Graduate Services
Interim Associate Dean; Associate Professor of Education
Dr. Carol Ann Gittens received her Ph.D. in social / personality psychology in 1996, from the University of California at Riverside. Dr. Gittens joined the faculty of Santa Clara University in 1997, and is an Associate Professor in the Education department and the undergraduate Liberal Studies program. She is currently serving as the Associate Dean for the School of Education, Counseling Psychology and Pastoral Ministries. In addition to her administrative role, Dr. Gittens teaches courses in educational assessment, research methods, instructional technology and curriculum innovation, critical thinking pedagogy, psychological foundations of education, developmental psychology, and community health education.
The central focus of Dr. Gittens’s research is on the interface of critical thinking, motivation, and academic achievement of adolescents and young adults from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Dr. Gittens is an author or co-author on numerous articles on critical thinking skills and dispositions. Her 2001 article in the Journal of General Education presents the findings from an investigation across four years of critical thinking dispositions among a college student sample. Dr. Gittens is first-author of the California Measure of Mental Motivation (CM3), a critical thinking disposition assessment instrument for children, adolescents and adults, and the Adolescent Reasoning Test (ART). The validation study of the CM3 was published in 2004 in the Journal of Educational and Psychological Measurement and the validation work for the ART is ongoing. Dr. Gittens’s consulting activities include working with college administrators, faculty and staff, K-12 educators, as well as business executives, managers and employees. Dr. Gittens’s areas of expertise include critical thinking pedagogy and assessment, integrating critical thinking across the curriculum, critical thinking and co-curricular programs, as well as statistics and assessment design for individuals and institutions.
Dale Larson - Interim Dean; Professor of Counseling Psychology; Coordinator, Health Psychology Emphasis
Dale Larson did his undergraduate work in psychology at the University of Chicago and received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in clincal psychology from U.C. Berkeley. A licensed clinical psychologist and marriage and family therapist, Dr. Larson's interest areas bridge counseling and health psychology, including counseling skills theory and training stress management, self-concealment, and end-of-life care. He has published extensively in these areas and is the author of the award-winning book, The Helper's Journey: Working with People Facing Grief, Loss, and Life-Threatening Illness. Dr. Larson chaired the First National Conference on Hospice Volunteerism and his Hospice Home Page website received a national Award of Excellence in Education Achievement for the National Hospice Organization.
Dean Larson has been a Summer Scholar at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and has lectured and conducted research in Europe as a Fulbring Scholar. In 2001, he was Senior Editor and a contributing author for Finding Our Way: Living With Dying in America, a 15-article national newspaper series funding by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that appeared in 170 newspapers reaching 7 million Americans.
He lives in San Jose with his wife and their son. His interests include backpacking, travel, and noontime basketball.
Henrietta Matteucci - Assistant to the Dean, Office Manager Center for Professional Development
Henri works closely with the Dean and the Associate Dean. She manages the budget and works on contracts for the School. She is also the Office Manager for the Center for Professional Development. She designs the OPD bulletin and oversees Jenny.
Henri is a baseball fan and loves watching her son play. Her daughter is currently a Senior at Loyola Marymount. She enjoys walking and visiting with friends.
Sarah MacGregor - Director of Compliance and Graduate Services
My role is to assist students in navigating the policies and procedures of Santa Clara University and the School of Education, Counseling Psychology & Pastoral Ministries. I am responsible for the final review of all Masters candidate’s petitioning for graduation and recommend all credential candidates to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing for licensure. I am a member of the Credential Analysts and Counselors of California (CCAC) and serve as the IHE Representative on the 2006-2007 President’s Advisory Board.
I received my Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cornell College (Mount Vernon, Iowa). In 2002 I received my Master of Arts in Counseling with an emphasis in Health from Santa Clara University and I am currently completing my Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration.
In my spare time I enjoy singing soprano as a member of the Santa Clara Chorale, traveling, reading, walking my dog, and relaxing with friends and family.
Jenny Riccoboni - Program Coordinator - Center for Professional Development, Graduate Services Support
As the program coordinator for the Center for Professional Development, Jenny establishes and oversees workshops and conferences offered by Santa Clara University each semester to the working professionals in our community. As the external relations point of contact for the center, she directs the marketing and registration of students who enroll in the program. She generates the annual Excellence report, CPD catalog, CPD Budget, and works with accreditation agencies for CPD approvals. Jenny also represents the Santa Clara University Center for Professional Development at off-site conferences.
The first point of contact for all Graduate Services inquiries, Jenny provides support to the Admissions, Records, Center for Professional Development, and the Deans Office faculty and staff. She is the Senior Administrative Assistant and marketing support for the ECPPM Deans Office, assisting students with admissions and records issues and supporting the faculty and staff where needed.
Paul Somoff - Admissions Counselor
Paul Somoff is the Admissions Counselor for the School of Education, Counseling Psychology & Pastoral Ministries. In his current position some of Paul's responsibilities include answering prospective student inquiries, processing applications, and attending off-site recruiting events.
Paul earned his undergraduate degree from UC Irvine in Psychology & Social Behavior with a minor in Sociology. Paul is currently working towards his Master of Arts in Education al Administration with an emphasis in Higher Education from Santa Clara University. In his spare time Paul enjoys watching sports, reading, and traveling.
Marty Smith - Student Affairs Counselor
Marty handles all the financial aid for the school. She also the webmaster. In addition she works on the newsletter and is the alumni contact for the school. She also is the bulletin editor.
She received her BS in Engineering Science from Vanderbilt University, a MBA from Xavier University and a BA from Santa Clara University in Liberal Studies with a minor in Art. Marty is currently the SAC representative for Bannan and the Parking Garage. She loves traveling, singing in a choir and skis whenever the snow is good. She is also a Child Advocate for Santa Clara County and a Deacon at MPPC.
Minh Virasak - Records Coordinator
Minh is part of the Graduate Services Team and serves as the Records Coordinator for the School of Education, Counseling Psychology, and Pastoral Ministries. In this position, she is responsible for all aspects of student enrollment and records management. She provides services for graduate students from the point of admission all the way to their graduation date.
Minh received her undergraduate degree from UC Santa Cruz in Business Management Economics and is currently completing her Masters of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Santa Clara University. Her interests include spending time with her dog, reading, traveling, and cooking.
