Alumni Council

Having earned three degrees and having been an adjunct professor at Teachers College, my horizons were significantly broadened and I have been constantly invigorated to learn more.

Connect with Philip

M.A. '72, M.E. '73 | Psychological Counseling
Ed.D. '81 | Guidance in Elementary Education

From the moment that I first arrived at TC I felt "Changed".  I felt a sense of history wash over me and a feeling that I could become a part of that TC history.  Given that I attained 3 graduate degrees at TC and spent 8 years as a student at TC I know that I've been impacted in many ways and continue to be impacted everyday.  The greatest impact has been in how I view myself as a College Professor...as an educator first.  I learned from great examples of mentors at TC that it is our students that come first and that we should do whatever we can to assist them,shape them, and educate them in their fields and as people.  TC also gave me a great understanding and appreciation for the enterprise of Higher Education, that so many are lacking.  When I first got to TC I just paused and touched the wood paneled walls of Zankel and Thompson halls.  I was even moved by the cafeteria given it's beauty (obviously not the food).  The lounge in Zankel and the Library might have been my favorite spots, but so was the court yard.  I never took TC for granted and always appreciated the fact that I had the privilege to be a part of such a great institution....the best there is.

Dr. Gibaldi is a Professor of Management and Organizational Behavior at both Harvard University and St. John’s University. He also maintains an Organizational Consulting practice, and is a Fulbright Scholar. He has over 30 years of experience in the education and corporate consulting sectors.

During his career thus far he has published in the areas of Human Resource Management, Career Planning and Development, Strategic Planning, Organizational Development and Change, Issues Related to the Changing face of Retirement, and The benefits of Working with an Executive Coach. His present research and writing is in the areas of “Fear in the Workplace”, “Organizational Behavior in a Global Context”, and “Possible Causes of a Failure of Leadership”. He has written and delivered over 40 professional papers at international conferences and recently returned from the University of Bologna (Italy) where he carried out a number of professional academic activities as a Fulbright Senior Specialist.

His educational background is in Psychology, Management, Organizational Behavior, Understanding the Adult Learner in the Workplace, Curriculum and Faculty Development, and Management Development (post doctoral studies at Harvard University). He presently teaches and has taught numerous Management courses both traditionally (in the class room), as well as “live” via web-conference.

Dr. Gibaldi has many personal interests that he is fully engaged in and has sat on many nonprofit boards. Presently he serves as the Board Chair of a nonprofit organization in Brooklyn, NY that provides social services to the poor, Pre-K programs, and College Scholarships to underprivileged NYC youth.

M.A. 83 | Psychology-Organizational
M.E. '87, Ed.D. '89 | Higher Education

Connect with Carmine.

After a long career in TESOL (in the US and Asia), I came to Teachers College in 1989, to pursue a doctorate in International Educational Development. Soon after arrival, I was able to get a workstudy job in the International Student Office. Twenty happy and rewarding years later, I retired from TC as Director of International Services. I always said I had the best (and most fun) job at TC, as I worked with the College's wonderful international students and scholars, truly 'the best and brightest' from all around the world. 'About 20 minutes' after I retired, I was asked to join the Alumni Council, and for six years I served as co-chair of the International Outreach Committee and as a member of the Awards Committee. My tenure as a Council member enabled me to stay connected with TC’s international alumni and to learn more about the entire TC alumni community. We are a most impressive Association! I am honored that my fellow Council members elected me to serve in the presidential “stream.” I believe that all of TC’s alumni can play important roles in identifying and supporting prospective students; offering networking and professional opportunities to current students; and facilitating life-long connections with the College and fellow alumni. It is the role and responsibility of the Alumni Council, in coordination and cooperation with the Office of Alumni Relations, to create and implement strategies that will increase alumni engagement in all these areas. I am fully committed to leading the Alumni Council and the Association toward these goals.

Connect with Marion

Ed.D. '96 | International Educational Development

Megan Benay is the Director of Instructional Support for Diverse Learners at Great Oaks Foundation where she leads the work to support schools across the network to improve social, emotional and academic outcomes for students with disabilities, English Language Learners and other special populations. Prior to joining Great Oaks, Megan supported the education program at the Carnegie Corporation of New York as a Program Analyst in the New Designs to Advance Learning portfolio. Megan started her career at a public elementary school in New York City, serving as a special education teacher, music teacher and administrative intern. An alumna of the NYC Teaching Fellows program and Teachers College Summer Principals Academy, she holds a B.A. in psychology from the University of Vermont’s Honors College, an M.S. in education from Hunter College and an M.Ed. in organizational leadership from TC.  In order to gain an understanding of education systems outside of the U.S., Megan also traveled to Chile to work for the United Nations Development Programme and the Chilean Ministry of Education as an English teacher through the English Opens Doors Program.

M.Ed. '17 | Public School Building Leadership

Dr. Renée J. Blumstein is an educational psychologist with over 30 years of experience working in programs of all types and at all levels (PK-16). A graduate of the Teachers College Ph.D. program in Educational and Psychological Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, Dr. Blumstein has successfully applied her qualitative and quantitative skills to a host of different organizations including the largest corporations in the U.S. However, she finds the most satisfaction working with schools to identify and implement programs and practices to enhance their curricula and policies so that their students are able to reach their highest potential.

Since moving to Long Island in 1996, Dr. Blumstein has worked with high needs suburban schools to strengthen programs and services using evidence-based research and evaluation. She has worked with these schools on developing competitive grant proposals, winning more than $100 million over the last 20 years for schools that serve predominantly at-risk students.

Dr. Blumstein is interested in connecting with current Teachers College students to discuss educational research and evaluation, statistical methods, and fund raising for high needs schools.

Connect with Renee

Ph.D. '86 | Measurement and Evaluation

Jane is currently a Major Gift Officer at Le Moyne College, her undergraduate alma mater, in Syracuse, New York. Jane has twenty-five years’ experience in higher education, educational testing and executive training. She has worked for several universities, including New York University and Teachers College, Columbia University. Jane worked in varied areas of student development before moving to academic administration. She has published in the fields of education and psychology and has presented workshops on international education, higher education policy, intercultural competence and women’s leadership and mentorship. She is the editor and principal contributor to The International Student’s Survival Guide to Living in NYC, 3rd Edition.. While living in Hong Kong, China, she was the Asia representative for a major educational testing company, and worked with international students wishing to study in the U.S. She also conducted research in Chinese schools and in intercultural psychology. Jane has been an executive trainer with major U.S. corporations and Executive MBA programs.

Jane holds a B.A. in Romance Languages from LeMoyne College and an M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University with additional coursework in counseling and clinical psychology and independent school leadership.

M.A. '10 | Developmental Psychology

James Gibaldi currently serves as an Outreach Coordinator at the NYC Mayor’s Office, focusing his efforts on ThriveNYC, New York City’s groundbreaking mental health initiative.  In this role he works to build strategic partnerships with communities, corporations, and non-profit organizations in an effort to connect these entities to quality mental health resources provided by the City.   As a third-generation New Yorker, James has a passion for connecting with communities throughout the city to change the culture and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health.  Prior to joining the Mayor’s Office, James was a researcher and clinical intern at NYP-Weill Cornell Medicine’s Department of Neurological Surgery.  His work on sports-related concussions has been published and he had the privilege of working within the NFL’s Concussion Protocol for the New York Jets.  He graduated with a Master’s degree in neuroscience and education from Teachers College and a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from The George Washington University.  A proud resident of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, you can find James spending most of his free time at Zabar’s or relaxing at Central Park’s Great Lawn.

Connect with James on Twitter: @jamesgibaldi

M.S. '15 | Neuroscience and Education

I develop programs that build equitable, sustainable communities. During my time at TC, I cultivated my professional identity as a educator, intellectual and activist. I also met my closest friends who share in my passion for this work. I then went on to launch two new middle schools in New York City dedicated to progressive adolescent pedagogy, and now work for the Girl Scouts.

M.A. '12 | TESOL (K-12)

David Hoff is Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Leadership Development at EASI·Consult. David leads organization transformation projects for private sector companies and large public sector agencies of the Federal government. David spent 17 years at Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. as Director of International Human Resources, Director of Human Resource Development and Selection, Manager of Management Development and Training and Organization Development Consultant. He's held corporate positions such as Vice President of Human Resources for Dimension Data, Inc. and Director and Managing Director of International Human Resources for Proxicom, Inc. 

Ph.D. '73 | Guidance

Teachers College truly gave me the vision of always trying to improve and excel in the education of young people.  As educators, we must strive to continue learning, doing research, and collaborating with our peers in order to stay “cutting edge” in our knowledge and experiences in education.  Teachers College challenged me to widen my educational philosophy to a growth mindset in that we never stop learning ourselves.  My time at TC was invaluable and was truly the best education I have ever received.

M.A. '92 | Education Administration

TC provided me the perfect balance of theory and practice I needed to become a successful school administrator.  As a principal, director, and now superintendent of schools, I still find myself referencing lessons learned from professors and fellow students - in short, TC taught me what real leadership is about.

Rory McCourt is the Superintendent of Schools for the River Vale Public School District in River Vale, New Jersey.  Prior to this, he served as both the Interim Superintendent of Schools and Director of Curriculum for the Westwood Regional School District, after starting his administrative career in Westwood as Principal of the Brookside Upper Elementary School.  Rory also served as a fourth grade teacher and eighth grade social studies/English teacher in the Ramsey School District, as well as a 7th grade teacher in the Paterson School District.  In addition to Rory's work on the Teachers College Alumni Council and in River Vale, he is also the Bergen County Association of School Administrators's New Jersey Small Schools Committee representative, chairs the BCASA Professional Development wing, and serves as a mentor to aspiring administrators in northern New Jersey.

Connect with Rory | @MccourtRory

M.Ed. ' 07 | Education Leadership

TC taught me to understand the intricate complexity of education, and to look for different ways to approach the challenges we face in classrooms and policy. Currently, I am back in Brazil and have focused my work on disseminating and implementing social and emotional learning programs. I have worked in classrooms, developed curriculum and started nationwide programs in public schools - and TC’s teachings has been with me along the way. Serving in the Alumni Council is a chance to contribute and give back to the place that has given the world so much knowledge.

Connect with Leticia

M.A. ’11 | Elementary Inclusive Education

I am currently Professor of Education and Assistant Provost for Academic Innovation at Towson University, Maryland. With more than 30 years’ experience in higher education as teacher and administrator, I have a passion for collaborations and partnerships that result in opportunities to learn for people from all backgrounds. The majority of my career has been in teacher education where my scholarship has focused on research about school-university-community partnerships. In 2013, I was given the opportunity to create a new unit at my university that would create communities of practice centered around teaching with technology and online learning. My current work focuses on faculty learning through experiences such as course redesign, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and virtual learning communities. 

Ed.D. '94 | Curriculum and Teaching

Belinda Nicholson is the Middle Division Director at The School at Columbia University. She is the product of a multinational, multiethnic background and education; and professionally seeks to reap its infinite possibilities. Her educational passions center around educational equity and access, empowering individual voice, and supporting the crucial identity development of adolescents and teens. She is on the board of ChildsPlay International, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help children deal with trauma and displacement by rebuilding the essential structure of childhood through active play and imagination. Belinda’s first foray into teaching was as an elementary ESL teacher in Osaka Japan. After receiving her B.A and M.A in International Development and Social Change from Clark University, Belinda shifted her focus to pursue a career as a public school special education teacher. Prior to moving to New York to attend Teacher’s College, Belinda served as the Dean of Students for St. Edward’s High School in Vero Beach, Florida. In addition to her role as Dean, she taught honors courses in Global Studies and Current Affairs, sponsored the student council and the diversity club, and traveled extensively with the model UN student group. As an alumna of the Teachers College’s Klingenstein Center’s Leadership Academy, her experience from her time at TC continually informs her work in independent schools. As a life-long learner, Belinda is back at Teacher’s College pursing a M.E in Anthropology and Education.

M.A.  '98 International Development and Social Change

M.E. ’10 | Private School Leadership

My professional trajectory has been forever shaped by my graduate studies at Teachers College. As a graduate of the Klingenstein Center’s Leadership Academy, I am committed to working for an independent institution that understands the centrality of education in promoting social justice and diversity. My training draws me to schools with a student body and faculty that represent the increasing diversity of our nation. I believe that well-funded schools should serve as a model and resource for students, faculty, and families of under-resourced schools while also appreciating and learning from the best practices used by these schools. I am committed to contributing to the alumni network’s recruitment of teachers to Teachers College who are willing to engage in and forward the public-private discourse. I am also committed to participating in and supporting programs that use the Klingenstein Center’s cohort model to promote leadership development.
In partnership with another Teachers College graduate, Rodney Glasgow, I co-founded the Administrators of Color in the Washington Metropolitan Area (AOC/DMV). I currently serve as the co-convener of the group. We offer support to administrators of color in area independent schools as part of a regional network and cultivate a professional learning community for sharing best practices and engaging in leadership development.

Jalene has recently begun a post as Lower School Head at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School in Alexandria, VA, a JK-12 co-educational Episcopal School. She was previously the Assistant Head of School at Beauvoir, the National Cathedral Elementary School in Washington, DC where she served as a teacher and administrator for sixteen years.

M.A. '11 | Private School Leadership

Jessica Cardichon is currently the Director of Washington DC Office and the Director of Federal Policy at the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) where she plays a leadership role in developing federal legislative and regulatory strategy and co-leads LPI’s policy team. She is also a member of LPI’s Educator Quality and Deeper Learning teams and is the lead author of Advancing Educational Equity for Underserved Youth. Jessica began her career teaching upper elementary school in New York City for seven years and then working for Teachers College, Columbia University, as a program manager for implementation of early career educator induction programs. Upon moving to Washington, DC, she served as Education Counsel to a member of the United States Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. She then served as Senior Director for Federal Policy and Advocacy at the Alliance for Excellent Education where she also published numerous policy reports. Jessica received an M.A. in Politics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1999 and an Ed. D. in Politics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2003. She earned a J.D. from Pace University School of Law in 2010 where she graduated Cum Laude and served on Law Review as a Case Note and Comment Editor. Jessica is admitted to the New York State Bar, Third Department and the District of Columbia Bar, D.C. Court of Appeals. Jessica’s time at Teachers College provided her with an understanding of the historical and structural reasons that resulted in the educational inequities she witnesses while teaching. The foundational knowledge and policy skills that she developed as a result of her time at Teachers College is something that she continues to draw from and has been instrumental in her career.

M.A. '99 | Psychological Counseling
Ed.D. '03 | Guidance in Elementary Education

Michael Gillespie was the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs whose primary responsibility was for academic support services and faculty development. Dean Gillespie also managed the college’s immersion programs, high school partnerships, Urban Male Leadership Academy, IRB and COPE.

Prior to coming to BMCC, Dean Gillespie served as Professor of Education and Senior Director of Collaborative Programs at Bronx Community College. He has served as founding director of the City College/Hunter College Principals’ Center and has taught secondary English, worked as a guidance counselor and corporate trainer. His primary research interests are on urban schools and the best
practices for preparing both teachers and principals to lead them effectively. Dean Gillespie earned his combined AB/MAT in English at Brown University, M.A, and Ed.D at Teacher College, Columbia University.

M.A. '80 | Student Personnel Administration
Ed.D. '83 | Entry into Educating Professions

Eric Hassler began his career in education as an elementary and middle school teacher for eight years. Both his bachelors and masters degrees are in elementary education from SUNY New Paltz. He then made the transition into school administration by becoming a middle school assistant principal, a position he held for three years. He furthered his career as an elementary principal for six years. During this time, he completed his doctor of education degree at Teachers College, Columbia University. The topic of his dissertation dealt with the influence of accountability-based reform and teacher accountability on the classroom practice of suburban middle school teachers. He is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District.

Ed.D. '11 | Curriculum and Teaching

Allan Hoffman is the President of the Institute for Clinical Social. He received his Doctorate in 1975 in Higher Education, a masters in 1976 in Philosophy and the Social Sciences and a masters in 1973 in Higher Education. He was also a Kellogg Fellow. 

M.A. '73 | Philosophy and the Social Sciences
Ed.D. '75 | Philosophy and the Social Sciences

Delmy Lendof is a Student Affairs professional with over 20 years of experience working in higher education and serving students at public and private universities.  She currently serves as the Director for Residential Staff and Programs at New York University, and prior to that worked as Assistant Director for Residential Life at Rutgers University, and Teachers College, Columbia University.   

Dr. Lendof is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Higher & Postsecondary Education Program at NYU and Teachers College. She is highly involved in regional and national organizations and has presented at a number of conferences. Dr. Lendof was a recipient of the NYU Team achievement award, Student Affairs Hallmark Award, and Residential Life and Housing Services Hallmark Award.  She was also recognized as an outstanding higher education professional by Rutgers University Graduate School of Education during the 2011 commencement.

"TC made it possible for a first generation, low-income student, born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the South Bronx to have access to outstanding faculty and academic resources that have impacted my personal and professional journey in more ways that words can describe. To teach in the program I graduated from and serve as a member of the Alumni Council is all but a dream come true and I will forever be grateful for this experience, the faculty, the great network of colleagues and the extended family TC has become."

Ed.D. '13 | Higher & Postsecondary Education

My involvement with Teachers College is both long and rewarding. My first visit to TC was during my senior year at college, when I came to New York to be interviewed for the Teachers for East Africa (TEA) program, which was administered by TC and with which I then spent a year studying at Makerere University and two years teaching in Tanzania. At the two-week orientation for American "Group B" participants (those who went to Makerere to study for the Graduate Diploma in Education before being assigned to a school in Uganda, Kenya or Tanzania), I met such TC luminaries as Karl Bigelow, R. Freeman Butts, Lawrence Cremin, and David Scanlon. After TEA and then teaching at a private school in New Jersey, I returned to TC to enter an EdD program in African History and International Affairs. In my first semester, I happened to take a course with Harold Noah, a life-changing event that convinced me to switch my focus from history to comparative education and economics. For my PhD research, I returned to East Africa (Kenya), after which I went to the University of Michigan as an economic researcher. In 1973, I was hired by the Department of Philosophy and the Social Sciences to join Harold Noah and teach economics and education at TC. I did this for ten years before leaving teaching to join the World Bank as an education economist. In recent years, having retired from the Bank and working as an independent consultant, I was hired as part of a TC-led technical assistance team fielded by the Asian Development Bank to assist the Government of Mongolia on issues of education reform and poverty alleviation. Serving on the Council is rewarding and an opportunity for me to pay back, in small part, my great debt to the College.

M.A. '68 | Comparative Education
Ph.D. '73 | Economics and Education

Bob Obrohta is a leader in college access to higher education for first-generation and low-income students. His nearly 30 year career has spanned providing direct service work for thousands of students in both urban and rural communities to policy advocacy at the state and national level.  A first-generation college student, Bob received his Bachelor’s degree, in Political Science, from the University of St. Francis. It was through his participation in student government that Bob found his passion for college access and affordability, which led him to enrolling in TC’s Student Personnel Administration program. During his studies, he concentrated on issues of admissions, affordability, poverty and education.

Bob is the founder of both Oasis College Connection (Nashville, TN) and the Tennessee College Access and Success Network. Oasis annually provides college access services to 2,000 Nashville youth. In his current position as executive director of the Tennessee College Access and Success Network, Bob has provided leadership on grant funding, professional development, and policy advocacy that has distributed nearly $2 Million in grant funding, trained thousands of professionals, and reached over 60,000 students and families.  He has worked on many state and national college access projects with partners like the Lumina Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and President Obama’s White House Call to Action Summit. His current work includes The TalentED Project, a national project in partnership with UBS Americas that focuses on the creation of a free technology solution to address the issue of student “undermatching.”  Launched in 2016, TalentED currently includes over 100 undergraduate colleges, and 230 college access organizations from 30 states.

Bob sits on the National College Access Network’s National Policy Council and is a representative on the Nashville Sports Authority which oversees Nashville sports facility operations including Nissan Stadium (Tennessee Titans) and the Bridgestone Arena (Nashville Predators). He is the 2017 recipient of the University of St. Francis’ Distinguished Alumni Award for the College of Arts and Sciences. Bob and his wife, Lora, live in Nashville with their two teenage sons, Ayrton and Lance.  

M.A. '89 | Student Personnel Administration

M.S. '10 | Mathematics Education
Ed.D. '16  | Mathematics Education

John Battles
Marion Boultbee
Irene Buchman
Diana Clark*
Joyce Cowin
Susan Diamond
Joseph Dionne
Delores Friedman
David Gomez
Jonathan Hughes
Claude Mayberry
Andre McKenzie 
Patrick McGuire
John Nolan
Frances O'Connell Rust
Jeffrey Putman
Ellen Saxl
Christopher Scott
Sonya Shapiro
Susan Smyth
Elizabeth Stern
Charles D.W. Thompson
Adam Vane
Alice Wilder
Anna Bell Washburn*
Robert Weintraub
Dorothy White*

*-Deceased