Virginia Beas
Assistant Professor, Psychology
As a first-generation college student and former community college attendee, I began my academic journey with an AA in Psychology from Cerritos College, followed by a BA in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology with an MFT track from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). This degree provided me the opportunity to engage in research on pain, anxiety, PTSD, virtual reality, and program evaluation at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Ama Boakyewa
Associate Professor, Anthropology
Dr. Ama Boakyewa discovered Anthropology as a Public Educator at the African Burial Ground Project (ABGP) in New York City. The ABGP is an archaeological/ancestral site discovered during construction in lower Manhattan. She was inspired to formalize her profession in Anthropology and returned to Indiana to pursue further education at the University of Louisville in Pan-African Studies/Anthropology and doctoral training in Anthropology/African Studies at Indiana University-Bloomington.
Edward Chen
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Edward “Ed” Chen received his Ph.D. in Education from the University of California, Irvine in 2022. At UC Irvine, he researched math cognition to better understand the role memory plays in how children learn and think about math. He has also conducted research in improving student engagement with online courses with college students. Ed loves learning and memory just as much as he loves helping students become budding social scientists.
Arturo Garcia
Assistant Professor, Psychology
I am excited to be part of the full-time faculty in LBCC’s
psychology program. My life’s mission is to mentor and train the
next generation of diverse practitioners & researchers in
psychology. I am very passionate about promoting critical
thinking and evidence-based psychological practices. If you’re a
student in my class, know that I believe in your ability to
succeed!
Nicholas Herrera
Professor, Psychology
Nick Herrera received his Ph.D. and M.A. in Social Psychology from Stanford University and his B.A. in Psychology from the University of California at San Diego. As a graduate student, he conducted research on emotional contagion, as well as beliefs about birth order differences in intelligence and personality. He worked as an Honors Intern for the F.B.I. and studied the hunting patterns of serial rapists and the criminal profiling of serial killers.
Carmen Laguer Diaz
Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Please call me: Carmen, Dr./Prof. Laguer Díaz (or any combination of the previous). My pronouns are she/her & ella.
Where I came from: I was born and raised on the island of Puerto Rico, in the Caribbean. It was there that I discovered my love for the past, and the dirt. It was also there that I realized I wanted to learn why people behaved the way that they do. So, when it was time to decide what I wanted to do for the rest of my life anthropology was the obvious choice.
Elisabeth Orr
Dean, Social & Behavioral Sciences
Lisa Orr has deep roots in Long Beach and at LBCC. After growing up in here, she attended LBCC in the 1980s and eventually became a part-time and then full-time faculty member in History. She served as department head for the History & Political Science Department (now History, Political Science and Ethnic Studies) and then eventually Dean of Social Sciences and Arts, a position she held from July 2017 through the spring of 2022. Her current position is Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences where she oversees a variety of programs including Anthropology, Cultural Geograp
Janine Pliska
Co-Dept. Head & Professor, Anthropology
Janine Pliska is a physical anthropologist who specializes in osteology (analysis of the human skeleton) and cultural reasons for infectious disease patterns. She has been teaching at Long Beach City College since 2007, was hired full-time in 2014, and also received her A.A. from LBCC way back when. She has attended U.C. Berkeley, Durham University, and Pennsylvania State University and has been associated with the Smithsonian Institution. She is depicted here getting lost in a blizzard on a mountain in Wales.
