The ICEd program is excited to welcome six new doctoral fellows this year. Read more below to find out about their research interests and plans at TC.
Gabriela Chacon Ugarte
Gabriela’s research focuses on policy design related to teachers in Latin America, with a particular interest in understanding the motivations behind policymakers' decisions to reform public teachers' careers in the region. She began her career at the Peruvian Ministry of Education, where she designed evaluations of teachers’ performance in public schools. Gabriela later expanded her expertise to encompass teacher development issues within the same institution. Most recently, she served as an educational consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank. She holds an MA in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar.
Something special about TC
Teachers College allowed me to challenge and expand my understanding of education policy design by fostering a diverse environment where healthy and respectful discussions were the norm. Additionally, TC became a home away from home through my participation in ALAS, the Association of Latin American Students.
Tsewang Chuskit
Tsewang was born in Ladakh, a northern Himalayan region in India. From an early age, she observed a disconnect between her school textbook and her rich cultural community. This gap ignited her passion for developing contextually relevant curricula that considers students' cultural and linguistic background. Her research interest centers on critical literacy and its role in social change by integrating cultural elements, indigenous languages, and local stories into the classroom. She aims to address the underrepresentation of indigenous languages in school curricula by investigating language policy and translanguaging.
She co-founded a women’s health initiative that has educated over 1,600 girls and women on reproductive health, providing local resources and culturally relevant workshops in Ladakh. Through her work with NGOs such as Girls Inc., FHI 360, Geneva Global, and Health Inc., she has contributed to numerous educational projects, ranging from research and curriculum development to reproductive health education.
Her long-term goal is to advocate for multilingual and multicultural education in Himalayan region and promote critical literacy. She holds a BA in Education (International Strand) from Smith College, and an MA in International Educational Development from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.
Something special about TC
It is an honor to be part of the Teachers College community, which is dedicated to fostering social change through educational research worldwide. Coming from the Himalayan region, an underrepresented region in educational research, it was crucial for me to find a doctoral mentor whose work aligns with my interests. I am thrilled to have Dr. Prem Phyak as my mentor; his research and scholarly expertise deeply resonate with my goals.
Neil Potnis
Neil’s research focuses on the role digital media plays in climate education and its influence on local movements worldwide. He holds an MS in Computational Design Practices from Columbia University GSAPP, where he combined his background in arts technology with climate education to develop a decarbonization simulator for building materials.
Prior to joining Teachers College, he held positions as a Design Fellow at Columbia Entrepreneurship and Program Instructor at Columbia World Projects leading diverse groups including the Obama Foundation Scholars and Social Impact Fellows through workshops on social and environmental sustainability education. He also held research positions at Columbia’s Natural Materials Lab developing tools for climate education, Northeastern’s College of Arts, Media, and Design researching educational approaches to enhance constructive communication in online settings, and labr helping develop the first climate marketplace for direct action.
As a scholar in International and Comparative Education, he aims to highlight the diverse global practices of climate action and citizenship while fostering connections between NGOs, educators, and policymakers through knowledge diffusion.
Something special about TC
I’m excited to be part of a multidisciplinary, multicultural group of leaders from whom I can learn and collaborate to develop diverse pedagogies in social impact education.
Issa Rooney
Issa's research will be informed by her diverse teaching experiences, most recently in New York City schools and previously in Mozambique as a Peace Corps education volunteer. She plans to focus her research on teacher professional development in emergency contexts, with a particular interest in peer-to-peer learning models.
Issa earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University, as a Peace Corps Fellow in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology. During her time at Teachers College, Issa also taught high school science at a project-based high school. She has volunteered and worked with the International Rescue Committee's Youth Education team, supporting newcomer education initiatives. Currently, Issa serves as the Chair of Community Partnerships for the New York City Peace Corps Association.
Something special about TC
I admire TC's focus on practice and community. Through work, internships, and volunteer opportunities, students gain invaluable real-world experiences that enrich their coursework. Faculty further enhance this connection by actively grounding course content and pedagogy in practical knowledge.
Nina Yacher
Nina’s passion is supporting teachers and school leaders to build inclusive and caring learning environments for all students. Her research interests lie at the intersection of educational policy, socioemotional and civic education, and teacher and principal education and practices.
Prior to joining TC, Nina worked as a high school teacher in Chile through the Teach for All's local partner. She also worked as a teacher coach in several organizations and at the Chilean Department of Education, where she led a national initiative on project based learning. Additionally, she conducted research in several organizations such as UNDP, Aptus, and EMElab. In 2023, following her relocation to the U.S., Nina joined the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) as a full-time research and policy intern, where she contributed to case studies on teacher preparation.
Nina holds an M.A. in International Education Policy Analysis from Stanford University, a B.A. in Sociology from Universidad de Chile, and a teacher certification from Universidad Andrés Bello. Her master’s work, focused on implementation of practice-based teacher education in higher education institutions, was recently published by the Teaching and Teacher Education Journal.
Something special about TC
The International Comparative Education Ph.D. program at Teachers College will offer me a unique opportunity to get a strong theoretical and empirical base for conducting research to foster peace, equity, and sustainable education systems worldwide, especially in developing countries. Continuing my education and research training at Teachers College will help me to pursue an academic career aimed at producing meaningful research by enhancing the collaboration between academia, educational policies, and school communities.
Javiera Zamora Iturra
Javiera (Javi) is an educational professional with over nine years of experience in educational and social institutions. She has managed programs within NGOs in Africa and taught students from 1st to 8th grade in Chile and the UK across private, public, and special education schools. Committed to making a significant societal impact, she aims to become a leader in the social field. Javi holds a M.A. in International Education from NYU Steinhardt School, where she worked with United Way in Accra, Ghana, focusing her research on anti-child trafficking and literacy programs. In this role, she visited multiple communities, supporting initiatives aimed at social reintegration for trafficking survivors. Her research on effective reintegration strategies included a comprehensive diagnostic of the issues and their drivers as well as detailed recommendations on the action plan to boost the anti-trafficking program in Ghana.
Excited for the future, Javi will be working to empower newcomers and resettled refugee students in New York City public schools through the Zankel fellowship program. She will focus her research on the role of education and edtech in providing solutions for realms of conflict.
Driven by a passion for education, she applies her academic knowledge to create positive societal change, continually striving to make a meaningful impact beyond the academic environment.
Something special about TC
Teachers College offers me a unique platform to align my passion for social impact with access to leading experts, cutting-edge resources, and a supportive network. TC’s dedication to fostering real-world change empowers me to advance my research and make a profound, positive impact on society.
Good luck Gabriela, Tsewang, Neil, Issa, Nina, and Javiera!
The International and Comparative Education Program prepares doctoral students to enter academia and/or assume leadership positions in various organizations in the field. Our teaching framework emphasizes theory, disciplinary and content knowledge specific to sub-fields, research methods, and applied skills. If you are interested in applying to our doctoral program, visit the Office of Admission.