Mesinas is a second-generation Zapoteca from Oaxaca, Mexico, and part of the Oaxacan diaspora living in the United States. She received her Ph.D. in education from Stanford University, and her research focuses on the cultural nature of development and learning. Mesinas works closely with local Indigenous communities and districts on educational opportunities, the preservation of arts and culture, and intergenerational learning. She hopes to connect these community-based collaborations into the experiential learning of Whittier College students.
“I was attracted to Whittier's mission to support students' growth in their areas of study as they learn to make connections across disciplines and understand cultural perspectives,” Mesinas said. “I’m excited to teach my students the role communal and cultural contexts have on people's learning, especially for Indigenous Latine communities.”
This fall, Mesinas is teaching a cultural capstone course and a class on adolescent development.
Lyons grew up in Northern California, outside of San Francisco. Before starting his doctoral work, he was a biomechanist at Stanford Children’s Health, specializing in gait analysis and return-to-sport testing for young athletes. Lyons is pursuing his Ph.D. in applied physiology and neuromechanics from the University of Memphis. His research focuses on lower extremity biomechanics, integrating wearable technology to quantify the loads experienced on the body during movement, with the goal of optimizing these loads to support bone health in runners.
“I’m excited to join Whittier College and share my passion for biomechanics,” Lyons said. “I think I am most excited about how hands-on and experiential the learning opportunities are for students at Whittier. I hope to help students connect scientific concepts specifically to real-world applications in health and human performance.”
Vidriales, from Santa Fe Springs, is a licensed clinical social worker with a doctorate degree in counseling psychology. Lecturing at Whittier College is her first teaching job, and she’s thrilled to be working with students.
This year, she is teaching Introduction to Social Work, Children and Families, and Social Work in Organizations.
“I hope students understand the impact that they have on other people,” Vidriales said. “Understanding the fundamentals of what social work is can be applicable to any type of setting that they decide to get into, whether it's business, psychology, nursing, or another field.”
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