Meet the NAIScholars Team

Mark R. Stoner, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus, Department of Communication Studies, California State University, Sacramento. Stoner has been in higher education for 45 years. He won numerous teaching awards, including the Western Communication Association Master Teacher Award. Stoner was a founder of the Center for Teaching and Learning at CSUS and twice served as director. He has wide international experience as Fulbright Specialist at University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Further he has been Visting Scholar at University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and University of Lancaster, UK; University of Jyvaskyla, Finland and taught at Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland. He is the author of numerous scholarly studies and the textbook, Making Sense of Messages: A Critical Apprenticeship in Rhetorical Criticism, 2nd ed. His work now is focused on the NAIScholars and a quarterly speaker series focusing on higher education at Mule Creek State Prison. 

Fred Molitor has 30+ years of experience in developing and leading public health studies and evaluations of community-based, multi-site projects. He was a member of the California Health and Human Services Agency’s Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects from 2008 to 2022. Since 1995, Dr. Molitor has been a Lecturer in the Communication Studies Department at California State University, Sacramento, and has taught research methodology and statistics courses at Folsom and Mule Creek State Prisons since 2022. He has been the lead statistician on 60+ peer-reviewed journal articles and 90 conference abstracts and papers.

Hellen S. Lee, Professor Emerita, served as the Acting Associate Dean of Budget and Operations for the College of Arts & Letters and formerly as the Chair of the Department of English at California State University, Sacramento. She has held an array of other campus leadership positions to foster social justice in faculty policies, university curriculum, academic success, and university budgetary allocations. She has presented her research regularly at major conferences in her discipline and is the author of numerous scholarly works on late-nineteenth century US literatures, francophone Caribbean literatures, US women’s literatures, and US multi-ethnic literatures. She earned a Ph.D. in Literature with a concentration in Cultural Studies from UC San Diego and an M.A. in Humanities from CSU Dominguez Hills. She has a B.A. in French from UC Irvine and a B.A. in Art from UC San Diego.

Mia Bella Rodgers is a rising fourth-year criminology and prelaw student at the University of California, Irvine. She is also one of the Production Managers for the Vanguard Incarcerated Press, where she was first introduced to the NAIScholars.

Mia is currently interning at a criminal defense law firm. She previously worked as an Immigration Legal Services Volunteer/Intern with World Relief, and served as a Title IX Research Assistant at UCI. Mia aims to use her career and experience with systemic harm to understand and reimagine the institutions that Americans function within.

At the NAIScholars, she handles communication, social media, the website, and more. It is her goal to work alongside the association to promote education accessibility for all, and a system that prioritizes respect, dignity, opportunity, and equality. 

Joan Parkin is Professor Emerita and the author of Perspectives from the Cell House, An Anthology of Prisoner Writings and The Prisoners and The Podium. She received her bachelor’s degree with a major in English and minors in French and Philosophy from Boston University and PhD in Comparative Literature from The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York. She is the co-founder of Feather River College’s Incarcerated Student Program and has taught college students in and outside of the prisons for over three decades. Today she continues to do anti-racist, social justice work. Dr. Parkin is the director of the Vanguard Incarcerated Press, a nonprofit newspaper by and for the incarcerated, written by men and women prisoners and about their experiences behind bars.

Walter Deckert is an author, consultant, independent scholar, and retired Naval Flight Officer whose work focuses on education, identity development, rehabilitation, and long-term behavioral change among justice-impacted populations.

A former professor of mathematics and statistics, Deckert completed doctoral coursework at Pennsylvania State University in mathematics education. Drawing upon academic training in mathematics, cognitive psychology, learning theory, and lived experience as a justice-impacted scholar, his work explores how individuals develop insight, reconstruct identity, and create meaningful pathways toward personal transformation.

He is the author of a published book examining insight development and rehabilitation among incarcerated individuals and is currently completing a second book exploring victim impact and the human consequences of crime. His recent scholarly research has focused on developmental explanations of criminal persistence and desistance, including the role of identity reorganization, insight formation, and long-term behavioral change. His work seeks to integrate developmental psychology, criminology, educational theory, and lived experience into a more comprehensive understanding of rehabilitation and reintegration.

A strong advocate for educational access within correctional settings, Deckert believes that learning plays a central role in identity development, self-understanding, and successful community reintegration. His work bridges scholarship, lived experience, and practical reform efforts in support of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students pursuing educational achievement, personal growth, and meaningful participation in society.

He currently serves as Founder and Principal Consultant of Deckert Consulting and continues to write, research, and advocate on issues related to education, rehabilitation, and justice reform.

Pauline M. Walker has 30+ years' experience as a hospitality and wellness professional with a strong background in both hotel and home health care management in the UK and US. Skilled in delivering exceptional guest experiences, managing daily operations, leading teams, and ensuring high standards of customer service her expertise include staff supervision, customer relations, and problem-solving. With a passion for both hospitality and personal wellness, her person-focused approach highlights her unique ability to create comfortable, welcoming environments while addressing clients individual needs while striving to exceed expectations in building lasting relationships through exceptional service. Throughout her career, she has successfully balanced operational excellence with personalized care, helping guests and clients feel valued, supported, and relaxed.

Les P. Hook has over 50 years experience in the baking and hospitality industry. Throughout his career, he has worked in prestigious, high-end establishments in the UK and US where quality, creativity, and attention to detail were paramount. With expertise in custom cake design, advanced decorating techniques, bakery operations, staff leadership, inventory management, and customer relations Les has maintained the highest standards of production and presentation while helping to establish reputations for excellence in luxury hospitality and culinary environments. Known for his artistic craftsmanship, dedication to quality, and commitment to mentoring others in the trade, he takes pride in combining traditional baking techniques with innovative designs to create products that delight clients and exceed expectations. After five decades in the industry, he will continue to bring passion, professionalism, creativity, and attention to detail to every project and opportunity.