The Residency Lab is powered by a diverse team of educators, researchers, and practitioners committed to transforming teacher preparation through residency programs.
Director
Dr. Heather Michel is the director of The Residency Lab and has coordinated teacher residency programs for the last five years at various levels of implementation. Previously, Dr. Michel taught 1st and 2nd grade for 13 years before moving to higher education. Dr. Michel believes in the power of residency programs to recruit, retain, and diversify the teacher workforce.
Connect on LinkedIn
Associate Director
Dr. Kate Herman is the Associate Director of The Residency Lab. Previously, Dr. Kate taught both special and general education in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and the Netherlands, founded the special education program at DSST: College View High School and co-founded the Greenfield Residency for Educational Specialists with CSU, Bakersfield. Dr. Kate believes residencies have the power to prepare all teachers to be inclusive.
Connect on LinkedIn
Residency Specialist
Dr. Carol Battle, a Residency Specialist at The Residency Lab, is a 20+ year veteran of public education. Her experiences as “the one” African-American student and teacher in most of her academic settings have shaped and driven her pursuits in equity and diversity issues. She has taught in both Texas and California in charter and traditional school settings both in K-12 and higher education arenas. Prior to joining CDEF, Dr. Battle spent four years in Teacher Residency Administration.
Administrative Assistant
Tailor Pitre is the Administrative Assistant supporting The Residency Lab at the CDE Foundation. In her role, she supports communications, operations, and partnership coordination that help strengthen educator residency programs across California. She enjoys helping teams stay organized, supporting meaningful collaboration, and ensuring projects and events run smoothly.
Program Coordinator
Dalia Huerta is Program Coordinator for CDE Foundation. She assists The Residency Lab with administrative and event support and spearheads the effectiveness and impact of The Lab. Previously, Dalia supported a student services department at Cal Poly Pomona, offering administrative, technical, and budget management support. She believes that residencies have the potential to foster equitable access to education for students from diverse backgrounds.
Connect on LinkedIn
Lab Coach
Dr. Tymika Wesley is an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University. She has over a decade of experience teaching in Southern California elementary schools. She serves as the university liaison for the Pathways to Teaching Residency, a collaboration between Cal Lutheran and the Santa Maria Bonita School District. Dr. Wesley believes her residency superpower is cultivating strong partnerships between LEAs and IHEs.
Lab Coach
Holly Gonzales is faculty in Teacher Education at CSU Bakersfield and an Education Consultant for teacher residencies. Prior to her career in higher education, Holly was an elementary teacher and Academic Coach. Holly believes her residency superpower is developing systemic residency program structures that align clinical practice and coursework to positively shift the landscape of teacher preparation.
Connect on LinkedIn
Lab Coach
Dr. Rhianna Henry Casesa is an associate professor at Sonoma State University. Her area of expertise is dual-language/ (bi)literacy, and in addition to teaching and supervising credential and MA candidates, she also directs the Sonoma State University Residency Network. Prior to her work in teacher education, she was a 4th grade bilingual teacher in Chula Vista. What is my residency superpower? I am a very creative problem solver!
Lab Coach
Tiani Hudgins is a Program Coordinator for Teachers College of San Joaquin and a Coach for The Residency Lab. Her passion is ensuring all students receive an equitable and inclusive education by equipping residents with the tools and skills to create and teach welcoming, diverse classrooms. Her residency superpower lies in forming connections and building meaningful relationships.
Lab Coach
Lena Anthony is a Lead Facilitator at The Teaching Well supporting educators, residency programs and non-profits with wellness and sustainability. She has passionately served in school communities for over 20 years as a teacher, instructional coach, site administrator and director of a teacher residency program. She is driven to create inclusive and supportive environments that fosters the transformative power in education.
Connect on LinkedInWe're always looking to connect with passionate educators, researchers, and partners who share our commitment to transforming teacher education through residency programs.
