Student Profiles

Program: International Educational Development: Concentration: Languages, Literacies, and Cultures, MA Candidate, 2023

Research Interests: Women's Education, Adult Literacy, Higher Education, Language Policies

Previous degrees & Institutions:

•  B.A., Language and Literature-Asian Studies, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York State
• Senior Project Topic:  "On First-person Narration In The Disguise of Shōjo —An Analysis of Dazai Osamu’s “Joseito” and Kon Satoshi’s Perfect Blue" (2021)
• Exchange Program, School of International Liberal Arts Studies, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

Current Positions: Graduate Mentor, JFEW of SUNY Global Affairs Leadership Program, State University of New York, New York

Program: International Educational Development: Languages, Literacies, Cultures, MA Candidate, 2023

Research Interests: My research interests lie within contexts of multicultural and multilingual educational settings due to migration. Specifically, I’m interested in how language-in-education policy is reflected in the classroom and what role language plays in the formation of a students’ (cultural) identity. Key words: multilingual education, inclusive teaching and curriculum, identity, intercultural communication, cultural competence. 

Past Degrees & Institutions: 

• B.A. French, University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA)
• Minor in German, International Business
• Student exchange program, Université Lumière Lyon II
• German language training, Universität des Saarlands & Volkshochschule Saarbrücken 

Grants & Awards:

• Columbia University, Teachers College General Scholarship (2021-2022)
• Fulbright ETA Scholarship, Saarbrücken, Germany (2018-2019)
• Dean’s List, University of Iowa (Fall, 2017, Spring 2015-2017)
• Naomi Gunderson Scholarship for Study Abroad, University of Iowa (2017)
• UI National Scholars Award, University of Iowa (2014-2018)

Program: International and Educational Development: International Humanitarian Issues, EdD.

Previous Degrees & Institutions: Master of Public Administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science

Dissertation Topic: Adopting a constructivist lens to use languages as a resource in education in emergencies

Publications:

Samman, E., Lucci, P., Hagen-Zanker, J., Bhatkal, T., Simunovic, A. T., Nicolai, S., ... & Caron, C. (2018). SDG progress: fragility, crisis and leaving no one behind. ODI Report.

Awards: Teachers College Scholarship 2019 and 2020

[Photo credit: LSE]

Program: Comparative Ed, Anthropology, Ph.D.

Previous Degrees & Institutions:

• A., International Educational Development, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2013
• S.Ed. General Childhood Education, Bank Street College, 2003
• B., Hispanic Studies, Harvard College, 2000

Dissertation Topic: I am broadly interested in the topics of immigration and multilingualism in school settings. While my dissertation research will focus on Spain, I have also conducted research in Italy, examining the use of Ischian on the island of Ischia.

Publications:

Contributed lessons and ideas to the 2^nd edition of the book Words and Actions: Teaching Language Through the Lense of Social Justice by Cassandra Glynn, Pamela Wesley and Beth Wassell.

Published Seven Reasons for the Highly Effective Language Teacher to use Literature (NNELL; winter 2013).    

Awards:   

ITS Summer Research Grant 2019

TC General Scholarship 2019-2021

NYU Teacher Fellowship: Using Media to Teach about Human Rights, spring 2019

NEH Summer Institute for Teachers Grant Recipient: Tales of the Chihuahuan Desert, summer 2017

Program: International and Comparative Education: Philosophy, Ph.D. 2022

Previous degrees & institutions:

M.A., Political and Moral Philosophy, University of Paris-Sorbonne IV, Paris, France

Diploma of American Students, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts

B.A., Philosophy, University of Paris-Sorbonne IV, Paris, France

Research and Scholarly Interests:

My research and scholarly interests lie in the field of language issues in comparative and international education, and particularly in bi-/multilingual education efforts in the so-called global South, that brings non-dominant languages into the educational system. My dissertation research focuses on the role of key advocates in language-in-education policy change and their life stories in Senegal.

Awards & Grants:

• Doctoral Fellowship, Teachers College, Columbia University, 2017-2020
• The Vice President's Student Research in Diversity Grant (SRD), Teachers College, Columbia University, 2020-2021

Program: Comparative and International Education: Sociology, Ph.D. 2022. 

Dissertation Topic: Language policy and curriculum in higher education and perceptions of ethnic identity among Tibetan undergraduate students in China.

Previous Degrees & Institutions: Master of Arts, University of Delaware

Awards:

• Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF), Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University, April/2020.
• International and Transcultural Studies Department 2019 Summer Research Grant, Teachers College, Columbia University, May/2019.
• Dean’s Scholarship, College of Education and Human Development, University of Delaware, AY 2014-2015 & AY 2015-2016.

Program: International Educational Development: Languages, Literacies, and Cultures, MA 2022

Previous Degrees & Institutions:

B.A., International Studies, University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

• Minor in Psychology
• Thematic Concentration: Culture and Arts in Global Perpective
• Capstone Topic: “An Influence in Culture: How History Shaped Nationalism and National Identity in Germany”

Student Exchange Program, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg (Heidelberg, Germany)

Research Interests:

My research interests during my master's program include analyses related mulitilingual and multicultural education and integrating higher education to my research.

Awards & Grants:

• Columbia University, Teachers College General Scholarship (2020)

• Columbia University, Teachers College Diversity Scholarship (2020)

• Columbia University, Marion R. Boultbee, Ed.D. and William Z. Smith Scholarship (2020-2021)

• State of New Mexico, New Mexico Lottery Scholarship (2017-2020)

• State of Baden-Württemberg, The Baden-Württemberg-STIPENDIUM (2019)

• University of New Mexico, Bridge to Success Scholarship (2016)

Program: International Educational Development: Languages, Literacies, and Cultures, MA 2022

Research and Scholarly Interests: multilingual education, inclusive teaching, DEI

Awards: None

Program: International Educational Development: Language, Literacy, and Culture, MA 2022

IP Title: Intercultural Bilingual Education in Chubut, Argentina: Local Actors’ Actions for Policy Implementation

Current positions:

• Graduate Intern at Myanmar Education Consortium (MEC)
• Spanish Team Coordinator at MLE Database Project 

Grants and Awards:

• George W. Perkins Memorial Scholarship, 2021
• P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship Award, 2021
• Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Scholarship, 2016

Program: International Educational Development, MA 2021

IP title: Exploring the Motivations of Why Hmong American College Students Study Abroad on Hmong Studies Programs

Current Position/Work: Associate Institutional Relations Director, Learning Abroad Center at the University of Minnesota

Degree: International Educational Development: Languages, Literacies, and Cultures, MA 2021

IP Title: A Comparative Study of Disparities Between International and Local Teachers in Chinese-English Bilingual Programs in Mainland China

Current Positions: Mandarin-English bilingual teacher of Economics at Shude High School; Research Associate at the Center on Chinese Education, Teachers College

Program: Internatioanl Educational Development: Languages, Literacies and Cultures, MA 2021

Research and Scholarly Interests: Multilingualism, multiculturalism, development of multilingual/multicultural educational model.

 Bio: Jiratchaya is from Bangkok, Thailand. She’s interested in working for displaced children from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Prior to graduate school, she has worked with nonprofit organizations such as Teach For Thailand and Tourism Authority of Thailand. She is currently an international services intern at American Red Cross Greater New York Region.

Program: International Educational Development: Language, Literacy, and Culture, MA 2020

 IP Title:  Perspectives of a Non-Dominant Language Community on Schooling Choice - A case study on how Mongolian parents choose between Mongolian and Chinese schooling

Current position: Research assistant (part time), The Center on Chinese Education, Teachers College Columbia University (CoCE)

Program: International Educational Development: Languages, Literacies, and Cultures (2020)

IP Title: Language, Education, and Economic Opportunity: Influences on Secondary School-Age Girls' Decision-Making in Mumbai, India 

Current Position: Policy & Advocacy Assistant, Plan International 

Professional Interests: Gender Equality; Education; Policy & Advocacy; Community-based Interventions

Program: International Educational Development: Languages, Literacies, and Cultures, MA 2020 

IP Title: A Comparative Study of Language-in-Curriculum Development for Newly Arrived Speakers of Arabic Varieties in Host Countries of the Middle East, Europe, and North America 

Current Position: Analyst, U.S. Government 

Research Interests: Multilingualism in refugee education, media and news literacy in education to counter misinformation and disinformation

Program: International Educational Development: Languages, Literacies, and Cultures, MA 2020

IP Title: On the Effectiveness of Bilingual Translation Education in Chinese Universities

Current Position: Program Officer at Columbia Global Centers | Beijing

Program: International Education Development: Language/Bilingual Education, MA 2020 

IP Title: How do NYC Teachers Perceive the Impact of Enrollment in Spanish-English Dual Language Programs?

Current position/work: Equity and Restorative Justice Coordinator and Bilingual Spanish Computer Science Teacher (PreK-5th)

Program: International Educational Development: Languages, Literacies, and Cultures, MA 2020

IP Title: Language Bias in Designing a Multilingual Education Curriculum

Current Position: Language and Policy Advisor Consultant for the Myanmar Education Consortium

Publications:

• Williams, J. T., & Iwasaki, E. (forthcoming). “Reframing Policy and Practice: Languages in Education as Resources for Peace in Myanmar”, in Wong, M. (eds.), Teaching for Peace and Social Justice in Myanmar: Identity, Agency, and Critical Pedagogy. Bloomsbury.

Program: International Education Development: Languages, Literacies, and Cultures,  EdM 2020

IP Title: Perspectives of Multilingual Education Teachers on the Sustainability of Multilingual Education in Cambodia 

Publications:

Kim, A. & Benson, C. (forthcoming).

Program: International Educational Development: Languages Literacies, and Cultures, MA 2020

IP Title: What Happens After 3rd Grade? Teachers’ Perceptions of the MTB-MLE Policy and its effect on the local implementation in Mati, Davao Oriental, Philippines

Current position: Research Assistant, Teachers College

Program: International Comparative Education, EdM 2020

IP Title:  Factors that influence teachers' decision to use Kreyol as a medium of instruction in a secondary school in La Gonave, Haiti

Current Position(s): 

• Development Manager at Friends of Matenwa
• Co-founder of an education consulting firm, Bridges and Borders
• Change Management consultant at Accenture Federal. 

Biography

Jemima Douyon is an educator based in New York City. For the past ten years, she has taught and tutored middle school aged children in both the public and private sector.

Program: International Educational Development: Languages, Literacies and Cultures, MA 2019

IP Title: An Analysis Of Education Policy and Multilingualism in Japan: How Aware is the Japanese Government of the End of Linguistic Homogeneity?

Current Position: JICA Consultant

Awards: Rotary International Scholar

Program: International Comparative Education, MA 2018 

IP Title Kadazandusun Language in Public Schools in Sabah, Malaysia A Form of Global Citizenship Education

Current Position: English Teacher Leader at DelSesto Middle School (Providence, RI) and Program Assistant for Hands in Outreach

Program: International Education Development: Languages and Literacies focus, MA 2017

IP Title: I want to be a drop of water that creates an ocean: Youth, Peacebuilding, and Education in Myanmar 

Current Position: Education Development Officer, DDI Center for Education at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Research interests: Language of instruction and transition, multilingual education policy and practice, language development and acquisition, and emergent literacy 

Professional Highlights: AsiaNetwork Freeman Foundation Fellow (2013), Fulbright Grantee (2013-2014), Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity (AC4) Fellow (2016), and Co-founder of (Un)Spoken: A Celebration of International Mother Language Day at Teachers College and the Language Resource Bank with Dr. Carol Benson (2016-2017)

Program: International Educational Development: Languages, Literacies and Cultures, MA 2017

IP Title: The Bilingual Education for Mongol Students in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China

Current position: Doctoral student at University of Toronto

Institution of Affiliation: Language, Literacies Education, Dept. of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, University of Toronto

Refereed Conference Presentations

• Zhang, Y. Preserving Linguistic Diversity through Heritage Language Education --Rethinking Heritage Language Education in China. The 63rd Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), San Francisco, April 18, 2019.

• Zhang, Y. Bilingual Education for Mongols in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: A Case Study of Xinjiang Bazhou Mongolian High School. The 62nd Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), Mexico City, March 28, 2018.

Non-refereed contributions

Online Articles

• Zhang, Y. (2018). An overview of Chinese heritage language education in North America. (2018, August 21). [In Chinese 北美华语继承语现状浅析]. Linguistic Resources Express [语言资源快讯]. Retrieved from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lfeSMLMLXlvqXAgDn9moQQ

Program: International Comparative Education, MA 2017

IP Title: When Global and Local Collide: Investigating the Need and Potential for L1-Based Multilingual Education in New York City

Current position: Director of New York City Partnerships at iMentor

Program: International Educational Development, MA 2016

IP Title: Teacher beliefs about the role of language in school in Nagaland, India: Toward plurilingual pedagogies

Bio: Cassondra Puls is Research Advisor at the Women’s Refugee Commission. An expert in qualitative and mixed-method data collection with crisis-affected children, adolescents, and women, she advises WRC’s research, monitoring, and evaluation efforts across WRC’s program areas in order to advance robust, ethical, and inclusive data collection, analysis, and reporting to inform WRC’s programming and advocacy. Cassondra was a founding member of the WRC Research Unit, within which she coordinates research training and capacity-building of WRC staff and leads on internal organizational measurement and learning initiatives. Prior to joining WRC in 2018, Cassondra served with the International Rescue Committee. Cassondra was a Fulbright Fellow, and she obtained her MA in International Educational Development from Columbia University Teachers College and her BA in sociolinguistics from Georgetown University.

Program: International Education Development: Language, Literacy and Culture, MA 2015

IP Title: The possible effects of backwash from the medium of instruction of higher education and perceived job opportunities on choice of medium of instruction in the urban Malaysian context.

Thesis: Mother tongue (Home language) use in informal indigenous education: The perspectives of Orang Asli volunteer teachers in Peninsula Malaysia.

Current Position: EdD Candidate at the University of Western Australia, Perth.