Estella Chizhik

Estella Chizhik is a Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at California State University, Long Beach, within the College of Education. She previously held teaching and leadership roles at San Diego State University, where she contributed significantly to teacher education programs and equity initiatives. Her work is deeply rooted in educational psychology, teacher development, and social justice in education.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of California, Riverside (1988)
• PhD in Educational Psychology, UCLA (1996)
• Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting, Chapman University (2009)

Her research interests include educational psychology, teacher candidate support, video-based coaching, culturally responsive teaching, and equity in education. She employs socio-cultural learning theory and critical race theory to inform her teaching and research. Her recent publications focus on mentoring models like SMILE, video annotation for feedback, and virtual co-teaching during the pandemic. These works reflect a consistent commitment to improving teacher preparation through innovative, research-based supervision and support systems.

Her scientific and professional contributions include co-creating CABWARE, a research space focused on Black education, and leading the development of the Long Beach Teacher Residency in partnership with the Long Beach Unified School District, funded by a $5 million grant. She is also launching a data-driven study on the rise of anti-racist publications in education since 2020.

She has advised numerous teacher candidates and taught courses such as Educational Psychology, Classroom Management, Student Teaching Seminar, and Advanced Educational Psychology at both master’s and doctoral levels. She emphasizes community building, equity, and professional growth in her teaching.

Dr. Chizhik is actively engaged in research, teaching, and service, with no indication of retirement or part-time status. She continues to expand her impactful work in teacher education at CSULB.