Anzar Khaliq, Ph.D.
Chief Learning Officer
Dr. Anzar Khaliq serves as the founding Chief Learning Officer at San Francisco Bay University (SFBU) and the first head of the Center for Empowerment and Pedagogical Innovation (CEPI). In this role, Dr. Khaliq is leading the transformation of SFBU’s pedagogical culture by empowering faculty to deliver exceptional, inclusive teaching, and learning experiences. He combines Universal Design for Learning with student-centered approaches, cultural sustainability, relational pedagogy, adaptive learning environments, and AI-integrated teaching to advance educational practices at the university.
Before joining SFBU, Dr. Khaliq was a founding faculty member at Habib University, Pakistan’s first liberal arts and sciences institution. He held several key leadership roles at Habib, including Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning, overseeing the Centre for Pedagogical Excellence; Assistant Dean of the Dhanani School of Science and Engineering; Founding Director of Integrated Sciences and Mathematics; and co-founder and Director of the Center for Transdisciplinarity, Design, and Innovation.
Dr. Khaliq earned his Doctorate in Experimental Physics and a Master’s in Nano-materials from Sorbonne University, where he worked on some of the most advanced particle accelerators in the world. His scientific rigor, combined with a unique blend of creativity, is shaped by his decade-long career as a radio jockey and training in improvisational theater. These experiences greatly inform his innovative teaching approaches, which he now applies in SFBU’s newly designed General Education curriculum.
Xuenan Cao, Ph.D.
Dr. Xuenan Cao is Professor and Chair of General Education in STEM at San Francisco Bay University and Adjunct Faculty of Cultural Faculties at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, having previously taught at Duke University, New York University-Shanghai, and Yale University. She is author of Chinese Media Improvisations: Thriving on Deficits (Stanford University Press, 2026).
Meet our Faculty
General Education Faculty Directory
Xuenan Cao, Ph.D.
Dr. Xuenan Cao is Professor and Chair of General Education in STEM at San Francisco Bay University and Adjunct Faculty of Cultural Faculties at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, having previously taught at Duke University, New York University-Shanghai, and Yale University. She is author of Chinese Media Improvisations: Thriving on Deficits (Stanford University Press, 2026).
Kell Fujimoto, Psy.D.
Kell Fujimoto, PsyD., Senior Director of Wellness and licensed psychologist, was born and raised in Hawai‘i where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Master of Education degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He obtained his Doctor of Psychology degree in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University/Honolulu.
Joy Gao, MLS
Joy Gao has over 20 years of experience in reference service, library instruction, and collection development in an academic library setting. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Nanjing University in China and a Master of Library and Information Science from Kent State University in Ohio. Before joining SFBU, she worked as a Public Services Librarian for Ohio Wesleyan University and an Upper School Research Librarian for The Nueva School in San Mateo.
Mitchell Gurick, Ph.D.
Dr. Mitch Gurick is an Adjunct Faculty member at San Francisco Bay University, teaching Human Resource Management and "How to Design Your Life: A Journey Through Personal Epistemology." He holds a PhD in Global Leadership and Change from Pepperdine University.
Jason Hotchkiss, Ed.D.
Jason Hotchkiss, EdD, MDiv, BCC, is a Canadian-born psychologist, educator, chaplain, and researcher with more than three decades of experience across higher education, clinical assessment, spiritual care, and applied well-being research. His scholarship and teaching focus on resilience, mindful self-care, professional quality of life, sustainable helping practices, and artificial intelligence in education and healthcare.
Andriana Mendoza, MFA
Andriana is a writer, educator, and writing specialist with over five years of experience, dedicated to the power of storytelling and creative expression. She holds a Bachelor’s in English, a minor in Education, and an MFA in Creative Writing from UC Davis, where she taught the course “Intro to Fiction” focused on personal narratives and writers of color. Currently teaching English at UC Berkeley, she also grades over 700 essays annually at the AP Literature and Composition Summit.
Jesse Ramirez, Ph.D. (in progress)
Jesse Ramirez is in his final year as a doctoral candidate in the Curriculum Studies and Teacher Education (CTE) program, with a specialization in Mathematics Education, at the Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE). After previously graduating from Stanford, where he received his B.S. in Mathematics and M.A. in Education with a focus on the Teaching of Mathematics, Jesse returned to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to teach high school mathematics in South Central Los Angeles for seven years.
Kylie Roy, Ph.D.
Dr. Kylie Roy is thrilled to be part of the Psychology Department at SFBU. She is originally from sunny Southern California and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of San Francisco. Dr. Roy’s journey then took her to London, where she pursued a Master’s in Applied Psychology and later earned a Ph.D. in Psychology, focusing on post-traumatic growth.