Meet Our Doctoral Students
Santasha Dhoot (She/Her/Hers)
Ed.D. Student, Curriculum and Teaching
At my core I am a early childhood teacher, I taught first grade for five years and love working with our youngest learners. While I was teaching in the classroom I was also involved with union activism and organizing. I am passionate about educational justice, teacher advocacy, and social justice learning in early childhood classrooms.
Research Discipline/Bio
I am a first year doctoral student, my primary research focus is retention of educators of color and teacher identity. I believe in creating larger systems of support within public schools in order to retain educators of color and make our schools more inclusive and just for educators, students, and families.
At my core I am a early childhood teacher, I taught first grade for five years and love working with our youngest learners. While I was teaching in the classroom I was also involved with union activism and organizing. I am passionate about educational justice, teacher advocacy, and social justice learning in early childhood classrooms.
Educational Background
Masters in Teaching, Elementary Education, University of Washington, 2019
Bachelors of Arts, Anthropology, University of Washington, 2018
Honors/Awards
International Literacy Association 30 under 30 Award, 2023
Publications/Exhibitions
Beneke, M. R., Machado, E., Taitingfong, J., Dhoot, S., Nagarajan, J., & Rupert, M. (2023). "'Together' Means I am not the only one": Educators reclaiming interdependence in early literacy through narratives of struggle. Language Arts, 100(5), 365-377.
Last Updated: Nov 1, 2024
Dorsa Fahami (She/Her/Hers)
Ed.D. Student, Curriculum and Teaching
Dissertation Advisor: Maria Paula Ghiso
My research interests include: bi/multilingual education, teacher education, curriculum and instruction, Latine identity development, Latin American educational theory, LatCrit, Critical Race Theory, Figured Worlds Theory and CHAT. I have experience in the following methods: interviews, focus groups, surveys, observations, and multimodal visual methods.
Contact Information:
Research Discipline/Bio
I am passionate about utilizing my expertise in dual language education and teacher training to create continuous educational opportunities that will allow current and preservice DLBE teachers to develop more equitable classrooms. My current research interests focus on the intersections between dual language education, identity development, and constructions of race within Latine communities.
My research interests include: bi/multilingual education, teacher education, curriculum and instruction, Latine identity development, Latin American educational theory, LatCrit, Critical Race Theory, Figured Worlds Theory and CHAT. I have experience in the following methods: interviews, focus groups, surveys, observations, and multimodal visual methods.
Educational Background
Masters of Bilingual Education, Southern Methodist University, 2016
Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Science, Sociology & Public Relations, Boston University, 2024
Honors/Awards
Academic Scholarship Grantee, Iranian-American Scholarship Fund, 2022
Publications/Exhibitions
Fahami, D. (2024) Blackness in dual language bilingual education research: A Call to Expand Constructions of U.S. Latinidad. Bilingual Education Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2024.2382110
Ardell, L., Jones, K., Fahami, D. (2024) Unpacking enregistered whiteness in academic language through teacher reflection on local language policy. In S. Turkan & J. Schissel (Eds.), The Endowed Power of Academic Language: Peeling the Entanglements. Bloomsbury.
Last Updated: Oct 15, 2024
Billy Fong-Frederick (He/Him/His)
Ed.D. Student, Curriculum and Teaching
In addition to my studies, I am a special education teacher in the New York City Department of Education. I have led and developed professional development for teachers on math curriculum and various special education topics. I am a mentor for preservice teachers and was a clinical faculty member in the Elementary Inclusive Education Program at Teachers College. My studies and experiences reinforce for me the importance of amplifying diverse teachers’ voices and advocating for equitable education as both a teacher and future school leader.
Research Discipline/Bio
My doctoral research focuses on teacher retention and identities of teachers of color, particularly through the lens of intersectionality. I want to learn from the experiences of teachers who identify as both Chinese and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. My passion for supporting teachers in balancing and maintaining these identities stems from my aspiration of being a school principal who aims to foster belonging for both teachers and students.
In addition to my studies, I am a special education teacher in the New York City Department of Education. I have led and developed professional development for teachers on math curriculum and various special education topics. I am a mentor for preservice teachers and was a clinical faculty member in the Elementary Inclusive Education Program at Teachers College. My studies and experiences reinforce for me the importance of amplifying diverse teachers’ voices and advocating for equitable education as both a teacher and future school leader.
Educational Background
Master of Science, Educational Leadership and Administration, College of Saint Rose, 2019
Master of Arts, Elementary Inclusive Education, Teachers College, 2012
Bachelor of Arts, American Studies (Minor in Chinese), Colby College, 2008
Honors/Awards
Provost's Scholars Award (2024-2027)
Aspiring Assistant Principal Fellowship, formerly known as Wallace Leadership Fellows Program (2022-2023)
Empire State Excellence in Teaching Award (2018)
Department Diversity Scholar/TC Scholarship (2009-2012)
William J. Fulbright Fellowship - English Teaching Assistant, Taiwan (2008-2009)
Posse Foundation Four Year Full-Tuition Leadership Scholarship (2004-2008)
Publications/Exhibitions
Fong, B., & Martell, J. (2020). Students' rights to read and write about homophobia and hate crimes. In M. Souto-Manning (Ed.), In the pursuit of justice: Students' rights to read and write in elementary school (pp. 49-58). NCTE
Acevedo, J.; Álvarez, B.; Diaz, G.; Fong-Frederick, B.; Malik, K.; Martell, J.; Pion, P.; Pyram, J., & Souto-Manning, M. (2022). On the mis-education of teachers of Color: A letter to teacher educators. Journal of Teacher Education, 73(1), 66-80.
Last Updated: Oct 6, 2024
Deanne Green
Ed.D. Student, Early Childhood Education
Deanne is a member of the Black Student Network leadership team, and is passionate about supporting Black and African diaspora students to have a successful graduate journey at Teachers College.
Research Discipline/Bio
Deanne Green is a student in the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum & Teaching program. Her research interests included Native American and Black-Indigenous studies. As a graduate research assistant in the Edmund W. Gordon Institute for Advanced Study, she worked with the Lenape Center. Learning in Lenapehoking: Beyond Land Acknowledgments to a Transformational Indigenous Praxis, is an ongoing multi-faceted curriculum development that supports Lenape Indian sovereign futurity in education. Currently, her research focuses on the ethnohistory of Black-Indigenous Americans. This includes an anthropological approach to learning about cultural traditions and teaching practices of Black-Indigenous communities in the United States.
Deanne is a member of the Black Student Network leadership team, and is passionate about supporting Black and African diaspora students to have a successful graduate journey at Teachers College.
Educational Background
Master of Science in Early Childhood and Childhood Education, Graduate Art of Teaching Program, Sarah Lawrence College, 2015.
Bachelor of Science in Family Science-Dual Major in Psychology, School of Public Health, University of Maryland-College Park, 2013.
Honors/Awards
Shirley Chisholm Trailblazer Award, Provost’s Student Excellence Awards, 2024;
Outstanding Community Program Award-Black Student Network, Provost’s Student Excellence Awards, 2024;
A. Harry Passow Fellowship, Teachers College Columbia University 2024;
E.Z. Lynch Scholarship, Teachers College Columbia University, 2023;
F & D Neff Endowed Scholarship, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2021-22;
Regina Arnold Memorial Scholarship, Graduate Art of Teaching Program, Sarah Lawrence College, 2013
Last Updated: Nov 4, 2024
Carmen Llerena
Ed.D. Student, Early Childhood Education
Carmen is a former early childhood educator with over 20 years of experience teaching in the NYC DOE, serving students in dual language, ASD Nest, and progressive education programs. As an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English, Carmen serves on the Elementary Section Steering Committee and the board of the Early Childhood Education Assembly. Previously, she sat on the Board of Trustees of the Research Foundation. Carmen is also a member of the American Educational Research Association.
Research Discipline/Bio
Carmen Lugo Llerena is a doctoral candidate and instructor in the Early Childhood Program in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching. Her research examines how young children make sense of the world around them, construct their identities, and develop a shared culture through their affinities derived from popular media texts. At TC, Carmen has taught courses related to home, school, and community partnerships; literacy; and public pedagogies.
Carmen is a former early childhood educator with over 20 years of experience teaching in the NYC DOE, serving students in dual language, ASD Nest, and progressive education programs. As an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English, Carmen serves on the Elementary Section Steering Committee and the board of the Early Childhood Education Assembly. Previously, she sat on the Board of Trustees of the Research Foundation. Carmen is also a member of the American Educational Research Association.
Educational Background
M.S. Early Childhood Education (Bilingual Extension)
City University of New York, 2004
B.S. Hotel, Restaurant, and Travel Administration
University of Massachusetts, 1994
Publications/Exhibitions
Llerena, C. L., & Yoon, H. S. (2024). “Saving a picture forever”: Documenting and curating “truthful” images at school. Anthropology & Education Quarterly. Advance online publication. https://doi-org.10.1111/aeq.12534
Yoon, H. S., & Llerena, C. L. (2020). Transnational friendships and fluid boundaries in early childhood classrooms: The possibilities of (un) productive play in teacher-researcher collaborations for equity. Urban Education, 55(6), 865-891. https://doi-org.10.1177/0042085919892048
Llerena, C. L. (2020). Students’ right to representation in the early childhood curriculum. In M. Souto-Manning (Ed.), In the pursuit of justice (pp. 27-38).
Souto-Manning, M., Llerena, C. L., Martell, J., Maguire, A. S., & Arce-Boardman, A. (2018). No more culturally irrelevant teaching. Heinemann.
Yoon, H. S., Llerena, C., & Brooks, E. (2016). The unfolding of Lucas’s story in an inclusive classroom: Living, playing, and becoming in the social world of kindergarten. Occasional Paper Series, 2016(36), 60-78. https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1162
Last Updated: Nov 2, 2024
Neha Pant
Ed.D. Student, Curriculum and Teaching
Dissertation Advisor: Patricia Martinez Alvarez
Research Discipline/Bio
I am a researcher, special educator, and 4th-year Ed.D student in curriculum and teaching from India. I am a research assistant for the Bilingual and Bicultural Education program and a writing fellow with the Graduate Writing Center. My research interests are bilingual special education and inclusive practices in secondary classrooms. I was a Zankel fellow for two years, providing math intervention at TCCS. I have taught over 12 inclusive education and special education courses at UW Madison. During my three-year tenure on the Student Senate, I served as the DEI committee chair and student senate president. My leadership was instrumental in driving significant institutional policy changes, including the increase in the minimum wage for student workers. As the senate president, I led advocacy efforts for introducing doctoral student profiles, providing free menstrual products, and TC’s divestment from the Israel-Gaza crisis. In my free time, I enjoy reading and exploring the city.
Educational Background
Masters of Science, Special Education - Research and Theory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2021
Master of Arts, Education - Curriculum and Pedagogy, Azim Premji University, 2015
Honors/Awards
Shirley Chisholm Trailblazer Award, 2022
Zankel Fellowship 2022, 2023
Publications/Exhibitions
Chandrshekhar, S., Venkataramu, V., Pant, N. (2018). Lesson adaptation as a tool to aid reading comprehension in students with learning difficulties. Learning Curve, 1(29), 60-70.
http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/983
Last Updated: Sep 3, 2024
Fabiola Quinones
Ed.D. Student, Curriculum and Teaching
In what ways do high school-aged youth co-creating a curriculum make meaning of and find value in historical content?
How do their perspectives of the historical content evolve over time, if at all?
How do high school-aged youth want to experience content and show their understanding?
How do the YPAR co-created practices inform, contradict, or resist the themes and processes of developing a counter-narrative?
She is a GIAS Research Assistant and will help develop the Latinx History Curriculum for NYC public schools. She is a Research Fellow for Cyphers for Justice, guiding youth in social justice-related research through YPAR. Previously, Fabiola was adjunct faculty at the Art Institute, a middle school science teacher, instructional coach, department head, and curriculum writer, an Instructional Fellow at the Relay GSE, and a leadership/instructional coach at The Urban Assembly.
Research Discipline/Bio
Fabiola is Curriculum & Teaching student working on her dissertation proposal which asks:
In what ways do high school-aged youth co-creating a curriculum make meaning of and find value in historical content?
How do their perspectives of the historical content evolve over time, if at all?
How do high school-aged youth want to experience content and show their understanding?
How do the YPAR co-created practices inform, contradict, or resist the themes and processes of developing a counter-narrative?
She is a GIAS Research Assistant and will help develop the Latinx History Curriculum for NYC public schools. She is a Research Fellow for Cyphers for Justice, guiding youth in social justice-related research through YPAR. Previously, Fabiola was adjunct faculty at the Art Institute, a middle school science teacher, instructional coach, department head, and curriculum writer, an Instructional Fellow at the Relay GSE, and a leadership/instructional coach at The Urban Assembly.
Educational Background
Masters of Science, Education, Hunter College, 2012
Master of Arts Entertainment Media Management, Music Business, Columbia College Chicago, 2010
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Notre Dame, 2006
Honors/Awards
Research Assistant, Gordon Institute for Advanced Study, 2024 - 2025
Cypher for Justice Research Fellow, Zankel Research Fellowship, January 2024 - June 2025
DEYCTP Center Scholarship, Teachers College, 2024 - 2025
DEYCTP Center Scholarship, Teachers College, 2023 - 2024
Department Diversity Scholar, Curriculum & Teaching Teachers College, 2022 - 2023
Department Diversity Scholar, Curriculum & Teaching Teachers College, 2021 - 2022
Last Updated: Oct 11, 2024
We are delighted to announce the launch of our new online profiles for Doctoral Students at Teachers College.
If you are a currently enrolled doctoral student at Teachers College, please visit the profile submission page for more information on how you can create your own profile.