Dr. Gambino is originally from Raleigh, NC, where she enjoyed 10 joyous years as a middle/high school ELA and social studies educator, serving in numerous teacher leadership positions.
She has lived in Los Angeles, CA, since 2018, earning her Ph.D. in Education from UCLA in 2023. Her research focused on how teachers' identities and lived experiences shape their justice-oriented standpoints and practices using critical media literacy in ELA/Social Studies classrooms.
She enjoys writing poetry, connecting with family, spending time in the natural world, and reading books that nurture the mind, body, and spirit. These texts offer roadmaps for examining historical and contemporary issues, expanding her standpoints around justice-engaged education and community-building.
M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction,
North Carolina State University
Specialization: New Literacies
& Global Learning Education
Ph. D. in Education,
University of California, Los Angeles
Specialization in Social Sciences
& Comparative Education
Education
B.S. in Curriculum & Instruction,
North Carolina State University
Specialization: Middle Grades -
English Language Arts & Social Studies
Teaching
17 Years in Secondary & University classrooms in NC and CA.
Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award.
Dept: Comparative Literature, 2022
University of California, Los Angeles
Lenovo's Thank A Teacher Award Recipient, 2016
Teacher of the Year, 2015
Wake STEM Early College High School
Teacher of the Year, 2013
Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School
WGBH Boston & Annenberg Learner Documentary Award,
Excellence in Teaching Secondary Social Studies
with Digital Literacies, 2013
Award Winning Educator
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