Rutgers GSE 2023 Impact Report by RutgersGSE

A D V A N C I N G E X C E L L E N C E A N D E Q U I T Y I N E D U C AT I O N FOR 100 YEARS

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Teaching helped me understand that one of the most effective ways to affect democracy is through the classroom. — DR. GLORIA LADSON-BILLINGS

As a complement to the 2023 Impact Report, we invite you to view the GSE’s Centennial Video. CLICK TO

WATCH

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CONTENTS 2

RUTGERS GSE IMPACT OVER 100 YEARS

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

IMPACT OVERVIEW

GSE ALUMNI MAKE A DIFFERENCE

G LO B A L R E S E A R C H A N D CO L L A B O R AT I O N

GSE DONORS ADVANCE EXCELLENCE A N D E Q U I T Y I N E D U C AT I O N

R A C E & S O C I A L J U S T I C E I N E D U C AT I O N R E S E A R C H P O ST- D O CTO RA L F E L LO W S

G S E AT A G L A N C E : A L E G A C Y O F E XC E L L E N C E

F A C U LT Y H O N O R S A N D G S E S T A F F

This Impact Report was produced on the occasion of the Rutgers Graduate School of Education’s 100th anniversary. Editors: Coby Green-Rifkin and Liam Oakes Graphic Design: Eric Miller + Associates, Julie Lockwood Photography: Roy Groething/Jersey Pictures, David Michael Howarth/dmhphotographer Feature articles: Sharon Waters Printing: Garrison Printing © 2023; all rights reserved.

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RUTGERS GSE IMPACT OVER 100 YEARS

Alice Jennings Archibald becomes first African American woman to receive a graduate degree at Rutgers.

Rutgers establishes the School of Education.

School of Education enrolls 5,378 students in 71 courses. The school’s enrollment doubles during the following decade.

1923

1928

1929

1931

Faculty and staff move into the GSE’s new building at 10 Seminary Place.

1938

School of Education confers first degree.

School of Education confers first Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree.

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1960

1963

Rutgers Board of Governors changes the school’s name to Graduate School of Education (GSE), recognizing its role as a graduate institution in the preparation of educational personnel.

19 69

RUTGERS GSE IMPACT OVER 100 YEARS

GSE responds to unprecedented global pandemic by shifting classes online and moving to a temporarily remote status.

GSE develops first 5-year Teacher Education Program.

GSE celebrates 100 years of Advancing Excellence and Equity in Education.

GSE develops Ph.D. in Education Program.

19 69

1986

1997

1998

2017

2020

2023

Top 50 Best Graduate Schools of Education in the nation and #1 in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report.

First endowed chair at GSE is named in honor of Samuel D. Proctor, Martin Luther King Distinguished Professor of Education. Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor joins GSE faculty and serves until 1984. In 1969, he is appointed by Rutgers as Martin Luther King Distinguished Professor of Education.

2022

GSE launches Urban Social Justice Teacher Education Program.

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MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

WELCOME

am delighted to welcome you to the Rutgers Graduate School of Education’s (GSE) 100th Anniversary Impact Report, commemorating a century of Advancing Excellence and Equity in Education through teaching, research and service. As the Rutgers GSE celebrates its centennial, we reflect on our incredible journey, and cherish the efforts of all who have contributed to our remarkable legacy and first 100 years.

This is an especially poignant and personal edition of the Impact Report for me. After 10 wonderful, inspiring, challenging, and extremely rewarding years, I will step down as Rutgers GSE’s Dean in summer of 2024. I am extraordinarily proud of the work of the GSE, and the leaps and bounds by which it—and the Rutgers University community—has grown, not just in the last 10 years, but since GSE’s inception 100 years ago. I am indebted to the GSE Dean’s office staff, associate deans, department chairs, graduate program directors and coordinators, faculty, and staff current and past, and to my predecessors and GSE students and alumni for their contributions to making this great school the example of academic excellence that it is today. We could not have made it this far without each of you! Since 1923, the GSE has remained steadfast in its commitment to innovative and effective teaching, conducting groundbreaking research, shaping visionary and transformative educators and leaders, and fostering an inclusive, diverse, and nurturing environment for all. Through the years, we have witnessed—and facilitated—significant transformations in the field of education, and our school has consistently adapted, leading the way in innovation and progress. In this GSE 100th anniversary commemorative Impact Report, we look back at our first 100 years as one of the premier graduate schools of education in the nation and look forward to the exciting groundbreaking work that our faculty and alumni are engaging in that will revolutionize education for decades to come. First, we provide you with a timeline featuring some of the significant highlights in GSE’s evolution. For example, six years after GSE was founded, in 1929, Rutgers School of Education enrolled 5,378 students in 71 courses, and conferred its first degree in 1931. In 1938, GSE alumna Alice Jennings Archibald became Rutgers University’s first Black woman to receive a graduate degree. In 1997, Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor, who joined GSE in 1984, became the first Black person in the history of Rutgers University to have an endowed chair named in his honor. Dr. Proctor was a visionary leader and GSE faculty member for 15 years. Over his long and distinguished career, Dr. Proctor recruited generations of students of color to Rutgers, and mentored many as they pursued graduate degrees. This major milestone provides us with the opportunity to acknowledge the pioneers, scholars, and advocates who have paved our way for success. You will see some of them in the pages of this Impact Report. We have prepared over 17,000 living alumni, many of whom still reside in New Jersey. We have produced over 150 school superintendents and 20 university presidents, along with administrators, teachers, policy-

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makers, researchers, and scholars. Very few graduate schools of education in this country can claim to have achieved so much. GSE alumni embody inclusive and equitable education practices every single day. Their dedication and achievements make us proud and are a testament to the relevance and rigor of their education. Additionally, in this Impact Report, you will see how our distinguished faculty have been instrumental in shaping generations of educators and educational policies. Their unwavering commitment to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and community engagement is unequaled. Their focus—and purpose—has aligned with the GSE’s strategic priorities: Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice; STEM in Education; and Effective Teaching and Learning. These extraordinary people and their research, along with GSE’s strategic priorities, are featured in pages that follow. I would be remiss if I did not mention the amazing GSE staff who work to make it all happen. Without them, the GSE would not be what it is. It has been my privilege to work side by side with this wonderfully smart, talented, and thoughtful team. Working with and learning from these colleagues has been among my many joys. I have entrusted them with my dreams and vision for the GSE, and they have realized those aspirations, often better than I could have imagined. Every day, they take a stand for education, and work to ensure that learners of all ages, and our society at large, is made better by the educators and leaders they help to prepare. I extend my deepest gratitude to every member of our community—past and present—for their dedication, support, and enduring loyalty. It is these collective efforts that have made Rutgers GSE the beacon of knowledge and progress that it is today. As we embark on the next century of our journey, I invite you to be a part of the exciting endeavors that lie ahead. You will read how one extraordinary donor is making a difference for first-generation students and students of color on page 38 of this centennial Impact Report. And if you would like to see this remarkable work continue, please consider making your mark with a gift to the Rutgers GSE. Thank you for being an indispensable part of the Rutgers Graduate School of Education’s legacy. Together, let us continue to inspire, innovate, and impact lives as we shape the future of education. Sincerely,

Wanda J. Blanchett, Ph.D. Dean and Distinguished Professor Rutgers Graduate School of Education Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Equity

G S E

R U T G E R S . E D U

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100 YEARS OF ADVANCING EXCELLE

GSE CLASS OF 2023

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ELLENCE & EQUITY IN EDUCATION

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IMPACT OVERVIEW In 2016, under the leadership of Dr. Wanda J. Blanchett, Dean of the Rutgers Graduate School of Education (GSE), the GSE community came together to engage in a strategic planning process that reflected our values and commitment to Advancing Excellence and Equity in Education. THE GSE DEFINED THREE STRATEGIC THEMATIC PRIORITY AREAS:

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

STEM IN EDUCATION

EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING

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ADVANCING EXCELLENCE & EQUITY IN EDUCATION

The GSE’s goals for increasing Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice were designed to span institution-wide, and included goals for the composition of our faculty, staff, and student community; our scholarship, teaching, and mentoring; our service to local and global communities and colleagues; and our commitment to improving our infrastructure. As of 2023, these goals have been met through a combination of ambitious work, steadfast commitment, willingness to self-reflect, desire to listen, and a call for change. We approached our goals in many ways. We assembled a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee and implemented a DEI Strategic Plan. We engaged in community book reads and DEI professional development focused on faculty and staff search best practices. In partnership with eight local urban schools, we created the Urban Social Justice Teacher Preparation Program. We launched the GSE’s Race and Social Justice in Education Research Visiting Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence as well as our Race and Social Justice in Education Research Post-Doctoral Fellowship program, creating a pipeline for mentorship and development of faculty of color. We secured national Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) reaccreditation and built a comprehensive assessment system to engage in continuous improvement of our professional educational licensure programs. We reorganized staffing to align with our priorities. And our entire community continues to participate in regular workshops to advance our sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and approach to DEI so that we can embody the ideals of a beloved community. All of this has led to improved rankings by U.S. News and World Report and further acclaim for the GSE. There are countless other visible and less visible ways that the GSE’s 2016-2023 strategic plan has been accomplished. As you explore this centennial Impact Report, you will find that our strategic priorities are woven into the fabric of all that we do. They are reflected in our mission, our programs, our faculty, staff, students, and alumni, in how we engage with partners and colleagues, and in how we conduct ourselves in the world. You will read about the work of faculty members whose research explores learning that happens beyond the classroom walls; celebrates the diversity and richness of Black people and aims to shift the dominant narrative about who Black people are; centers equity and social justice in their work with prospective teachers; and provides perspectives about artificial intelligence. Finally, GSE Dean Dr. Wanda J. Blanchett offers insight into higher education leadership, the legacy she leaves for her successor, and her wishes for the GSE going forward. We also highlight the work of three GSE alumni whose service across classrooms, school districts, and the workplace is affecting necessary change, social justice, and equality. Finally, you will hear from Mr. John Smartt, an amazing human and philanthropist who grew up in the segregated South and chose to do something about the racial hate he witnessed.

FISCAL YEARS JULY 1, 2016 - JUNE 30, 2023

8-YEAR TOTAL SECURED TO ADVANCE GSE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

69,041,002

243 GRANT AWARDS

15%

49%

TOTAL GRANT INCREASE

GSE Ph.D. DOCTORAL STUDENT FUNDING INCREASE

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S T R A T E G I C

P L A N

I N I T I A T I V E S

ADVANCING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Our faculty's interdisciplinary research in this area focuses on issues related to social class, ethnicity, language, race, gender and sexual identity, disability, religion, and other forms of diversity. We interrogate the intersectionality of various forms of diversity and ask critical policy questions as well as develop theories that illuminate inequity, human and civil rights, ideology, and ethics, among others. Our faculty are world leaders in research on equity in education from early childhood to higher education on topics such as teacher education for justice; urban education; youth in civic action; Black studies in education; higher education access; education in a global society; linguistic diversity; the intersection of migration and education; multicultural issues in schools and counseling; political, religious, and cultural influences on education; education and mass incarceration; gender equity and LGBTQ+ education; and disability rights education. 10 GSE.RUTGERS.EDU | 848.932.3232

STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES

16,763,965

60 GRANTS AWARDED for research focused on Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice in Education since 2016.

FACULTY AND STAFF HIRING AND RETENTION SINCE 2016

48% INCREASE IN FACULTY HIRING AND RETENTION (13 OF 27 GSE FACULTY HIRED WERE OF COLOR)

40% INCREASE IN STAFF OF COLOR HIRING AND RETENTION (19 OF 47 STAFF HIRED WERE OF COLOR)

88%

77%

OF ALL FULL-TIME FACULTY RETAINED

OF FACULTY OF COLOR RETAINED

77%

74%

OF ALL STAFF RETAINED

OF STAFF OF COLOR RETAINED

n Rutgers GSE’s hiring and admissions practices reflect our commitment to diversity and equity in education.

Since 2016, Rutgers GSE has increased the student diversity of historically underrepresented students in its Ed.M., Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs and has hired faculty who bring expertise in one or more of the GSE’s three thematic priority areas.

n In the fall of 2016, we developed the GSE Community School Partnership Network (GSE-CSPN), which is a

network of eight school districts that partner with the GSE to support the education of P-12 students and advance the practice of high-quality teaching and learning for pre-service teachers.

n In 2017, we launched the GSE’s Urban Social Justice Teacher Preparation Program which is designed to develop

teachers engaged in and committed to excellence, equity, and social justice in their teaching practice.

n In 2023, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) awarded the 2023 Best Practice Award in

Support of Multicultural Education and Diversity to Rutgers GSE’s Urban Social Justice Teacher Preparation Program.

n In 2021, the GSE launched the Race and Social Justice in Education Research Visiting Distinguished Scholar-in-

Residence as well as the Race and Social Justice in Education Research Post-Doctoral Fellowship program, creating a pipeline for mentorship and development of faculty of color.

n GSE’s Center for Effective School Practices (CESP) is working with over 15 New Jersey school districts to increase

the capacity of regional high schools to deliver rigorous, high-quality computer science education to all students with a focus on historically underserved communities.

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GSE FACULTY ADVANCING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

LEFT TO RIGHT: Maqueda Randall-Weeks Assistant Professor of Professional Practice Teacher engagement in school policy, management, and instructional practice reforms Gerald Goldin Distinguished Professor Systems of internal and external representation, affect, engagement, and motivation in mathematics classrooms Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke Professor and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick Underrepresented students in the educational pipeline; facilitating creativity and innovation through STEAM and arts integration Marybeth Gasman Samuel Dewitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education & Distinguished Professor History of higher education, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and other Minority Serving Institutions; systemic racism in higher education and leadership Carrie Lobman Associate Professor Performance and improvisation in education and teacher education Matthew Mayer Associate Professor School violence and disruption, cognitivebehavioral interventions, and the emotionalbehavioral needs of children and adolescents Sarah Gallo Associate Professor How undocumented status shapes children’s and teachers’ educational lives in the United States and Mexico Dan Battey Professor Racial bias in mathematics education Stephanie Brescia Assistant Professor of Professional Practice Student basic needs insecurities in higher education; innovative approaches to address student basic needs; higher education affordability Alisa Belzer Professor Analyze adult basic education policy for the ways in which it marginalizes lowest skilled adults who are disproportionately poor people of color Wanda J. Blanchett Dean and Distinguished Professor Disproportionate representation of students of color in special education, urban education, and issues of race, class, and culture Tanja Sargent Associate Professor Pedagogical and curricular reform in China; Global Citizenship Education Karishma Desai Assistant Professor The politics of knowledge and aspiration at the intersections of gender, globalization, and education Esther Ohito Assistant Professor Pedagogies of (Black) critical educators; knowledges, needs, and educational experiences of Black girls; and poetics and aesthetics vis-a-vis Black knowledge and cultural production

Nora Hyland Associate Professor Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Faculty Director of Teacher Education Examine the ways that race, class, gender, and sexuality position individuals within the sociocultural context of schools; Teacher Education and Community-engaged education Melinda Mangin Professor Educational leadership, teacher leadership, and educational supports for transgender and/ or gender non-conforming children in school Lauren Kelly Assistant Professor Adolescent critical literacy development and hip-hop pedagogies Nicole Mirra Associate Professor Exploring the intersections between critical literacy and civic engagement with urban students and teachers across classroom W. Steven Barnett Distinguished Professor Building the evidence base to improve early childhood education for all children in formal and informal settings through policy and practice Sharon Ryan Distinguished Professor How early childhood educators might improve their practices to achieve educational equity for all students in their classrooms Michelle Mitcham Associate Professor of Professional Practice Advocacy in Counseling: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Culturally Competent Leadership in Counseling: Implications for Collaboration and Community Kevin Clay Assistant Professor The study of political education, suburban Black politics, and community-based organizing, as these areas confront neoliberal capitalism Mary Curran Professor of Professional Practice The impacts of engagement with local-global community members on pre-service teachers Michelle Macchia Assistant Professor of Professional Practice The impact of educator mindset on teacher practice and student achievement Krystal Strong Assistant Professor Youth and community activism, global Black social movements, and the role of education as a site of struggle in Africa and the African Diaspora Nichole Garcia Assistant Professor Higher education, women of color, feminism, critical race theory and Latinx/a/o communities Benjamin Justice Professor Educational history, philosophy, and law as they relate to race, religion, and civic identity formation Kathy Shoemaker Assistant Professor of Professional Practice Trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and social-emotional learning in schools; college and career planning for first-generation college-goers Ebelia Hernández Associate Professor Latinx identity development, history of college student activism; CRT in research design and theory development

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A D V A N C I N G D I V E R S I T Y, E Q U I T Y, A N D S O C I A L J U S T I C E T H R O U G H R E S E A R C H

GSE PROFESSOR EMPLOYS CIVIC EDUCATION TO IMPROVE LEARNING IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

earning does not happen just inside the walls of a school. That motto is a guiding philosophy for Dr. Benjamin Justice and a key driver of his research.

“Schooling is not synonymous with education, and it should not be, and I think that is a throughline in all my work. School is not the only place to learn, and maybe not even the most important place to learn,” Dr. Justice said, a professor in the Department of Educational Theory, Policy and Administration. One example is Dr. Justice’s two-year project with the New Jersey Department of Corrections, using action research to help teachers of incarcerated people who qualify for K-12 education in prison. In the first year of the project, Dr. Justice and his team work with teachers on the idea of trauma—what it is, how it works, and how it can affect them. The teachers then develop their own research projects and make recommendations based on their findings. The second year of the project will focus on developing new methods of trauma-informed instructional strategies. Dr. Justice is also part of a team working with New Jersey courts so Garden State children can better understand how justice is adjudicated in the state. Led by GSE doctoral student Alison Stein, the team is writing a curriculum for use in New Jersey schools about how the courts work and function in a democracy. Dr. Justice’s work outside the classroom furthers the GSE’s mission of service and equity in education. He said the GSE produces a lot of high-quality, internationally acclaimed research that shapes how teachers teach, students learn, and leaders enact policy. “We also engage with New Jersey, a lot. We train teachers with high-quality teacher preparation programs, and now that’s more important than ever,” he said. Dr. Justice comes from a family of teachers and was raised with a belief that each person has a responsibility to serve in some way. “I grew up with the expectation that people owe something to each other and society,” he said.

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He started his career as a high school history teacher. “While teaching at the high school level was very gratifying in terms of the social mission I was interested in, my frustrations were that I was not able to pursue my personal intellectual interests,” Dr. Justice said. “And I think that’s a challenge for all teachers.” With a desire to learn more about history but also stay in education, Dr. Justice earned his Ph.D. in education at Stanford University with the goal of helping people understand the history of education and how to consider service through teaching as a career path. He also holds a master’s in history from Stanford University and a bachelor’s in history from Yale University. Dr. Justice landed at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, attracted by the strength of the GSE and the university’s history department, plus Rutgers’ designation as an R1 research institution. “I saw a place for myself,” Dr. Justice said. “There was no one there doing what I’m doing. Research professors have a very blessed existence.” As much as he loves his research, Dr. Justice also relishes teaching GSE students who can compare with the students he met at Yale and Stanford. “We have students who are every bit as strong as those students,” Dr. Justice said. “They are hardscrabble, scrappy and they work very hard.” During the 2023-2024 academic year, Dr. Justice will be on sabbatical as a visiting fellow at the Russell Sage Foundation in Manhattan. Dr. Justice will be working with his co-author Tracey L. Meares, a professor at Yale Law School. The duo is writing a book on how experiences with criminal legal processing shape civic identity, and how people think about relationships to the state, law, and authority. The book will focus on policing, adjudication, and pretrial detention. Dr. Justice said, “There’s a lot of talk about reform or abolition of our current processes and institutions. Trauma-informed instructional strategies as a form of civic education in criminal justice can add to important current conversations."

Trauma-informed instructional strategies as a form of civic education in criminal justice can add to important current conversations. — DR. BENJAMIN JUSTICE

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S T R A T E G I C

P L A N

I N I T I A T I V E S

STEM IN EDUCATION Research in STEM in Education addresses a broad range of issues related to effective learning and teaching in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Our faculty scholarship addresses topics such as learning environments, effective reasoning, accurate assessment in STEM, understanding teaching quality, the professional development of teachers, social justice in STEM Education, integration of STEM into the curriculum, and promoting interest in STEM careers. Our faculty are international leaders in learning and instruction in STEM, learning to reason in science, physics education, proofs in mathematics, integration of STEM with the arts, collaborative learning and argumentation in STEM, racism in mathematics education, improving STEM assessments, and the use of technology such as artificial intelligence to support STEM learning. 16 GSE.RUTGERS.EDU | 848.932.3232

STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES

16,809,150

44 GRANTS AWARDED for research focused on STEM in Education since 2016.

FACULTY DISTINCTIONS IN STEM IN EDUCATION

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF TEACHERS OF MATHEMATICS (NCTM) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER FOR THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION DISCOVERY RESEARCH (DRK-12) GRANT

TEACHING FELLOWSHIP BY THE KNOWLES SCIENCE TEACHING FOUNDATION

n Rutgers GSE ranks in the top 10% nationwide of institutions graduating physics teachers and has been ranked

#1 in producing physics teachers by the Physics Teacher Education Coalition.

n Two out of four of the last national Physics Teachers of the Year are Rutgers GSE alumni. n Our renowned faculty hold prominent roles including editorships and are members of editorial boards for such

STEM journals as Science Education Journal, The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, Mathematics Teaching and Learning, and Journal for Research in Mathematics Education.

n In response to the persistent limited diversity in the biomedical workforce, through 2028, Rutgers Center for

Effective School Practices at the GSE is investigating professional coaching as an intervention to support biomedical Ph.D. student success.

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GSE FACULTY ADVANCING STEM IN EDUCATION

LEFT TO RIGHT: Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke Professor and Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Rutgers University- New Brunswick Underrepresented students in the educational pipeline; facilitating creativity and innovation through STEAM and arts integration Gerald Goldin Distinguished Professor Systems of internal and external representation, affect, engagement, and motivation in mathematics classrooms Dake Zhang Associate Professor Interventions for students with learning difficulties in mathematics Dan Battey Professor Racial bias in mathematics education Juan Pablo Mejía Ramos Professor Mathematical argumentation and proof comprehension Keith Weber Professor Cognitive and social practices of doing advanced mathematics Carolyn Maher Distinguished Professor Having students engage in productive arguments that lead to constructing “proof-like” justifications for their mathematical solutions Ravit Golan Duncan Professor The role of domain-specific knowledge in the development of scientific literacy Clark Chinn Professor and Associate Dean for Research Epistemic cognition, argumentation, and promoting growth in reasoning in science classes Janice Gobert Professor Projects that address technology-based science learning and assessment Robert Zisk Assistant Teaching Professor Assessment of STEM teaching, development of domainspecific knowledge for teaching science in teacher education, effective professional development practices in science Drew Gitomer Professor Assessment and evaluation of teaching and related policy issues in teaching and teacher education

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G S E

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Training the next generation of learners is perhaps the most important thing that we can do as a society. — DR. JANICE GOBERT

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ADVANCING STEM IN EDUCATION THROUGH RESEARCH

LEVERAGING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS IN STEM IN EDUCATION

hile artificial intelligence (AI) may seem like a recent phenomenon, Dr. Janice Gobert has been working with AI since 2000. She is a professor of Educational Psychology and Learning Sciences who wants to see AI play a bigger role in STEM teaching and learning. A Canadian native, Dr. Gobert earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Laurentian University, a master’s in Cognitive Science from McGill University, and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from the University of Toronto. As an undergraduate studying psychology, Dr. Gobert planned to become a licensed school psychologist focused on assessment. But as she studied how people understand and remember words, Dr. Gobert discovered there was a dearth of research on how people interpret and reason with diagrams. She became interested in semantically rich diagrams, eager to study how people understood a diagram where information is delivered simultaneously, versus text where a learner reads each word in sequence. This curiosity led to her graduate studies. Dr. Gobert was also interested in science reform movements that were responding to the realization that many students were parroting concepts they did not understand. Reform movements like the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are interested in developing students’ authentic practices of science, such as how they form hypotheses, collect and interpret data, and communicate what they’ve learned, Dr. Gobert noted. “With the NGSS, there’s no way teachers can assess and support students without rigorous technology. Teachers and AI-based technology need to have the data and functionalities to support students in real-time,” Dr. Gobert said, noting she and her team have interviewed hundreds of teachers about the rollout and implementation of NGSS. Dr. Gobert also said that AI needs to play a role in helping personalize students’ learning, and to provide educators with formative data and supports for whomever needs help and how to best help them. “This is instrumental for teachers to make data-driven decisions on the fly for whole-class instruction, differentiated instruction to small groups, or 1:1 support with individual students. AI can identify where

students are weak and point out where they’re strong, which can help them find their way in the world to careers that are well-suited to them,” Dr. Gobert said. To improve assessment by teachers, Dr. Gobert leveraged artificial intelligence. She filed her first patent on the technology in 2013, and ten years later, has three issued patents for AI in her system, Inq-ITS. She also has three eyetracking patents. She leverages AI and big data to generate real-time information and personalized learning for science students. Inq-ITS develops digital products for learning and assessment and conducts educational data mining. “We use our patented AI to support the full ecosystem: the teachers’ assessment, the teachers’ instruction, and the students’ realtime learning on all the practices of science to realize and scale the needs described in science reform documents like NGSS,” Dr. Gobert said. “This work excites me because it brings together the humancomputer-interaction aspect—how the person perceives this simulation and this interface—which of course attracts me as a cognitive psychologist. How users’ knowledge, or lack thereof, guides them, and then how you can use computer science and AI to govern and instrument those systems to collect students’ mouse clicks and turn them into bonafide AI-based techniques to support students and the teacher in real-time,” Dr. Gobert said. Rutgers GSE has remained Dr. Gobert’s home for several reasons. One is the school’s strength in training STEM educators. “If we are just in the ivory tower, there is no point to what we do. It must hit classrooms and teachers. It must have an impact,” Dr. Gobert said. Dr. Gobert also credited GSE’s strong emphasis on diversity and equity, especially in underserved communities, and the deep care that GSE faculty have for students. Looking to the future of GSE, this is where Dr. Gobert wants the school to continue making an impact. “GSE is building a cadre of graduate students and future educators who know how students learn and know how to leverage their students’ strengths and help them where they need improvement. Training the next generation of learners is the most important thing that we can do as a society, because education and technology to support it can be the great equalizer,” Dr. Gobert said.

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ADVANCING EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING

Research related to this focus area explores innovations in teaching, learning, and effective educational practice in all contexts where learning occurs across a learner’s lifespan. Relevant topics in this area include culturally responsive pedagogy, curriculum design, effective instruction, technology integration, pedagogical content knowledge, adult education, professional development, and learning science. Our faculty are innovators in research on instruction and policies that promote student learning, well-being, and growth. We are global leaders in adult education, literacy, English, language education, social studies and civic engagement, and STEM education with a specific focus on urban education and design learning environments that promote excellence and equity. 22 GSE.RUTGERS.EDU | 848.932.3232

STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES

35,467,887

139 GRANTS AWARDED for research focused on Effective Teaching and Learning in Education since 2016.

FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS

AERA FELLOWS

APA FELLOWS

ISLS FELLOW

MULTIPLE SPENCER POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

n Since fall 2017, GSE's Urban Social Justice Teacher Preparation Program has placed more than 1,000 clinical

interns as student teachers in school districts across the state; 75% of those placements occurred in 58 partner district schools. The remaining 25% were made in 225 NJ schools outside of those districts.

n In the GSE’s Urban Social Justice Teacher Preparation Program, every student teacher completes 760 hours of

clinical engagement, mostly in seven high-needs districts that comprise GSE’s Community School Partnership Network.

n In a time when there is a nationwide teacher shortage, Rutgers GSE has been influential in statewide policy

changes aimed at increasing access to the teacher pipeline and is leading statewide efforts to understand how schools of education assess candidate performance.

n Since 2016, The Center for Literacy Development has hosted 21 literacy development conferences, serving 5,000

educators in public, private, charter, and religious schools, and has provided professional development to educators in 100 school districts.

n Since 2017, the National Institute for Early Education Research at GSE has assisted 165 districts in applying to

receive funding to provide preschool. The districts were projected to serve over 17,500 preschoolers.

n In the GSE’s Civically Engaged District Project, we are working with 70 educators in 28 school districts around the

state to develop greater civic engagement in New Jersey classrooms.

n Through 2025, the Center for Effective School Practices is engaged in a national four-year project designed to

broaden the participation of high-needs middle school students in rigorous and relevant computer science courses.

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GSE FACULTY ADVANCING EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING

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LEFT TO RIGHT: Judith Harrison Associate Professor The effectiveness, acceptability, feasibility, and sustainability of classroom-based services to increase academic and behavioral success

Matthew Mayer Associate Professor School violence and disruption, cognitive-behavioral interventions, and the emotional-behavioral needs of children and adolescents

Lauren Kelly Assistant Professor Adolescent critical literacy development and hip-hop pedagogies

Janice Gobert Professor Projects that address technology-based science learning and assessment

Gail Verona Assistant Professor of Professional Practice Providing clinical supervision and support for educational administration and supervision programs

Amy Lewis Associate Teaching Professor How teacher educators can frame their curriculum and course design to best support future elementary school teachers of science

Christelle Palpacuer Lee Associate Teaching Professor Providing world languages teachers with opportunities to learn in public settings such as museums and community-based service-learning programs

Angela O’Donnell Professor Cooperative and collaborative learning goals

Lorraine McCune Professor Children’s entry into language; Variables that predict the beginning of single words and of sentences Helane Rosenberg Associate Professor How professional artists provide models in art-making that are applicable for work in the schools Leslie Calabrese Instructor of Professional Practice The use of ABA-based strategies in the general education classroom for more equitable classroom management Cheryl McLean Associate Professor Literacy in urban school contexts: an artifactual approach Dan Battey Professor Engaging teachers in opportunities to learn to challenge metanarratives that limit opportunities for students of color in mathematics Carrie Lobman Associate Professor Performance and improvisation in education and teacher education Wanda J. Blanchett Dean and Distinguished Professor Disproportionate representation of students of color in special education, urban education, and issues of race, class, and culture Clark Chinn Professor and Associate Dean for Research Develop instructional methods that help students reason more effectively in authentic situations such as reasoning about information found on the internet Michelle Macchia Assistant Professor of Professional Practice The impact of educator mindset on teacher practice and student achievement

Nicole Mirra Associate Professor Exploring the intersections between critical literacy and civic engagement with urban students and teachers across classrooms Nora Hyland Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Faculty Director of Teacher Education Examine the ways that race, class, gender, and sexuality position individuals within the sociocultural context of schools; Teacher Education and community-engaged education Ravit Golan Duncan Professor Pre-service teachers’ understandings of the nature of science and the development of these understandings Sharon Ryan Distinguished Professor How early childhood educators might improve their practices to achieve educational equity for all students in their classrooms Lesley Morrow Distinguished Professor Early literacy development dealing with motivation, fluency, classroom environments, and professional development Juan Pablo Mejía Ramos Professor The ways in which university students and mathematicians construct, read, and present arguments and proofs Michelle Mitcham Associate Professor of Professional Practice Role of school counselors working with students in crisis; Counselor education and CACREP: implications for preparation and practice Alisa Belzer Professor Research professional development and program and classroom practices that can improve learning outcomes for adults in basic and higher education

Carolyn Maher Distinguished Professor The conditions that are required for students to build durable understanding of mathematical ideas and ways of reasoning

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ADVANCING EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING THROUGH PRACTICE

GSE’S URBAN SOCIAL JUSTICE TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM PREPARES CANDIDATES TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC ISSUES IN EDUCATION

eading is not only a building block for a student’s education but also Dr. Maqueda RandallWeeks’ career. Her first job in education taught her to think broadly about literacy, and then education overall, propelling her from the classroom to the statehouse to Rutgers.

“I knew I could move my kids, but how can I make others feel the same way?” Dr. Randall-Weeks said, assistant professor of professional practice, about participating in a New York City program for reading specialists early in her career. Dr. RandallWeeks is also the faculty director of clinical experiences in the Department of Learning and Teaching at the GSE. As an undergrad at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Randall-Weeks took every “ology” course she could. Then she took a course at the education school. “I was hooked. All the things I was interested in were there. All those ‘ologies’ converged,” she said. Dr. Randall-Weeks earned master’s degrees in both Early Childhood Education and Education Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. At Harvard Graduate School of Education, she earned a master’s degree in Education Policy and Management and a doctorate in Urban Superintendency. Dr. Randall-Weeks started her career as a reading specialist in New York City then in New Jersey urban districts. With a love for literacy, she took a full-time job in the New Jersey Department of Education, supervising reading coaches throughout the Garden State. Returning to the district level, Dr. Randall-Weeks focused on special education literacy. Heading to Harvard for her doctorate was a chance to concentrate on systems-level change. All her work striving for turnaround and change in large urban school systems sparked Dr. Randall-Weeks’ desire to teach at a school of education and pull together her varied experience at the classroom, district, and state levels. “The research is all telling us that you need to be in education schools to catch people at the very beginning, to plant that seed, to have those conversations, to get them thinking about how do we look at a system that we know is broken, and how do we change it?” she said. “What does it look like when we get into the education schools and really start to think about change?” Dr. Randall-Weeks started working at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education in August 2017, enticed by a new master’s

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program on urban social justice. “I thought, okay, they’re being committed, they’re going to walk the walk. They know how important it is to look at a system and figure out how to focus on justice, equality, and equity,” Dr. Randall-Weeks said. “They were really starting to make those conversations happen.” It is part of the GSE’s legacy and an area where Dr. Randall-Weeks thinks the GSE can inspire other schools nationally by focusing on large issues at a systemic level while also merging research and impactful clinical practice. “It is this idea of constantly thinking about ways to support our candidates, to support our students, to support them moving in the direction that we know makes the most sense, to think about research in a thoughtful manner, and to think about how we focus ourselves and the work that we do to really encapsulate everybody–schools, communities, leaders,” she said. “The GSE is always improving in that direction and thinking about how we can make this happen.” Dr. Randall-Weeks is now working with five-year and postbaccalaureate students on the clinical practice side, focusing on equity and social justice. The four-pronged approach begins with helping students understand themselves, their implicit biases, and their roles as change agents. Next, during their part-time student teaching, students delve into the historical context and present-day realities of the American education system and how it is impacted by society at large. Students then think of how to initiate change in their own contexts and what that means for their practice. As full-time student teachers, students continue to apply this knowledge in their work with students, parents, and the school community. Finally, students utilize the lessons learned in their classroom practice to support the work of the larger community around issues of social justice and equity. “It shows them that it’s a whole continuum, and that’s what we’re trying to do with our clinical work,” Dr. Randall-Weeks said. “This is a master’s in urban education and social justice, right? We have to actually do that. That’s what I’ve been focused on. We’re saying this is what it looks like when it’s in action in a clinical setting.”

How do we look at a system that we know is broken, and how do we change it? — DR. MAQUEDA RANDALL-WEEKS

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Education is a tool that can really be transformative, both at the level of the individual and at the level of society. — DR. ESTHER OHITO

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ADVANCING EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING THROUGH RESEARCH

SHIFTING DOMINANT NARRATIVES IN EDUCATION TO CREATE A WORLD FOR EVERYONE

r. Esther Ohito’s family culture influenced her to pursue education, and not just because several relatives were teachers. Instead, it was her father instilling a sense of curiosity in his daughter that sparked her career choices.

“I remember being really young and reading the newspaper to my father. At the time, I thought it was just busy work, but now I realize he wanted me to be curious about the world,” Dr. Ohito, assistant professor of English Education/Literacy Education, said. “I’m a really curious person. I try to always begin with questions.” Those questions led her to focus on three areas of research: the gendered pedagogies of Black critical educators, the gendered geographies of Black girlhoods, and the poetics and aesthetics of Black knowledge and cultural production. “It excites me to know that the work I’m doing celebrates the diversity and the richness of blackness as it is embodied in Black people and that my work could also potentially shift the dominant narrative we have about who Black people are, not just in this country, but in the world,” she said. Drawn to education, Dr. Ohito knew she wanted to be a teacher like the ones she had in Kenya. In second grade, a teacher called her a writer, opening a new lens for the young student. “This teacher’s ability to recognize something in me that felt very natural, but that I didn’t have words around, was very affirming,” Dr. Ohito said. “I felt so seen, so known, and so recognized.” Raised in a working-class family in Kenya, Dr. Ohito immigrated to the U.S. at age 13. She did not feel as seen in her predominantly white high school. “I was very much in a shell,” she recalled. “That served as a model of how not to be a teacher.”

path to getting a Doctor of Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. After stints as a professor at other universities, Dr. Ohito was drawn to Rutgers Graduate School of Education because she saw it as a place where curiosity is cultivated, and because of the diversity—on many levels—of GSE’s students and faculty. “Being at Rutgers feels very much like peeling back an onion. There’s always another layer, and another layer, and another layer. Because I’m a curious person, that keeps me interested. I want to keep learning, and I feel like there’s a lot to keep learning here,” Dr. Ohito, who has been at Rutgers for three years, said. In her courses, Dr. Ohito emphasizes the importance of funds of knowledge, or an asset-oriented way of viewing family and family cultures, especially those in urban communities. “Each family has something and some things that they teach, and those things are valuable and important,” she said. “I always emphasize to students that they have their own funds of knowledge that they’re drawing upon when they enter the classroom. Part of my work is to help them become clearer on what those funds of knowledge are and how those funds of knowledge are shaping their perception of the young people whom they work with.” Contemplating the future of the GSE and education more broadly, Dr. Ohito believes education is integral to defining and shaping the kind of world in which everyone feels like they have a place. She said, "More than many other areas, education is a tool that can really be transformative, both at the individual and societal level. My hope is that there is more recognition of the power of education and that there’s more engagement with education as the powerfully transformative tool it is.”

Dr. Ohito earned a bachelor’s in English Arts at Hampton University and then a master’s in teaching at National Louis University. She taught elementary and secondary school for five years in Chicago. After working three years in teacher education in Chicago, Dr. Ohito realized she had questions about education theory and started her

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REFLECTIONS ON 10 YEARS OF SERVICE

ENSURING A LEGACY OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND EQUITY

n her 32 plus years as an educator, Dr. Wanda J. Blanchett has taught and inspired countless people, from her early career to her current position as Dean of Rutgers Graduate School of Education. Dr. Blanchett has learned her own lessons too.

“I believe that what we do is vitally important to our society and to our democracy,” Blanchett said. “When we educate people, we give them an opportunity to live out the real meaning of life, which is less about what you do for yourself, and more about what you do for others.”

“The biggest lesson that I’ve learned is it’s important to walk the talk of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Community is at the heart of everything we try to do with the GSE, and it takes all of us to do the work,” Dr. Blanchett said.

During Blanchett’s tenure, GSE has further diversified its student body in its three doctoral programs. She also pointed to prestigious awards and accolades received by the school, faculty, and students. As just one example, Rutgers GSE was the only school in the country in 2022 to have three faculty receive National Academy of Education Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowships. A significant number of students have received fellowships with the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, as well as other national awards over the last decade.

Blanchett, GSE dean since 2014, will step down in July 2024. She said being dean has been the greatest honor of her career. Blanchett’s first teacher was her maternal grandmother, who lived with Blanchett and her family for nearly 20 years. “My grandmother instilled in me a really strong desire to be curious about things,” Blanchett said. “Her encouragement of my intellectual development was priceless.” Blanchett’s grandmother was adamant that her two youngest grandchildren with whom she lived would not have Southern accents, prompting Blanchett’s desire to become a speech language pathologist. While studying at the University of Central Arkansas, Blanchett majored in speech language pathology but was required to minor in special education. Blanchett chose special education as her focus and fell in love with it, appalled at the poor quality of education in schools for students with disabilities, especially students of color labeled as having disabilities. Soon, Blanchett’s minor became her major, upending her career plans and extending her undergraduate educational journey. She graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education from the University of Central Arkansas and then earned her Ph.D. in special education from The Pennsylvania State University. Blanchett held special education, urban education, and teacher education faculty appointments at Syracuse University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) before becoming associate dean for academic affairs at UWM and associate dean for academic programs and curriculum at the University of Colorado-Denver. Before coming to the GSE, Dr. Blanchett was the Ewing Marion Kauffman Endowed Chair in Teacher Education and dean of the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Education. She came to Rutgers GSE because of exceptional faculty and the diversity of students, many of whom are first-generation and working while going to school. “Seeing the talent, grit, and determination of our Rutgers GSE students here is inspiring,” Blanchett said.

Blanchett decided to step down from her dean position because she believes GSE is in an exceptional place and has achieved the major goals in its strategic plan. “In leadership, one has to know when it’s time, and for me, part of it being time is that our strategic plan has been overwhelmingly accomplished. The rankings of the school are the best that they have been. The caliber of the faculty, including its diversity, is the best it has been. Our research expenditures are significantly up in terms of externally funded research,” Blanchett said. “With all the national attention on the work of the school, the time is right for a new leader who can help the GSE to chart a path for its next 100 years.” Blanchett hopes that the GSE will continue its long and rich history of innovation. “Whatever the future holds for diversity and social justice in education, leadership, and cognitive science, the GSE should strive to remain on the cutting edge of that,” she said. She also believes that we must continue to interrogate long-standing issues and challenges that face our country and educational systems, such as ongoing inequities in society and at all levels of educational access. “That’s the work going forward, while also figuring out how we can make use of new and varied technologies to reach and serve people that historically have not been served well,” she said. After her service as dean ends in summer 2024, Blanchett will take a year’s research leave and return to a faculty role and plans to share what she has learned during 20 years of higher education leadership. She also looks forward to spending more time working on behalf of her church and local community. Asked to give advice to her successor, Blanchett emphasized that Rutgers is an excellent place to work and serve, and to build a career. For GSE specifically, Blanchett says the school is a special and dynamic place. “I thank you ALL for allowing me the great privilege of serving as your dean for a decade— it has been an honor,” she said.

GSE’s emphasis on Advancing Excellence and Equity in Education was also a huge draw. Blanchett’s career has concentrated on addressing educational inequity. “I want to make sure that no one is left out because of any uniqueness about who they are or what they have access to on the basis of race, class, ability, et cetera,” she said.

“I’ve never worked with the level of talent all in one place that I’ve had the privilege of working with at Rutgers and the GSE,” Blanchett said. “I’ve also had the privilege to be mentored by dynamic leaders who see our collective work as part of a moral obligation to leave the world better than we found it. When GSE alums leave here, they go and do extraordinary things.”

With GSE already committed to diversity and inclusion, Blanchett’s goal was to take the school to the next level. “I think that what all effective leaders do when someone hands them the baton is to look at how they can galvanize a community and achieve even greater progress,” she said.

She will be off to do more extraordinary things as well. But first, Blanchett has one final year as dean and has no intention of slowing down. Asked what she still wants to accomplish as dean, Blanchett quickly replied, “Everything.”

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I want to make sure that no one is left out because of a uniqueness about who they are or what they have access to... — DR. WANDA J. BLANCHETT

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OUR PART-TIME FACULTY The GSE is grateful to all of its part-time faculty for their outstanding service. They demonstrate dedication, caring, and commitment to their practice every day and provide critical pathways to knowledge for the GSE’s students.

DEPARTMENT OF LEARNING & TEACHING

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY Rosa Aghekyan

Jesseca Gonzalez

Kate Antanovich

Lauren Opiela

David Antunes

Fannie Gordon

Matthew Blackman

Randi Ostrove

Karen Ardizzone

Jessica Hammond

Alexis Cherewka

Cynthia Pancer

Jen Chingwe

Angela Pape

Amanda Dominguez

Laurell Parris

Stuart Barudin Colleen Belmonte Caitlin Beltran Elissa Brown Jenna Budge Keywuan Caulk Alicia Cotabish Cheryl Cuddihy Deborah Dailey Daniel Dasilva Maria DelMonacoPennington Yi Ding

Brian Housand Chi Hung Evan Jaffe John Kerrigan Jr. Michael Klein Lynne Kowski Anna Lee Jessica Manzone Lawrence Owens Ashley Shahidullah Lauren Shohen Chonita Spencer

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL THEORY, POLICY & ADMINISTRATION Michael Atzbi

Brandi Gustafson

Xiaowen Qiu

Jessica Cappadona

Christine Harrington

Antony Farag

Timothy Hart-Ruiz

John Hannum

Carolyn Hickey

Reshma RamkellawanArteaga

Valerie Kearns Matthew Mingle Anne Newman

Brent Horbatt Kristine Kelly Randi Larson Rachel Lella

Rachel Pereirar

Carissa Liverpool

Kathleen Regan

Erica Lucci

Lennox Small

Cristina Marte

Scott Taylor

Sara Martino Kathalyn Messano

Hebbah ElMoslimany

Elizabeth Vastano

Natalie Oeil

Nicholas Fargione

Jigisha Vyas

Julie Ochoa

Janice Fipp

Kenneth Zushma

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Brett Miller

Regina Riccioni Alexis Rich Ashley Shahidullah Aleya Shoieb Kristine Shurina Nicholas Solomon Shiyu Song Daniela Tirnovan James Urbaniak Maritza Villanueva Carol Wenk Jhanae Wingfield

GSE ALUMNI MAKE A DIFFERENCE

17,000 GSE ALUMNI MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN NEW JERSEY AND BEYOND

SE alumni work to make a highquality education at all levels, from P-12 to higher education, accessible to the nation’s most historically underserved populations. They advocate on behalf of refugees to give voice to the crises they face. They create innovative ways to teach that have a global impact. And they are leading the way in creating supportive academic and culturally responsive environments for all students. For most GSE alumni, this is not just a vocation. It is a calling. And their work is making a difference in New Jersey and around the world. The GSE has 17,000 living alumni, more than 10,000 of whom live and work in New Jersey. We have prepared nearly 400 principals, over 150 superintendents, 20 college and university presidents, and higher education administrators in institutions and organizations globally. With our emphasis on social justice and equity, GSE graduates are able to meet the varied needs of students in New Jersey, one of the most populous and diverse states in the country. As a result, the New Jersey Department of Education has reported that GSE alumni consistently have one of the highest rates of employment in New Jersey school districts. Our graduates are changing the face of education by considering the unique strengths and characteristics of each learner, challenging policies that discriminate, navigating complex political landscapes, rising to meet unprecedented challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, and persevering for their students and colleagues during uncertain times. They are innovators, advocates, and champions. The GSE has always been willing to take a stand for every student’s right to a quality, meaningful education. That doesn’t stop now, despite the nationwide teacher shortage. In fact, our alumni are more impassioned than ever, carrying the GSE torch and Advancing Excellence and Equity in Education wherever they go. You’ll read about the work that three of our graduates are doing in the pages that follow.

17,000 LIVING ALUMNI

10,000 LIVE AND WORK IN NEW JERSEY

400 PRINCIPALS

150 SUPERINTENDENTS

20 COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS

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GSE CLINICAL INTERNSHIPS OPEN DOOR FOR ALUM

ix years later, Sean Brown still remembers the call with a parent. The mother expected to hear something critical of her child, but Brown was checking in to say how well the student was doing.

“She was crying, and she needed a moment because she was just so moved that in her child’s four years in school, she’d rarely gotten any positive feedback,” Brown recalled, who earned his master’s in elementary education in the elementary and special education program in 2018. That call, and others like it, taught Brown the importance of maintaining solid relationships with the parents and guardians as well as the students. Brown is currently an elementary special education teacher at North Brunswick Township Public Schools. Families of students in special education can sometimes feel as though the educational system has failed their child, Brown noted. He is proud to be aligned with a district which prioritizes equal access for all, and throughout his career has worked to improve any frayed relationships families may have with their school or district. Brown gravitated toward teaching after working at a daycare center during college. Connecting with the young students had a deep impact. “Ever since then, I knew this is what I love to do,” Brown, who graduated from Rutgers in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in communications, said. The GSE appealed to Brown because of its wide variety of classes. “You get your feet wet in all areas,” he said. Rutgers’ status as an R1 research institution was also a plus. “What I love about GSE is that we have an amazing faculty that’s always willing to work with you or talk with you and brings their extensive knowledge to help you better your own practice,” Brown said. Now in his sixth year of teaching, Brown works at Livingston Park Elementary School in North Brunswick. He started in the district during a field placement in the last semester of his GSE master’s program. That internship led to a full-time job. “I never would have known about it if it wasn’t for that field placement,” Brown said.

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Brown knew he wanted to work in behavioral disability and credits a class on the subject with Dr. Matthew J. Mayer, associate professor of educational psychology. “When I started, I reached out to Dr. Mayer a lot, asking him for feedback on things to do,” Brown said. “Having him as a resource to rely on during that first year, as well as having the foundational background of some basics of emotional regulation through that class was very helpful.” Brown is now pursuing his Ph.D. in Special Education and Teaching at GSE. He is a research assistant working with Dr. Judith R. Harrison, associate professor of special education. The team is working on making EpicWin, a culturally relevant gamified application for those with ADHD. Brown also earned his supervisor license through GSE and is currently part of GSE’s Principal Endorsement Program. Looking ahead to GSE’s next 100 years, Brown wants the school to continue doing what it does now, especially by motivating its students. He also hopes it continues to support their career development as he was supported, through networking and partnership opportunities with local districts. He said, “Teaching is not the most glamorous job, right? You don’t do it for the paycheck, you do it for the students and your love for learning. So, my wish is that the GSE continues to inspire future educators around the world to showcase their own love for learning and educate thousands of kids moving forward.”

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GSE ALUM ENCOURAGES CRITICAL THINKING IN K-12 CLASSROOM

s a young girl, Pooja Rajan must have asked her father 50 questions a day. Now, she has cut it back to 20 daily questions for Dad, but friends still know her as the one who asks another question before the first one is answered.

In fact, curiosity might be why she survived challenges and roadblocks. “You are sitting in a room with 25 different personalities, and you have to find a way to be compatible with each of them,” she said. “I think the most beautiful thing about teaching is the chance to understand human behavior at the deepest level possible. You find ways and strategies to be compatible with all of those personalities, learn how to love each and every single individual that’s in your class.”

“It is just how I’ve always been. As a teacher, when my students ask me questions, I will never turn them away because I’m exactly the same. I will completely deviate from a lesson if they are curious about something,” Rajan, who has a master’s in elementary education and early childhood education from the GSE, said. “I think when you question things and look at the world with wonder, it opens up so many doors and possibilities for you. It paves the way for success.”

Rajan said teaching has taught her a lot about herself, the world, and how people behave. The experience has opened her mind to relevant scholarly interests as she begins to think about what she would like to explore. “My biggest research interest is just curiosity and the idea of inquiry, questions, and behavior and how that relates to student engagement. Being a teacher has opened my mind to the different ways that people think, and that’s definitely my favorite part about it,” Rajan said.

Rajan taught third and fourth grades at Sharon Elementary School in Robbinsville for four years before starting her doctoral journey at Teachers College, Columbia University. She received an Arthur Zankel Urban Fellowship, covering part of her Columbia tuition while she works with youth in urban schools. As a Zankel Fellow, Rajan is coaching teachers to implement project-based learning in the classroom, with a focus on early childhood elementary education.

Rajan thinks a lot about her experience at GSE as she advances in her career. Calling GSE a home to curious individuals, Rajan said the faculty pushed her to succeed— something she does with her own students.

Rajan knew she wanted to be a teacher since middle school. “I was just completely acting on an impulse and gut feeling. You know how you have those moments you can’t explain? Something pulls you in the direction and you don’t have anything to justify it, and that’s exactly what it was,” Rajan, who earned a bachelor’s in psychology from Rutgers, said. “It was curiosity. Sometimes, why and what you’re curious about is inexplicable.” Curiosity might seem like a tenuous motivation for a teacher to survive the tough early years of teaching, but Rajan never wavered. “There was never a moment when I said, I wish I wasn’t here,” she said.

“The faculty were pivotal on my journey and helped shape me into the practitioner I am. Each professor had a unique skill set and perspective that I was able to observe closely and use to think critically about what I wanted my practice to be,” Rajan, who still seeks advice from GSE professors, said. In the next 100 years, Rajan wants GSE to continue inspiring and supporting pre-service teachers. She said, “I think education can be an incredibly scary space, especially if you’re working in it. You can feel extremely lonely, undervalued and unimportant sometimes. But I think that by preparing the wonderful individuals who chose to join the field, despite those challenges, welcoming their vulnerabilities, empowering them to use any privilege they have to inspire change is where I think everyone should want to end up. It’s not an easy feat at all, but I think the record shows GSE is very much on its way to accomplishing just that.”

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GSE ALUM EXCELS AS EDUCATIONAL ENTREPRENEUR

s a child, Dr. Juail Goode played school in the summer. She lined up imaginary students in the long hallway of her Newark high-rise and then led them to lunch in her family’s kitchen. Dr. Goode made grade books by stapling blank pages she had ripped from real ledgers, given to her by teachers as the school year ended. “Everyone in my home knew, ‘Okay, she’s playing school. Leave her alone,’” Dr. Goode recalled, adding she was strict with her invisible students. “I was very invested in this.” From that beginning, Dr. Goode became a middle school teacher at Newark Public Schools, moved into higher education, and then launched a consulting business that brought all her experience, talent, and passion together to serve students and their families. Dr. Goode founded Goode Education Group LLC while pursuing her Master of Education, Educational Administration and Supervision, at Rutgers Graduate School of Education. She then earned her second master’s in public administration from Rutgers-Newark in 2004. In 2019, Dr. Goode earned her Doctorate in Education, Educational Leadership, from the GSE. Goode Education Group supports K-12 school districts and workforce development programs that want to transform how they train their employees. As CEO, Dr. Goode started by providing professional development for school leaders and then expanded her business as opportunities arose. Her company now has 12 employees and an array of contracts, including with the State of New Jersey. “I’m constantly learning,” Dr. Goode, who is now moving into the clean energy space to offer workforce development, said. “It really stretched me to think outside of what I’m used to doing. I figure I can learn anything.” After earning a Bachelor of Psychology from Virginia Union University, Dr. Goode started her career in counseling and social work. While working as a transfer advisor at Hudson County College, Dr. Goode enjoyed connecting with students and decided to return to Newark and become a third-grade teacher through an alternate route program.

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“This made sense,” Dr. Goode said, recalling her joy while playing school as a young girl. Dr. Goode found that her experience at the GSE was pivotal to the success of Goode Education Group. Besides the coursework, Dr. Goode gained insight from her classmates, many of whom aspired to be school leaders. “It was interesting to hear their perspectives in class and to know the areas in which they needed support. I learned from them,” she said. Dr. Goode said the GSE’s biggest lesson came during her dissertation, which was about professional development for school leaders. “I realized that I didn’t know everything, and this may sound cliche, but it also included humbling myself to learn more,” Dr. Goode said. The dissertation journey opened her mind, allowing Dr. Goode to widen her lens and consider new possibilities. It’s an attitude that fueled the growth of her business. The common thread as Dr. Goode expanded her company was taking a holistic approach to improvement for her clients. So, for a school district, Goode Education Group provides services that support not just teachers but the students, families and community. “We are former educators. We have a very holistic view of exactly what it takes,” Dr. Goode said. While running her business, Dr. Goode is also a lecturer at the GSE. Imagining the next 100 years, Dr. Goode wants GSE to be a holistic hub for educators—and education. Dr. Goode said, “Whether the GSE is working with teachers or leadership or community members, demystifying higher education, creating pipelines for accessibility and really having some valuable partnerships like model classrooms, it needs to take a holistic approach to education and be the hub. We’ve got to demystify schooling and realize everyone’s experience is different. If we want everyone involved, we need to make it accessible, welcoming, and inclusive.”

G S E F A C U LT Y ’ S I M P A C T A B R O A D

GLOBAL RESEARCH AND COLLABORATION

s part of its mission, the GSE engages in diverse global programs and research that empowers educators, scholars, and students to make meaningful impacts on a global scale. GSE’s international programs provide rich immersive experiences that foster intercultural understanding through collaborations designed to increase cultural awareness, knowledge, skills, and empathy. Here, we celebrate the work of our faculty and staff who invite us to join them at a global table. GSE GLOBAL PROGRAMMING Short-term, high-impact learning programs outside the United States provide deeply meaningful and transformative experiences for GSE students and faculty. Since 2001, Dr. Darren Clarke has led over 250 students on trips to South Africa to explore complex historical and sociopolitical issues in education. Since 2012, more than 100 students have participated in the Community-Engaged Education in Yucatán program, directed by Dr. Mary Curran. Since 2017, 12 faculty members have visited China through educational tours facilitated by Dr. Tanja Sargent. Dr. Curran and Dr. Sargent have begun coordinating virtual learning exchanges with universities situated around the world. To date, nearly 100 students and faculty have participated in virtual exchanges with peers in China, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, and Nigeria.

RESEARCH ABROAD In our 2019 Impact Report, we shared the global footprint GSE’s extraordinary faculty are making through their research. GSE scholars continue to work abroad, continually adding to that impressive body of work. Through research in Africa, Dr. Krystal Strong explores questions related to Black/ African youth, leadership, student and community activism, and the role of education in the social reproduction of power and as a site of political struggle. Dr. Esther Ohito is focusing on the language and literature of the Luo people in Western Kenya within the context of social justice education with the intention of contributing to education research, practice, and policy that critically engages issues of power and oppression. Dr. Karishma Desai’s research uses anthropological and feminist lenses to examine how racialized ideas about childhood, gender, education circulate globally. Her new work funded by a Spencer Post-Doctoral Fellowship examines gendered aspirations of indigenous youth in Western India engaged in political struggle. GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AT HOME Through The Conversation Tree program, a nationally recognized community-engaged program launched by Dr. Mary Curran and colleagues in spring 2012, hundreds of Rutgers students have facilitated more than 10,000 hours of English conversation practice with local community members who have relocated to New Jersey from around the world and are looking for opportunities to practice English at one of our many community partner sites.

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GSE DONORS ADVANCE EXCELLENCE AND EQUITY IN EDUCATION

PHILANTHROPIST IS MAKING A PROFOUND IMPACT THROUGH SUMMER SCHOLARS PROGRAM Much of the GSE’s work would not be possible without the generosity and vision of individuals, foundations, and corporations who understand that investing in education is critical to humanity, technological advances, and economic growth. One such person is Mr. John Smartt, who has made a real difference in the lives of 22 (and counting!) young scholars through his support of the John Smartt Summer Scholars Program at the Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI). CMSI is led by Dr. Marybeth Gasman, a prolific author, academician, and force for change.

n a world with many needs, John Smartt is laser-focused on directing his philanthropic giving to leverage education as a means to reduce income inequality. “Education is a multiplier,” he said. “It helps people not only broaden their world but, more specifically, it helps people open economic doors.”

Smartt is the longtime supporter of the CMSI at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education and the John Smartt Summer Scholars Program. The program bearing his name provides internships to master’s students of color so they can gain professional experience, network with scholars in the field, and learn essential research skills related to equity and leadership in higher education. Interns receive generous benefits including faculty mentoring, the opportunity to gain research and administrative experience, and financial compensation. Smartt, 79, grew up in the segregated South and said he saw racial hate. That experience and the giving nature of his mother influenced the focus of Smartt’s philanthropy. “My mother believed that any dollar that came through the front door had to be used until it was ground into dust by our family, or we needed to give it to somebody who needed it worse than we did,” Smartt said. “It became my desire to give money away to charities that are reducing, or helping the victims of income inequality.” Smartt graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, a school he could attend thanks to a needs-based scholarship. After obtaining his certified public accountant license, Smartt worked 18 years at Price Waterhouse, nine of them as a partner. Then he started his own firm, Financial Counseling & Administration, where he still provides investment advice to high-net-worth clients. He lives two miles from where he was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and swapped his sizable house for an apartment as a way to lower his living expenses

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so he could increase his charitable giving. But the majority of his donations come from saving and smart investing throughout his successful career. About 15 years ago, Smartt read a story in The Economist that said the average undergrad at an ivy league school comes from a high income family. Smartt saw that as the rich providing funding for their children to continue being rich. It lit a fire in the already philanthropic man to focus most of his giving on reducing income inequality. Smartt has been funding CMSI led by Marybeth Gasman at the University of Pennsylvania since 2014. When Gasman, CMSI’s executive director, relocated to Rutgers, Smartt thought so highly of her and CMSI that his funding followed. “I thought it was a great program. I thought it made a lot of sense. I thought she was doing it in a very efficient and effective way,” Smartt said about Gasman, who is also the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education and the GSE’s associate dean for research. Smartt’s philanthropic philosophy dovetails with the GSE’s strategic priorities of diversity, equity, and social justice. “It makes me feel fulfilled. It makes me feel happy. On a good day, it makes me feel 10 feet tall,” Smartt said about his impact at the GSE. Just as Smartt learned the importance of giving from his mother, he is passing along the passion. His daughter, Janet Olivia Smartt, is a wedding photographer in Oakland, California, and is devoting her support to fighting homelessness in the Bay Area. “That pleased me greatly,” the father said. “I have imbued in her the right instincts, and I’ve seen the fruits of that.” Smartt has never been to Rutgers, although he receives an annual invite. Also, each year, he receives a framed photo of the summer scholars and puts it atop his grandfather’s roll-top desk, where he can see it. Smartt is genuine enough to tell anyone that it is nice having his name on the summer scholars program, but really his giving is about the people in that photo. “It says to me that I’m doing the right thing,” he said.

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This seminal program supports fellows in the areas of research and teaching, with a specific focus on preparing scholars of color to seek and secure tenure track faculty positions at research universities. Fellows are supported to strengthen their independent race and social justice in education research and enhance their publication record while being exposed to all aspects of the faculty experience. — DR. WANDA J. BLANCHETT, DEAN

GSE’S RACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN EDUCATION RESEARCH POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS

The GSE welcomed its second cohort of Race and Social Justice in Education Research PostDoctoral Fellows in September 2023. Working under the guidance of Dr. Marybeth Gasman, Associate Dean for Research, Race and Social Justice in Education Research Post-Doctoral Fellows are mentored by senior GSE faculty. In addition to being provided dedicated research time, each fellow teaches GSE courses during their appointment and engages in service activities within the Rutgers GSE. Fellowships are for a two-year period with the option to renew for a third year.

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GSE WELCOMES NEW RACE & SOCIAL JUSTICE IN EDUCATION RESEARCH POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS

WE ARE PLEASED TO WELCOME DR. ALEX KENNEY AND DR. TRAVIS DUMAS TO THE RUTGERS GSE AND LOOK FORWARD TO THEIR MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

DR. ALEX KENNEY

DR. TRAVIS DUMAS

Alex Kenney, Ph.D., comes to the GSE from the Bayh College of Education at Indiana State University where he served as a lecturer. He completed his doctoral studies in higher education at Pennsylvania State University. Hosted by the GSE’s Department of Educational Psychology, Dr. Kenney is a scholar of race with an exacting focus on the experiences of Black collegians at Historically and Predominantly White Institutions (HPWI). He investigates blatant and surreptitious manifestations of anti-Blackness across individual, institutional, and environmental spheres.

Travis Dumas, Ph.D., comes to the GSE from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Education and Information Studies Urban Schooling division where he completed his doctoral studies in education. He is hosted by the GSE’s Department of Learning and Teaching. Dr. Dumas’s research interests include anti-Black racism and schooling inequity; school climate and culture; student academic outcomes and opportunities; and culturally relevant pedagogy and practices.

Dr. Kenney’s dissertation, Navigating Anti-Black Racism: An Exploration of How Black Collegians Experience the Racial Climate at a Historically and Predominantly White Institution, employs critical theories and humanizing perspectives to analyze how Black collegians at HPWIs experience academic and social life. Through this work, he aims to engender a more equitable racial climate for Black and multiply marginalized student populations. “I don’t take my role as a Race and Social Justice in Education Research Post-Doctoral Fellow at the GSE lightly as I am aware of the sacrifices made by those who came before me. I look forward to collaborating with my mentor and the GSE faculty at large to produce critical scholarship that facilitates humanizing and liberatory outcomes for Black collegians. Through this work, I hope to illuminate and disrupt mechanisms of oppression in higher education and foster a more equitable racial climate.”

Dr. Dumas’s recent publication, Success in The Peripheral: Examining Black Male Student High Performance in Low-Performing High Schools, investigates how anti-Blackness is present within participants’ experiences, school practices, and policies. He has worked on several research projects and initiatives of UCLA’s Black Male Institute. “I’m excited to forward my research agenda substantially. I hope to produce research that is impactful and of service to students, practitioners, and officials, as well as community-facing and communityengaged. It’s not my goal for my work and the knowledge I produce to just sit in a university repository. I want it to be a tool for people to access. I’m excited to be in discourse and conversation with folks engaged in work like mine and, perhaps, even different.”

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U. S . N E W S & WORLD R E P O RT RANKINGS

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION IN NEW JERSEY

TOP

OF SCHOOLS OF EDUCATION IN THE NATION

G S E FA CU LT Y & STA F F

58 56 FULL-TIME FACULTY

FULL-TIME STAFF

87 PART-TIME FACULTY

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GSE AT A GLANCE

GSE PROGRAMS

80 20 10

3 GSE ACADEMIC D E PA RT M E N TS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL THEORY, POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT OF LEARNING AND TEACHING

GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

FULLY ON-LINE PROGRAMS

6 GSE CENTERS AND I N ST I T U T E S CENTER FOR EFFECTIVE SCHOOL PRACTICES (CESP) CENTER FOR LITERACY DEVELOPMENT (CLD) NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR EARLY EDUCATION RESEARCH (NIEER) ROBERT B. DAVIS INSTITUTE FOR LEARNING (RBDIL) RUTGERS CENTER FOR MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS (CMSI) RUTGERS SAMUEL DEWITT PROCTOR INSTITUTE FOR LEADERSHIP, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE

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F A C U LT Y H O N O R S G S E F A C U LT Y F E L L O W S H I P S AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION (AERA) FELLOWS Dr. W. Steven Barnett

Dr. Clark Chinn

Dr. Marybeth Gasman

Dr. Drew Gitomer

Dr. Angela O’Donnell

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (APA) FELLOWS Dr. Clark Chinn

Dr. Angela O’Donnell

Dr. Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE LEARNING SCIENCES (ISLS) FELLOW Dr. Clark Chinn RUSSELL SAGE FOUNDATION VISITING SCHOLAR FELLOWSHIP 2023 Dr. Benjamin Justice HUTCHINS CENTER FOR AFRICAN & AFRICAN AMERICAN RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP Dr. Lauren Kelly RUTGERS PRESIDENTIAL FELLOWSHIP FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE Dr. Lauren Kelly AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PUBLISHERS PROSE AWARD IN EDUCATIONAL THEORY Dr. Marybeth Gasman, Doing the Right Thing: How to End Systemic Racism in Faculty Hiring

G S E F A C U LT Y E D I T O R S H I P S In addition to the many journal articles and texts published by our faculty, Rutgers GSE was home to editors of several leading national journals in the past year: Dr. Alisa Belzer: Co-Editor of Adult Literacy Education: The International Journal of Literacy, Language, and Numeracy Dr. Ravit Golan Duncan: Section Co-Editor for Science Education Journal; Associate Editor for Journal of the Learning Sciences Dr. Marybeth Gasman: Editor of Pathways: A Journal of Humanistic and Social Inquiry Dr. Sarah Gallo: Associate Editor of Anthropology and Education Quarterly Dr. Matthew J. Mayer: Associate Editor of School Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 16 Dr. Esther Ohito: Co-Editor-in-Chief of Equity & Excellence in Education Dr. Tanja Sargent: Co-Editor of Chinese Education & Society Journal Dr. Krystal Strong: Associate Editor of Anthropology and Education Quarterly Dr. Keith Weber: Associate Editor of Journal of Mathematical Behavior

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PROMOTIONS

Dr. Lauren Kelly

Dr. Amy Lewis

Associate Professor

Associate Teaching Professor

Dr. Sharon Ryan

Dr. Saundra Tomlinson-Clarke

Distinguished Professor

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Rutgers-New Brunswick

N E W F A C U LT Y

Dr. Michelle Mitcham

Associate Professor of Professional Practice

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GSE STAFF An extraordinary school requires extraordinary staff. These talented and dedicated individuals work behind –and sometimes in front of – the scenes to ensure that our students, faculty, alumni, and partners have the resources, guidance, and support they need for success. Through their unwavering dedication and expertise, our staff works to ensure the smooth operation of our academic programs, student services, administrative processes, support infrastructure and facilities, and fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment for all. This passionate team helps make the GSE what it is – New Jersey’s #1 Graduate School of Education and a force for change.

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GSE STAFF

NEW STAFF

FULL-TIME STAFF

77 OF ALL STAFF RETAINED

Ashley Davison

Dr. Joseph Howe

Senior Editorial/Media Specialist, NIEER

Senior Director of Finance and Administration

Katherine Delaney

Liam Oakes

Associate Director of Development

Inga Gerbova

Administrative Assistant, NIEER

Public Relations Specialist

Theresa Walton

Co-Director of Administration and Grants Management, NIEER

OF STAFF OF COLOR RETAINED

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GSE STAFF

LEFT TO RIGHT: Ashley Davison Director of Communications National Institute for Early Education Research

Guillermo Rivero Coordinator of Building Services Office of Administration & Personnel

Kelly Clarida Program Coordinator, Center for Literacy Development Department of Learning & Teaching

Vivian Allen Associate Director Center for Effective School Practices

Olivia Walker Administrative Assistant Office of Administration & Personnel Melissa Thomas Human Resources Manager Office of Administration & Personnel Vallarine Guischard-Paynter Business Manager Supervisor Office of Administration & Personnel David Amiel Research Analyst Center for Effective School Practices

Gisselle Andrea Criollo Marketing Assistant The Samuel Dewitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice & Center for Minority Serving Institutions Natalie Passov Program Coordinator The Samuel Dewitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice & Center for Minority Serving Institutions Koor Kpogba-Thomas Administrative Assistant The Samuel Dewitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice & Center for Minority Serving Institutions

Sharlene Laud Senior Program Coordinator, Alternate Route Department of Learning & Teaching

Alice Ginsberg Senior Research Specialist The Samuel Dewitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice & Center for Minority Serving Institutions

Brandi Blackshear Research Project Coordinator National Institute for Early Education Research

Tania Gonzalez-Batista Administrative Assistant Administrative Services Center

Inga Gerbova Administrative Assistant National Institute for Early Education Research

Matthew Winkler Assistant Dean The politics of knowledge and aspiration at the intersections of gender, globalization, and education.

Carmen Espinosa Research Project Coordinator National Institute for Early Education Research Trevor Johnson Administrative Coordinator Office of Student & Academic Services Hannah Batren Research Project Coordinator Office of the Dean Jalise Clark Administrative Coordinator Office of the Dean Jeanette McCreary Associate Program Manager Office of the Dean Katherine Delaney Associate Director of Development Office of the Dean Ken Tufo Jr. Student Counselor Office of Student & Academic Services

Melissa Freedman Senior Program Administrator Supervisor Office of the Dean Mariya Zia Administrative Coordinator Office of the Dean Theresa Bolla Grants Manager Office of Administration & Personnel Julie MacLeod Grants Manager National Institute for Early Education Research Carol M. Contreras Program Coordinator National Institute for Early Education Research Charles Whitman Research Project Coordinator National Institute for Early Education Research Milagros Nores Co-Director for Research National Institute for Early Education Research

Darren Clarke Senior Director of Strategic Alliances & Online Programs Office of the Dean

Korey Weber User Support Services Specialist Office of Administration & Personnel

Sabin Amanullah Accounting Specialist National Institute for Early Education Research

Marie Pavelchak Senior Student Programs Coordinator Senior Student Programs Coordinator

Jennifer Manson Business Specialist Office of Administration & Personnel

Joseph Howe Senior Director of Finance & Administration Office of Administration & Personnel

Theresa Walton Co-Director of Administration & Grants Management National Institute for Early Education Research

Tiffany L. Mayers Director Administrative Services Center

Karin Garver Research Project Manager National Institute for Early Education Research Kate Hodges Early Childhood Education Policy Specialist National Institute for Early Education Research Tyler Picone Administrative Assistant, Alternate Route Department of Learning & Teaching

Nicole Symonds Administrative Coordinator Administrative Services Center Brent Horbatt Unit Computing Specialist Office of Administration & Personnel Gordon Stankavage Project Manager Supervisor Office of Administration & Personnel

Coby Green-Rifkin Director Office of Communications & Marketing

Colleen McDermott Senior Program Coordinator, Rose & Nicholas DeMarzo Chair in Education Department of Learning & Teaching

Liam Oakes Public Relations Specialist Office of Communications & Marketing

Cintra Ramjattan Administrative Assistant Administrative Services Center

Heather Ngoma Director, Alternate Route Department of Learning & Teaching

NOT PICTURED:

Carolyn Nalewajko Senior Program Administrator Supervisor The Samuel Dewitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice & Center for Minority Serving Institutions

Louise Hornecker Senior Administrative Assistant National Institute for Early Education Research

Ellen Frede Senior Co-Director National Institute for Early Education Research Rhena Montero Department Administrator Supervisor Office of the Dean

Tracy Merriman Research Project Manager National Institute for Early Education Research Claritza Peña Research Project Coordinator National Institute for Early Education Research

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10 Seminary Place New Brunswick, NJ 08901

GSE DONORS MAKE A PROFOUND IMPACT From pioneering research aimed at increasing access for students of color and other traditionally underrepresented groups to preparing the next generation of effective educators, accomplished researchers, and transformative leaders. We do this through student scholarships, fellowships, and supporting groundbreaking research. If you have been moved by what you have read here today or you believe that access to education should be for everyone, consider making a donation today. You can scan the QR code below or use the envelope included in this Impact Report. YOUR GIFT CAN BE MADE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

The Academic Excellence Fund General Scholarship/Fellowship Fund The GSE Student Emergency Fund The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Scholarship Fund The South Africa Initiative Fund

Join us as we embark upon a new century of Advancing Excellence and Equity in Education toward our vision of a brighter future. CLICK HERE TO

GIVE TODAY!

Visit us on the web: gse.rutgers.edu