Office of Instruction

Dr. Ailya Batool is an educator and clinician with extensive experience in the fields of anatomy, physiology, pathology, molecular biology and diagnostic medical sonography. She currently serves as the Program Director for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at Foothill College.

Dr. Batool began her career with a medical degree, then went on to earn a Diagnostic Medical Sonography Diploma from Foothill College, graduating as the class valedictorian. She has experience working as a sonographer at various hospitals like Stanford, PAMF and Kaiser.

In addition to her teaching roles, Dr. Batool has served in various clinical and research positions. Notably, she participated in a Family Medicine residency program, with her expertise encompassing the diagnosis and treatment of both adult and pediatric patients, and a particular emphasis on ultrasound imaging.

Dr. Batool is also a certified Global Neurological and Psychometric Rater, with significant contributions to clinical research in neurology, and medical devices. She holds a patent for a user interface for handheld imaging devices.

Dedicated to fostering the next generation of sonographers, Dr. Batool brings comprehensive knowledge, clinical experience, and a commitment to student success to the Foothill College community and the broader field of medical sonography.

In her personal time, Dr. Batool has a passion for art, specially creating pieces in the traditional Arabic calligraphy style known as Khatt. She also enjoys hiking and trekking with her family and is currently training to climb Half Dome in California.

Hi, I’m Chris DeMarco, a biology professor. I’ve always loved science and wildlife, which directed my career path to biology. I grew up in Southern California and spent most of my life there, except for when I went to the Midwest for my B.S.c in Biology and then spent a few years in the Bay Area after graduating. Coming from a family of teachers, I saw how rewarding teaching was, so I began my career teaching high school and middle school science for several years. Wanting to teach at the college level, I obtained my M.S.c in biology at CSULA where I completed my thesis on the conservation genetics of western gray squirrels. After my master’s program, I continued doing genetics and genomics research while I taught biology at CSULA. After ten years of teaching there, I moved to the Bay Area and worked as a microbiologist for the Department of Cannabis control where I tested cannabis for microbial contamination and developed genetics research projects. While I enjoyed doing science, I missed teaching and imparting my knowledge and passion to students. So, I’m excited to be teaching at Foothill College and working with a great student and faculty community. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy a variety of activities. I love walking around in forests, going to the beach, swimming, doing karaoke (badly), painting, playing the piano, writing, playing with my two cats, and watching movies.

Crystal Hernandez Martinez is an experienced counselor and educator who is dedicated to fostering student success. She holds a Master of Science in Counseling and a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from California State University, Sacramento. As a first-generation Master's graduate, and the daughter of immigrants, she understands firsthand the challenges faced by students. Crystal participated in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and FYE programs, which have deeply informed and shaped her trajectory on her supportive approach to counseling.

Crystal has extensive experience in teaching and supporting dual enrollment and first-year experience (FYE) efforts, helping high school students transition to college. At Foothill College, she serves as an interim Math Performance Success Counselor, assisting students in overcoming math anxiety and achieving their academic goals. She also supported the English Performance Success Pilot Program, focusing on improving retention and performance in English. Crystal further helped with a co-teaching model approach that has shown significant success in dual enrollment courses and has shared these findings at the annual FH Dual Enrollment Summit.

Before arriving at FH, she also worked at Sacramento City College and Laney College, providing comprehensive counseling services and supporting various student success initiatives. Her equity-minded approach ensures that all students receive the guidance and resources they need to thrive.

Outside work, she enjoys long beach walks with her dog (Teddy), being the coolest aunt to five nieces and nephews, and exploring new cuisines and places with her partner.

My name is Filsun Jama and I am a first-year Instructor. Prior to joining Foothill College, I was a tax manager at a family office in San Francisco. I’ve received my Masters in Accounting at San Francisco State University and my Bachelors in Mathematics Analytics from UC Davis.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time in the outdoors, finding new hiking trails in the area and just recently, I’ve gotten into camping.

I’ve made the career change from being a tax manager to becoming an instructor because teaching is something I’ve always wanted to do. But, I’ve always told myself before I do teaching I would like to gain real-world experience to share with my students so that they have a better idea of what to expect when joining the workforce. So, after some years in the tax field, I’ve decided to make the switch.

I’m excited for what this new chapter has in store for me and I look forward to joining the faculty here at Foothill College!

 

Hello! I’m Nikki, a design leader, educator, and mentor passionate about helping others find their passion for design and achieve their goals.

My journey began with a love for creative expression, but it was during my senior year of high school on the yearbook committee that I discovered my passion for design software. I continued my education, initially focused on graphic design and fascinated by the process of building brands. However, with the release of the first iPhone during the middle of my studies, I faced the challenging decision of staying the course or embracing this new flourishing digital era. So, I shifted focus and dove deep into digital design, exploring the art of creating user experiences—a decision I remain grateful for today!

After earning my BFA, I ventured into freelancing and corporate roles specializing in website development and marketing. An unexpected opportunity to teach at my alma mater, the Academy of Art University, transformed my career, allowing me to guide and mentor budding designers. Over the next decade, I evolved into the teacher I am today, building course curricula and mentoring students through their BS, BFA, MA, and MFA studies. Many of my students have gone on to join companies like Amazon, Lyft, Meta, Pinterest, and Cisco Webex.

Reflecting on my journey, I’m continually reminded of the mentors and experiences that shaped my path. The joy I find in design and mentorship is matched only by the fulfillment of seeing others succeed. I look forward to joining the Foothill team and continuing to impact fellow creatives.

Brendan has worked in the district since 2013, tutoring at the STEM center and teaching part-time in the chemistry department at Foothill before moving to teach full-time at De Anza, and finally coming full circle back to Foothill in 2024. His background is in computational and theoretical chemistry, and he is interested in exploring ways to use computational resources to help students develop a visual intuitions about chemical systems that can seem abstract and intimidating at first glance.

Outside the classroom, Brendan enjoys board games, languages, and a rotating array of other random pursuits that cycle unpredictably in and out of view.

Kas Pereira is an innovative educator and instructional designer with over 20 years of teaching experience. As the Teacher in Residence at the Krause Center for Innovation (KCI) at Foothill College for the past five years, Kas has led the development of courses and programs in areas such as Makerspace, Online Instruction, and Artificial Intelligence. With a background of 16 years in high school education, Kas has taught Film, Media, and English, and has led initiatives in professional development and technology integration. She holds a B.A. in Literature from UC Santa Cruz, an M.A. in Educational Best Practices, an M.A. in Educational Leadership from San Jose State University and multiple credentials in English, Graphic Arts, and Administration. She is a Canvas Certified Educator, Google Certified Trainer, and Adobe Creative Educator. A member of CUE, ISTE, and ASCD, Kas is an advocate for maker education and hands-on learning experiences.

She is dedicated to fostering inclusive and dynamic learning environments that utilize technology to enhance creativity, collaboration, and educational opportunities.

I'm Jeremy, Foothill's resident rapper and Collection Development Librarian. I started at Foothill as a Library Technician in 2021, after earning my B.S. in Environmental Geology from UC Santa Cruz. More recently, I earned my MLIS from San Jose State University, and I am beyond excited to continue my career here at Foothill College.

I'm interested and involved in too many things to mention here but none of them are more important to me than my wife, Evelyn, and our children, Lawrence and Heather.

Scott Tsuchitani (he/they) is a scholar artist based in San Francisco. His work explores how community-based art practice can serve as a vehicle for the collective transformation of racial common sense and the institutional systems that maintain it.

Scott has exhibited his work in museums and galleries in twelve states across the U.S. and presented in Europe and Asia. His work has been published or cited in academic and mainstream press, including Queering Contemporary Asian American Art, Routledge Companion to Museum Ethics, Buddhism in America, and New York Times. As a documentary filmmaker, Scott has worked alongside Oscar and Emmy Award-winning filmmakers on international productions in Cambodia and South Korea, and his own documentary, Meeting at Tule Lake, has aired on national cable and regional PBS broadcast.

Scott holds a PhD in Cultural Studies from UC Davis and master’s degrees in engineering from UC Berkeley and UC San Diego. He began his professional life in the medical device industry where he co-authored two device patents before turning to a life of creative expression and radical inquiry. Scott is currently involved in creative collaboration with NAKA Dance Theater and Mujeres Unidas y Activas in East Oakland and diasporic Japanese research collaboration with professors in Tokyo, Osaka, and at San Francisco State University.

I am a sixth-generation educator and communication specialist with a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Santa Clara University. With nine years of experience as an adjunct faculty member in Foothill College's Communication Studies Department and over ten years as an elementary educator, I am committed to educational excellence and student development.

My passion for speech and debate, demonstrated by co-founding Little Loudspeakers Academy and earning top awards in intercollegiate forensics, fuels my drive to revitalize our speech and debate team at Foothill College. My goal is to enhance the visibility of our Communication Studies program and create a supportive environment where students can thrive both academically and personally.

I aim to help Foothill staff and students build confidence as public speakers and overcome their fear of public speaking. I hope to offer students the same sense of homecoming and belonging that I experienced at Foothill, and I am excited to have the opportunity to give back to the community that has given me so much.

 

Originally, SuQiong (Su or "Su Kin") Yu immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen and began as a dual enrollment high school student at City College of San Francisco (CCSF). As a first-generation, EOPS, transfer student, that experience inspired her to become a community college counselor! In the past four years, SuQiong has served several non-traditional student populations, including student veterans at Mission College, EOPS students at Laney College, students with disabilities at Skyline College, and justice-impacted students at San Francisco State University.

She speaks five languages: Hoishanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and conversational Japanese. SuQiong is an animal magnet! In her spare time living in San Francisco, she enjoys eating, cooking, traveling, and looking for new places to sunbathe. looking forward to meeting everyone on the team!

Caleb Zerger is a physics instructor passionate about helping all students students learn skills and methods of problem solving that will enrich their lives both in the physics classroom and beyond. Caleb is from Michigan and received a B.S. in physics and mathematics from the University of Michigan, where he was Outreach Chair and then Vice President of the Society of Physics Students.

He then attended Stanford University to study applied physics, with his dissertation research focused on using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy to study two-dimensional materials and electron systems. While at Stanford Caleb participated in a variety of physics related community outreach and participated in the Certificate in Critical Consciousness and Anti-oppressive Praxis program. Outside of physics, he loves to play soccer, hike, and cook.