“Dr. Marissiko Wheaton is, without a doubt, a leading voice in critical educational praxis. Not only does Marissiko have an exceptionally sharp intellect, but she also has a kindness and dedication to her craft as an educator that is often missing, and so very needed in the academy. Marissiko’s sense of self and approach to education is a beautiful reminder about what education can and should be: a more loving space full of radical, transformative potential. ”
— Dr. Z Nicolazzo Associate Professor, Trans* Studies in Education Co-Chair, Transgender Studies Research Cluster
“Dr. Marissiko Wheaton transforms the work-place for the better with her acute ability to bring people into caring and valued community. She is an incredible creative partner, motivating her coworkers to be at the ‘learning edge.’ She ensures that her work as a facilitator, consultant, and researcher critically contributes to meaningful social justice change. As her colleague, I am forever grateful for her partnership and transformative vision. ”
— Esmeralda A. Hernandez-Hamed, Race & Equity Center
“Dr. Marissiko Wheaton thus far has been the most instrumental professor I have learned from at the University of Southern California. Her enthusiasm and professionalism while teaching our Foundations of Higher, Adult and Professional Education class, created a safe environment that encouraged us to engage in prolific dialogues about the history and challenges facing higher education. I was inspired by how thoughtful and knowledgeable the teaching sessions were, which called me to rise beyond my expectations and engage the class as a young scholar. It’s been a privilege to have Dr. Wheaton as my professor and I wish I have the opportunity to learn from her in the future.”
— Juan Maceo, Fall 2019
“I had the opportunity to take EDHP 500 with Professor Wheaton during my first semester of graduate school at USC. She was truly amazing and was great at having class engagement. It allowed the class to share their ideas and perspectives without judgement. She created a safe space and was a great professor with a lot of passion and drive. We focused on creating diversity within higher education and becoming agents of change to be better practitioners and professionals in the field of higher education. This class was a great everlasting experience thanks to Professor Wheaton!”
— Luis Saballos -Director of Student Affairs at USC Astronautical Engineering, Fall 2019
“Marissiko is an amazing professor who cares deeply about her students. She provides a warm and safe environment for students to share their thoughts and opinions while still maintaining objectivity and her role as a professor. She is easy and fun to work with and always makes sure to meet our needs as students. I have had her for two different semesters and classes and I have felt happy, safe and stimulated in both classes. I would recommend her to anyone.”
— Abigail Garcia, Spring 2020
“Most classes simply teach you the content, while this class teaches you more about yourself and how you interpret and interact with the world. It helped me realize my biases and tendencies to only deal with like minded people. While my classmates may share some of my experiences, this class was so diverse, which made the exchanges even more valuable.”
— Bria Bourgeois, Spring 2020
“Dr. Wheaton did a great job of creating a safe space for students surrounding the topics that were discussed. The text she provided for class discussions gave me a good background so I felt prepared for each class discussion. She encouraged and welcomed questions both inside and outside of the classroom and each time I reached out to her for assistance she responded promptly and with resources. One of my favorite components of the course were the guest speakers she invited to the class. Allowing other professionals to engage with the class about topics that they specialized in. Dr. Wheaton brought an invaluable component to the Politics of Difference course and I am beyond happy that I had the opportunity to take her course.”
