Introducing OCEAN's new leadership team
By Carol Jean Tomoguchi-Perez
September 12, 2024
September 12, 2024
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Earlier this year, UC Irvine’s Orange County Educational Advancement Network (OCEAN) created a new, three-person leadership team consisting of School of Education professors Andres Bustamante and Symone Gyles, and Adam Lara, Ph.D. Associate Professor Bustamante and Assistant Professor Gyles began their roles as OCEAN’s faculty director and associate faculty director, respectively, in July 2024. Lara was hired in April 2024 as OCEAN’s associate director of research-practice partnerships & community engagement.
Q: What are your responsibilities in your new leadership roles? Andres Bustamante: I’m responsible for leading OCEAN’s strategic vision, implementing the initiatives, and sustaining and growing community partnerships. Symone Gyles: I am responsible for assisting Andres in these efforts, and learning from and with him. Our ultimate goal is to continue to grow the OCEAN community as we develop and sustain partnerships with the Orange County community and beyond. Adam Lara: In alignment with OCEAN’s strategic vision, I help broker partnerships between faculty, school districts, community organizations, philanthropic groups, and public agencies, and lead the development and implementation of programming, policies, and procedures for efficiency and sustainability. How did you first become involved in OCEAN? AB: I joined OCEAN as a first year faculty member in 2018 when I first arrived at UC Irvine. I was drawn to the idea of partnership research and was introduced to some of my original partners through the OCEAN network. SG: I joined OCEAN in 2023 during my first year at UC Irvine’s School of Education. My research is grounded in, and fueled by, meaningful partnership work, and I was excited to join a community that shared the same ethos and values around community-engaged participatory research as I did. How has OCEAN evolved and changed since you started? AB: I began participating in OCEAN during its earliest stage and it’s been an amazing experience to watch how it’s grown. While its core commitments remain the same, the reach and impact of the community have grown tremendously through more than 50 research-practice partnerships and over 20 million dollars of extramural funding. |
Andres Bustamante
Symone Gyles
Adam Lara
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AL: Over these last four months, we organized and hosted a successful 2024 OCEAN Annual Convening, which we plan to host annually as a space to uplift and celebrate OCEAN’s impact and accomplishments, and to strengthen relationships with valuable community partners, supporters, and donors. Over the summer, we fostered new relationships with Long Beach Unified School District, Lynwood Unified School District, and El Rancho Unified School District.
What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure in OCEAN?
AB: I hope to maintain the great momentum that we currently have and expand the reach of our communities by engaging new faculty members and community partners. I’m also excited about building a sustainable model for supporting partnership work that honors the effort and resources it takes to conduct community-engaged research that centers partners' strengths and prioritizes their most pressing challenges. OCEAN has built a reputation as a national leader in research-practice partnerships and I hope to continue to drive innovation and impact in this area.
SG: I hope to continue to support the expansion of OCEAN with new faculty members, graduate students, and community partners, and to foster a research community that takes a people-first approach to our work. Continuing to expand our OCEAN partnerships outside of Orange County and developing a sustainable model for community-engaged research are two really big goals for us in the coming years, and I am really excited to support those efforts.
AL: I hope to strengthen relationships and trust with existing OCEAN partners, and build new connections, commitments, and partnerships with school districts, community-based organizations, and public agencies to improve educational opportunities and outcomes. I hope to continue supporting efforts to strengthen the capacity of OCEAN faculty, graduate students, partners, families, parents, and students to engage in equitable collaboration for educational improvement in our highest needs communities. As part of this new and exciting OCEAN leadership team, I will help develop and implement a strategic plan that clearly articulates OCEAN’s vision, goals, structure, theory of change, and strategies over the next five years.
What impact will OCEAN have on the community in the next five years? Ten years?
AB: One of the most exciting new OCEAN initiatives is the University Assisted Partnership School collaboration between the UC Irvine School of Education and the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD). This collaboration represents an enormous investment from SAUSD to build new facilities for Monroe Elementary School in Santa Ana (Calif.). Because of the trust built through our committed partnership with SAUSD, they reached out to us to serve as a partner in making Monroe Elementary into a hub for innovation and excellence in education. Unlike many University lab school models, Monroe is in a very under-resourced area in Santa Ana and serves the children and families in the neighborhood. For me this is a shining example of the power of deep and trusting partnerships. Through combined resources and shared goals, our partnership is going to have a transformative impact locally in Santa Ana, as well as drive innovation in education at the national and international levels.
SG: Andres touched on one of our most exciting new initiatives in OCEAN, which we are thrilled to be supporting. Another significant impact that OCEAN will have on the community is training the next generation of researchers. Graduate students are essential to our OCEAN community. As OCEAN fellows, graduate students take classes and participate in seminars that work to cultivate their research skills to develop meaningful, trusting, and reciprocal research partnerships, while also conducting impactful and relevant research. Through OCEAN, we are supporting the training of the next generation of scholars who will continue our strategic vision and mission toward deep and powerful community-engaged research.
AL: In addition to what was shared by Andres and Symone, I believe that OCEAN and, more broadly, the School of Education will be known for engaging in authentic, meaningful, equitable approaches for collaboration for educational improvement and change in high-need communities. I believe that OCEAN will contribute to improved educational outcomes and will be a leader and national model of how research institutions should engage in research for educational equity.
Can you share a favorite experience during your time with OCEAN?
AB: One of my favorite parts about the OCEAN community is the training opportunities that our doctoral students receive. They have access to coursework from leading experts in the fields of research practice partnership and design-based implementation research. They are invited into a community of scholars doing excellent community-engaged work. And they receive opportunities to support and lead partnership work. One example that I am very proud of is a 2024 graduate from our program, Ashlee Belgrave. Ashlee was the first doctoral student that I mentored in my career. As an early career scholar, I did not have a grant-funded project that I could offer her as a research assistantship. However, through OCEAN, Ashlee received an opportunity to work on the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) college access program through the Center for Educational Partnerships. She found a passion for scholarship around college access and conducted a fantastic dissertation study evaluating the impact of GEAR UP on students in Compton, Calif. Upon graduation, Ashlee was hired at UC Irvine to continue this work as a research scientist. This is a great example of how the OCEAN community can help students find research that they are passionate about and open excellent career opportunities.
AL: In August 2024, the UC Irvine School of Education, in partnership with the City of Santa Ana, SAUSD, the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative, and Northgate Market hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a playful learning installation in Santa Ana. The installation of a giant abacus at a bus stop at the intersection of Main Street and McFadden Avenue, and the installation of signage inside of Northgate Market to promote STEM learning was special because it was co-designed by local families to support early math and playful learning in everyday spaces. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a proud parent leader from the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative shared how it felt to see the outcome of a co-design process that centered their voices, experiences, and leadership. The parent leader stated:
“Cuando se comenzó con este proyecto, se me hace un nudo en la garganta, porque creo que fue uno de los primeros materiales que para nosotros nos sirvió para nuestra educación, primordialmente en las matemáticas, entonces ahora que este aquí plasmado, en vivo, le estoy explicando a mis hijos como lo utilizaba y para que nos servía, y me da mucho gusto y orgullo de pasar un poquito de lo que fue parte de mi educación; esto es un sueño hecho realidad, hemos trabajado en muchas cosas, y son pocas las que vemos realmente realizadas.”
(English translation) “When this project started, I feel a knot in my throat, because it was one of the first materials that was used for our education, primarily to learn math, so now that it is here, in real life, and I am explaining how I used it to learn math to my children, it gives me a lot of pleasure and pride to be able to pass on a little bit of what was part of my education to my children; this is a dream come true, we work on so many things, and this is one of the few that we actually see carried out.”
What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure in OCEAN?
AB: I hope to maintain the great momentum that we currently have and expand the reach of our communities by engaging new faculty members and community partners. I’m also excited about building a sustainable model for supporting partnership work that honors the effort and resources it takes to conduct community-engaged research that centers partners' strengths and prioritizes their most pressing challenges. OCEAN has built a reputation as a national leader in research-practice partnerships and I hope to continue to drive innovation and impact in this area.
SG: I hope to continue to support the expansion of OCEAN with new faculty members, graduate students, and community partners, and to foster a research community that takes a people-first approach to our work. Continuing to expand our OCEAN partnerships outside of Orange County and developing a sustainable model for community-engaged research are two really big goals for us in the coming years, and I am really excited to support those efforts.
AL: I hope to strengthen relationships and trust with existing OCEAN partners, and build new connections, commitments, and partnerships with school districts, community-based organizations, and public agencies to improve educational opportunities and outcomes. I hope to continue supporting efforts to strengthen the capacity of OCEAN faculty, graduate students, partners, families, parents, and students to engage in equitable collaboration for educational improvement in our highest needs communities. As part of this new and exciting OCEAN leadership team, I will help develop and implement a strategic plan that clearly articulates OCEAN’s vision, goals, structure, theory of change, and strategies over the next five years.
What impact will OCEAN have on the community in the next five years? Ten years?
AB: One of the most exciting new OCEAN initiatives is the University Assisted Partnership School collaboration between the UC Irvine School of Education and the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD). This collaboration represents an enormous investment from SAUSD to build new facilities for Monroe Elementary School in Santa Ana (Calif.). Because of the trust built through our committed partnership with SAUSD, they reached out to us to serve as a partner in making Monroe Elementary into a hub for innovation and excellence in education. Unlike many University lab school models, Monroe is in a very under-resourced area in Santa Ana and serves the children and families in the neighborhood. For me this is a shining example of the power of deep and trusting partnerships. Through combined resources and shared goals, our partnership is going to have a transformative impact locally in Santa Ana, as well as drive innovation in education at the national and international levels.
SG: Andres touched on one of our most exciting new initiatives in OCEAN, which we are thrilled to be supporting. Another significant impact that OCEAN will have on the community is training the next generation of researchers. Graduate students are essential to our OCEAN community. As OCEAN fellows, graduate students take classes and participate in seminars that work to cultivate their research skills to develop meaningful, trusting, and reciprocal research partnerships, while also conducting impactful and relevant research. Through OCEAN, we are supporting the training of the next generation of scholars who will continue our strategic vision and mission toward deep and powerful community-engaged research.
AL: In addition to what was shared by Andres and Symone, I believe that OCEAN and, more broadly, the School of Education will be known for engaging in authentic, meaningful, equitable approaches for collaboration for educational improvement and change in high-need communities. I believe that OCEAN will contribute to improved educational outcomes and will be a leader and national model of how research institutions should engage in research for educational equity.
Can you share a favorite experience during your time with OCEAN?
AB: One of my favorite parts about the OCEAN community is the training opportunities that our doctoral students receive. They have access to coursework from leading experts in the fields of research practice partnership and design-based implementation research. They are invited into a community of scholars doing excellent community-engaged work. And they receive opportunities to support and lead partnership work. One example that I am very proud of is a 2024 graduate from our program, Ashlee Belgrave. Ashlee was the first doctoral student that I mentored in my career. As an early career scholar, I did not have a grant-funded project that I could offer her as a research assistantship. However, through OCEAN, Ashlee received an opportunity to work on the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) college access program through the Center for Educational Partnerships. She found a passion for scholarship around college access and conducted a fantastic dissertation study evaluating the impact of GEAR UP on students in Compton, Calif. Upon graduation, Ashlee was hired at UC Irvine to continue this work as a research scientist. This is a great example of how the OCEAN community can help students find research that they are passionate about and open excellent career opportunities.
AL: In August 2024, the UC Irvine School of Education, in partnership with the City of Santa Ana, SAUSD, the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative, and Northgate Market hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a playful learning installation in Santa Ana. The installation of a giant abacus at a bus stop at the intersection of Main Street and McFadden Avenue, and the installation of signage inside of Northgate Market to promote STEM learning was special because it was co-designed by local families to support early math and playful learning in everyday spaces. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a proud parent leader from the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative shared how it felt to see the outcome of a co-design process that centered their voices, experiences, and leadership. The parent leader stated:
“Cuando se comenzó con este proyecto, se me hace un nudo en la garganta, porque creo que fue uno de los primeros materiales que para nosotros nos sirvió para nuestra educación, primordialmente en las matemáticas, entonces ahora que este aquí plasmado, en vivo, le estoy explicando a mis hijos como lo utilizaba y para que nos servía, y me da mucho gusto y orgullo de pasar un poquito de lo que fue parte de mi educación; esto es un sueño hecho realidad, hemos trabajado en muchas cosas, y son pocas las que vemos realmente realizadas.”
(English translation) “When this project started, I feel a knot in my throat, because it was one of the first materials that was used for our education, primarily to learn math, so now that it is here, in real life, and I am explaining how I used it to learn math to my children, it gives me a lot of pleasure and pride to be able to pass on a little bit of what was part of my education to my children; this is a dream come true, we work on so many things, and this is one of the few that we actually see carried out.”
About OCEAN
OCEAN catalyzes research-practice partnerships (RPPs) by connecting School of Education doctoral students and faculty with K-12 public schools and community nonprofits throughout Orange County and the surrounding Southern California region. The partnerships study and co-design solutions to pressing regional challenges. At each site, a School of Education faculty member and doctoral student work with partners to identify their greatest needs and goals, and in turn conduct research that will positively impact the local community. Targeted partnership research allows community partners to inform UC Irvine faculty and doctoral students about what they want to focus on, making sure that research directly arises from community needs. Collaboration across the network of OCEAN partners also has the potential to produce change at a systemic level.
OCEAN catalyzes research-practice partnerships (RPPs) by connecting School of Education doctoral students and faculty with K-12 public schools and community nonprofits throughout Orange County and the surrounding Southern California region. The partnerships study and co-design solutions to pressing regional challenges. At each site, a School of Education faculty member and doctoral student work with partners to identify their greatest needs and goals, and in turn conduct research that will positively impact the local community. Targeted partnership research allows community partners to inform UC Irvine faculty and doctoral students about what they want to focus on, making sure that research directly arises from community needs. Collaboration across the network of OCEAN partners also has the potential to produce change at a systemic level.
