Prolific leaders across psychology, health, civics and art will receive Medals for Distinguished Service, Teachers College’s highest honor, at Convocation ceremonies this year on May 20 and May 21.
As families, friends and the TC community gather to celebrate the Class of 2025, the College’s honorees embody the rigorous yet rewarding paths ahead for those committed to careers in service of the public good.
[Graduates, register for tickets by April 25 at noon ET.]
“I can’t imagine more worthy recipients of the College’s highest honor. It is a tribute to the extraordinary accomplishments of our 2025 graduates that they will be joining us for Convocation,” President Thomas Bailey wrote in an email to the community.
The College’s Medal for Distinguished Service recipients include:
Becky Kennedy (Ph.D. ’10), Founder & CEO of Good Inside, and Erica Belsky (Ph.D. ’12), Co-Founder & COO of Good Inside
Kennedy is a renowned clinical psychologist whose work has redefined modern parenting. She has translated ideas around attachment, mindfulness, emotion regulation and internal family systems into Good Inside, a next-generation parenting company and global movement. In 2020, she joined forces with fellow psychologist, Belsky, who serves as Good Inside’s Chief Operating Officer. Together, they have expanded the company’s influence to reach millions of parents worldwide, with a New York Times bestselling book, weekly podcast and parenting app. It is also a point of pride to note that both Kennedy and Belsky both earned their doctorates in clinical psychology from Teachers College.
(Photos courtesy of Kennedy and Belsky)
Kennedy and Belsky will receive the TC honor on Tuesday, May 20, during the College’s ceremony for the departments of Counseling & Clinical Psychology, and Human Development.
Hirokazu Yoshikawa, the Courtney Sale Ross University Professor of Globalization and Education at NYU Steinhardt, and University Professor at NYU
Yoshikawa, a community and developmental psychologist, is the Courtney Sale Ross Professor of Globalization and Education at NYU Steinhardt in the Department of Applied Psychology, and a University Professor at NYU. He studies the effects of public policies and programs on children’s development, particularly in the areas of immigration, early childhood and poverty reduction. From 2014 to 2024, he was a founding co-director of NYU’s Global TIES for Children research center. An elected fellow of the National Academy of Education, the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Hirokazu Yoshikawa has received two awards from the American Psychological Association for his mentorship of ethnic minority students.
(Photo courtesy of Yoshikawa)
Yoshikawa will receive the TC honor on Tuesday, May 20, during the College’s ceremony for the departments of Biobehavioral Sciences, Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology, and International & Transcultural Studies.
Sherrilyn Ifill, Vernon E. Jordan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Civil Rights at Howard University School of Law
From the start of her esteemed career as an attorney, Ifill has been a steadfast advocate for public service and civil rights. She was a fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union before joining the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), the foremost legal organization fighting for racial justice in America. From 2013 to 2022, Ms. Ifill served as president and director-counsel of the LDF. As the second woman to ever lead the organization, she provided visionary and transformative direction during one of the most challenging and volatile periods for racial justice in our country. She currently serves as LDF’s president and director-counsel emeritus and, in 2023, was appointed Howard Law School's inaugural Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Esq. Endowed Chair in Civil Rights, where she has launched the 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy.
(Photo courtesy of Ifill)
Ifill will receive the TC honor on Tuesday, May 20, during the College’s ceremony for the departments of Math, Science & Technology, and Organization & Leadership.
Michelle Ebanks, President and CEO of The Apollo, and Kamilah Forbes, Executive Producer at The Apollo
As Harlem’s The Apollo Theater celebrates 90 years of dedication to black arts and culture, we are pleased to highlight the innovative contributions of their stellar leadership. Michelle Ebanks joined The Apollo as president and CEO in 2023, bringing with her a deep understanding of how to share cultural experiences with the broadest possible range of communities. Prior to joining The Apollo, she served as CEO of Essence Communications, the nation's leading media and communications company dedicated to African American women. Kamilah Forbes is The Apollo’s executive producer, as well as an award-winning director and producer for theater and television. She is widely known for her commitment to shedding light on the work of artists in the hip-hop community and beyond.
(Photos courtesy of Ebanks and Forbes)
Ebanks and Forbes will receive the TC honor on Wednesday, May 21, during the College’s ceremony for the departments of Arts & Humanities, Curriculum & Teaching, and Education Policy & Social Analysis.