Team Leader at Azusa Pacific University and is the former Dean of Student Care and Graduate Student Life at Wheaton College. Her work in higher education also has included working as an administrator at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California where she also earned her Master of Divinity degree.  Allison has several publications in magazines and journals including “The Paradox of Faith: White Administrators and Anti-Racism Advocacy in Christian Higher Education” published in Christian Higher Education (2017). She is a section co-editor and chapter contributor for the book Diversity Matters: Race, Ethnicity, & the Future of Christian Higher Education(Abilene Christian University Press, 2017), and is co-author of the book White Jesus: The Architecture of Racism in Religion and Education (Peter Lang, 2018). She has spoken nationally and internationally at conferences and teaches courses on diversity and leadership. The research team she leads explores the experiences of administrators who are active in racial justice advocacy in higher education institutions. She earned a PhD in higher education from Azusa Pacific University.

Jennifer Akamine Phillips, Research Associate
BA, Communications, Pepperdine University
MM, Violin Performance, Azusa Pacific University
MS, College Counseling & Student Development, Azusa Pacific University

Jennifer Akamine Phillips teaches full-time as a Visiting Professor of Communication Studies at Pepperdine University.  In addition, she also works with the Intercultural Affairs Office co-teaching a course on Racial and Cultural Identity to current students through the Diversity Peer Educators program.  She is currently pursuing a PhD in Higher Education at Azusa Pacific University (APU).

Prior to teaching, Jennifer worked in the Pepperdine Office of Admission and oversaw diversity recruitment and outreach.  She also worked in student life as a Program Coordinator of an urban experiential program known as LA Term at APU and worked in various others areas of student life at California Polytechnic University Pomona and Occidental College. Jennifer has presented at conferences through the Western Association of College Admission Counseling, End Now: A Human Trafficking Conference, and the Christian College Leadership Conference. Her research interests include the cultural formation and identity of Japanese American college students.

Nate Risdon, RJHE Managing Director, Research Associate, & Web Editor
B.Mus, Vocal Performance, San Jose State University
MDiv, Worship, Theology, and the Arts, Fuller Theological Seminary

Nate Risdon is a Research Associate and PhD student in the Higher Education Department at Azusa Pacific University.  He currently serves as a consultant for non-profits on organizational culture and climate with a particular focus on diversity and inclusion. Nate has presented at numerous national conference including ASHE, SXSW, Race & Pedagogy, and the CCCU diversity conference. Prior to this, he was the Operations and Program Director for the Brehm Center at Fuller Theological Seminary and served on Fuller’s Diversity Council.  He has worked in education for nearly 15 years. In his research, Nate is exploring the relationship between Whiteness, privilege, and anti-racist allyship in higher education.

Redgina Hill, Research Assistant
BA, General Studies, Indiana University Bloomington
MBA, Master of Business Administration, Indiana Wesleyan University

Redgina Hill is the Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN and has served 10 years within higher education.  Prior to her role as Director, she worked in the Office of Admission where she has helped to grow enrollment for students of color, served on the Multi-Ethnic Resource Team, co-advised the Billy Kirk Minority Leadership Scholars Program, advised the Black Student Fellowship and founded the Women’s Empowerment Hour.  Prior to Bethel College, she worked in the Office of Undergraduate Admission at the University of Notre Dame.

Redgina is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in higher education from Azusa Pacific University where she was selected for the 2015 Social Justice and Diversity Fellowship.  Her research interests are the experiences of diversity change agents in Christian higher education. She has traveled the country presenting at conferences, corporations, and universities on the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Angelica Hambrick, Research Associate
BA, Public Communications, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
MA, Higher Education Administration, Souther Illinois University-Carbondale

Angelica Hambrick is the Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Diversity, Justice, & Sustainability (DJS) at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.  As AVP, Angelica initiates, manages, and supports programs, initiatives, and services that enrich the university’s efforts to become a more diverse, socially just, and sustainable living, learning, and working community.  She provides strategic vision on matters related to diversity, social justice, and inclusion on campus and is a prominent leader of the university, building strategic, intentional, and sustainable coalitions for social justice education and change.

Angelica  is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Higher Education from Azusa Pacific University in California.  Her research interests include White identity development; the impact of social justice education on students, faculty, and staff; the experiences of White individuals who are engaged in anti-racist initiatives; and identity development and formation.  Angelica has received various grants and awards for her work in social justice and diversity. She was recently honored with the NASPA Region V Innovative Program Award, and her work has been recognized regionally, nationally, and internationally as innovative, culturally appropriate, and educational for students.

Joseph Slavens, Research Associate
BA, Public Administration and Political Science, Cedarville University
MA, Pastoral Studies, Multnomah University

Joe Slavens is a Research Assistant and PhD student in the Higher Education Department at Azusa Pacific University.  Prior to moving to Australia to undertake his current research of White higher education professional staff members’ experiences as racial justice allies, he was the Director of Student Life at Simpson University in Redding, California.  In this position he served as a lead author of the university’s Diversity Statement, chair of the Diversity Initiatives Subcommittee, and as a member of the institution’s Diversity Committee. He has engaged the issue of Black student attrition in higher education and presented his current research team’s findings to key stakeholders throughout the United States.  Mr. Slavens has worked in both higher and secondary education for 20 years. His research interests include racial justice within tertiary education. Joe recently co-presented the paper Narratives Tales of Social Justice Engagement at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education in Washington D.C. and co-delivered Examining the Intersection of Christianity and Social Justice Advocacy at Faith Based Institutions at the Association of Christians in Student Development Conference in Chicago.  He has also presented at the Christians on Diversity in the Academy Conference in Arcadia, California.

Aaron Hinojosa, Research Assistant 
B.A. in Psychology, Azusa Pacific University
M.Ed. in Higher Education Student Affairs Administration, University of Southern California

Aaron Hinojosa, M.Ed, serves as the Executive Director of the Student Center for Reconciliation and Diversity. In this role, Aaron provides leadership and management for all student-led ethnic organizations, coordinates leadership development and diversity training for many student leaders, and collaboratively designs programmatic efforts and initiatives to support the holistic well-being of all students. He brings valued insight and perspective on the Diversity Collaboration Committee, Diversity Council, and the Student Life Diversity Values Committee which he chairs.

Prior to his current role, Aaron started his professional career at APU as the director of the Office of Multi-Ethnic Programs in 2011. He has also held previous educational such as dean of college counseling at Maranatha High School in Pasadena, associate director of admission and financial aid at Viewpoint School, and associate director of admission for the College of Letters, Arts & Science at the University of Southern California.

Aaron earned his B.A. in Psychology at Azusa Pacific University and M.Ed. in Higher Education Student Affairs Administration at the University of Southern California. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Higher Education at APU.

Allan C. Mathew serves as the Director of Graduate Enrollment at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA. Prior to his role as the Director of Graduate Enrollment, he served in the Undergraduate Enrollment Office as the Assistant Director for Multicultural Student Recruitment. In this role he provided leadership to developing a strategy to increase the number of students of color at Messiah College and served on multiple committees for diversity.

Allan is current pursuing a doctorate degree in higher education from Azusa Pacific. His research interests are the role admissions officers in cultivating a diverse learning environment.

Jason Cha, Research Assistant 
B.A., Business, North Carolina State University
M.Ed., Student Affairs, University of Vermont

Jason is currently serving as the Director of Intercultural Programs at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. His position oversees intercultural organizations, initiatives on racial diversity and he teaches a course on racial justice. Jason was born and raised in Maryland. Since obtaining his master’s degree, Jason has also worked in Residence Life at UC San Diego, University of Maryland and University of the Pacific as well as Semester at Sea. Jason is interested in researching higher education, racial consciousness, and the intersection of faith & race. He is pursuing a doctorate in Higher Education at Azusa Pacific University.