Organization & Leadership

On January 25, 2013 Teachers College kicked off its 125th Anniversary, "Celebrating a Tradition for Tomorrow." With activities, events, and resources underway throughout our campus, we are pleased to announce a new symposia to commemorate our founding as the nation's first graduate school of education. Throughout the coming months, we will explore our past, live our present, and look to our future, as we highlight achievements, challenges, trends, and developments in the broad areas of leadership, health, psychology, and education.

Wrote James Earl Russell, dean of Teachers College, "The influence we are even now exerting extends in all directions and include within its scope all grades of public instruction, from the kindergarten to the university, and practically every phase of educational and philanthropic activity. Our efforts are not confined to any section of the country, nor are they restricted to any class or sect. As a national institution, therefore, we aim to serve a people that puts its trust in education as the surest guarantee of individual liberty and social righteousness." (Report of the Dean, 1900, p.44)

Noting the significance of Dean Russell's words, please join us on Presidents' Day, a time to honor our nation's, as well as TC's founders, as we launch our program with an inspiring symposium on leadership. We will share an historical overview of leadership initiatives at Teachers College, thoughts on college leadership, and reflections by leaders who study leadership.

Kristine Roome is Assistant Dean at Teachers College, Columbia University and has served in this capacity since January 2008. Dr. Roome wrote her dissertation on The Art of Liberating Voices: An Ethnography of an Exhibition and earned her Ph.D. in Applied Anthropology from Teachers College, Columbia University. She co-authored "Artmaking in South Africa: Shifting Divisions and Role of Education" for Liberated Voices: Contemporary Art from South Africa (Museum for African Art).

Thomas James is Provost and Dean of Teachers College, Columbia University and Professor of History and Education. An "education historian with a track record of civic engagement and boosting research funding", he has brought many important initiatives to Teachers College, including grants and research opportunities for faculty and students; postdoctoral fellowship program and lectureships; and collaborations with educational institutions in foreign countries, like Japan, the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Bhutan. Dr. James is the author of Exile Within: The Schooling of Japanese Americans 1942-1945 (Harvard University Press) and co-author of Law and the Shaping of Public Education, 1785-1954 (University of Wisconsin Press), among many other publications. Dr. James joined Teachers College in July 2007 after serving as Dean of the School of Education at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has a B.A. from Harvard University and M.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University. As a child, James attended the renowned Laboratory School at the University of Chicago, founded by the great TC philosopher and educator John Dewey.

Ellie Drago-Severson, Associate Professor of Education at Teachers College, is widely respected for her groundbreaking work in adult development, leadership and capacity building in learning communities. In addition to numerous journal articles, she is the author of several books, among them, Helping Educators Grow (Harvard Education Press, 2012); Leading Adult Learning (Corwin, 2009); Becoming Adult Learners (Teachers College Press, 2004); and, Helping Teachers Learn (Corwin, 2004). She conducts research, teaches courses and consults to leaders and organizations on principals and teachers' development, leadership for adult development, mentoring, building teams and enhancing capacity in K-12 schools, higher education and businesses domestically and internationally. Drago-Severson's work has been supported with awards from the Spencer Foundation, the Klingenstein Foundation and Harvard University, where she served as faculty member for eight years. While at Harvard, she was awarded the 2005 Morningstar Award for Excellence in Teaching. Ellie earned her B.A. from Long Island University; Ed.M. and Ed.D. (in Human Development and Psychology) from Harvard; and a Postdoctoral Fellowship, also from Harvard University.

Where: 306 Russell

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The next 125th Anniversary symposium, Celebrating Health for Tomorrow will be held on Monday, April 22, with Dr. John P. Allegrante, Professor of Health Education and Deputy Provost, and Dr. Sonali Rajan, Assistant Professor of Health Education.

Also be sure to stop by the Everett Cafe and see our news exhibit, Celebrating TC: 125 Days. From Monday, 2/4-Friday, 7/26, we will highlight one interesting story per day about Teachers College, its departments, programs, and members, as portrayed in national and international historical newspapers.