More than 200 alumni, students, faculty and friends convened on campus on Oct. 19 for TC Alumni Day, a community reunion that focused on the benefits of building connections through the celebration of the College’s Alumni Awardees and a dialogue that honored the late Ruth K. Westheimer (Ed.D. ’70), also known as Dr. Ruth. Reflecting a shared commitment to creating a better world, the vibrant celebration united the TC community for networking opportunities, engaging panel discussions and highlights regarding the impactful work of TC’s 2024 Alumni Awardees.
“What drives all of us, whether we’re deep into scholarly writing, or conducting research in the field, is our impact on people. It’s that kind of connection that is so important,” President Thomas Bailey said during his remarks in Milbank Chapel. “So I hope you will build your own connections today: with each other, with me, and with Teachers College. Because while many of us come from different backgrounds, we are united in our belief in the power of education, health and psychology to improve society. And our alumni are a vital component of our legacy, building on their studies here and contributing to a greater world and the public good.”
President Thomas Bailey (Photo: Bruce Gilbert) (Photo: Bruce Gilbert) (Photo: Bruce Gilbert) Lauryn Duncan (M.A. & M.Ed. '23), Community Engagement Officer. (Photo: Bruce Gilbert) Carousel
Alumni in attendance spanned generations, with graduates from the Class of 1952 to the Class of 2024 reconvening in Morningside Heights on a warm autumn day.
“It’s a day when we look back…we return to the selves we might have been five, 10, 20 years ago, when we walked across 120th Street, up the steps of what now is Zankel Hall — when we were students, teaching or doing research. Or when we went to Tom’s Diner or the Hungarian Pastry Shop,” reflected Roberta W. Albert (M.A. ’97), Vice President for Institutional Advancement, in her opening remarks. “We return in our minds to the rush of beginnings. And in doing so, we provide ourselves with the kind of nourishment we all need for going forward.”
Pictured, from left to right: Honorees Claudia Schrader (Ed.D. ’02, Ed.M. ’01, M.A. ’92) and Vikash Reddy (Ph.D. ’16, M. Phil. ’15) with President Thomas Bailey, and fellow award recipients Beverly Elmyra Johnson (Ed.D. ’86, Ed.M. ’83), Louis N. Wool (Ed.D. ’14) and A. Brooks Bowden (Ph.D. ’14, M. Phil. ’13). (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)
During the day’s festivities, Teachers College honored the five recipients of this year’s Alumni Awards for profound contributions to their respective fields, the TC community and beyond.
“As stewards of our revered Teachers College, we are called to make a profound difference when we leave 120th Street and continue our work out in the world,” Brian Kennerly (M.A. ’92), President of the Alumni Council, said upon the announcement of this year’s honorees. “The recipients of this year’s Alumni Awards embody that meaningful tradition, and to honor them at this year’s TC Alumni Day is among our greatest experiences as a community bound by this shared commitment to a better world.”
As a centerpiece of the day's focus on forging connections, the program featured a discussion on the final book — aptly titled the Joy of Connections — by TC’s late Ruth Westheimer (Ed.D. ’70), the iconic and pioneering sex therapist. The dialogue — moderated by Tom Rock (Ed.D. ’02), Associate Vice President & Chief Student Affairs Officer — between co-authors Allison Gilbert and Pierre Lehu explored ways to form deeper connections and honored the TC alum’s legacy, with her daughter Miriam Westheimer (Ed.D. ’90) in attendance.
“In trying to make friends and trying to make connections you can’t just sit there and expect those connections to come to you,” said Lehu. Referencing Westheimer’s fondness for turtles as a metaphor for life, he explained: “You have to stick your neck, arms and legs out and walk towards them and do something about your loneliness.”
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Tom Rock, Pierre Lehu and Allison Gilbert discuss The Joy of Connection, co-written with Westheimer. (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)
Sonali Rajan (Ed.D. ’10), John Allegrante and Jacqueline Cofield (Ed.D. ’24). (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)
Alumni Award honoree A. Brooks Bowden (Ph.D. ’14) and her family. (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)
Allegrante, Rajan, Cofield and President Bailey. (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)
The College's Alumni Council met with TC leadership and staff following the festivities. Pictured, from left to right, starting with the back row: Kerry Donohue
Natasha Requena, Claire Zheng, Gwyneth Sauter, Matthew J. Camp (Ph.D. ’21), Vera Shao (M.Ed. and M.A. ’20), Steph Caballero, Jeffrey Putnam (Ed.D. ’11), Brian Kennerly (M.A. ’92), Ryan Hata (M.A. ’19), Marion Boultbee (Ed.D. ’96), Madeline Khoury, Lauryn Duncan (M.A. and M.Ed. ’23). Front Row: Stuti Munjal (MA '24), Roberta Albert (M.A. ’97), Merry Lee, Kay Moon (M.A. ’06), Joanne Choi (M.A. ’20). On Screen: Jo Campbell (Ed.D. ’92), Elizabeth Beaubrun (Ph.D. ’13), Jane Elizabeth Brown (M.A. ’10), Dawn Furushima (M.A. ’99) and Christian Tanja (M.A. ’16). (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)
Later, TC’s Sonali Rajan (Ed.D. ’10) led a heartfelt discussion on the power of connections and community with fellow faculty member John Allegrante and TC alum Jacqueline Cofield (Ed.D. ’24). While acknowledging the challenging times we live in and the concurrent public health advisories on loneliness, youth mental health, parenting stressors and gun violence, the panel focused on solutions to these myriad difficulties.
“There is quite a bit of hope,” said Rajan, Professor of Health Education and inaugural President of the Research Society for Firearm-Related Harms. “Hope grounded in the research and work of scientists and educators who are committed to contributing to new and needed solutions and a commitment…to facilitate these positive changes.”
For Allegrante — whose forthcoming edited volume, Anxiety Culture: The New Global State of Human Affairs, explores similar challenges — it’s a lack of connection and unwillingness to engage with other viewpoints that is propping up persistent anxiety. “I’m convinced this idea of remaining curious and engaging other people is the key to introducing connections and improving the life experience for all of us,” said Allegrante, TC’s Charles Irwin Lambert Professor of Health Behavior and Education.
Referencing the anxiety-producing effects of social media on adolescents, Allegrante is an advocate for in-person connection, though Cofield additionally emphasized that phones and social media are tools for connection that empower users to become creators instead of just consumers. “When everyone has the capability to create content…we can connect and learn about each other more,” said Cofield, host and creator of the Beyond Beauty podcast, and the Joan Tisch Teaching Fellow at the Whitney American Museum of Art. “We can get insight into the lived experiences of people, and without [phones and social media], we would not have those lines of sight.”
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(Photo: Bruce Gilbert)
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Guests stocked up on their TC gear at our pop-up shop. (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)
TC Alumni Day concluded with networking and lunch, providing everyone an opportunity to connect through community and conversation. Mingling with alumni who returned 50 years after graduating were students who have yet to embark on the journey ahead beyond 120th Street.
“Making connections with alumni is such an amazing part of the College experience,” says Gwyneth Sauter (M.Ed. ’25, School Counseling). “I am so excited to graduate in May, and I'm excited to be a part of the alumni community.”
Learn more about how to connect with TC’s robust alumni network here.