Consequential leaders in education, health and dance will receive Medals for Distinguished Service, Teachers College’s highest honor, at Convocation ceremonies this year on May 18 and May 19.
As friends, families and the TC community come together in celebration of the Class of 2026, the College’s honorees represent the transformative and impactful journeys ahead for those who dedicate their lives to supporting others.
[Graduates, register for Convocation tickets by Wednesday, April 22 at 5 p.m. EDT.]
“I am pleased to announce the recipients of the Teachers College 2026 Medal for Distinguished Service — the highest honor we bestow. It is a tribute to the accomplishments of our 2026 graduates that these extraordinary game changers will join us for Convocation,” said TC President Thomas Bailey in an email to the College community.
The College’s Medal for Distinguished Service recipients include:
Prudence L. Carter (M.A. ’95), Sarah and Joseph Jr. Dowling Professor of Sociology at Brown University
(Photo courtesy of Carter)
Prudence L. Carter (M.A. ’95), who received her masters in sociology and education from TC and her doctorate in sociology from Columbia, is the Sarah and Joseph Jr. Dowling Professor of Sociology and Peltz Ruttenberg Family Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America at Brown University. She previously served as Dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley. An internationally recognized scholar, her research examines the causes of enduring educational and social inequalities, with particular attention to how race, ethnicity, class and gender shape academic achievement and mobility in the United States and globally. Dr. Carter is the award-winning author of Keepin’ It Real: School Success Beyond Black and White and Stubborn Roots: Race, Culture, and Inequality in U.S. & South African Schools, and co-editor of Closing the Opportunity Gap. An elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Education and the Sociological Research Association, she has also served as president of the American Sociological Association.
Carter will receive the TC honor on Monday, May 18 during the College’s ceremony for the departments of Counseling & Clinical Psychology and Human Development.
Wanda Marie Holland Greene (Ed.M. ’21, M.A. ’92), Head of the Hamlin School in San Francisco
(Photo courtesy of Holland Greene)
Wanda Marie Holland Greene (Ed.M. ’21, M.A. ’92) is a nationally recognized and respected leader in education who has developed schools and fostered communities to support equity and excellence for all children for more than three decades. Since 2008, Holland Greene has served as Head of School at The Hamlin School in San Francisco, for K-8 girls. She served previously in roles at The Park School in Brookline, MA, after beginning her career in New York City at The Columbia Greenhouse Nursery School and The Chapin School, where she became the first Director of Student Life. Through her mentorship, writing and speaking, Holland Greene has contributed to educational debate across the country and around the world. She has served on numerous boards and has been recognized with multiple honors, including the 2023 Education Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, San Francisco Chapter. Of special note, after graduating from Columbia College, Holland Greene earned both her Ed.M. in private school leadership and an M.A. in curriculum and instruction from TC.
Holland Greene will receive the honor on Monday, May 18 during the College’s ceremony for the departments of Mathematics, Science & Technology and Organization & Leadership.
Kate MacKenzie (M.S. ’02), Executive Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy
(Photo courtesy of MacKenzie)
In her role as Executive Director of New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, Kate MacKenzie (M.S. ’02), an alumna of TC’s program in nutrition, advises city leadership on all aspects of food policy and leads efforts to transform the city’s food system to be more equitable, sustainable and healthy. Under her leadership, the office released Food Forward NYC, the city’s first-ever 10-year food policy plan, expanded and strengthened the emergency food system, prioritized food insecurity and benefits access, advanced food education across all city schools and supported the food economy through jobs and M/WBE contracts. She championed New York City’s commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of municipal food purchases by 33 percent by 2030 and played a central role in developing the City’s Food Education Road Map. MacKenzie advocates for food policy, health and well-being through her writing, speaking and leadership and served previously at City Harvest, New York City’s first and largest food rescue organization.
MacKenzie will receive the TC honor on Tuesday, May 19, during the College’s ceremony for the departments of Biobehavioral Sciences, Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology, International & Transcultural Studies, Education, Policy, & Social Analysis.
Misty Copeland, renowned American ballet dancer, best-selling author, educator and philanthropist
(Photo courtesy of Copeland)
Misty Copeland made history in 2015 as the first African American woman promoted to principal dancer in the 75-year history of American Ballet Theatre, after joining the company at age 18 and rising rapidly from the corps de ballet to soloist and then principal. Copeland has performed leading roles in iconic ballets, including Firebird, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Romeo & Juliet, earning international acclaim for her artistry and groundbreaking achievements. She is a New York Times bestselling author of Life in Motion and several children’s books, the founder of Life in Motion Productions and The Misty Copeland Foundation and a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and access in the arts, having served on President Obama’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. Copeland has appeared across film, television, Broadway and global stages, starred in major cultural moments and campaigns and received numerous honors, including the NAACP Spingarn Medal and Time 100 recognition, cementing her legacy as a transformative figure in ballet and American culture.
Copeland will receive the TC honor on Tuesday, May 19 during the College’s ceremony for the departments of Arts & Humanities and Curriculum & Teaching.