General Education Faculty

Adriana Sekulovic, PhD

Dr. Adriana Sekulovic is a sociologist, researcher, author, and educator. Her teaching specializations are sociology of deviance; sociology of professions; sociology of sport; social problems; intersection between gender, race, ethnicity and crime; and quantitative and qualitative research methods in social sciences. Her overarching pedagogical goal is to help students become active participants in a constantly evolving social dialogue with others.

Her courses stress the value of theoretical frameworks, social processes and empirical application in local, national, and global contexts that call for an integration of the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Mona Mallery, Ed.D

Email:mmallery@stanton.edu

Dr. Mona Mallery holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from California Lutheran University and Master of Science degrees in both Educational Administration from California State University, Northridge and Special Education from National University as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Learning from California State University, Los Angeles. She serves as a campus educational leader in one of the largest public school districts in the United States.

Her experiences include teaching students from diverse backgrounds and cultures, expanding their interests and aptitudes as learners. Alongside her teaching experiences, she has worked closely with businesses and education leaders to create, develop, and prepare young adults to succeed towards vocational success.

Dr. Mallery also served in the U.S. Army as a logistical specialist. She continues to believe that teamwork, collaboration and perseverance creates long-term success now and well into the future.

Andrew Wu, Ed.D

Email: awu@stanton.edu

Dr. Andy Wu holds a Doctorate of Education from the George Washington University, Master of Arts, and Bachelors of Arts from the California State University at Long Beach. In addition, he has a TESOL certification from California State University at Long Beach.

He is an experienced higher education educator and administrator with 20 years’ experience in the academia, and he consistently champions a transformative experience for students and academic integrity. He considers himself a “humanistic educator” who takes focus on the student experience. As such, he has achieved educational results for higher education institutions as administrator and faculty.

Dr. Wu is a person who influences and persuades executive level management; whose opinion is highly sought after; and whose judgment has been respected and trusted. As a seasoned professional, Dr. Wu has held leadership positions in academic institutions including Associate Dean, Finance Director, and Center Director. In the early 2000s, Dr. Wu held faculty positions abroad. Upon returning to the Unites States, he also held faculty positions in the states of California and Virginia. From 2015 to 2020, he served as Assistant Professor in the Visual Communications department at the University of Maryland system. His research interests include diversity in higher education and leadership. In addition, he has researched the experiences of underserved populations at higher education institutions.

Iyad Afalqa, MBA

Email:iafalqa@stanton.edu

Mr. Iyad Afalqa is an accomplished healthcare executive with 15 years plus of success in the medical field. In the healthcare management and policy arena, he is revered as an expert on the subject matter of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) as a policy, program and politics. He served on GE Healthcare Clinical and Revenue Cycle Management Advisory Boards. For the Past decade, he studied Health Care Systems around the world, which lead to his belief that the Scandinavian Universal Health Care is the one to go with in the U.S. in order to achieve the Health Care triple aim; Improved Patient Experience, Reduced Cost, and Improved Population Health.

Mr. Afalqa holds B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a Certificate in Jewish Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Health Care Executive MBA from the University of California-Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business. While at UC-Irvine, he was awarded the merit base prestigious Executive Faculty Fellowship. He also served on the Dean’s Leadership Circle (DLC) Advisory Board as the Chair of the Marketing-Communications Sub-Committee, and DLC Healthcare Roundtable Coordinator.

Mary Jane Almeda, MA

Email: mj.almeda@stanton.edu

Ms. Mary Jane Almeda received her master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy and has worked in the Human Services industry and education for over 15 years. In addition to teaching psychology and human relations, she is a consultant trainer and curriculum developer for a community based-organization who has formed collaborative partnerships with other organizations and county agencies such as the Department of Mental Health and Public Health in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

She is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Parenting Inside Out. Over the past five years, she has facilitated trainings and webinars to 5,000+ behavioral health service providers and leaders on evidence-based, innovative practices such as trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and cultural humility.

Mary Jane will continue to promote diversity, equity and inclusion across her classes. She is known for her enthusiasm in the classroom, the ability to connect with her students, and her commitment to student success. Her goal is to create collaborative and safe environments for students to demonstrate a healthy dialogic approach through reflection, creativity and practical application.

Annie Denq, MA

Email: a.denq@stanton.edu

Ms. Annie Denq is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in leadership studies, with a specialization in non-profit organizations and philanthropy management at the University of San Diego. Her academic work has been published in reputable journals, including International Psychogeriatrics and the Journal of Technical Writing and Communication. Additionally, she has presented her research at distinguished conferences such as the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA).

With a diverse academic background, she holds an MSW from UCLA and an MBA from City University of New York with a focus on finance. This broad educational foundation has enriched her perspective on management practices and sparked an interest in teaching. In addition to her academic studies, she has over 10 years of auditing and business work experience, including tenure at public accounting firms and on projects with prominent clients such as The City of Los Angeles and Ernst & Young, LLP. Additionally, she is an active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).

Overall, her academic and professional experiences have contributed to a unique blend of expertise in management and accounting, which she draws upon to enrich her classroom and contribute to the academic community.

Fernando Eduardo Nuño, MA

Email: fnuno@stanton.edu

Mr. Fernando Eduardo Nuño was born in Mexico, and educated in Mexico, Chicago, Whittier, and Los Angeles. He is a former UCLA Regents Scholar, and a cum laude graduate from UCLA’s College of Letters and Science Honors Program. From UCLA he has received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in psychology, a Masters in Latin American Studies, and a Master of Business Administration. His master’s thesis was entitled The Development of Management Education in Mexico, and his MBA thesis was entitled Apparel Industry Magazine: Analysis and Recommendations. He is a former UC Riverside doctoral fellow and conducted the initial primary research for the book Schoolhousing: Planning and Designing Educational Facilities, published by Dr. Flora Ida Oritiz, Professor of Education.

He began his career as an educator in 1973 while working as a teacher’s aide at Whittier Union High School. He has taught at private schools, for San Bernardino County funded programs, at Mountain View School District, for Rowland Unified School District, and has taught at several colleges and universities. He has also taught Spanish at Baldwin Park High School, at Temple City High School, and for the Southern California School of Interpretation. Moreover, he has a practice of training groups and individuals in the use and troubleshooting of various software, hardware and media communications programs, and applications in English and in Spanish.

Mr. Nuño also has had substantial experience in the private sector, particularly in the publishing industry, and has worked as a management professional both in Mexico and in the United States.

Ahmad Sweed, MA

Email:a.sweed@stanton.edu

Mr. Ahmad Sweed received his Master’s in Business Intelligence “MBA” and his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – Major Data Science and Embedded Systems, at the Jordan University of Science and Technology.

He began his mathematics and data science career working in manufacturing then transitioned to work with marketing and sales advertisements tracking, dealing with Big Data, and utilizing mathematics and data analytics tools to build robust machine learning algorithms, Big Data Pipelines, and utilizing mathematics to optimize and understand correlation between independent and dependent variables, applying Calculus, Statistics and Algebra to improve the outcomes of the models. His educational background in Computer Science and Business Intelligence has helped to reduce the gap between software engineering, mathematics, and business needs.

Luis Areyzaga, MS

Email: l.areyzaga@stanton.edu

Mr. Luis is a health and wellness professional with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Kinesiology. He has experience in prescribing exercise and rehabilitation programs for individuals, and he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance at Concordia University of Chicago. Luis began his career as an assistant athletic trainer and physical therapist aide, which sparked his passion for health. He is now an exercise physiologist for Select Physical Therapy at the University of California Irvine, where he teaches health and wellness to over 130 people regularly. In addition to his work, Luis enjoys playing basketball and baseball, going to the gym, snowboarding, and traveling. He has visited six different countries and over ten states in America and enjoys sharing his knowledge with others.

Patricia McClairen, MBA

Email: p.mcclairen@stanton.edu

Patricia McClairen is an accomplished innovative professional having served for nearly two
decades as a highly skilled educator and dynamic leader. For the past 18 years, her role in
creating school transformative educational experiences is noted through her role as both
director and professor at eight previous colleges and universities.

Professor McClairen earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from San Diego State
University, in addition to completing a Dual emphasis Masters Degree from the University of
Phoenix in Business Administration and Healthcare Management Professor McClairen an
entrepreneur, a two time published author and is passionate in serving as a mentor, academic
coach and certified mental health advocate.

Professor McClairen considers herself a fun, engaging and compassionate educator, who is
inspired to transform education in a positive way. She believes in having a positive impact in the
field of higher education through transformative leadership. In addition, Professor McClairen
dedicated her earlier career as a Microbiologist for Johnson and Johnson in the health and
wellness division.

Professor McClairen’s teaching philosophy stems from her passion for cultivating positive
relationships, making an everlasting impression in the lives of students and living a life of
purpose. Professor McClairen’s teaching style embodies the roles of both mentor and facilitator.