Making a Difference
More than
26,000 GSEHD ALUMNI live and work in
75 COUNTRIES.
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Front cover: Lionel Howard (Associate Professor), Gabbi Lee (alumna), and Taylor Smith (alumna)
Our Promise
Our Community
At the heart of GW’s mission of advancing the public good, the Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD) applies research, policy, and practice to society’s toughest challenges. Education is the principal determinant of economic prosperity and freedom and key to fulfilling America’s promise of equity and justice. We are making a difference by advancing opportunity for personal, social, and economic progress. — Dean Michael Feuer
GSEHD’s diverse team of faculty, staff, graduate students, and alumni share in the desire to turn dreams of a better world into realities of progress. GSEHD faculty hold prominent positions in national and international associations and societies, including the National Academy of Education, American Counseling Association, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Comparative and International Education Society, American Educational Research Association, and Academy of Management.
Our Practice
We give rising leaders the tools to take on complex issues and emerging challenges. The power of learning improves lives. Five themes illustrate how we make a difference: 1. RESEARCHING COMPLEX ISSUES 2. ADDRESSING PERSISTENT CHALLENGES 3. SERVING COMMUNITIES NEAR AND FAR 4. PARTNERING TO ACHIEVE SHARED PURPOSES 5. PREPARING GRADUATES TO LEAD
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Chilanay Safarli (doctoral student)
Researching Complex Issues At GSEHD, we build and use rigorous methods to investigate important questions. Our faculty and students leverage their knowledge and analytical skills to improve education and advance social progress.
Our faculty draw from leading-edge research in such areas as intelligent technology and cognitive neuroscience to create knowledge relevant at all levels of education. It’s exciting to see faculty and students use new findings to inform their coursework and solve problems of practice. — Dr. Maxine Freund Professor and Associate Dean for Research and External Relations 4
Multiple Disciplines for Complex Problems How do we educate people to interact with intelligent technologies? How can modern societies combat inequality and enhance opportunity for disadvantaged populations? To investigate these kinds of questions, teams of students and faculty in the Education PhD program use—and contribute to— knowledge and methods from psychology, sociology, engineering, and economics, in addition to education. Silos are isolating. But our PhD program encourages you to look outside your discipline and understand how other perspectives inform your base of knowledge. — Hallie Fox Doctoral student and former special education teacher Society’s big problems don’t have tidy boundaries. Our approach prepares students to look for solutions through the lens of multiple academic disciplines, to build bridges that reinforce and connect established pillars of knowledge. — Dr. Colin Green Associate Professor and Academic Dean
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Influencing Policy GSEHD’s Center on Education Policy (CEP) is the “go-to” source for nonpartisan analyses of complex issues in education, and connects faculty and students to the worlds of policy, advocacy, and practice. Two examples showcase CEP’s influence. The national teacher survey, Listen to Us: Teacher Views and Voices, revealed teachers’ thoughts and concerns about testing, standards, and other issues. And our work on implementation of the Common Core State Standards sheds light on state decision-making and the impact of standards on schools and teachers. Because of the work being done at the Center on Education Policy, GSEHD students and faculty have a stronger link to what is happening in education nationally and closer to home. — Maria Ferguson Executive Director of CEP
Matthew Tosiello (alumnus)
Research to Improve Struggling Schools Reforms that move low-performing schools from district control to charter organization management need to be attentive to local context and generate local buy-in. This is one of many insights from a multi-year study by a GSEHD faculty member of Tennessee’s school turnaround experiment. Our researchers are helping policymakers and educators design evidence-informed collaborations among the charter sector, local institutions, and stakeholders. There’s a productive role for charter management organizations that can adapt to change, but it’s not best expressed in policies that alienate key constituencies from the start. The more promising charter policies for struggling schools are less about pulling schools out of the local system than about building district capacity. — Dr. Joshua Glazer Associate Professor 6
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Savon Jackson (alumnus), Jonathon Grooms (Assistant Professor), and Michael Feuer (Dean)
Addressing Persistent Challenges GSEHD’s faculty and alumni follow in the footsteps of generations of our faculty and graduates who are tackling society’s toughest challenges and fulfilling the promise of American education. They are helping wounded veterans transition to the workplace, evaluating school reform, addressing disparities in educational opportunity, expanding global cooperation, and reaffirming the value of research for educational progress. Our students and faculty are making a difference.
Meeting the Demand for Next-Generation Teachers We are a trusted source for professional educators who are ready to work in the DC area and beyond. Our graduates work in schools, museums, community organizations, universities, and anywhere teaching and learning are the core mission. We prepare teachers and leaders who can integrate theory and practice, are dedicated to teaching and learning in a pluralistic democracy, and are eager to contribute to the national conversation about the future of American education. — Dr. Sylven Beck Associate Professor
Pictured: Dean Michael Feuer...TBD
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STEM Teaching and Learning GWTeach enables undergraduates to earn a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field while they complete the education work necessary for licensure and certification. Students have worked with teacher-mentors to provide more than 400 STEM lessons for more than 3,000 students in DC public schools. As part of another initiative, GSEHD faculty and students are helping the Baltimore City Schools transform chemistry instruction by focusing on how chemistry shapes the local environment. Supporting students’ motivation and interest in learning about the world around them is challenging as they enter middle and high school. That’s where we come in— making sure we’re providing experiences that keep students wanting to learn and continuing to grow as scientists. — Dr. Jonathon Grooms Assistant Professor GWTeach is setting me up for success and most importantly, preparing me to set my future pupils up for success. If you’re making the most of instruction time, you can really change the trajectory of a student’s life. — Visha Paul GW biology major and GWTeach alumna 9
Cybersecurity GSEHD is a leader in developing the global cybersecurity workforce. The Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection (I3P) is a consortium of universities, national laboratories, and nonprofit institutions collaborating on cybersecurity research and development. One example of I3P’s contributions is a global task force that produced the first cybersecurity curriculum guidelines. People are often called the weakest link in cybersecurity, but they don’t need to be. Robust cybersecurity education blends technical and human factors to develop capable professionals and a cyber-aware citizenry. — Dr. Diana Burley Professor and Director of I3P
Better Lives for People with Disabilities The Center for Rehabilitation Counseling Research and Education prepares professionals to work with people with disabilities to reach their employment goals and better integrate into society. A recipient of major federal and state grants, the Center also helps state agencies better serve their residents through technical assistance, training, and research. The education I received at GSEHD has given me the knowledge needed to help hundreds of individuals with disabilities transition out of school and into competitive employment. My career has been very rewarding: a win-win for me and the recipients of services. — Denise Sequeira Graduate Certificate in Job Development and Placement alumna
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Serving Communities Near and Far At GSEHD we make a difference through partnerships, internships, and community relationships, by strengthening ties to underserved communities, and by promoting education as the key to economic prosperity, personal dignity, mental health, and well-being.
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Doran Gresham (Assistant Professor) and Kara Long (doctoral student)
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Global Knowledge GSEHD’s UNESCO Chair in International Education for Development—one of just 21 Chairs in the US and one of three in schools of education—brings exciting opportunities for research, outreach, teaching, and international collaboration. The UNESCO Fellows program places graduate students in internships at UNESCO field offices, most recently in Dakar, Bangkok, Jakarta, Santiago, Paris, and Hamburg.
Jeffrey Ramos (alumnus)
Community Mental Health Outreach At GSEHD’s Community Counseling Services Center, students provide low-cost counseling services to children, adults, couples, and families who live and work in the Washington, DC area. Clinical experience, combined with rigorous academic preparation, equips students to meet the growing mental health needs of diverse communities and helps ensure that the reach of our program is far greater than the classroom. — Dr. Delishia Pittman Assistant Professor and Program Director Interning at the counseling services center confirmed that counseling is the right path for me. I feel I’m already helping people. — Sarah Haueisen GSEHD alumna focusing on counseling for LGBTQ+ populations
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I assisted in developing a global citizenship curriculum, a really cool and inspiring project. I learned a lot about how international organizations plan events, hire consultants, and budget for projects. — Emily Silverberg GSEHD alumna and UNESCO Fellow who interned at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Education and Peace in New Delhi, India
Study Abroad Evaluation for DC Public School Students Evaluation is key to better understanding outcomes of new initiatives. Our research on the DC Study Abroad program shows how middle and high school students—nearly all students of color from low-income families— can benefit from funded global travel opportunities. DC Study Abroad participants return from their travel experiences more globally engaged, self-confident, and with new and persisting relationships with other DC students and teachers. — Dr. Laura Engel Associate Professor
Kavita Meegama (alumna), Sophie Sussman (alumna), and Hannah Wasco (master’s student)
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Partnering to Achieve Shared Purposes Our mission to prepare informed leaders is advanced by agreements with more than 150 public and private K-12 schools, early childhood centers, higher education institutions, hospitals, mental health clinics, and museums and cultural organizations in Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland, across the country, and around the world. Some examples include the Smithsonian Institution, National Institutes of Health, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, UNESCO, the Peace Corps, Catholic Charities, the New York State Education Department, Northern Virginia Family Service, and Western Galilee College in Israel.
Sarah Haueisen (alumna), Beth Short (doctoral student), and Hallie Fox (doctoral student)
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Interventions for Children with Autism
Creating Engaging Museum Spaces
Children with autism may make greater improvements in language and behavior when they first interact with robots before participating in programs to develop communication skills. GSEHD has partnered with colleagues at the GW School of Engineering and Applied Science and the University of Virginia to test this approach and design tools for improving communication outcomes of children with autism.
GSEHD’s Museum Education program, led by Dr. Carol Stapp, prepares graduates to advance the missions of museums and mold them into places for lifelong learning. Through longstanding partnerships with the Smithsonian Institution and other museums, students complete internships that give them opportunities to apply educational, administrative, and leadership skills.
Interdisciplinary training using up-to-date research holds great promise for advancing special education and improving child outcomes. I’m excited GSEHD students have these extraordinary opportunities. — Dr. Jennifer Frey Associate Professor
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The Museum Education program gave me a strong foundation in the principles of informal education, opportunities to put them in practice, and connections to practitioners working in the field. — Ashley Meadows Museum Education alumna and Gallery Guide Coordinator, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Jewish Culture, Civilization, and Education The Experiential Jewish Education program prepares educators to work in museums, arts and community centers, and social action organizations. The Mayberg Center connects scholarship to community engagement and adult learning. The Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education brings researchers, educators, and funders together for improvement of practice. And a partnership with The iCenter offers a new certificate program for Israel-related education.
The Experiential Jewish Education program provides an immersive intellectual experience that is as intense as it is textured. It greatly expanded my ability to interpret and appreciate Jewish cultural life in ways that enhance both my personal and professional goals. — Jenn Fechter Experiential Education and Jewish Cultural Arts alumna
GSEHD has demonstrated a rare and precious capacity to excel both in the world of Jewish education and the world of educational and policy research more broadly, forging important links between domains traditionally and sadly kept apart. — Dr. Lee Shulman Professor Emeritus, Stanford University
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Preparing Graduates to Lead
GSEHD alumni work in diverse careers in education and human development—in schools, think tanks, advocacy organizations, government agencies, museums, and institutions of higher learning.
Vicki Brown Human and Organizational Learning, Executive Leadership Program As chief learning officer and director of talent development, Dr. Vicki Brown builds leadership training programs for 800,000+ civilian employees, a linchpin for improved organizational competence of the US Department of Defense. — I hope people will look back and say, ‘You know, Dr. Brown made a difference in my life’—that I inspired them to continue to learn and grow and expand their horizons.
Jared Cotton Educational Administration and Policy Studies Dr. Jared Cotton, the 2018 Virginia Superintendent of the Year, is a recognized leader in mobilizing community groups to meet students’ needs and implementing new ways of teaching and assessing students. Currently the superintendent of the Chesapeake (VA) Public Schools, he emphasizes the importance of listening to students about what they need to succeed. — I attribute a great deal of my success to the exemplary programs at GSEHD. The professors were extremely knowledgeable about current issues in K-12 education. I am grateful that GW gave me the tools I needed to excel in this meaningful profession. 19
OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY
Since introducing new curricula and enhanced admissions policies in 2014, applications have grown by 21%. Students of color and international students represent close to half of all GSEHD students. About half of our faculty and staff identify as people of color. Several faculty have close ties with Ethiopia, South Korea, Northern Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Germany, Romania, and the Middle East.
Abe Tekleselassie (Associate Professor)
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Vanessa Drumm-Canepa
Julie Lindsay
Elementary Education & Educational Leadership and Administration
Educational Technology Leadership
At Langley Elementary School in Washington, DC, which serves a large share of youth from low-income families and many with special learning and behavioral needs, Vanessa Drumm-Canepa, the principal, instituted innovative and research-informed strategies to develop students’ self-discipline and social-emotional skills along with their academic learning. Since 2015, suspensions have fallen by half. — GSEHD allowed me to intern in diverse school settings and developed in me a passion to support schools and children with the greatest needs.
Ashley Harrell Clinical Mental Health Counseling Ashley Harrell is a clinician and advocate for survivors and secondary survivors of sexual trauma, and currently serves as director of family advocacy, prevention and outreach at Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center. — The opportunity to critique myself and receive constructive feedback from supervisors and peers was the most irreplaceable component of the education I received through GSEHD.
Reuben Gamoran Secondary Education and English as a Second Language Reuben Gamoran left a corporate executive position to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a school teacher. He is now an ESOL teacher at Oakton High School in Fairfax County Public Schools, VA. — Seeing my students’ pride as their English improves, I know I made the right decision to go into teaching.
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Julie Lindsay designs and manages awardwinning online projects for K-12 education and customizes virtual courses and live events for educators. As Founder and CEO of Flat Connections, she puts her passion for online global collaboration into action. — The fact that GSEHD’s program is completely online helps professionals realize that technology breaks through barriers and borders to help people learn in ways that they might not have ever envisioned. This provides accessibility and quality to individuals who want to pursue more education without leaving their paid, fulltime or part-time positions.
David Surratt Higher Education Administration As a former first-generation college student himself, Dr. David Surratt understands the need for students to feel connected to their campus. He has improved the college experience for students as a senior leader at Rosemont College, Saint Peter’s University, Pennsylvania State University, and University of California-Berkeley, and is now the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of Oklahoma. — What I have learned continues to allow me to support and educate our future leaders, citizens, and movement builders during their college years. Furthermore, my applied knowledge and education has given me the confidence to lead complex organizations and advise colleagues at the most senior levels including university presidents, chancellors, and governing boards.
Where Our Graduates Work District of Columbia Public Schools
United Nations Migration Agency
Social Studies Department Chair and Teacher
Program Officer
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
All Saints Catholic School, Richmond, VA
US Department of Education
Principal
Executive Director
Deputy Director of the Minority Serving and Under Resourced Schools Division
CVS Health Director of Federal Government Affairs
Atlanta Metropolitan College Vice President of Student Affairs
Pittsburgh Public Schools, PA
Chief Academic Officer
Wilson County Schools, NC Superintendent
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Associate Professor of Secondary Education
Association of American Medical Colleges
Senior Director of Policy and Constituency– Academic Affairs
Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
School Counselor
People Programs Specialist
Smithsonian Institution
Program Manager of Leadership Development and International Programs
National Counseling Group
Crisis Counselor
University of North Florida Assistant Professor of Counseling
American Association of State Colleges & Universities Director of State Relations & Policy Analysis
Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company Senior Vice President & Chief HR Officer
GW Associate Provost for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement
Ohio Department of Education Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Cape Cod Community College, MA President
Halifax County Public Schools, VA Science Department Chair and Biology Teacher
The George Washington University does not unlawfully discriminate in its admissions programs against any person based on that person’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
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Connect with GSEHD 2134 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052 gwGSEHD@gwu.edu | (202) 994-9283 gsehd.gwu.edu