Vice President of Instruction
lrcook@peralta.edu
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. Over her career she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and access. In addition, under her leadership Berkeley City College established vital partnerships with local high schools, which resulted in a remarkable increase in dual enrollment (from 342 to 1574 students over four years), and 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.