Office of the Dean

Ms. Garlock-Balzer is the Accountant for the Graduate School of Education Dean's Office. A Portland native, she earned a B.S. in Business Administration: Accounting from Portland State University. Prior to joining the GSE in February 2008, she acquired fifteen months experience in manufacturing accounting, and more than five years experience in finance and banking.

Mr. Brown is the GSE's computer and web technician. He holds degrees in English, German, and Computer Information Systems, and has completed coursework in Computer Science. 

Dr. David Bullock is manager of technology, director of the Metropolitan Instructional Support Laboratory, and an advisor in the Educational Media/Librarianship Program. His research and interests focus on technology in education, teacher preparation, and educational media/librarianship.

Dr. Ann Fullerton is the Director of Research in the GSE and Professor of Special Education. As Director of Research, she supports faculty in their efforts to develop research projects with partners in the community and other disciplines and to find resources to support those projects. Within special education, Dr. Fullerton teaches courses in exceptional learning, literacy, and assessment. Her research focuses on helping adolescents gain the self-knowledge, life skills, and self-determination needed for the transition to adulthood. She also coordinates the undergraduate senior capstone course "Learning From and About Persons with Significant Disabilities," a transformative experiential service learning course.

Dr. Randy Hitz is the Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Portland State University. His administrative experience includes two other dean positions (eight years each at the University of Hawaii and Montana State University) and work in the Oregon Department of Education as the Early Childhood Education Specialist. His teaching experience ranges from preschool and kindergarten to graduate education. Dr. Hitz has published over 50 professional articles on topics related to educational policy and curriculum. He has served on a wide variety of state and national boards and committees, including the teacher licensing boards of Montana and Hawaii. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and he is past chair of the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education. Though he has been an administrator for over 20 years, he still sees himself primarily as a teacher and an advocate for quality education at all levels.

Dr. Liza Finkel is associate dean of the Graduate School of Education and a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at PSU. She has coordinated the Bilingual Teacher Pathway (BTP) program and recruited and trained bilingual classroom assistants to become licensed teachers in Portland Public Schools. Her background is in geological sciences with bachelor's and master's degrees from George Washington University and the University of Michigan. She holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction (science education), from the University of Wisconsin.

Ms. Jasso has served as the GSE Field Placement Coordinator since 2002. Prior to that she worked in the Beaverton School District with the Art Literacy Program for 15 years, and at Conestoga Middle School for one year.

Dr. Livneh worked as a middle school teacher and guidance counselor before moving into the field of continuing professional development. For the past 30 years (21 at Portland State University), she developed and directed professional development for human service providers and educators. Her doctorate is in adult and continuing education.

Ms. Miller has worked in educational settings for the past 17 years. She has a BA in psychology and elementary education and an MS in curriculum and instruction. In her current role she is the GSE liaison to the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC). Prior to this position she was a program manager for Continuing Education, where she developed and coordinated professional development opportunities for preK-12 teachers. She has held several early childhood education positions in Oregon, including five years as an early childhood teacher at Helen Gordon Child Development Center at PSU. She is now working on her doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Director of External Relations

Mr. Pearlman has a Master of Social Work from Columbia University, where his dual-degree program included a Masters in Judaic Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Before arriving to PSU in 2005 Aaron worked with the Jewish Federation in San Francisco and Clackamas Women's Services. While at PSU, Aaron has helped raise funds in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as well as the PSU Library before moving to the School of Social Work and the Graduate School of Education.

Ms. Sluys began employment at PSU with the Dean's Office in the Division of Continuing Education (currently the School of Extended Studies) in 1982. She helped establish the new Continuing Education Program housed in the School of Education. In late 1983 she began working for the School of Education dean, Donald Leu, eventually moving into her current position in 1996.

Julie Thompson earned her BA in Women's Studies from Portland State University. Before coming to the Graduate School of Education she spent a few years working in the Dean's Office in the School of Fine and Performing Arts.

Sandy Wiscarson's work to increase support for not-for-profit education and arts organizations is a natural match for her, since she believes we can make a difference in our communities by partnering with organizations that we care about. After graduation from the University of Oregon, she served in a highly rewarding position as a student activities advisor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she also earned her master's degree in education psychology - guidance and counseling. She has also worked extensively in the arts, both as a professional and volunteer, in executive and marketing positions in Nashville, Buffalo, New Jersey, and Milwaukee before returning to her native Oregon in 1996.