Good morning, Merritt Community.

I am pleased to welcome Lisa Cook to the Merritt College family, as she formally begins her tenure as our Acting Vice President of Instruction. This morning marks her first day in the role, and we are grateful to have her. Lisa comes to us from Berkeley City College, where she has served as the Dean of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences since 2016. Her time in the Peralta District as an experienced leader and educator, however, spans more than 25 years.

What I appreciate most about Lisa is her unwavering commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, as well as her collaborative and collegial approach to doing this important work. Moreover, under her leadership, Berkeley City College established vital partnerships with local high schools to break down barriers and provide robust student support. As a result, BCC has seen a remarkable increase in dual enrollment (from 342 to 1574 students over four years), with significant growth in the participation and success of Black and Latino/a/x students. In her prior position as an ESOL instructor at Laney College for 18 years, Lisa was a strong advocate for students and faculty through her work as program coordinator, department chair, accreditation faculty lead, and faculty senate president. She played an integral role in the redesign of the ESOL program, expansion of learning support services, and institution of the Laney Eagle peer recognition award and annual faculty senate retreat.  She received five district and college awards for her excellent contributions, including Faculty of the Year in 2016.

Lisa holds a bachelor’s degree in writing and poetics from Naropa University, a master’s degree in applied linguistics (English Language Studies) from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and two certificates in online teaching and learning.

Please join me in extending a warm welcome to VPI Cook!

David M. Johnson, Ph.D.
President
Merritt College