Faculty
Our faculty features award-winning cultivators, recognized business leaders, and passionate advocates who shaped the early medical cannabis movement in California and who continue to set the pace and tone for the modern commercial cannabis industry.
Oaksterdam helps to address the persistent lack of diversity in the corporate cannabis sector by fostering a faculty base that reflects our entire community, with women and BIPOC persons across departments and in key leadership positions. Most of our instructors have more than 10 years of experience in their field, and many were the driving force behind some of the formative regulations and innovative best practices that continue to shape our industry today. OU faculty members are dedicated to our students, alumni, and the craft of teaching —Â collectively, they bring passion, purpose, and ethics to our classrooms and curricula.
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Horticulture
Joey Ereñeta
Chair of Horticulture
Eviane Ita Coton
‎‎
David Perkins
‎‎
Mike Jenkins, Ph.D.
‎‎Vice-Chair of Horticulture
Jeffrey Hickey
‎‎
Robyn Pierce
‎‎
Eric Brandstad
‎‎
Noah Hirsch
‎‎
Tom Quick, Ph.D.
‎‎
Oscar Burrola
‎‎
Jeff Jones
‎‎
Business & Operations
Natalie Darves
Chair of Business
Courtney Moran, LL.M.
‎‎
Stuart Watts
‎‎
David Abernathy
‎‎
Goose Duarte
‎‎
Daniel Rowland
‎‎
Tara Bonhorst
‎‎
John Geluardi
‎‎
Mitchell Colbert
‎‎
Alex Goldstein
‎‎
Legal & Compliance
Lauren Vázquez, Esq.
‎‎Chair of Legal
Dale Schafer, Esq.
‎‎
Chiara Juster, Esq.
Chair of Government Affairs
Luke Zimmerman, Esq.
‎‎
Meital Manzuri, Esq.
‎‎
Drew Sanchez, Esq.
‎‎
Extracts & Manufacturing
Anthony DeMeo
‎‎Co-Chair
Stefanie Gangano, Ph.D.
‎‎Co-Chair
Greg Zeman
‎‎
Science & Therapeutics
Paul Armentano
‎‎Chair of Science
Uwe Blesching, Ph.D.
‎‎
Tim Byars
‎‎
Maha Haq
‎‎
Advocacy
David Goldman
‎‎
Mike Whitty
‎‎
Mikki Norris
‎‎
Priscilla Agoncillo
‎‎
Sarah Shrader
‎‎
Tiffany Watkins
‎‎
Emeritus
Richard Lee
Founder
Michael "Big Mike" Parker
RIP
Ed Rosenthal
‎‎
Dave McCullick
RIP
Sandy Moriarty
‎‎
Chris Conrad
‎‎
Bruce Margolin
‎‎
Chad Gilmore
‎‎
Subject Matter Experts
Adolph Ward
Executive Director, OEC
Andrea Unsworth
‎‎Assistant Director, OEC
Chris Eggers
‎‎SME