Alumni

Founder and President, The New American Leaders Project, New York.

Sayu Bhojwani recruits and supports first and second generation Americans to run for public office. She served as New York City’s first Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs and is the founder of South Asian Youth Action, a community-based organization in Queens. Since 2010, she has served as Founder and President of the New American Leaders Project, which is based in New York City. Her work to build a more inclusive democracy has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and in The New York Times. Sayu has shared her personal journey in the National Journal and contributes frequently to the Huffington Post and Medium.  Sayu earned a Ph.D. in Politics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2014, where her research focused on immigrant political participation.  She is a Visiting Scholar at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University and lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. Follow her on Twitter @SayuBhojwani

Senior Policy Associate, The Century Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Michelle Burris graduated with the M.A. degree in Politics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University this past May. Her research interests were culturally responsive pedagogies and school discipline policies. While in college, she was also a research associate for Teachers College Government Relations Office.

Michelle was also a Zankel Fellow at Truman High School in the Bronx. She worked with African immigrant students and facilitated conversations on racial justice, human rights, and political agency. Prior to attending TC, Michelle served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Rwanda where she taught English and created a curriculum on racial diversity and social justice. 

Michelle has a deep connection to national and international service. She also worked at AmeriCorps in the general counsel's office and for the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC). 

Currently, Michelle works directly with Richard Kahlenberg and Halley Potter at The Century Foundation. She researches and writes publications on racial and socioeconomic integration in schools and housing policy. Michelle received her B.A. in Political Science from Spelman College and has hopes of pursuing a career in public service and community engagement. 

TC News featured Michelle's profile in an article in May 2019. Read about her and her future plans HERE.

On November 19, 2019, Elevate Maryland invited three people to their podcast "Equity in Education," on a redistricting proposal that seeks to integrate socioeconomically.

The eyes of the nation have been on Howard County as it grapples with a simple, yet undefined, concept - equity in education.  While most jurisdictions redistrict their schools solely to redistribute capacity, Howard County considered a plan that would also balance poverty and wealth in one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the country. They invited to their discussion Michelle Burris, who represented The Century Foundations, New York Times Magazine journalist Dana Goldstein, and Wilde Lake High School Student Alisa Drake.

Politics and Education Program
Teachers College, Columbia University, 2009.

Ph.D. in Education
University of Cambridge, UK, 2013.

Esther came to Teachers College after completing her undergraduate degree in Government at the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom. The Politics and Education program was an excellent degree for her as it not only deepened her understanding of political science but also further cultivated her interest in education. She still remembers vividly the wonderful intellectual exchanges that took place at TC.   

P&E program helped her gain confidence to further her studies at the University of Cambridge, where she pursued a doctoral degree in Education. She says that she was able to apply a lot of what she learned at TC in her doctoral research examining different social classes’ ease of access to Chinese private education, its relation to the underlying social processes in the country, and its impact upon children’s future life chances. The topic of her dissertation was “Private Education in China: A Multiple-Case Study of Social Stratification and Social Change.”   

Having graduated from Cambridge, she is currently working as an Assistant to the Chairman in an education foundation in her hometown of Hong Kong, with operations in mainland China.   

“My TC education has provided me with the knowledge and analytical skills that are needed in my daily work. I am forever indebted to Teachers College, and particularly to my advisor, Professor Jeff Henig, for his teaching and continued guidance during my doctoral years and beyond,” Esther wrote.

Politics and Education Program
Teachers College, Columbia University, M.A., 2001

VP, Educational Services
My Learning Plan, Sarasota, FL

Juliet has served K-12 education for more than 20 years. In 2008, she joined My Learning Plan Inc., a learning organization and provider of integrated web-based solutions supporting educator growth. As VP of Educational Services, she collaborates with districts to align MLP systems to organizational best practices and evaluate the impact of professional learning. Previously, Juliet led product development and implementation teams, supporting an array of professional learning initiatives across the country, and served as a professional learning facilitator and an award-winning classroom teacher. She has presented at national and international conferences and spoken on educational technology in Dublin, Bologna, and Singapore. 

Juliet is a 2012 graduate of the Learning Forward Academy.

Politics and Education Program
Teachers College, Columbia University, Ed.M., 2014

Jami L. DeSantis

Headmaster, Ethan Allen Preparatory

Jami began her career teaching English in Connecticut, during which time she developed workshops for educators on a variety of topics related to teaching and served on a variety of student and professional committees.  After completing an M.A. in Curriculum and Teaching and a 6^th year degree in Educational Leadership and receiving her administrative certification, Jami’s interest in politics led her to the EPSA program, where she began the Ed.M. program with a concentration on Politics and Education.  In part influenced by the law courses she took as part of her degree program, Jami chose to pursue law school and graduated from UConn School of Law with her Juris Doctor in 2017.  While in law school she continued to focus on education, completing research projects on legal education and student truancy policies and completed a legislative internship where she was tasked with evaluating the effectiveness of an state funded program to ‘close the gap’ in underperforming districts.  Her work earned her the CALI Award for Legislative Clerkship Clinic.  She recently was appointed Headmaster at Ethan Allen Preparatory and will begin coursework for her Ed.D. in educational leadership this spring.

Jami holds a B.A. in English and Classical Civilizations from Connecticut College, an M.A. in Curriculum and Teaching from Fairfield University, a 6th year in Advanced Educational Leadership from the University of New England, an Ed.M. from Columbia University and a J.D. from UConn School of Law.

John Flora has worked as p-12 Music Specialist and S.T.E.A.M. educator in the Jersey City Public Schools for fifteen years. Collaboration with organizations like Little Kids Rock, the GRAMMY Museum, and New Jersey Audubon Society are proof of the entrepreneurial spirit he applies to securing greater opportunities and resources for the disadvantaged youth he engages daily.

A lifelong educator in his city of origin, John has become more sensitive to the interplay between politics and education in recent years. His previous graduate-level research focused on the impact of economic development subsidies on local educational funding. His most recent scholarly interests in the Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis explored the centralization of educational opportunities in New Jersey’s county-vocational sector. 

John’s journey to the Politics and Education Program at Teachers College could be summarized as a desire to broaden his theoretical knowledge base in education policy and social analysis. As a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives(NJ-10) in 2020, he plans on combining his academic experiences with his years as a reflective urban practitioner to run a campaign that addresses issues like climate change, campaign finance reform, and universal pre-K.

John holds a M.A in Politics and Education from Teachers College, an M.P.S. in Political Management from the George Washington University, and a B.A. in Music Education from the New Jersey City University. 

Campaign website: www.floraforcongress.com

Politics and Education Program 
Teachers College, Columbia University, Ph.D. 2018.  

David M. Houston is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government. He studies public opinion and the politics of education. He received his Ph.D. in Politics and Education in 2018. Before pursuing his doctorate, he taught first and second grade in New York City.

Research, Teaching, and CV:
https://sites.google.com/view/david-houston

Politics and Education Program
Teachers College, Columbia University, Ph.D. 2007 

Assistant Professor, College of Education    
Michigan State University    
                                
I entered the Politics and Education program at Teachers College while still teaching in the New York City public schools. While I enjoyed teaching, I was frustrated with the number of policies that seemed to trickle down and stop at my classroom door. These policies often made little sense for my students or the neighborhood community within which I worked. I realized that I needed to understand the larger political context of urban areas and the policy process if I wanted to really be able to make a difference in schools. I found that the P & E program at TC helped me do this and far more.  

I am currently an assistant professor at Michigan State University where I teach and conduct research on topics related to politics and education. The P & E program at TC prepared me to become a successful faculty member at a research institution because it allowed me to develop my own unique interests within the broader field of politics. The wide range of rigorous courses offered throughout TC and the larger Columbia University system enabled me to develop an expertise and strong research skills. I continue to work on a project about accountability systems with the Campaign for Educational Equity that began while I was at TC. I am also developing a research project on civic and political engagement that links the larger theoretical work in political science on this topic to the actual classroom practices of different schools.   

I continue to collaborate with my former TC doctoral cohort which was an amazing set of students to learn both from and with. The development of these relationships was made possible by the concerted efforts of our program advisor, Jeff Henig, who created special classes that brought us together. Developing these relationships has proved to be equally important to developing my skills and knowledge. They continue to provide me with critical but extremely useful feedback as I continue to pursue new research topics.      

Executive Assistant, Teach For Austria

Vienna, Austria 

Gregor currently works as executive assistant to the CEO at Teach For Austria, with a focus on strategy, organizational development and cash flow management. While at Teachers College he was the recipient of a Fulbright student scholarship in 2017-18.

Previously, Gregor participated in the Fellow program at Teach For Austria, teaching math and history in Vienna, Austria, for three years. He holds a bachelor's degree in International Business Administration from the Vienna University of Economics and Business as well as a master's degree in Business and Management from Stockholm School of Economics. Gregor is passionate about education, entrepreneurship and issues concerning social inequality.

Prior to her current role, Verta was the Managing Director of Programs for a regional office at New Leaders, a national educational leadership development organization.  As Managing Director, Verta ensured the quality implementation of leadership development programs for New Leaders and assisted in the expansion of program implementation across three states. She also  served as Managing Director of Programs, Senior Director of Leadership Coaching, and as a Leadership Coach with New Leaders prior to this role.

Prior to joining New Leaders, Verta spent a year as the Managing Director of Student Learning and Achievement for a local charter management organization, where she oversaw academics and school leadership for the network. At the core of all her positions, Verta worked to support principals, teachers and the schools they lead to positively impact student achievement for public district and charter school students.

Verta was also the Founding School Director/Principal for Bronx Charter School for the Arts (Bronx Arts). In 2005, Bronx Arts was one of only five schools in the nation to be selected as a Creative Ticket National School of Distinction by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Verta began her career as an elementary and middle school classroom teacher in Maryland and Washington, D.C., and then spent four years as an instructional specialist in literacy at the school and district level with the New York City Department of Education. Verta holds a Masters in Politics and Education from Columbia's Teachers College and her Bachelors from James Madison University where she majored in Human Communication and Middle School Education.

Annika Many, Principal, edBridge Partners, LLC

Annika Many is a senior education leader with a proven ability to rapidly framework and dissect issues and challenges, build relationships with diverse teams, and employ best practice project management methodology in service of organization’s strategy, mission, and goals. She has a career-long commitment to the education field, working in both higher education and K-12, focusing on diverse policy challenges such as school reform, college access and affordability, teacher and school leader quality, professional development, assessment, community colleges, student aid reform, new mathematics pathways, academic innovation, college completion, and the alignment between K-12 and higher education. At edBridge Partners LLC, she is a principal of the firm, and she regularly serves as a critical partner and collaborator with our clients, evaluating clients’ business models, programs, and services, recommending strategies, and building action plans to enhance and grow the organizations’ capacity and impact.

Prior to joining edBridge, Annika spent over nine years at the College Board, where she held positions in strategy, program and project management, supporting several divisions across the organization. In her most recent role as the Senior Director for the Advocacy & Policy Center, Annika spearheaded the development and implementation of the Affinity Network, a unique initiative improving students’ transition from high school to college; led the portfolio of advocacy and policy initiatives related to college affordability and financial aid; and, organized and directed the operations of the Center. In her other varied roles at the College Board, she helped organize an initiative to start new, small schools in partnership with four major school districts across New York State and helped to build the organization-wide Project Management Office (PMO).

During her time at Teachers College, she studied education politics and policy with some of the premiere faculty in the field, including Luis Huerta, Amy Stuart Wells, and Jeffrey Henig, as well as had great practical experiences from participation in the Federal Policy Institute and an internship in government relations at the American Educational Research Association. Annika also worked full time as a project assistant at the Community College Research Center, where she supported research projects on topics such as the role of community colleges in state adult education systems, and institutional success factors for students in community colleges.

Annika also holds a M.P.A. degree in non-profit management from Pace University, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in psychology from Carnegie Mellon University. 

Politics & Education program
Teachers College, Columbia University, M.A. 2013

Lauren McDade is the Corporate Partnerships Manager for City Year Washington, DC, an education non-profit that works to end the dropout crisis in cities across the country by training and deploying idealistic young people to serve as tutors, mentors, and role models to students in low-performing, high-poverty schools. In this role she works to leverage resources from the private sector to fund City Year’s work in 16 public schools in Washington, DC. 

Politics and Education Program
Teachers College Columbia University, Ph.D. 2012 

Kenann McKenzie: Inaugural Director, Tufts University's Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, Generous Listening, and Dialogue (GLAD) Center, Medford, MA until 2023 and currently Associate Professor of Practice, Gordon College, where she is also Director for Academic Innovation. Dr. McKenzie also became an elected official in 2021 for her local school committee and was re-elected in 2023.

Dr. McKenzie immigrated to the United States at the age of 7 to New York City and has a multinational, multicultural framework that shapes her approach to education and research. Based on her own childhood experiences, she decided at 12 years old to devote her future life’s work to improving the lives of children and families through education and community wellness.  For the last 25 years, she has worked in the higher education sector as an academic counselor (Georgetown University), researcher, lecturer, policy analyst, administrator, and an elected official.

During the time of her studies at the Politics and Education Program at Teachers College, Kenann assisted with conducting research on school choice with the Georgetown Public Policy Institute/Arkansas University collaboration. Being a student at TC broadened her appreciation for studying issues affecting urban settings and deepened her commitment to issues of social justice. Through courses and experiences, she discovered her deep passion for civic capacity building and community restoration. After several years into the program, her classes and research began to coalesce around these issues. 

While serving as an adjunct during her time as a doctoral student at the Politics and Education program, she knew she needed to learn more about K-12 experiences. She taught research methodology courses as well as a Social Foundations course. She was fascinated by the work done by the teachers she taught in DC. This path led her to Frank W.  Ballou High School in Southeast, Washington DC, where many hard-working educators are galvanizing youth in one of the most economically depressed neighborhoods in the DC Metro area. After working at Ballou for several years, she was presented with an amazing opportunity: a position of Executive Director for the National Board for Education Science at the US Department of Education and was in that role for several years. She has continued in higher ed via Boston University, Tufts and now Gordon. Her professional development journal released in 2023 is entitled: Learning, Listening and Leading: Taking what you learned to the next level.

Kenann has a B.A. in Africana Studies from Cornell University, M.Ed. from the University of Virginia in Social Foundations of Education, and a Ph.D. in Politics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

She is most proud of being the mother of amazing children who inspire her daily. Learn more on her work and podcast via her website: https://www.theaspiringspirit.com/

Politics and Education Program 
Teachers College Columbia University, M.A. 2014   

Director of Programs 
Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy Boston, MA   

Emily started her education career as a Montessori Spanish teacher, dedicating afterschool hours to teaching adult English Language Learners through the Center for New Americans and coaching skiing for the Special Olympics. She is a former middle school special education teacher and program liaison for students with significant disabilities. Teaching within the public sector made her conscious of the need for research and policy that immediately impacts student outcomes, yet is sensitive to the reality that affecting meaningful change takes time and the investment of multiple stakeholders. Combining her on-the-ground experience as an educator with an interest in politics and policy, Emily joined the department’s Politics and Education Program in 2012.    

While in the Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis, Emily had the opportunity to expand her leadership skills by representing EPSA on the Student Senate, co-organizing the EPSA Policy Pop-Up Discussion Series, and hosting roundtable discussions on teacher leadership and reform: “Teacher Voice: Power, Unions, and the Structure of Education Reform” and “The Biggest Bullies in Schools…Teachers Unions?”  

Currently, Emily is the Director of Programs at the Rennie Center where she manages a full portfolio of labor-management initiatives including the Massachusetts Education Partnership’s District Capacity Project and Interest Based Bargaining Institute. She also is the coordinator of the Education Policy Fellowship Program-Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Institute for College and Career Readiness.    

Emily holds a M.S. in Special Education from Simmons College and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

Politics and Education Program

Teachers College, Columbia University, M.A. 2013    

Project Manager, Kamehameha Schools – Hilo, HI 

Driven by his lived experience with structural inequities, Justin has a strong desire to positively affect the lives of others through education and policy.  

Justin began his career in education in the lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas with youth programs in leadership development and the arts. Since then, he has worked in various capacities to reduce poverty and empower disadvantaged populations through program delivery and collective impact initiatives. 

Currently, Justin is a Project Manager for the Kamehameha Schools and manages a diverse portfolio of regional and statewide projects ranging from early childhood through postsecondary education, as well as land management, aimed at achieving blended returns to improve the educational and life outcomes of Hawaiian children and families. He is also a Commissioner for Environmental Management with the County of Hawaii.  

Justin completed his M.A. in 2013 and also holds a B.S. in Psychology and American Studies from Tufts University.

Politics and Education Program
Teachers College, Columbia University, Ph.D. 2017

Lara Pheatt specializes in higher education policy and politics. She completed her Ph.D. in Politics and Education in May 2017. Her dissertation research, grounded in competing theories of institutional change, employed time series analysis to explain the diffusion of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in four-year public and private non-profit US higher education. In addition to her dissertation research, Lara simultaneously conducted research at the Community College Research Center (CCRC) housed within Teachers College (TC). At CCRC, she studied the impacts of performance funding on public institutions as well as the effectiveness of programs designed to improve the student transition from high school to college.  

Prior to attending Teachers College, Lara studied political economy at UC Berkeley and then taught primary education as a Teach For America corps member in Baltimore while getting her masters in teaching from the Johns Hopkins University. Lara then transitioned into higher education to combine her love of education with her interests in management and administration of large organizations. After several years of working at the University of California at San Francisco, it was abundantly clear that state politics and policies deeply affected university function. To gain a deeper theoretical grasp on what was happening at the ground level, Lara once again returned to graduate school to pursue her doctorate.

Lara’s work and contributions to education received important recognition during her tenure at Teachers College. She was a semi-finalist for the NAED Spencer Dissertation Fellowship and was awarded several competitive institutional dissertation fellowships to support her research including the TC Doctoral Dissertation Grant, the EPSA Dissertation Grant, and the Dean’s Grant for Student Research. She has also presented her work at several major conferences, including the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). 

Lara is currently exploring her job options post-dissertation and welcomes inquiries from university faculty and administrators as well as think tanks. Lara is also thrilled to help rising graduate students and is happy to field questions from them. 

Politics and Education Program 
Teachers College, Columbia University, Ph.D. 2018.  

Politics and Education Program
Teachers College, Columbia University, M.A. 2010; 

Harvard Graduate School of Education, Ed.D. 2016.

Beth is an Assistant Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Beth studies education policy and politics in the U.S. with a focus on efforts to improve low-performing K-12 schools and districts. Both her coursework and the applied experiences she gained working on education policy as a Teachers College master's student motivated her to pursue a career in research tackling questions related to schools and social inequality. 

Politics and Education Program
Teachers College, Columbia University, M.A., 2010

Education Design Technologist, New York University, NYC.

In the role of the Education Design Technologist at NYU Courtney Steers manages, designs, and develops courses (e.g., online, blended, flipped, technology enhanced face to face) or other educational materials in collaboration with faculty in order to integrate media and technology. Prior to this position, she worked at a start-up overseeing the development of the e-learning product, Staightace Math, as well as worked for industry leaders such as Pearson and McGraw-Hill. Her resume reflects her passion for EdTech and instructional design. 

Courtney received her M.A. in Politics and Education in May 2010. She also holds a B.S. in Elementary Education, Natural Science, and Mathematics from Lesley University. 

In addition to Courtney’s academic and professional pursuits, she donates her time to worthy organizations and causes.  Currently, Courtney is serving as a co-chair for the TC Alumni Council and on the Leadership Council for the Greensward Circle (young members of Central Park Conservancy).    

Politics & Education Program

Teachers College, Columbia University, Ed.M. 2011

Education Consultant, Rwanda Education Board

Program Coordinator, TechKobwa Girls STEM Camp

Elisabeth currently works as a UNICEF-funded Consultant for the Rwanda Education Board [REB] and International Education Exchange where her primary work is coordinating development partner and government efforts to institutionalize a national school-based mentoring program for teacher professional development. Rwanda is currently undergoing a complete reform of their pre-primary through secondary education system and Elisabeth is assisting with the development and implementation of a nation-wide teacher training program for the new competence-based curriculum for sustainable development. Elisabeth also supports materials development for teacher in-service training, including an English language curriculum to help achieve the country's goal of English as the medium of instruction in all upper primary and secondary classrooms. 

Elisabeth serves as the Program Coordinator of TechKobwa, a training program aimed at increasing girls' education and career aspirations in science and technology.  The program involves a two-week residential camp which provides rural teachers with improved pedagogy and female secondary students with unhindered access to computers and engaging activities that build their confidence and comfort in the science and technology fields. TechKobwa is a partnership between the U.S. Peace Corps, Michigan State University, IBM, and Rwanda's Ministry of Youth and ICT. 

You can find more information about TechKobwa at their website here: www.egr.msu.edu/techkobwa

Previously, Elisabeth worked in the Office of Student Affairs at New York University and the University of California, Los Angeles after receiving her B.A. in Political Science from UCLA. She served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Rwanda from 2012 to 2015, teaching English and conducting in-service teacher training for learner centered methodology. During her time at Teachers College, Elisabeth helped organize the 2010 School Law Institute with Professor Jay Heubert. 

Politics and Education 
Teachers College, Columbia University , M.A., 2010

Special Projects Attorney
Youth Law Center, San Francisco, CA 

Tyler's entire academic and professional careers have been dedicated to education equity and ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Tyler served socioeconomically disadvantaged students as an 8th grade social studies teacher in Hopkins, South Carolina. Disheartened by the lack of funding for public education and the devastating impact of zero tolerance discipline policies, he enrolled at Teachers College, Columbia University in pursuit of a master’s degree in Politics and Education. Here, Tyler studied the various facets of the School-to-Prison Pipeline, charter school reform, education funding and education law.   

After receiving his masters in Politics and Education, Tyler continued advocating for education equity as an Education Policy Fellow with the North Carolina Justice Center’s Education Law Project. While working in North Carolina, he worked to empower students, parents and community members with the tools necessary to promote education equity and ensure equal access to a quality education.   

Tyler chose to attend Tulane University Law School in the Fall of 2011 to improve his ability to advocate for youth. During law school, he volunteered with Stand Up for Each Other (SUFEO)—a student-led organization representing youth who have been wrongfully suspended and expelled from New Orleans public schools.  SUFEO’s youth representation addressed the devastating impact of biased discipline policies, school push outs, and the over-criminalization of youth of color. For these efforts, Tyler was awarded the Louisiana State Bar Association’s 2014 Student Pro Bono Award.

Politics and Education Program 
Teachers College, Columbia University, M.A. 2006.   

Assistant Superintendent 
Community Engagement & Accountability 
San Jose Unified School District 

Presently, Jason is managing the implementation of the new, 5-year strategic plan including significant reforms for human capital management and school redesign. San Jose Unified serves 33,000 students in California’s Silicon Valley. Prior to San Jose Unified Jason Willis was the Chief Financial, Business Officer for the Stockton Unified School District. Prior to that he was the budget director for Oakland Unified School District in California, where he managed the district-wide budget development, implementation and monitoring process to ensure that funds are equitably allocated in support of the district's strategic priorities. He has published several articles focused on effective resource use, central office redesign, and weighted student funding models with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, the Association of School Business Officials International, and the School Finance Redesign Project at the University of Washington. 

Politics and Education Program
Teachers College, Columbia University, Ph.D. 2013 

As remarked by TC President Susan Fuhrman during the 2013 doctoral hooding ceremony, I took the “long road” to TC, entering the doctoral program after completing my professional career in government, politics and international business. For me it was a time to both reflect upon and deepen my understanding of the critical linkages between education and democracy while attempting to penetrate the veil of persistently low voter turnout among US young adults – a constituency that demonstrates both the highest same-age educational attainment and lowest voter turnout of any age category. 

The TC Politics and Education program was instrumental to the pursuit of my academic agenda in several respects. Its flexibility permitted me to pursue a fully individualized and integrated education and political science curriculum.  Its leadership profile established a high benchmark for creative but rigorous scholarship to attack the young adult voter turnout problem. And the faculty relationships it engendered -- particularly those involving Jeff Henig, Doug Ready and Bob Shapiro -- provided an endless source of ideas, constructive criticism and encouragement. 

I look forward to continuing my political participation research, and I greatly value my ongoing TC affiliation as an adjunct faculty member in the Politics and Education program.