SPEL Faculty & Staff
Joel Bocanegra, PhD
Department Chair | Professor of School Psychology
Office: College of Education 108 A
Dr. Joel O. Bocanegra earned his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a concentration in School Psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 2014. He is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and a licensed psychologist. Dr. Bocanegra joined Idaho State University in 2014 and currently serves as Chair of the Department of School Psychology and Educational Leadership. His research focuses on training and supervision, systems-level change, mental health, and the integration of technology in practice. He is also the Principal Investigator of the EMPWRing grant.
Chung-Hau (Howard) Fan, PhD
Program Coordinator | Professor of School Psychology
Office: College of Education 108B D
Dr. Howard Fan completed his Ph.D. in School Psychology at the University of Iowa in 2011. He holds the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential and is currently a professor in the Department of School Psychology and Educational Leadership at Idaho State University. His professional and research interests include improving response-to-intervention (RTI) methodologies, such as reducing measurement error in progress monitoring and developing systemic troubleshooting approaches for effective RTI implementation. He is also interested in school-wide positive behavior support, special education leadership, and behavioral consultation training. Dr. Fan is the Co-Principal Investigator of the EMPWRing grant.
Erika K. Coles, PhD
Associate Professor of School Psychology
Office: College of Education 107 A
Richard Wagoner, PhD
Professor of Practice
Office: College of Education 365
Sue Kater, PhD
Assistant Professor of Higher Education
Susan (Sue) Kater, PhD, is a Higher Education faculty member at Idaho State University, Editor-in-Chief of New Directions for Community Colleges, and a consultant for the League for Innovation in the Community College. She previously served as a community college administrator in the Maricopa Community Colleges, including roles as Special Assistant to Chancellor Rufus Glasper and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Planning at GateWay Community College. Dr. Kater earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Arizona with a focus on community colleges. Her research and publications focus on community college faculty, shared governance, trustees, and students’ basic needs. She has served as national president of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges and holds leadership roles with the Community College Review and the Center for the Study of Community Colleges.
Yi-Chih Chiang, PhD
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership
Office: College of Education 381
Yi-Chih Chiang is an assistant professor of P –12 Educational Administration at Idaho
State University. Her research uses an equity lens to examine education reform,
focusing on policy implementation, school improvement, and educator professional
learning. Her research investigates (1) teacher leaders’ career trajectories in the
educator labor market and their roles in fostering organizational improvement and
effective policy implementation and (2) how policy implementation is shaped by
discourse and stakeholder engagement, with a particular emphasis on addressing
systemic inequities in education. Her dissertation delves into a human resources
analysis of instructional coaches in Michigan, examining their distribution patterns,
teaching expertise, and career pathways. Yi-Chih holds a PhD in K-12 Educational
Administration from Michigan State University, an EdM in Education Policy &
Administration from National Taiwan Normal University, and a BA in Finance from
National Taiwan University.
Donald Hastings, EdD
Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership
Office: College of Education Room 377
Dr. Donald S. Hastings is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Idaho State University, specializing in leadership, trust, motivation, and effective instruction. He teaches graduate-level courses and guides dissertation research, drawing on over three decades of experience as a K–12 teacher, principal, and district administrator. A two-time award winner, Dr. Hastings has been recognized with the prestigious Texas Monthly Top Schools Award and as the Norwalk-La Mirada USD Site Administrator of the Year. He earned his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and his Master's in applied psychology and education administration
SPEL Staff
Veronica Garcia
Administrative Assistant I
Office: Garrison 613
Emeritus
Alan C. Frantz, PhD
Professor Emeritus, Higher Education
Office: College of Education 379
Dr. Alan C. Frantz began his association with ISU as a student in 1973. He returned in 1987 as an instructor (asst. professor in 1994) in the Department of Foreign Languages until 1999. From 1994 into 1999, he served as assistant dean in what was then the ISU College of Arts and Sciences. In 1999 he transferred to the College of Education and served in several ISU positions over the next decade. He was selected for the Fellows Program of the American Council on Education from August 2002 to July 2003, posted at Portland State University.
Frantz earned a B.S. from ISU, the M.A.T from Indiana University, and his Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Denver. He was a professor in higher education administration at ISU from July 2006 through July 2017 and served as chair of the Faculty Senate from July 2009 through June 2010.
After retiring officially in July, 2017, he was asked to serve part-time as the Faculty Assistant for Special Projects in the Office of Academic Affairs. Then in Fall of 2018, he was asked to serve full time as Interim Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, which he did until August, 2019. He continued in the position half-time until August of 2020. He is now fully retired, although he can be found in his office as he continues scholarly pursuits.
Patti Mortensen, EdD
Professor Emeritus, Higher Education
Office: College of Education 377
