Titled simply “X,” TC’s 2018 Academic Festival, held in early April, marked the signature homecoming event’s 10th anniversary. It also expressed “a symbolic crossroads — a joining of paths in a moment of societal crisis, change and new opportunity,” said TC President Susan Fuhrman.

Fuhrman, given a standing ovation by a capacity crowd in Cowin Auditorium and presented with a generous contribution to the Susan H. Fuhrman Scholarship fund by alumna Charo Uceda (M.A. ’08), is stepping down on June 30th. Still, her multidisciplinary imprimatur was much in evidence. Following a video recapping past Festival themes (wellness, technology, the STEM disciplines), the day’s program featured panels on topics that included gun violence, the global refugee crisis and social justice pedagogy.

CIVICS IMPERATIVE

“The immune system of the body politic is kicking in. But going from acute illness to chronic illness isn’t going to cut it. We need a renewal.”

— Eric Liu

Sounding a major Fuhrman priority, keynote speaker and President’s Medalist Eric Liu, founder of Citizen University, declared that “every teacher is a civics teacher,” adding, “If you are not teaching power as an educator, you are committing professional malpractice.”

TC presented Distinguished Alumni Awards to civil rights pioneer Sybil Jordan Hampton (Ed.D. ’91, M.Ed. ’82); Gabriela Simon-Cereijido (M.S. ’00), a leading bilingual speech-language pathologist; Louise Ada (M.A. ’84), a physiotherapist who has transformed stroke rehabilitation; and Henrietta Kralovec (Ed.D. ’90, M.Ed. ’85), a teacher educator who opposes homework.

Bradford Manning (M.A. ’10), co-founder of Two Blind Brothers, a clothing business for the sight-impaired, and Thabo Msibi (M.Ed. ’08), Dean of South Africa’s University of KwaZulu-Natal, received Early Career Awards. James Jones, Director of the University of Delaware’s Center for the Study of Diversity, received TC’s Morton Deutsch Award for Social Justice. Kathryn Hill (Ed.D. ’18) received TC’s Shirley Chisholm Dissertation Award for exploring education reform, urban communities and parent engagement. And Science Education doctoral candidate Lisa McDonald won a student research poster competition with “The Role of Children’s Racial Identity and its Impact on Science Education.” — SIDDHARTHA MITTER

[ FROM YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT ]

Stay Right with Us: With change afoot, this is your TC moment

Dear TC Colleagues and Friends:

As we bid farewell to one extraordinary TC President and welcome another, please keep reconnecting with TC and one another.

TC’s 90,000 alumni span multiple academic programs, professions, geographies and generations. But we’re all passionate about furthering lifelong in­volvement with TC and helping the College raise money, recruit great students and support TCers’ careers.  

Alumni Council members host alumni gatherings at professional conferences, presentations by traveling faculty and private tours at cultural and historical sites — especially during our biennial Global TC Day. Check out http://www.tc.columbia.edu/alumni/ and host a Global TC Day in 2019!

Meanwhile, U.S. regional alumni groups are expanding rapidly, from Boston to Los Angeles, Seattle/Portland to Florida, Twin Cities to Texas, and numerous cities in between. A committed International Alumni Network operates in 35 countries and connects to the Council through our International Outreach Com­mittee. Contact Alumni Relations to start or join a regional group.

The Council’s Awards Committee annually selects Distinguished Alumni and Early Career Award recipients. The honors are presented at TC’s spring Academic Festival, where Council members introduce sessions, host a table, and lead a day of reconnection. In 2019, a new Alumni Award for Outstanding Service will honor volunteer leaders who give sustained, distinguished volunteer service to TC. Eligibility criteria will be posted on TC’s website. Given space constraints in this special issue, Class Notes can be found online at tc.edu/tctoday. They will resume in the next print issue. Meanwhile: Stay connected!

Marion Boultbee (ED.D. ’ 9 6 )
President,
Teachers College
Alumni Association