Doctoral students Regina Kim and Nick Redding were both inspired by the work of TC Professor Emeritus Morton Deutsch, a founder of the field of conflict resolution and of TC’s International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution. While that inspiration led them to TC, completing an intense course of study and research requires other resources. That’s where the new Lida A. Orzeck Scholarship Fund comes in.
Kim and Redding are the first recipients of this scholarship, which assists students pursuing a doctoral degree in the Social-Organizational Psychology program. Preference is given to students who are conducting research on conflict resolution.
“Some of the best and brightest come through Teachers College,” says Orzeck (Ph.D ’72). “It is an institution of very high standards. The people who make the choice to come here have a passion for education and social justice around the world. They certainly should not be hampered by inadequate access to funding.”
Kim, who has worked part-time while studying at TC, is examining cultural differences and similarities in cooperation and competition. Thanks to the Orzeck Scholarship, she can fully focus on her research this year.
“The Social-Organizational Psychology program at TC is renowned for its academic vigor and emphasis on the scientist-practitioner model,” Kim says. “My education at TC helps me see the world both as a scientist and practitioner and I hope to do academic research that is both useful and practical.”
Redding is researching the individual characteristics and decision-making patterns of people attempting to bring positive social change to an intractable conflict. He also has served as an instructor for a research methods course at TC and as a consultant to a nonprofit organization.
“I chose to stay and work on campus so that I could continue to study and learn in this environment and take on a more meaningful and in-depth research topic,” Redding says. “Although I’m employed, the salary is much lower than in the field, which makes the expense of dissertation advisement more difficult to cover. This scholarship is absolutely critical to completing my studies and being able to take my newly acquired skills into the field.”
Orzeck is the CEO of Hanky Panky, a lingerie company with a celebrity clientele and a commitment to charitable causes. The business contributes a percentage of its earnings to nearly 60 nonprofits, including the International Organization for Women and Development, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.