International Training Staff
Program Director
Charles G. Zartman, Jr.
Dr. Charles G. Zartman, Jr. is Director of the CSU, Chico Center for Bilingual/Multicultural Studies, Director of International Training Programs, and Professor in the School of Education. In addition to well over one hundred professional presentations and dozens of consultancies throughout the western United States, Dr. Zartman has made active contributions to California state policy by serving on the Board of Directors of the California Council on Teacher Education (CCTE), Vice President of the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE), President of the California Association of Bilingual Teacher Educators (CABTE), and member of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Task Force on Limited English Proficient Student Issues. Notably, he chaired California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) Design Team and Work Group that developed the current credentialing standards for California's K-12 bilingual teachers. He has served on fourteen accreditation teams for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, twelve as either the Team Leader or Cluster Leader. Dr. Zartman has directed short-term training projects with teachers, first, and, later, university students, of the Chungcheongbuk Province in the Republic of Korea each year since 1988. Dr. Zartman has helped develop, secure, and manage well over $21 million in external funding since his 1985 arrival on the CSU, Chico campus. This extensive grant and contract management experience, along with in-depth knowledge of linguistic and cultural diversity issues, will help ensure professional and successful outcomes for all CSU, Chico international training programs. Dr. Zartman has traveled extensively throughout Mexico, Republic of Korea, Greece, Azerbaijan, and Colombia.
Academic Director
Dr. Bretton A. Varga
Bretton A. Varga is Assistant Professor of History-Social Science at California State University, Chico. The thrust of his research is centered around speculative approaches to criticality and seeks to foreground how undercurrents of in-human/ness continue to plague educational spaces. Specifically, his research works with(in) critical theories of race, art, and temporality to explore how visual methods and artistic mediums can be used to unveil historically marginalized perspectives and layers (upon layers) of history that haunt the world around us.
Along with publishing and presenting within this context, Dr. Varga has traveled extensively throughout Europe and South America and has experience coordinating student exchange programs between secondary schools in California and Japan. Currently, he is involved with the development of several social-justice related art events on both institutional and national levels.
Associate Director/Program Manager
Heather Hacking
Ms. Hacking Heather serves as the Associate Director and Program Manager, and is responsible for logistics and coordination of all ITP offerings. Ms. Hacking has also served as Itinerary Coordinator and Conversational English Instructor for the Konkuk University program. She has a substantive record of providing guidance, friendship, and meaningful travel experiences for educators and students visiting Northern California for professional development and cultural enrichment.
Ms. Hacking is a certified elementary teacher, with experience teaching third and seventh grades at local elementary schools. Prior to her work in the classroom, Ms. Hacking worked twenty-five years as an award-winning reporter for the Chico Enterprise Record, giving her unique ties to the northstate. She continues with the newspaper as a weekly gardening columnist (http://www.chicoer.com/home-garden , then search for “Sow There!”).
Ms. Hacking holds a BA in Journalism with a Minor in Political Science and is enrolled in courses that, when completed at the end of the fall, 2024 semester, will place her mid-way through the CSU, Chico Master of Arts Program in Social Science. She has traveled extensively in Australia, Austria, Canada, Chechnya, Costa Rica, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Mexico, and Slovakia. Her strong writing skills assist in the documentation of program accomplishments.
Program Coordinator
Terri McFarland
Ms. Terri McFarland serves as the program coordinator, handling day-to-day tasks and guiding the program from start to finish. Ms. McFarland has served as a tutor, host family, and Program Liaison for the Chungcheongbuk Province and Konkuk University programs. Her experience with program organization, event coordination, crosscultural communication, and staff leadership gives her a solid understanding of the International Training Program model. Ms. McFarland's friendly, other-centered approach makes her a trusted link for program participants and project staff members.
Administrative Coordinator
Jonni Dungan
Jonni Dungan assists with budget development, tracking, reconciliation and reporting. She has provided operational support to the Chungcheongbuk Province and Konkuk University programs along with other funded international programs through Chico State Enterprises. Ms. Dungan has provided advanced operational support for a wide range of post-secondary higher education and K-12 district programs. She has extensive experience in Grants and Contracts, budget development and maintenance, data analysis, and report writing.
Program Consultant
Diana Parks
Diana Parks served as project director for International Training Programs at CSU, Chico for over 28 years. She managed over 70 federally-funded projects including Teacher Training, Civic Education, Agriculture, Journalism, NGO Development, and Leadership Training programs. Ms. Parks has traveled professionally and personally in more than 50 countries. She holds a Master's Degree in Bilingual Education.
Ms. Parks lived and worked overseas in India (as a Peace Corp volunteer), Chile and Honduras, providing her with a cultural sensitivity that enables her to work effectively with individuals from a variety of countries. Her extensive management and international experience ensured a professional and successful outcome of all CSU, Chico international training programs. Her history of successful interactions with international groups will serve to provide continuity as the project consultant and help the current staff to focus on project objectives.