Mina Chun, Ph.D.

About

Dr. Mina Chun is an associate professor and program director of the following credential programs in the Department of Learning and Teaching at the Graduate School of Education: 

Special Ed Credential Programs – Preliminary Education Specialist Credential in Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) and Extensive Support Needs (ESN)

Dual Credential Program – Preliminary Education Specialist in MMSN with Preliminary Multiple Subject

Dr. Chun received her Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in Disability Studies at Chapman University, M.Ed. in Special Education with an emphasis in Low Incidence Disabilities, and B.S. Ed. in Special and Elementary Education at Northern Arizona University.

Prior to joining Cal Lutheran, Dr. Chun served as a faculty member in special education programs at Governors State University, University of Lynchburg, and Austin Peay State University. Her experience also includes working with culturally and linguistically diverse students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in school, home, and clinical settings.

Dr. Chun’s research centers around exploring ways to promote access, equity, and inclusion for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the current diverse society.

Education

Ph.D. in Education, Disability Studies, Chapman University, Orange, CA

M.Ed. in Special Education, Low Incidence Disabilities, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ

B.S. in Education, Special and Elementary Education, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ

Journal Articles & Research Monographs

Fisher, M. E., Maghzi, K. S., McDaniel, E., Dorner, M. A., Chun, M., Wan, K., & Cavallaro, J. F. (2026). Restorative practices: A Prismatic evaluation of a k-8 school’s third year of implementation. California Council on Teacher Education Spring Monograph, 100-113.

Dorner, M. A., Fisher, M. E., Chun, M., Beaty, I., McDaniel, E., Ortegon, K. M., Maghzi, K. S., Pearson, H., Falce, T. M., Tickel, D., Del Rosario, S., Cho, C., & Ramirez, J. (2025). Prismatic arts-based research: An arts-based look at educational perspectives on professional learning communities. California Council on Teacher Education Fall 2025 Monograph, 133-139.

Bachrach, T. & Chun, M. (2024). Shifting perspectives on disability: Family reflections on a life fully lived with Down syndrome. DADD Online Journal: Research to Practice, 11 (1), 166–182. 

Fisher, M. E., Chun, M., Dorner, M. A., Maghzi, K. S., Petty, J. A., Wan, K., Petersen, A., Beaty, I., Cavallaro, J. F., Ramirez, J., Bentley, G., Del Rosario, S., & McDonald, P. (2024). Prismatic narrative inquiry: Examining K-8 perspectives on professional learning communities. California Council on Teacher Education Fall 2024 Research Monograph, 134-141.

Maghzi, K. S., Fisher, M. E., & Chun, M. (2023). Living critical race theory through a DisCrit Lens: A prismatic case study of teaching and disability. California Council on Teacher Education Fall 2023 Research Monograph, 91-101. 

Fisher, M. E., Petty, J. A., Chun, M., Wan, K., Beaty, I., Maghzi, K. S., Dorner, M. A., McDonald, P., Cavallaro, J., & Ramirez, J. (2023). Integrating equitable inclusion: Proposing restorative practices in the K-8 educational setting. California Council on Teacher Education Fall 2023 Research Monograph, 66-72. 

Petty, J. A., Fisher, M. E., Chun, M., Dorner, M. A., Del Rosario, S., Beaty, I., Maghzi, K. S., Cavallaro, J., Ramirez, J., Tickel, D., & Cho, C. (2023). Uncharted waters: Building an ethnic studies capacity into a predominantly white charter school. CCTE Fall 2023 Research Monograph, 35-42. California Council on Teacher Education.

Fisher, M. E., Petty, J. A., Dorner, M. A., Johnston, H., Cho, C., Chun, M., Maghzi, K. S., Beaty, I., Cavallaro, J., & Tickel, D. (2023). The power of perspective: Project-based learning and ethnic studies. California Council on Teacher Education Fall 2023 Research Monograph, 11-22. 

Miller, A. & Chun, M. (2022). Perspectives of college students with intellectual disability on the moving in and through phases of transition. Disability Studies Quarterly, 42(1). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v42i1.7516 

Chun, M. (2022). Dear COVID-19: A collaborative poetry. International Review of Qualitative Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/19408447211049528 

Chun, M., Maghzi, K. S., Fisher, M. E., & Dorner, M. A. (2021). Perspectives on teaching and learning Universal Design. California Council on Teacher Education Fall 2021 Research Monograph, 21-34. 

Maghzi, K. S., Chun, M., Fisher, M. E., & Dorner, M. A. (2021). Building equity through positivity and mindfulness in a traumatized world. California Council on Teacher Education Fall 2021 Research Monograph, 58-65. 

Books

Fisher, M. E., Petty, J. A., Cavallaro, J. F., Maghzi, K. S., Chun, M., Dorner, M. A., Ramirez, J., Achieng-Evensen, C., & Falce, T. (Eds.) (2026). Leadership, Organizational Change and Restorative Practice: A Prismatic Examination of Managing Complex Change in a K-8 School, Taylor & Francis.

Fisher, M. E., Maghzi, K. S., Achieng-Evensen, C., Dorner, M. A., Pearson, H., Chun, M. (Eds.) (2021). Lessons from the transition to pandemic education across the US education system during Covid-19: Analyses of parent, student, and educator experiences. Routledge.

Selected Conference Presentations  

Fisher, M. E., Maghzi, K. S., McDaniel, E., Dorner, M. A., Chun, M., Wan, K., & Cavallaro, J. F. (2026, March 28). Restorative practices: A Prismatic evaluation of a k-8 school’s third year of implementation [Conference Presentation]. California Council on Teacher Education’s Spring Policy Action Network Conference, Virtual.

Dorner, M. A., Fisher, M. E., Chun, M., Beaty, I., McDaniel, E., Ortegon, K. M., Maghzi, K. S., Pearson, H., Falce, T. M., Tickel, D., Del Rosario, S., Cho, C., & Ramirez, J. (2025, November 8). Prismatic arts-based research: An arts-based look at educational perspectives on professional learning communities [Conference Presentation]. California Council on Teacher Education Conference, Virtual.

Fisher, M. E., Falce, T., Dorner, M. A., Chun, M., Maghzi, K. S., Petty, J. A., Cho, C., & Johnston, H. (2025, April 23-28). Constructivism in practice: Comparing the strengths of two approaches to building perspective-taking capacity. [Conference iPoster].  American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Virtual.

Bachrach, T. & Chun, M. (2024, Dec. 5-7). Impact of ableism in schools: Perspective of new special educators [Conference Presentation]. The 2024 TASH conference, New Orleans, LA. 

Chun, M. & Bachrach, T. (2024, January 17-19). A family’s journey: Reminiscing on a life fully lived with Down syndrome [Conference Presentation]. The 25th International Conference on Autism, Intellectual Disability & Developmental Disabilities, Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children, Waikiki, HI.

Chun, M. & Bachrach, T. (2023, Oct. 30-Nov. 2). From disenfranchised to included: Creating an inclusive culture for special education teachers [Conference Presentation]. The 2023 Teacher Education Division Conference of the Council for Exceptional Children, Long Beach, CA.

McDonald, P., Fisher, M. E., Maghzi, K. S., Chun, M., Wan, K., Petty, J. A., Dorner, M. A., Petersen, A., Beaty, I., Cavallaro, J. F., & Ramirez, J. (2023, Oct. 18-21). Leadership, professional learning communities, and change: Building a better special and general education team [Conference Poster]. California Council on Teacher Education Conference, San Diego, CA.

Chun, M., Fisher, M., Maghzi, K. S., Dorner, M. A., Szczurek, A., & Jenkins, T. (2023, April 13–16). A prismatic examination of connection and engagement in higher education. [Conference Presentation]. The 2023 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. 

Chun, M., Maghzi, K. S., Fisher, M., Petty, J. A., Dorner, M. A., & Liu, J. Y. (2023, April 13–16). Dialogue as Data: Examining Equity. [Conference Presentation]. The 2023 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. 

Bachrach, T. & Chun, M. (2022, Dec. 1-3). A family eulogy: Life lessons from a man with Down syndrome [Conference Presentation]. The 2022 TASH conference, Phoenix, AZ. 

Chun, M. & Bachrach, T. (2022, Dec. 1-3). The social model of disability: Attract and retain special educators [Conference Presentation]. The 2022 TASH conference, Phoenix, AZ. 

Chun, M. & Bachrach, T. (2022, Nov. 15-18). Learning from the lived experience of a man with Down syndrome [Virtual Conference Presentation]. The 2022 OCALICONLINE conference. 

O’Connor, K. & Chun, M. (2022, Nov. 3-5). Proactively addressing barriers to learning [Conference Presentation]. The 73rd Annual Illinois Council for Exceptional Children Fall Convention, Naperville, IL. 

Chun, M. & Bachrach, T. (2022, Nov. 3-5). Protect and Retain: Creating an inclusive culture for special education teachers [Conference Presentation]. The 73rd Annual Illinois Council for Exceptional Children Fall Convention, Naperville, IL. 

Chun, M. & Bachrach, T. (2022, Nov. 3-5). A shared life story: Celebrating a life fully lived with Down syndrome [Conference Presentation]. The 73rd Annual Illinois Council for Exceptional Children Fall Convention, Naperville, IL. 

Chun, M. & Bachrach, T. (2022, Oct. 19). Reflections on a life lived with Down syndrome: Family members’ stories [Virtual Conference Presentation]. The 2022 International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Conference. 

Chun, M. (2022, May 18-20). Navigating through college during COVID-19: Voices of two college students with disabilities [Virtual Conference Presentation]. The 18th International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry.