Kimiya Sohrab Maghzi Ph.D.

I believe in the importance of education and training for all individuals, and therefore my essential core principles that guide my practice as an educator are justice, compassion, and collaboration. Additionally, since I am the child of immigrants who came to this country to escape religious persecution, I have a strong commitment to justice, equity, the promotion of unity, the abandonment of all types of prejudice, and the oneness of humanity. Thus, I have dedicated my studies and my teaching to eliminating oppressive practices and supporting diversity including race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, dis/abilities, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status. I actualize my commitment to social justice through my teaching. I am committed to empowering students to think critically about their world and examine the positive and negative forces influencing their community and social inequalities within it. I deliberately teach students to move outside of their prior modes of thought through reflective assignments and class discussions. The teaching pedagogies that help me achieve this are by using contemplative and transformative teaching practices as well as positive psychology.

• Ph.D. - Disabilities Studies in Education, Chapman University at Orange, CA
• M.A. - Master of Arts in Special Education, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
• B.A. - Bachelors of Arts in History and Women’s Studies, University of California, Irvine, CA

Credentials

• Autism Authorization, Orange County Department of Education, CA
• Level II Credential, Education Specialist Mild/Moderate Authorization, California State University, Fullerton, CA
• Level I Credential, Education Specialist Mild/Moderate Authorization, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA

• My work examines the intersection of dis/ability, culture, education, and religion to bring attention to the multiplicity of voices and diversity found in the experiences of individuals with dis/abilities and their families.
• Special Education; Dis/ability Studies; Inclusive education; Social Justice; Teacher Education; Culturally responsive and socially responsible research methodologies.
• American Educational Research Association (AERA)
• California Council on Teacher Education (CCTE)
• Association for Bahá’í Studies (ABS)
• California Teachers Association (CTA)
• National Education Association (NEA)

• Kimiya uses phenomenology to investigate the lived experiences of Iranian-American women raising individuals with dis/abilities. Her research develops through a culturally responsive approach. This requires respect for the participant’s culture, as well as examination of the insider/outsider role of the researcher. Contrary to Western traditional notions of research on participants, Dr. Maghzi has conducted interviews and research with participants, building mutual relationships of humility, trustworthiness, and respect. Her research embraces and supports diversity by celebrating the heterogeneity of student voices, addressing how to support students and their families from diverse backgrounds, needs, and abilities as well as the manner in which teachers may employ universal design principles and technology to support learners with various dis/abilities as evidenced in the workshops and presentations she has conducted. These include presentations on helping students to identify their preferences in learning, dispelling myths about Latino parents and education, mindfulness in education, including multiple perspectives in collaborative learning environments, and implementing subjectivities and voice to change classroom culture.
• Her instructional experience includes teaching in the elementary setting as an Mild/Moderate Education “Specialist” with an Autism Authorization and facilitating IEP meetings as case carrier and translator. She has taught in underprivileged schools in Los Angeles Unified School District, Saddleback Valley Unified School District, and Westminster School District. Her teaching experience includes five years of teaching Kindergarten through fifth graders in special day classroom settings with English Language Learners from diverse backgrounds. She also has experience teaching undergraduate students in the Integrated Educational Studies program in the College of Educational Studies at Chapman University. Additionally, she served as a University Reading Supervisor in the Literacy Tutoring Program in the Muth Center, affiliated with the College of Educational Studies and the credential program for elementary teachers at Chapman University, which gave her experience working with graduate students. She enjoys working collaboratively with students at the University of Redlands, schools, educators and families.
• James L. Doti Outstanding Doctoral Graduate Student Award, Chapman University (2018)
• American Educational Research Association Outstanding Dissertation Award (2018)
• Teach For America Honor and Recognition Award (2009)
• Alpha Sigma Nu Honor, Loyola Marymount University (2009)