Greetings Fellow Alumni!

As the proud recipient of three TC degrees and a former TC adjunct professor, I am excited to now serve as the President of the Teachers College Alumni Council. I look forward to working with Alumni Relations over the next two years to create an even more meaningful alumni experience for us all. One of my goals is to increase awareness about the range of alumni benefits TC offers. Here are some I hope you’ll take particular advantage of:

  • TC Gmail. As an alum you have lifetime access to a UNI@tc.columbia.edu Gmail account. Using your TC Gmail account is a great way to show your TC pride and develop a professional brand.
  • Networking and Social Events. Alumni Relations hosts events on campus, around the globe, and even online. View upcoming events at tc.edu/alumni/events.
  • TConnect: An Online Alumni Network. Visit connect.tc.columbia.edu to build an online profile, share class notes, and grow your personal and professional networks with fellow graduates.
  • TC Alumni Career Development Webinars. Enhance your career skills through this free series of career development webinars presented by TC alumni. Visit tc.edu/alumni/webinars to find more information.
  • Library Access. Alumni have access to many CU library e-resources. Find a full list at bit.ly/TCAlumniLibrary. You can also visit the Alumni Relations office to obtain an Alumni ID Card for physical access to TC & CU libraries.
  • Find more information at tc.edu/alumni/faq. If you have any questions about these benefits or wish to suggest a new benefit, email tcalumni@tc.edu.

Phil Geiger, Alumni Council President

Sincerely,

Phil Geiger (Ed.D. '81, M.ED. '73, M.A. '72)
President,
Teachers College
Alumni Council

 

Class Notes

ART & ART EDUCATION

Ashley Cavadas (M.A. ’16) and Hannah Lokken (M.A. ’16) are making a difference in their community through their startup, Art Strong NYC, which focuses on enhancing children’s art education.

DANCE & DANCE EDUCATION

Merián Soto (M.A. ’85) was named a 2019 United States Artists Doris Duke Fellow in Dance.

TESOL

Monica Shie (M.A. ’98) is the American Center Director and Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Kolkata, India.

COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY

David Blustein (Ph.D. ’85) wrote The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty: The Eroding Work Experience in America.

CURRICULUM & TEACHING

Shira Epstein (Ed.D. ’03) is the new Dean of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education in New York.

Ayesha Moore McArthur (Ed.D.’09, M.Ed. ’01) is the new principal of Rhame Avenue Elementary School in East Rockaway, New York.

GIFTED EDUCATION

Mary Crist (Ed.D. ’91) was appointed the first Indigenous Theological Education Coordinator for The Episcopal Church.

APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

Joanne Hill Powell (Ph.D. ’15, M.Ed. ’13, M.Phil. ’12, M.A. ’10) and her brother, Andrew Hill, are “empowering special educators to accelerate learning outcomes for kids who have disabilities” via the LiftEd app.

DISABILITY STUDIES IN EDUCATION (EDUCATION OF THE EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED)

Barbara Schwartz-Bechet (Ed.D. ’94) was named Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Education at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania.

HEALTH EDUCATION

Marlyn Delva (Ed.D. ’13, M.A. ’99) is the new Dean of Students at Columbia School of General Studies.

Theresa Guerriere (Ed.D. ’19) received the 2019 School Health Professional of the Year Award from the American School Health Association.

Anthony E. Munroe (Ed.D. ’07) was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and to the Commission on Student Success with the American Association of Community Colleges.

NUTRITION & PUBLIC HEALTH

Kathryn MacKenzie (M.S. ’02) was appointed the new Director of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Human Development.

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

William Latimer (M.A. ’88) is the new Vice President of Mercy College’s New Rochelle and Bronx locations.

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES  IN  EDUCATION

Kevin Jennings (M.A. ’94) is the new CEO of Lambda Legal, an American civil rights

organization that serves lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities as well as

people living with HIV/AIDS.

INSTRUCTIONAL  TECHNOLOGY &  MEDIA

Pamela Davis (Ed.D. ’06, M.Ed. ’02) founded Wellbotics, a nonprofit that brings robotics

classes to kids who have sick family members as well as kids who have experienced

trauma, poverty or unstable housing.

 

Reshan Richards (Ed.D. ’14) and Stephen J. Valentine co-wrote Make Yourself Clear:

How to Use a Teaching Mindset to Listen, Understand, Explain Everything, and Be Understood.

 

MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

Joan Mast (Ed.D. ’08, M.A. ’88) is the new Superintendent of Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District in New Jersey.

 

SECONDARY SCHOOL  SCIENCE  EDUCATION

Marc Skelton (M.A. ’06), a championship-winning basketball coach at Fannie Lou Hamer

High School, wrote Pounding the Rock: Basketball Dreams and Real Life in a Bronx High

ADULT EDUCATION
GUIDED INTENSIVE STUDY

Cindy Pace (Ed.D. ’17) is the new Global Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at MetLife.

Cheryl Smith (Ed.D. ’00) wrote On Hallowed Ground: The Dunbar Complex in Harlem.

Elaine Smith (Ed.D. ’12) is the new Dean of Adelphi University’s College of Nursing and Public Health in Garden City, New York.

Katie Treadwell (Ed.D. ’15) co-authored Crisis, Compassion, and Resiliency in Student Affairs.

ADULT LEARNING & LEADERSHIP

Tonia Casarin (M.A. ’15) was named a Fall 2019 Latin America and Caribbean Eisenhower Fellow.

Bruce Murphy (M.A. ’85) is the new President of Centenary University in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

Michael Gomez (M.A. ’03) was appointed President of Saint Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Matthew R. Sigrist (M.A. ’05) is the new Head of School at Renbrook School in West Hartford, Connecticut.

EDUCATION LEADERSHIP

Dana Vignale (M.Ed. ’08) was appointed Upper School Director at Miami Country Day School in Miami, Florida.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Michelle H. Brown-Nevers (Ed.D., M.Ed. ’98) is the Executive Director of Enrollment Management at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania.

HIGHER & POST SECONDARY EDUCATION

Tiffani L. Blake (M.Ed. ’14) has joined New York Institute of Technology as interim Dean of Students for the institution’s two New York campuses.

Mark Kamimura-Jimenez (M.A. ’01) is the new Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education recognized Jeffrey Putman (Ed.D. ’11, M.Ed. ’99, M.A. ’98), Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at SUNY Downstate, as a 2020 Pillar of the Profession.

INQUIRY IN EDUCATION

Merryl H. Tisch (Ed.D. ’05) was appointed to serve as Chair of the SUNY Board of Trustees by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Theresa Canada (M.Ed. ’79, M.A. ’78) wrote Desegregation of the New York City Schools: A Story of the Silk Stocking Sisters.

Tan Suee Chieh (M.A. ’03) was named President-Elect of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. He will be the Institute’s first Asian President.

PRIVATE SCHOOL  LEADERSHIP

Eduardo “Tony” Alleyne (M.A. ’10), a 2019 TC Early Career Award recipient, received the Teach for America-Delaware Markell Leadership Award.

PUBLIC SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

Kenneth Montalbano (M.A. ’14) is the new Principal at the Luis Muñoz Marin School for Social Justice in Newark, New Jersey.

Rachel Willis (M.E. ’10) founded Elevating Equity in Atlanta, Georgia, a professional development practice focused on how to be antiracist personally and professionally