Social Science Department
Welcome to the Fall 2026 Semester!
The Social Science Department at Gavilan empowers students to explore, understand, and change the social world. Students with social science backgrounds transfer successfully to four-year colleges, pursue fascinating and lucrative professions, and make meaningful contributions to their communities and society.
Several academic disciplines are housed within the Social Science Department, including Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, History, Political Science, Ethnic Studies, and Geography. Each of these disciplines offers personally enriching, career-relevant, intellectually stimulating courses. If you are interested in the career options related to these majors, our Career and Academic Pathways page is an excellent resource.
91快活林, along with all California community colleges, has implemented Career and Academic Pathways (CAPs) as part of the statewide Guided Pathways framework. This initiative aims to provide students with clear, structured paths to achieve their educational and career goals. The disciplines of the Social Science department are situated within the Social Sciences & Humanities CAP, which includes all the pathways that are designed to prepare you to think critically, communicate effectively, problem solve, and lead empathetically in a diverse and increasingly interconnected world.
Social Sciences Faculty:
Psychology
Nick Fortino, Ph.D.
Pavandeep Sandhu, M.S.
Mariana Peyrera-Pitts, LCSW
Stephanie Williams, Ph.D.
Paul Dommert, M.A.
Nick Tuttle
Jessica Terry
Sociology
Nicholas Park, Ph.D.
Angela Castillo, M.A.
Anthony Villarreal
John Gomez, Ed.D.
- Marilyn Chap
- Thien-Huong Villareal
- Torisha Khonach
Anthropology
Gina Michaels, Ph.D.
Rachel Mitchell, M.A.
Gary Velasco, M.S.
Nicholas Barron, Ph.D.
Philosophy
Jesús H. Ramírez, Ph.D.
Nathan Osborne, M.A.
Ryan Scherbart, Ph.D.
Ethnic Studies
Jacqueline Gamboa, Ed.D.
History
Miranda Baker, M.Ed. & M.A.
Daniel Allen, M.A.
Kaitlyn Eller, M.A.
Martin Cavazos, M.A.
Barbara Perry-Perez, M.A.
Lillian Marrujo-Duck, M.A. & Ed.D.
- JoLynda Gonzales M.A.
- Kristy Holland M.A.
- Justin Whitney M.A.
- Ryan Tripp, Ph.D.
Political Science
Marc Turetzky, Ph.D.
Casey Estorga, M.A.
Geography
Jason Scott, M.S.
Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Carla Johnson
408-848-4702
Division Assistant of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences & STEM
Emily N. Delgado
(408) 848-4701