Alumni
Alumni from our master’s programs pursue myriad career paths related to international and comparative education programs and policies across a range of organizations, including: governments; local, national, international organizations; United Nations agencies; donor agencies and foundations; colleges and universities, to name a few.
Our doctoral alumni pursue scholarly positions in academic institutions or obtain leadership positions related to education programs, policies, and research across different organizations.
Audrey Bryan
Ph.D., Class of 2006 Associate Professor of Sociology, Dublin City University
Biography: I am an Associate Professor of Sociology in the School of Human Development at Dublin City University, where I teach courses across the range of programme offerings on the Humanities (Human Development) and Education programmes. My primary teaching responsibilities are in the sociology of childhood, the sociology of education and advanced research methods. My current research examines the effects of the figure of the “21st century child” being articulated by educational policy actors and the ways this is (re)shaping understandings of childhood, schooling, society and humanity. The sociology of climate change, and other forms of "difficult knowledge" is another major focus of my current work, particularly as it relates to the affective and aesthetic dimensions of climate change education.
Dissertation Title: A place called home: An analysis of discourses on nationalism, supranationalism and multiculturalism in the formal and informal curriculum in the Republic of Ireland
Advisors: Frances Vavurs and Aaron Pallas
Geographic focus: Ireland; Europe
Research interests: International Education Policy; Parenting and the "21st century Child"; Global Citizenship Education; Climate Change Education; the affective turn in Education
What do you currently enjoy at work? I love figuring out how to make complex theories/concepts/ideas accessible to students using film, imagery, music, poetry and other art forms.
Something Special About Your TC Experience: The PhD program in Comparative International Education was an amazing experience! It provided me with a fantastic and substantive grounding in both the discipline of Sociology as well as Comparative Education and provided me with all the tools I needed to pursue a career in academia. I have such fond memories of my Professors and my courses and of my time at TC. I wish I could do it all over again! The depth and breadth of thematic and research-based course offerings, combined with research opportunities at TC, enabled my research interests to develop organically. The IED/CIE program structure, with its combined emphasis on core courses in the field, and substantive coursework in an academic specialization, provides a solid foundation for the development of robust, yet not overly prescriptive, intellectual identities.
Advice for current and prospective students: The program at TC provides access to the top scholars in our field and offers incredible opportunities to learn from the best. Make the most of these opportunities as you will miss it, even as you carry it with you.
Biography: I am an Associate Professor of Sociology in the School of Human Development at Dublin City University, where I teach courses across the range of programme offerings on the Humanities (Human Development) and Education programmes. My primary teaching responsibilities are in the sociology of childhood, the sociology of education and advanced research methods. My current research examines the effects of the figure of the “21st century child” being articulated by educational policy actors and the ways this is (re)shaping understandings of childhood, schooling, society and humanity. The sociology of climate change, and other forms of "difficult knowledge" is another major focus of my current work, particularly as it relates to the affective and aesthetic dimensions of climate change education.
Dissertation Title: A place called home: An analysis of discourses on nationalism, supranationalism and multiculturalism in the formal and informal curriculum in the Republic of Ireland
Advisors: Frances Vavurs and Aaron Pallas
Geographic focus: Ireland; Europe
Research interests: International Education Policy; Parenting and the "21st century Child"; Global Citizenship Education; Climate Change Education; the affective turn in Education
What do you currently enjoy at work? I love figuring out how to make complex theories/concepts/ideas accessible to students using film, imagery, music, poetry and other art forms.
Something Special About Your TC Experience: The PhD program in Comparative International Education was an amazing experience! It provided me with a fantastic and substantive grounding in both the discipline of Sociology as well as Comparative Education and provided me with all the tools I needed to pursue a career in academia. I have such fond memories of my Professors and my courses and of my time at TC. I wish I could do it all over again! The depth and breadth of thematic and research-based course offerings, combined with research opportunities at TC, enabled my research interests to develop organically. The IED/CIE program structure, with its combined emphasis on core courses in the field, and substantive coursework in an academic specialization, provides a solid foundation for the development of robust, yet not overly prescriptive, intellectual identities.
Advice for current and prospective students: The program at TC provides access to the top scholars in our field and offers incredible opportunities to learn from the best. Make the most of these opportunities as you will miss it, even as you carry it with you.
Rosa Chavarro
M.A. in International Educational Development, 2015. Concentration: International Policy and Planning
Current position: Program Coordinator, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Bio: Rosa Chavarro is a higher education professional with experience in graduate affairs, student recruiting, and student advising. Rosa holds a Master’s Degree in International Educational Development from Columbia University’s Teachers College.
Something special about TC: I loved my experience as a student in the International Educational Development program. It expanded my skills in research and practice in education. It introduced me to wonderful friends and faculty mentors. I am a grateful alum of this program and have found this experience to be inspiring and valuable in my professional and personal growth.
Integrated Project Title: How Green is the Big Apple? Social Inequality and School Engagement with Environmental and Sustainability Education in New York City Public Schools
Advisor: Oren Pizmony-Levy
Research and scholarly interests: I am interested in higher education research; specifically understanding the college pathways and experiences of students from immigrant backgrounds. I am also interested in issues of philanthropy and education, as well as biomedical sciences programs.
What do you like the most about your current work? I love working with students and helping them along their journey in graduate school. I also love working with Deans and with faculty, and helping them accomplish the educational mission of the institution.
Advice for current and prospective students: I advise students to learn as much as possible from their courses, and to focus on building collegial relationships.
Current position: Program Coordinator, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Bio: Rosa Chavarro is a higher education professional with experience in graduate affairs, student recruiting, and student advising. Rosa holds a Master’s Degree in International Educational Development from Columbia University’s Teachers College.
Something special about TC: I loved my experience as a student in the International Educational Development program. It expanded my skills in research and practice in education. It introduced me to wonderful friends and faculty mentors. I am a grateful alum of this program and have found this experience to be inspiring and valuable in my professional and personal growth.
Integrated Project Title: How Green is the Big Apple? Social Inequality and School Engagement with Environmental and Sustainability Education in New York City Public Schools
Advisor: Oren Pizmony-Levy
Research and scholarly interests: I am interested in higher education research; specifically understanding the college pathways and experiences of students from immigrant backgrounds. I am also interested in issues of philanthropy and education, as well as biomedical sciences programs.
What do you like the most about your current work? I love working with students and helping them along their journey in graduate school. I also love working with Deans and with faculty, and helping them accomplish the educational mission of the institution.
Advice for current and prospective students: I advise students to learn as much as possible from their courses, and to focus on building collegial relationships.
Mercedes del Rosario
Ed.D., Class of 2007 Concentration: International Policy and Planning
Bio: Dr. Mercedes del Rosario is a compassionate educator and a passionate advocate for the purposeful use of technology in education. She has an intimate understanding of how technology can be used to leverage the teaching and learning experience while being acutely aware of the challenges of technology integration in terms of access, skills, and resources. She also has an extensive experience in faculty professional development, workshop facilitation, project management, adult learning, instructional design and technology, knowledge management, and technology training for teachers.
She believes, as John Dewey believes, that “education is not preparation for life but life itself.” For her, every experience is a part and parcel of the educational process and contributes to each person’s overall learning, growth, and development. For almost nine years, she was the Director of the ePortfolio Initiative of the City University of New York, LaGuardia Community College, where she was the pivotal administrator of the highly successful ePortfolio Initiative. As a senior member of the College's Center for Teaching and Learning and the Assessment Committee, she also significantly contributed to the College's key undertakings, such as faculty professional development, workshop design and facilitation, evidence-based outcomes assessment, rubrics development (especially, on digital communication and literacy), student success and transfer programs. She also held a concurrent appointment as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Education and Language Acquisition, where she taught Foundation of American Education courses.
She possesses a wide range of professional skills and experiences including project management, teaching, online course development and facilitation, educational research, data collection and analysis, academic writing, public speaking, and conference presentation. She worked in different cities including New York, New York, San Francisco, California, San Jose, Costa Rica, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and Manila, Philippines. Prior to her migration to the United States of America in 1990, she served as the Committee Secretary of the Committee on Public Information, House of Representatives, Congress of the Philippines, where under the supervision of the Honorable Chairman, she led the legislative research and public hearings in aid of legislation on matters pertaining to public information, including press freedom and communication facilities franchises. She also worked in development programs, and regional and local training projects and wrote information materials for various agencies of the Philippine government. She also taught Basic English and Writing courses.
Her scholarly interests are on the integration of technology in education with a focus on technology policy borrowing and its actual implementation and how the variance between the two impacts the teaching and learning experience. Her doctoral dissertation, Technology Integration in Teacher Education Programs in the Philippines: An International Development Perspective (advisor: Prof. Gita Steiner-Khamsi) reveals the complexity of integrating technology since a host of variables, which are by themselves complex, impact technology integration. These variables include national, state and school policies, state and local technology plans or lack thereof, funding or lack thereof, teachers skills or lack thereof, the rapidly changing nature of technology, learning goals and objectives, teacher training and professional development, technology support or lack thereof, to the number of students in a school.
She has an Ed. D. and Ed.M. in International Education Development with a concentration on Policy Studies and Language, Literacy, and Technology, respectively from Teachers College, Columbia University. She also has an M.A. in Instructional Technology from San Francisco State University and a B.S. in Development Communication, majoring in Journalism, from the University of the Philippines at Los Banos. Further, she completed two years of coursework at the University of the Philippines College of Law.
For the past several years, she went on an extended personal sabbatical to pursue her personal interests in literary fiction writing, photography, and traveling.
Something Special about TC: My experience at TC has provided me with the strength and courage to pursue my professional and personal interests. Professionally, it has opened opportunities for me and allowed me to put into practice what I have learned, in particular the use of technology in education with its attendant advantages and challenges. Personally, it has taught me to have the boldness and resolve to pursue my other interests.
Advisor: Dr. Gita Steiner-Khamsi
Bio: Dr. Mercedes del Rosario is a compassionate educator and a passionate advocate for the purposeful use of technology in education. She has an intimate understanding of how technology can be used to leverage the teaching and learning experience while being acutely aware of the challenges of technology integration in terms of access, skills, and resources. She also has an extensive experience in faculty professional development, workshop facilitation, project management, adult learning, instructional design and technology, knowledge management, and technology training for teachers.
She believes, as John Dewey believes, that “education is not preparation for life but life itself.” For her, every experience is a part and parcel of the educational process and contributes to each person’s overall learning, growth, and development. For almost nine years, she was the Director of the ePortfolio Initiative of the City University of New York, LaGuardia Community College, where she was the pivotal administrator of the highly successful ePortfolio Initiative. As a senior member of the College's Center for Teaching and Learning and the Assessment Committee, she also significantly contributed to the College's key undertakings, such as faculty professional development, workshop design and facilitation, evidence-based outcomes assessment, rubrics development (especially, on digital communication and literacy), student success and transfer programs. She also held a concurrent appointment as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Education and Language Acquisition, where she taught Foundation of American Education courses.
She possesses a wide range of professional skills and experiences including project management, teaching, online course development and facilitation, educational research, data collection and analysis, academic writing, public speaking, and conference presentation. She worked in different cities including New York, New York, San Francisco, California, San Jose, Costa Rica, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and Manila, Philippines. Prior to her migration to the United States of America in 1990, she served as the Committee Secretary of the Committee on Public Information, House of Representatives, Congress of the Philippines, where under the supervision of the Honorable Chairman, she led the legislative research and public hearings in aid of legislation on matters pertaining to public information, including press freedom and communication facilities franchises. She also worked in development programs, and regional and local training projects and wrote information materials for various agencies of the Philippine government. She also taught Basic English and Writing courses.
Her scholarly interests are on the integration of technology in education with a focus on technology policy borrowing and its actual implementation and how the variance between the two impacts the teaching and learning experience. Her doctoral dissertation, Technology Integration in Teacher Education Programs in the Philippines: An International Development Perspective (advisor: Prof. Gita Steiner-Khamsi) reveals the complexity of integrating technology since a host of variables, which are by themselves complex, impact technology integration. These variables include national, state and school policies, state and local technology plans or lack thereof, funding or lack thereof, teachers skills or lack thereof, the rapidly changing nature of technology, learning goals and objectives, teacher training and professional development, technology support or lack thereof, to the number of students in a school.
She has an Ed. D. and Ed.M. in International Education Development with a concentration on Policy Studies and Language, Literacy, and Technology, respectively from Teachers College, Columbia University. She also has an M.A. in Instructional Technology from San Francisco State University and a B.S. in Development Communication, majoring in Journalism, from the University of the Philippines at Los Banos. Further, she completed two years of coursework at the University of the Philippines College of Law.
For the past several years, she went on an extended personal sabbatical to pursue her personal interests in literary fiction writing, photography, and traveling.
Something Special about TC: My experience at TC has provided me with the strength and courage to pursue my professional and personal interests. Professionally, it has opened opportunities for me and allowed me to put into practice what I have learned, in particular the use of technology in education with its attendant advantages and challenges. Personally, it has taught me to have the boldness and resolve to pursue my other interests.
Advisor: Dr. Gita Steiner-Khamsi
Asel Dorombaeva
M.A., Class of 2018 Concentration: International Policy and Planning
Advisor: Professor Fenot Aklog
Something Special About Your TC Experience: I enjoyed a full immersion in TC's dynamic and leading intellectual community. Its rich suite of courses and incorporated learning practices prepared me to make a bigger impact by taking leading roles in my country.
Current position: Doctoral Fellow, Teachers College, Columbia University
Advisor: Professor Fenot Aklog
Something Special About Your TC Experience: I enjoyed a full immersion in TC's dynamic and leading intellectual community. Its rich suite of courses and incorporated learning practices prepared me to make a bigger impact by taking leading roles in my country.
Current position: Doctoral Fellow, Teachers College, Columbia University
Camille Funk
M.A. International Educational Development, Class of 2003 Concentration: Curriculum and Teaching
Current Position: Director, Learning Innovation, University of California, Irvine
Bio: Professional Experience: Several years experience as: 1) director of learning innovation (UC Irvine, USC and GW University), and 2) instructional designer (UC Irvine, USC, GW University, and BYU).
Entrepreneurial Experience: Created and launched the eDesign Shop, LLC in July 2017. Private, for-profit institution made up of learning production team members gathered from universities and colleges throughout the United States, who are looking for additional design projects. Partners with universities and institutions that are deficient in resources to complete needed course development projects.
Education Association Leadership: Created the Higher Education eDesign Association (HEeD) for instructional design and multimedia development professionals in higher education in July 2015. In May 2016, HEeD merged with UPCEA and was repurposed as the eDesign Collaborative. Served as the Director for three years and worked with a leadership team to oversee the growth of membership and development of new initiatives to serve the UPCEA community.
Teaching Experience: Bookend elementary school classroom teaching experience in both kindergarten and fifth grade, as well as university teaching experience. Designed the curriculum for UC Irvine's Instructional Design for Higher Education specialization.
Current Position: Director, Learning Innovation, University of California, Irvine
Bio: Professional Experience: Several years experience as: 1) director of learning innovation (UC Irvine, USC and GW University), and 2) instructional designer (UC Irvine, USC, GW University, and BYU).
Entrepreneurial Experience: Created and launched the eDesign Shop, LLC in July 2017. Private, for-profit institution made up of learning production team members gathered from universities and colleges throughout the United States, who are looking for additional design projects. Partners with universities and institutions that are deficient in resources to complete needed course development projects.
Education Association Leadership: Created the Higher Education eDesign Association (HEeD) for instructional design and multimedia development professionals in higher education in July 2015. In May 2016, HEeD merged with UPCEA and was repurposed as the eDesign Collaborative. Served as the Director for three years and worked with a leadership team to oversee the growth of membership and development of new initiatives to serve the UPCEA community.
Teaching Experience: Bookend elementary school classroom teaching experience in both kindergarten and fifth grade, as well as university teaching experience. Designed the curriculum for UC Irvine's Instructional Design for Higher Education specialization.
Christine Harris-Van Keuren
Ph.D., Class of 2016
Current Position: Senior Research Scientist, Educational Policy Institute
Before TC: Dr. Harris-Van Keuren was born in Iowa and raised on a horse racing farm outside of Des Moines. After high school, she graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in English Literature with the intent to go on to law school. However, after interviewing attorneys, she discovered that most of them didn’t like their jobs very much and it wouldn’t allow her to make the kind of impact that she wanted. After a period of time “finding herself,” which included consulting with Microsoft, selling diamonds, and booking bands in Seattle during the grunge era, she moved to Vietnam where she researched education to workforce links. It was during this time that she realized that she’d rather work to improve literacy or attendance rates than increase a company’s bottom line. After returning to the United States, she was accepted into the Harvard Graduate School of Education and received a master’s degree in International Education Policy with an emphasis in statistics.
While at TC: Dr. Harris-Van Keuren wrote and published teaching notes and cases for Harvard Business School, was a teaching assistant for Professor Gita Steiner-Khamsi, published with the Inter-American Development Bank, and presented on numerous occasions at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) national conferences. Because of her work with Professor Steiner-Khamsi, Dr. Harris-Van Keuren has researched teachers’ salaries in post-Soviet states and the status of the teaching profession globally. This work has been published with USAID and a UNESCO Background Paper for the Global Monitoring Report. Due to her focus in economics, she was selected to attend the inaugural cost analysis training hosted by Henry Levin at the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education at Teachers College and the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education. This intensive training is designed to enable researchers and evaluators to apply cost-effectiveness and benefit-cost analysis (CEA/BCA) to policy issues.
After TC: While writing her dissertation, Dr. Harris-Van Keuren secured a Senior Research Scientist position with the Educational Policy Institute based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Her work focuses on international education and economics issues and she conducts analyses on projects and programs to help inform policy and practice. She is currently working on multiple cost analysis evaluation projects across five different countries and a handful of domestic evaluation projects. She published a second Background Paper for UNESCO’s Global Monitoring Report with Iveta Silova and assisted in co-authoring an OECD report on the status of the teaching profession with Carina Omoeva. She served as an adjunct professor for Lehigh University for several years and led master’s level students abroad to collect data in low income countries. Dr. Harris-Van Keuren was recently invited to attend the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) 2016 in Berlin, Germany and has a few more papers and book chapters due for publication this year. Dr. Harris-Van Keuren currently lives in Colorado with her husband, two children, and a well-loved but spoiled Golden Retriever.
Advice for Students: Dr. Harris-Van Keuren’s advice to TC students is to not become generalists. Students should have a general foundation in international and comparative education but they should then acquire a strong geographical area of expertise, topical focus, and/or methodological specialty. Dr. Harris-Van Keuren also encourages students, especially doctoral students, to join a writing group. She believes that a small and dedicated group is a safe space to try new ideas and help push you toward completion.
Current Position: Senior Research Scientist, Educational Policy Institute
Before TC: Dr. Harris-Van Keuren was born in Iowa and raised on a horse racing farm outside of Des Moines. After high school, she graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in English Literature with the intent to go on to law school. However, after interviewing attorneys, she discovered that most of them didn’t like their jobs very much and it wouldn’t allow her to make the kind of impact that she wanted. After a period of time “finding herself,” which included consulting with Microsoft, selling diamonds, and booking bands in Seattle during the grunge era, she moved to Vietnam where she researched education to workforce links. It was during this time that she realized that she’d rather work to improve literacy or attendance rates than increase a company’s bottom line. After returning to the United States, she was accepted into the Harvard Graduate School of Education and received a master’s degree in International Education Policy with an emphasis in statistics.
While at TC: Dr. Harris-Van Keuren wrote and published teaching notes and cases for Harvard Business School, was a teaching assistant for Professor Gita Steiner-Khamsi, published with the Inter-American Development Bank, and presented on numerous occasions at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) national conferences. Because of her work with Professor Steiner-Khamsi, Dr. Harris-Van Keuren has researched teachers’ salaries in post-Soviet states and the status of the teaching profession globally. This work has been published with USAID and a UNESCO Background Paper for the Global Monitoring Report. Due to her focus in economics, she was selected to attend the inaugural cost analysis training hosted by Henry Levin at the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education at Teachers College and the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education. This intensive training is designed to enable researchers and evaluators to apply cost-effectiveness and benefit-cost analysis (CEA/BCA) to policy issues.
After TC: While writing her dissertation, Dr. Harris-Van Keuren secured a Senior Research Scientist position with the Educational Policy Institute based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Her work focuses on international education and economics issues and she conducts analyses on projects and programs to help inform policy and practice. She is currently working on multiple cost analysis evaluation projects across five different countries and a handful of domestic evaluation projects. She published a second Background Paper for UNESCO’s Global Monitoring Report with Iveta Silova and assisted in co-authoring an OECD report on the status of the teaching profession with Carina Omoeva. She served as an adjunct professor for Lehigh University for several years and led master’s level students abroad to collect data in low income countries. Dr. Harris-Van Keuren was recently invited to attend the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) 2016 in Berlin, Germany and has a few more papers and book chapters due for publication this year. Dr. Harris-Van Keuren currently lives in Colorado with her husband, two children, and a well-loved but spoiled Golden Retriever.
Advice for Students: Dr. Harris-Van Keuren’s advice to TC students is to not become generalists. Students should have a general foundation in international and comparative education but they should then acquire a strong geographical area of expertise, topical focus, and/or methodological specialty. Dr. Harris-Van Keuren also encourages students, especially doctoral students, to join a writing group. She believes that a small and dedicated group is a safe space to try new ideas and help push you toward completion.
Victor Llanque Zonta
Ph.D., Comparative and International Education, Class of 2017
Current Position: Assistant Head of School, Seven Hills School
Advisor: Professor Regina Cortina
Bio: Dr. Victor Llanque Zonta serves as Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning at the Seven Hills School, a pre-school to 8th grade independent school in Walnut Creek, CA. Victor joined Seven Hills this past summer and has worked alongside the school's leaders to align the curriculum across grade levels. Before coming to Seven Hills, Victor served as Associate Head of School at Greens Farms Academy in Westport, CT. In this role, Victor led a diverse student body of over 700 PreK-12th grade students, overseeing all academic departments, providing a strategic perspective on the senior administrative team, leading faculty recruitment, hiring, and development, managing the school’s calendar of events, and spearheading program innovation. Victor is originally from Bolivia and completed his doctoral studies at Teachers College under Dr. Cortina's tutelage in the Comparative and International Education program in 2017.
Current Position: Assistant Head of School, Seven Hills School
Advisor: Professor Regina Cortina
Bio: Dr. Victor Llanque Zonta serves as Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning at the Seven Hills School, a pre-school to 8th grade independent school in Walnut Creek, CA. Victor joined Seven Hills this past summer and has worked alongside the school's leaders to align the curriculum across grade levels. Before coming to Seven Hills, Victor served as Associate Head of School at Greens Farms Academy in Westport, CT. In this role, Victor led a diverse student body of over 700 PreK-12th grade students, overseeing all academic departments, providing a strategic perspective on the senior administrative team, leading faculty recruitment, hiring, and development, managing the school’s calendar of events, and spearheading program innovation. Victor is originally from Bolivia and completed his doctoral studies at Teachers College under Dr. Cortina's tutelage in the Comparative and International Education program in 2017.
Antonia D. Mandry
Ed.D., Class of 2012 Concentration: Peace and Human Rights Education
Current Position: Education Specialist, UNICEF
Bio: Dr. Antonia Mandry (Doctor of Education in International Educational Development and Master’s in Education), a US national, has been working in the field of education since 2002. She specialized in Peace Education and Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Psychology. Her research focused on human rights and peace education initiatives in universities in Turkey. Her work focuses on international educational development with experience including Education in Emergencies, teacher training, education management information systems, humanitarian cash transfers, curriculum and teaching, and evaluation and assessment. She has worked with UNICEF since 2012 in Chad, Turkey, South Sudan, Yemen and is currently with the UNICEF Regional Office for East Asia and Pacific located in Bangkok as an Education Specialist (P-4).
Dissertation: Thinking Locally about Universal Human Rights: A Case Study on Peace Education in a Turkish University
Geographical focus: Turkey
Advisor: Monisha Bajaj
Research and scholarly interests: Peace education, international educational development, qualitative and quantitative research methods, education in emergencies
What do you enjoy the most about your current work? Drawing on current research to inform education programming for vulnerable children around the world.
Something special about TC: TC provided me with the skills that expertise that have translated smoothly into my career with the UN. In addition, it created a cadre of friends and colleagues from around the world that I am still in touch with. An indelible part of my life experience.
Advice for Students: If possible, take a diverse set of courses as electives in order to expose yourself to different schools of thought.
Current Position: Education Specialist, UNICEF
Bio: Dr. Antonia Mandry (Doctor of Education in International Educational Development and Master’s in Education), a US national, has been working in the field of education since 2002. She specialized in Peace Education and Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Psychology. Her research focused on human rights and peace education initiatives in universities in Turkey. Her work focuses on international educational development with experience including Education in Emergencies, teacher training, education management information systems, humanitarian cash transfers, curriculum and teaching, and evaluation and assessment. She has worked with UNICEF since 2012 in Chad, Turkey, South Sudan, Yemen and is currently with the UNICEF Regional Office for East Asia and Pacific located in Bangkok as an Education Specialist (P-4).
Dissertation: Thinking Locally about Universal Human Rights: A Case Study on Peace Education in a Turkish University
Geographical focus: Turkey
Advisor: Monisha Bajaj
Research and scholarly interests: Peace education, international educational development, qualitative and quantitative research methods, education in emergencies
What do you enjoy the most about your current work? Drawing on current research to inform education programming for vulnerable children around the world.
Something special about TC: TC provided me with the skills that expertise that have translated smoothly into my career with the UN. In addition, it created a cadre of friends and colleagues from around the world that I am still in touch with. An indelible part of my life experience.
Advice for Students: If possible, take a diverse set of courses as electives in order to expose yourself to different schools of thought.
Michelle Morais de Sa e Silva
Ph.D., Class of 2010
Degree Obtained: Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative and International Education, Concentration: Political Science
Advisor: Dr. Gita Steiner-Khamsi
Current Position: Assistant Professor of International Studies, The University of Oklahoma
Geographical Focus: Africa and Latin America
Bio: Dr. Michelle Morais de Sa e Silva is an assistant professor in International and Area Studies in the Department of International and Area Studies. She is also Co-Director of the Center for Brazil Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
Previously, she had been Head of Graduate Programs and Professor at Brazil’s National School of Public Administration (Enap). She had also been Coordinator General for International Cooperation at Brazil’s Ministry of Human Rights (2011-2014). Before that, she was a UNESCO staff member for six years. In addition to Brazil, Dr. Morais has worked in countries like Angola, Colombia, Mozambique and Russia. She received her PhD from Teachers College and her MA in Development Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, The Netherlands. In 2015, she did a year of postdoctoral research at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Her research agenda has been mostly focused on issues of international cooperation for development, policy diffusion, and international comparative education. Dr. Morais is the author of the book Poverty Reduction, Education, and the Global Diffusion of Conditional Cash Transfers (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017).
Research and Scholarly Interests: Policy studies; politics and economics of educational borrowing and lending; South-South cooperation, South-South transfer; conditional cash transfer programs; adult literacy policies, especially in African and Latin American countries.
Something Special About Your TC Experience: TC gave me one of the best scholarly experiences I have ever had. It brings together a very generous, cooperative, and inspiring community, one that I hope to create and emulate for my own students.
Degree Obtained: Doctor of Philosophy in Comparative and International Education, Concentration: Political Science
Advisor: Dr. Gita Steiner-Khamsi
Current Position: Assistant Professor of International Studies, The University of Oklahoma
Geographical Focus: Africa and Latin America
Bio: Dr. Michelle Morais de Sa e Silva is an assistant professor in International and Area Studies in the Department of International and Area Studies. She is also Co-Director of the Center for Brazil Studies at the University of Oklahoma.
Previously, she had been Head of Graduate Programs and Professor at Brazil’s National School of Public Administration (Enap). She had also been Coordinator General for International Cooperation at Brazil’s Ministry of Human Rights (2011-2014). Before that, she was a UNESCO staff member for six years. In addition to Brazil, Dr. Morais has worked in countries like Angola, Colombia, Mozambique and Russia. She received her PhD from Teachers College and her MA in Development Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, The Netherlands. In 2015, she did a year of postdoctoral research at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Her research agenda has been mostly focused on issues of international cooperation for development, policy diffusion, and international comparative education. Dr. Morais is the author of the book Poverty Reduction, Education, and the Global Diffusion of Conditional Cash Transfers (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017).
Research and Scholarly Interests: Policy studies; politics and economics of educational borrowing and lending; South-South cooperation, South-South transfer; conditional cash transfer programs; adult literacy policies, especially in African and Latin American countries.
Something Special About Your TC Experience: TC gave me one of the best scholarly experiences I have ever had. It brings together a very generous, cooperative, and inspiring community, one that I hope to create and emulate for my own students.
Kevin Nascimento
M.A. in International and Comparative Education, Class of 2018 Concentration: International Humanitarian Issues
Current Position: Technical Advisor, Creative Associates International
Bio: Kevin currently works at Creative Associates International with 10 years of progressively responsible technical and managerial experience in international development including humanitarian missions and emergency relief management. Recently, Kevin served as a deployable education in emergencies specialist responding to multiple middle to large scale complex crises in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia. After, Kevin served as the technical lead for projects focused on fidelity of implementation surrounding accelerated education, early grade literacy and numeracy, and cross-sectoral programming. Kevin has experience in teacher professional development, curriculum development, parent/caregiver engagement, psychosocial support and social emotional learning, and collaboration with local, regional, and national-level education systems.
Kevin will serve as a Technical Advisor on the Education for Development Division at Creative supporting the quality and effective technical implementation of Creative’s education portfolio in addition to supporting business development efforts. Kevin holds an M.A. in International Education Development from Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.A. in Cell and Molecular Biology from SUNY Binghamton. He is fluent in Spanish, intermediate in Portuguese, and a native English speaker.
Advisor: Professor Garnett Russell
Current Position: Technical Advisor, Creative Associates International
Bio: Kevin currently works at Creative Associates International with 10 years of progressively responsible technical and managerial experience in international development including humanitarian missions and emergency relief management. Recently, Kevin served as a deployable education in emergencies specialist responding to multiple middle to large scale complex crises in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia. After, Kevin served as the technical lead for projects focused on fidelity of implementation surrounding accelerated education, early grade literacy and numeracy, and cross-sectoral programming. Kevin has experience in teacher professional development, curriculum development, parent/caregiver engagement, psychosocial support and social emotional learning, and collaboration with local, regional, and national-level education systems.
Kevin will serve as a Technical Advisor on the Education for Development Division at Creative supporting the quality and effective technical implementation of Creative’s education portfolio in addition to supporting business development efforts. Kevin holds an M.A. in International Education Development from Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.A. in Cell and Molecular Biology from SUNY Binghamton. He is fluent in Spanish, intermediate in Portuguese, and a native English speaker.
Advisor: Professor Garnett Russell
Natasha Ridge
Ed.D. in International Educational Development, Class of 2009 Concentration: International Policy and Planning
Current position: Executive Director, Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research
Bio: Natasha Ridge is the founding Executive Director of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research. Prior to this appointment, she was the Acting Director of Research at the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government. Natasha has over 20 years of experience working in the international education sector in countries including the United Arab Emirates, the USA, Singapore, and Australia.
Natasha holds a Doctorate of Education in International Education Policy from Columbia University, a Master's in International and Community Development from Deakin University, and a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University.
Natasha has over 30 publications, including two books, Education and the Reverse Gender Divide in the Gulf States: Embracing the Global, Ignoring the Local (2014) and Philanthropy in Education: Diverse Perspectives and Global Trends (2019). Her latest research focuses on philanthropy and education in the MENA region as well as the nature and impact of father involvement in the Arab World.
Something special about TC: My TC experience formed some of the most wonderful years of my life. I loved the international student body that exposed me to so many new ways of seeing the world and understanding the global education sector. Academically it was also extremely engaging and challenging in the best possible way. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, especially in terms of being able to present and speak in public which has proved to be a valuable skill in my current position. My time at TC gave me a wonderful platform from which to launch the next stage of my career in the philanthropic sector and I remain forever grateful for that.
Current position: Executive Director, Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research
Bio: Natasha Ridge is the founding Executive Director of the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research. Prior to this appointment, she was the Acting Director of Research at the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government. Natasha has over 20 years of experience working in the international education sector in countries including the United Arab Emirates, the USA, Singapore, and Australia.
Natasha holds a Doctorate of Education in International Education Policy from Columbia University, a Master's in International and Community Development from Deakin University, and a Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University.
Natasha has over 30 publications, including two books, Education and the Reverse Gender Divide in the Gulf States: Embracing the Global, Ignoring the Local (2014) and Philanthropy in Education: Diverse Perspectives and Global Trends (2019). Her latest research focuses on philanthropy and education in the MENA region as well as the nature and impact of father involvement in the Arab World.
Something special about TC: My TC experience formed some of the most wonderful years of my life. I loved the international student body that exposed me to so many new ways of seeing the world and understanding the global education sector. Academically it was also extremely engaging and challenging in the best possible way. I was pushed out of my comfort zone, especially in terms of being able to present and speak in public which has proved to be a valuable skill in my current position. My time at TC gave me a wonderful platform from which to launch the next stage of my career in the philanthropic sector and I remain forever grateful for that.
Donna C. Tonini
Ed.D., Class of 2010 Concentration: Finance and Planning
Degree Obtained: Doctor of Education in International Educational Development, Concentration: Finance & Planning
Current position: Associate Director, Center for Global Studies, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Advisor: Dr. Henry M. Levin
Bio: Donna C. Tonini is Associate Director at the Center for Global Studies and also is an Instructor in the Global Studies Graduate Minor Program, earning a place on the list of UIUC's "Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students". She is also the lead evaluator for Illinois College's Program in Global Studies and Caribbean Studies. Previously, she was a Lead Postdoctoral Researcher in Leadership & Cultural Studies for the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics, and a Research Specialist in the Office of Community College Research and Leadership, conducting research with postsecondary institutions in Singapore and in the U.S.
Something Special About Your TC Experience: At Teachers College, I earned a FLAS Fellowship that allowed me to study Swahili language and culture, which greatly influenced my research and dissertation direction. My research in Tanzania identified the most significant barriers of entry to secondary school that Tanzanian families faced in enrolling their children, including both financial and non-financial variables that affected access, as well as evaluated how current educational policy in Tanzania addressed those barriers and impacted enrollment growth. That research was critical grounding for my evaluation work with community colleges in the U.S., and the mixed method approach I utilized in my fieldwork also was useful for my study in Singapore. The financial analysis skills I learned from my program - especially grant writing and management - also are key in my current position of running the Center for Global Studies, where I steward Title VI and FLAS grants for the benefit of faculty, students and greater campus community. Thus, I am now assisting other students in benefitting from the same grant programs that allowed me to enjoy academic and career success.
Degree Obtained: Doctor of Education in International Educational Development, Concentration: Finance & Planning
Current position: Associate Director, Center for Global Studies, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Advisor: Dr. Henry M. Levin
Bio: Donna C. Tonini is Associate Director at the Center for Global Studies and also is an Instructor in the Global Studies Graduate Minor Program, earning a place on the list of UIUC's "Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students". She is also the lead evaluator for Illinois College's Program in Global Studies and Caribbean Studies. Previously, she was a Lead Postdoctoral Researcher in Leadership & Cultural Studies for the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics, and a Research Specialist in the Office of Community College Research and Leadership, conducting research with postsecondary institutions in Singapore and in the U.S.
Something Special About Your TC Experience: At Teachers College, I earned a FLAS Fellowship that allowed me to study Swahili language and culture, which greatly influenced my research and dissertation direction. My research in Tanzania identified the most significant barriers of entry to secondary school that Tanzanian families faced in enrolling their children, including both financial and non-financial variables that affected access, as well as evaluated how current educational policy in Tanzania addressed those barriers and impacted enrollment growth. That research was critical grounding for my evaluation work with community colleges in the U.S., and the mixed method approach I utilized in my fieldwork also was useful for my study in Singapore. The financial analysis skills I learned from my program - especially grant writing and management - also are key in my current position of running the Center for Global Studies, where I steward Title VI and FLAS grants for the benefit of faculty, students and greater campus community. Thus, I am now assisting other students in benefitting from the same grant programs that allowed me to enjoy academic and career success.