APPLIED LINGUISTICS

Mirta Martes-Rivera’s (M.A. ’87) e-book, Puerto Rican Tropical Food Dictionary, is forthcoming from Xlibris Publishers

ART & ART EDUCATION

Artolution, co-founded by Max Frieder (M.Ed. ’17), created the Rohingya Exchange Mural that is now on permanent display at the Oculus in New York City (see page 8).

Rabeya Jalil (M.Ed. ’13) exhibited her new artworks titled “Something Else” at the Koel Gallery in Karachi, Pakistan

C.J. Reilly III (M.A. ’18) was named the People’s Choice Award winner at TC’s 2018 Academic Festival Student Research Poster Session.

ENGLISH EDUCATION

Nicole Chu (M.A. ’06) won a 2018 New York City Schools Big Apple Teaching Award.

Andrew Corsilia (M.A. ’97) was named the new Principal at Horace Greeley High School

in Chappaqua, NY.

Cati de los Ríos (Ph.D. ’17, M.Phil. ’16) received two Outstanding Dissertation Awards at the American Educational Research Association 2018 Conference: one from the Hispanic Research Issues Special Interest Group and one from the Critical Educators for Social Justice Special Interest Group.

Christopher Ellsasser (Ed.D.’01) was named the new Principal of Nauset Regional High School in Massachusetts.

Matt Murrie (M.A. ’04) co-authored The Book of What If…?: Questions and Activities for Curious Minds. He currently travels the world delivering presentations on how curiosity can improve all aspects of life.

Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz (M.A. ’96), Associate Professor of English Education at TC, received the American Educational Research Association’s 2018 Revolutionary Mentor Award.

William J. Spurlin (Ph.D. ’90, M.Ed., M.Phil. ’85, M.A., M.Ed. ’84) is a Professor of English and Vice Dean of Education in the College of Business, Arts & Social Sciences at Brunel University London.

LANGUAGE, LITERATURE & SOCIAL STUDIES

Ayoka Chenzira (M.A. ’80) directed an episode of the all-female-helmed television series Queen Sugar on OWN.

MUSIC & MUSIC EDUCATION

Nicole Becker (Ed.D. ’11) led the TC-based Every Voice Choirs in singing the National Anthem at the National Hockey League 2018 Winter Classic.

Marissa Curry (M.A. ’11) and Ingrid Ladendorf (M.A. ’07) co-released Songs for Singing and Sharing, Vol. 1, a collection of eclectic folk music for early childhood families.

Laura Rizzotto (M.A. ’17) won the Latvian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest and represented the country during the Eurovision semi-finals. Her song was “Funny Girl.”

Colleen Stewart (M.A. ’13) was named the new Director of Programs at Education Through Music.

PHILOSOPHY & EDUCATION

Michael Barth (M.Ed. ’00), Chair of the Explorers Club Hong Kong, led a historic 20-day dinosaur expedition in the Gobi Desert.

PHILOSOPHY & THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

Ilene Leff (M.A. ’69) was featured in On the Cusp: The Women of Penn ’64, Stories of 19 University of Pennsylvania Women in the Vanguard of Changing Women’s Roles in Business, the Professions, Academia, and Society at Large.

TEACHING OF SOCIAL STUDIES

Peter Steedman (M.A. ’95) was appointed the new Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School in Massachusetts.

Dennis Urban (Ph.D. ’13, M. Phil. ’11, M.A. ’03), of Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, was named the 2018 New York History Teacher of the Year.

SCULPTURE & CRAFTS

Two of Judith Peck’s (M.Ed. ’75, M.A. ’74) “Ladies of Steel” sculptures were accepted for a year-long display at the Meredith Sculpture Walk in Meredith, New Hampshire.

PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING

Katrina McCombs (M.A., M.Ed. ’96) was appointed as the Superintendent of the Camden City School District in New Jersey.

Charity Walden (M.A., M.Ed. ’18) is currently a board member of Boldly Crowned, a nonprofit organization.

PSYCHOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Melissa Boston (M.A. ’01) was named Associate Dean for Student Health and Counseling at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

TC Professor Emerita Frances Schoonmaker (Ed.D. ’83) has published The Last Crystal Trilogy, a historical fantasy series for middle-grade and older children that features heroes who shun violence.

CURRICULUM & TEACHING

Gayle Allen (Ed.D. ’08, M.Ed. ’01) was named the new Vice President of People Operations at Flexport, a leading technology-enabled freight forwarder and customs broker.

Courtney Bentley (Ed.D. ’05) was named the new Dean of the College of Education at the University of Montevallo.

Mayme Hostetter (Ed.D. ’18) was named the new President of Relay Graduate School of Education.

ELEMENTARY INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Lisa McDonald (M.A. ’12) was named the winner of the Innovation Scholarship for Student Research at the 2018 Academic Festival Student Research Poster Session.

GIFTEDNESS

Anael Alston (Ed.D. ’11, M.A. ’10) was appointed Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Access, Equity & Community Engagement in the New York State Education Department.

LITERACY SPECIALIST

Ryan T. Bourke (M.A. ’11) was named the new Principal of the Will Rogers Learning Community in Santa Monica, CA.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Mary Victoria Algeri (M.A. ’05) published The Empowered Student: A Guide to Self-Regulated Learning.

ECONOMICS & EDUCATION

Ali Ansari (M.A. ’10) was selected as a 2018 recipient of the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

APPLIED PSYIOLOGY & NUTRITION

Carla Angevine (M.S. ’00) became the new Executive Director of Northwest Connecticut Fit Together.

HEALTH EDUCATION

Jennifer (Prior) Mead (M.A. ’03) is currently the Health Section President for New York State’s Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Irene Trowell-Harris (Ed.D., M.Ed. ’83) was selected for Fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing.

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Elizabeth Bonesteel (M.A. ’02) was named the new Superintendent of the Montpelier-Roxbury Public Schools District in Vermont.

NURSING EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL ROLE

Maria Vezina (Ed.D. ’89, M.Ed. ’84), Vice President of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer at Mount Sinai Saint Luke’s Hospital in New York City, was named to the Board of Trustees at Hartwick College.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Dale Atkins (M.A. ’72) and Amanda Salzhauer published The Kindness Advantage: Cultivating Compassionate and Connected Children in September 2018.

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Marie Sckocheva’s (M.A. ’17) startup, Yez! Foods, was featured as one of Inc. Magazine and UPS’s top 10 small businesses.

MEASUREMENTS & EVALUATION

Neal Kingston (Ph.D., M.Ed., M.Phil. ’83, M.Ed. ’77) received the title of University Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas.

Anthony Clemons (M.Ed. ’17, M.A. ’15) co-edited Multicultural Andragogy for Transformative Learning, published by IGI Global in July 2018.

Alexandra Connell’s (M.A. ’16) PATTI + RICKY, an e-retailer which specializes in apparel and accessories for the physically challenged, opened its first pop-up shop in Grand Central Station in the summer of 2018.

INTERNATIONAL & COMPARATIVE EDUCATION

Stéphanie Bui (M.A. ’99) won the 2016 Heritage Film Award for The Dream Artisans, a short documentary film praising the art of master craftsmanship in Haute Couture.

Sharistan Melkonian (M.A. ’09) was appointed the first Dean of General Education at the American University of Armenia.

FAMILY & COMMUNITY EDUCATION

Kenneth Silvestri (Ed.D. ’81) wrote A Wider Lens: How to See Your Life Differently.

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Marion Boultbee (Ed.D. ’96) received the TC Alumni Impact Award at the TC2U: Thanks a Million Tour event in Greenwich, CT.

Claudia V. Schrader (Ed.D. ’02, M.Ed. ’01, M.A. ’92) was appointed President of Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, NY (see page 54).

Dennis Yang (M.Ed. ’10) published American Universities in China: Lessons from Japan. Mathematics, Science & Technology

COMMUNICATION & EDUCATION

Anthony Cocciolo (Ed.D.’09, M.Ed. ’08, M.A. ’05) was named the new Dean of the School of Information at Pratt Institute.

Corey Emanuel (M.A. ’11) launched Lend Me Your Lens, an online docu-portrait series in which creative people of color share their career journeys.

Bobby Susser (M.A. ’87), 2013 Distinguished Alumni Awardee, debuted Green Light, a children’s album.

COMPUTING EDUCATION

Xiange Bove (M.A. ’97) received a National Board Certified Teacher’s certification in 2014 from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Heather (Saksa) Sutkowski (M.A. ’11) was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching for the state of Connecticut.

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY & MEDIA

Asha Owens (M.Ed. ’18) codesigned the BestFit App which won NYU’s Algorithm for Change competition. The app connects high school students with nearby peer mentors who provide authentic dialogue about college (see page 31).

SCIENCE EDUCATION

Edmund Adjapong (Ph.D. ’17, M.Phil. ’16, M.Ed. ’15, M.A. ’14) received the New Scholar Creativity and Pedagogy 2017 Award from the University of Calgary.

SECONDARY SCHOOL SCIENCE EDUCATION

Lorna Lewis (Ed.D., M.Ed. ’82, M.A. ’77) was named the new head of the New York State Council of School Superintendents. She is the first woman of color to hold the position.

George Papayannis (M.A. ’03) was selected as the new Head of School at the Cathedral School in New York.

Ian Smith (M.A. ’93) published The Clean 20: 20 Foods, 20 Days, Total Transformation.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE IN COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES

Diane B. Call (Ed.D., M.A.’83, M.A. ’71) retired from Queensborough Community College after a distinguished 47-year career, most recently as President.

ADULT EDUCATION GUIDED INTENSIVE STUDY

Ellen Scully-Russ (Ed.D. ’10, M.A. ’96) was named Chair of the Human and Organizational Learning Department at the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University.

ADULT LEARNING & LEADERSHIP

Ruth Gotian (Ed.D. ’17) was appointed Assistant Dean for Mentoring and Chief Learning Officer at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Mentoring Academy.

EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

Yolanda Borras (M.A. ’98) has received a Parents’ Choice Award, International Latino Book Award and Dragonfly Book Award for her Spanish-language songbooks and music for young children.

Kecia Hayes (M.A., M.Ed. ’96) was appointed the new Executive Director of the Roger Lehecka Double Discovery Center (DDC) at Columbia College.

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

David L. Baad (M.A. ’07) was appointed Head of School at The Episcopal School of Dallas.

Sunny Sue Chang Jonas (M.Ed. ’06) was named the new Assistant Principal of Congress Park School in Brookfield and Ogden Avenue School in La Grange, both in Illinois.

HIGHER & POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

Michael “Mitch” Elgarico (M.A.’06) was appointed Dean of Undergraduate Admission at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.

Whitney Green (M.A. ’13) received the Le Marteleur Award for Distinguished Service from the Columbia Engineering Young Alumni Board.

Rebecca Kwee (M.A. ’18) co-designed the BestFit App which won NYU’s Algorithm for Change competition. The app connects high school students with nearby peer mentors who provide authentic dialogue about college (see page 31).

Conor McLaughlin (M.A. ’07) accepted the position of Senior Lecturer in the Department of Higher Education & Student Affairs at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

HIGHER EDUCATION

TC’s Vice President for Development & External Affairs, Suzanne M. Murphy (M.Ed. ’99, M.A. ’96), was named the new Chairperson of the Kingsborough Community College Foundation.

Thomas P. Rock (Ed.D. ’02), TC’s Vice Provost for Student Affairs, was selected for a Fulbright Award in the 2018 program for International Education Administrators to Japan.

INQUIRY IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICE

Carol D. Birks (Ed.D. ’13, M.Ed. ’11) received the Neag School of Education Alumni Board’s 2018 Outstanding Professional Award.

Delores Friedman (Ed.D. ’93) published her debut novel Wildflowers.

ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Beth Devine (M.A. ’12) joined Stack Overflow as a User Experience Researcher in June 2018.

ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY – EXECUTIVE

Wordna Meskheniten (M.A. ’18) was named Senior Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Special Advisor to the President of The Wilderness Society.

PRIVATE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

Eduardo “Tony” Alleyne (M.A. ’10) was named one of Delaware Business Times’ “40 under 40” awardees and received the 2018 University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education’s Recent Alumni Award.

Joy Seth Hurd IV (M.A. ’13) was named the new Head of School at Lake Forest Country Day School in Illinois.

Alex Northrup (M.Ed. ’11) was selected as the new Anna Greenway Griswold ’33 Faculty Chair at Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia.

SOCIAL-ORGANIZAT IONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Tanya Mehta (M.A. ’00) recently celebrated 10 years leading Silicon Valley-based executive coaching firm Transverse Leadership.

PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING LEADERSHIP

Joseph Mason (M.Ed. ’17) was named the new Principal at Urban Prep Academy’s Englewood campus.

Nancy Nassr (M.A. ’16) was promoted to Head of School at The Ancona School in Chicago, Illinois.

STUDENT PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION

Leah Brown-Johnson (M.A. ’98) was appointed as the Director of The Center for Innovation in Teaching to Enhance Learning at Bloomfield College in NJ.

Krishna Walker (M.A. ’98) was selected for the 2018 Zhi-Xing China Eisenhower Fellowship Program.