Cooperative Learning Center

Malachi Alexander, Math and Statistics Coordinator

Malachi has worked at the CLC since Fall 2023 as the Math and Statistics Coordinator coordinator, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Mathematics at UC-Santa Cruz. During his undergraduate years, he worked at the CLC as a mathematics tutor; this experience, along with his experiences with the faculty of the Mathematics & Statistics Department, created a passion for supporting the learning of mathematics students at several different levels. His coordinating work at the CLC allows him to reach a wide range of students indirectly through their experiences with our tutors and learn more about contemporary educational strategies that he brings into his own classroom. Outside of the CLC, he loves music, exploring and learning about random ideas.

Micaeala Colmenarez, Supplemental Instruction Coordinator

Lesley Stampleman, Language, Business, and Peer Coaching Coordinator

Lesley began her work in the Cooperative Learning Center in 2012 as a professional writing tutor and English Language Learning Specialist.  She has also taught professional writing courses in the Collaborative Health and Human Services Department. She holds an MFA in English, and her scholarly interests are in creative writing, academic writing, and teaching English as a second or other language. Her favorite part of working in the CLC is watching both peer tutors and students learn together in community. The CLC aligns with what she values about education: challenge, literacy, and equitable teaching and learning. In her free time, she hikes, reads, and attends as much live music as possible.

Erin Stanfield, Supplemental Instruction (SI) Coordinator

Erin has been coordinating the CLC Supplemental Instruction (SI) program since 2017. She’s also an alumna of the CSUMB Coastal Watershed Science & Policy (now known as Environmental Science, MS) program and has taught several STEM courses with the CSUMB College of Science since 2013. While her thesis research was focused on freshwater ecology of toxic cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms, Erin’s current research focuses on improving pedagogy for increasing equity in STEM higher education with a publication in CBE - Life Sciences Education (2022) and a chapter in Breakthroughs in College Reading (2024).  Erin was also selected as the 2024 Davis, Froshman, and Shockley Faculty Fellow acknowledging her efforts to support better teaching and research. She is excited to share her excitement and curiosity for the natural world with her students while helping them develop their own interests and abilities for learning, critical thinking, and problem solving.  

Nanda Warren, Writing Coordinator

Nanda has worked at CSUMB since 2013, and in the CLC since 2017. She has taught writing across several departments, including Communication Across the Disciplines, Environmental Studies, and Liberal Studies. Nanda also teaches classes related to language learning, biliteracy development, and intercultural awareness in Liberal Studies and World Languages and Cultures. Her research interests include second language learning, translanguaging pedagogies, and the creation of multilingual learning spaces in higher education. An enthusiastic traveler, Nanda has lived in five U.S. states and three other countries.

Mónica Soto, Analyst

Mónica is a CSUMB alumna (CHHS) and also holds an MA in Education from San Jose State University. She has been working at the CLC for over 20 years in different capacities. She started as a temp employee, then hired as an Administrative Support Assistant, Administrative Support Coordinator and is currently the CLC Analyst. She enjoys working at CSUMB but especially loves working with her coworkers at the CLC. Monica’s favorite part of working at the CLC is seeing the growth in the students, especially our student employees at the CLC. She especially loves running into tutors out in the real world once they graduate CSUMB! In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and two teen sons.

Karen Uribe, Tutorial Support Coordinator

Karen, a first-generation Cal State Monterey Bay graduate, serves the CLC by managing the day-to-day front desk and daily logistics. You can find her managing flow in the center, greeting students at the front, creating publicity materials, facilitating event-planning, serving as a main contact between students, faculty, and staff, building schedules, and always providing kind, quality support.  When Karen first came to campus as a first-year freshman, she joined the CLC team as a Front Desk Student Assistant. After graduating with her degree in Kinesiology, Karen applied for the role of Tutorial Support Coordinator. She has been in this role since.  Some of the more notable events Karen has assisted with are the planning for CLC’s Long Night Against Procrastination. You can find Karen at her best when she is busy interacting with students and staff. She thrives in the busy environment of the tutoring center and enjoys working with students. When she's not at the CLC, Karen enjoys spending her time with her two children. 

Elise Dixon, Director of Tutorial Services

Since July 2024, Dr. Elise Dixon has served as the Director of the Cooperative Learning Center, where she focuses her efforts on developing and maintaining inclusive tutorial support for all students at CSUMB. Previous to her role at CSUMB, Elise was an Assistant Professor of English and Writing Center Director at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. She earned her PhD in Writing and Rhetoric from Michigan State University, and her research is focused on building activist-oriented learning spaces both on and off of college campuses. Her work has appeared in The Peer Review Journal, Writing Lab Newsletter, The Journal for Veteran's Studies, and numerous book chapters. Her most recent book project, Queer Writing Center Praxis: Expanding Intersectional Paradigms, is scheduled to be published with The WAC Clearinghouse in late 2025. In her "free" time, she is parenting her two little boys at every playground and park in the greater Monterey area. She loves Trader Joe's and bullet journaling!