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 — collectively, they bring passion, purpose, and ethics to our classrooms and curricula.

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Horticulture

Joey Ereñeta
Joey Ereñeta

Chair of Horticulture

Eviane Ita Coton
Eviane Ita Coton

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David Perkins
David Perkins

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Mike Jenkins, Ph.D.
Mike Jenkins, Ph.D.

‎‎Vice-Chair of Horticulture

Jeffrey Hickey
Jeffrey Hickey

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Robyn Pierce
Robyn Pierce

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Eric Brandstad
Eric Brandstad

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Noah Hirsch
Noah Hirsch

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Tom Quick, Ph.D.
Tom Quick, Ph.D.

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Oscar Burrola
Oscar Burrola

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Jeff Jones
Jeff Jones

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Business & Operations

Natalie Darves
Natalie Darves

Chair of Business

Courtney Moran, LL.M.
Courtney Moran, LL.M.

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Stuart Watts
Stuart Watts

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David Abernathy
David Abernathy

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Goose Duarte
Goose Duarte

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Daniel Rowland
Daniel Rowland

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Tara Bonhorst
Tara Bonhorst

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John Geluardi
John Geluardi

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Mitchell Colbert
Mitchell Colbert

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Alex Goldstein
Alex Goldstein

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Extracts & Manufacturing

Anthony DeMeo
Anthony DeMeo

‎‎Co-Chair

Stefanie Gangano, Ph.D.
Stefanie Gangano, Ph.D.

‎‎Co-Chair

Greg Zeman
Greg Zeman

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Science & Therapeutics

Paul Armentano
Paul Armentano

‎‎Chair of Science

Uwe Blesching, Ph.D.
Uwe Blesching, Ph.D.

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Tim Byars
Tim Byars

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Maha Haq
Maha Haq

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Advocacy

David Goldman
David Goldman

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Mike Whitty
Mike Whitty

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Mikki Norris
Mikki Norris

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Priscilla Agoncillo
Priscilla Agoncillo

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Sarah Shrader
Sarah Shrader

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Tiffany Watkins
Tiffany Watkins

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Emeritus

Richard Lee
Richard Lee

Founder

Michael "Big Mike" Parker
Michael "Big Mike" Parker

RIP

Ed Rosenthal
Ed Rosenthal

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Dave McCullick
Dave McCullick

RIP

Sandy Moriarty
Sandy Moriarty

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Chris Conrad
Chris Conrad

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Bruce Margolin
Bruce Margolin

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Chad Gilmore
Chad Gilmore

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Subject Matter Experts

Adolph Ward
Adolph Ward

Executive Director, OEC

Andrea Unsworth
Andrea Unsworth

‎‎Assistant Director, OEC

Chris Eggers
Chris Eggers

‎‎SME