Educational Leadership Friends, Mentors, and Support
Scholar-Practitioners across the country serve as mentors for our doctoral students. These individuals are giving their own time - to give back - and contribute to addressing inequity in our educational systems.
Alan Acosta, is a passionate higher education professional whose work over the last 15 years has focused on supporting college students in their psychosocial development and helping them to become ethical global leaders. He currently serves as the Associate Vice Provost for Student Life and Director of Positive Learning Environments at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, where he collaborates with students, faculty, and staff on cultivating and nurturing holistic student support, engagement, and wellness. He is also an adjunct faculty member in the Salem State University Higher Education and Student Affairs program, teaching the history of higher education course.
Prior to his current role, Alan worked at Clark University and Florida State University in a variety of roles and managing numerous campus offices, including student conduct, housing, new student orientation, and accessibility services. In these roles, Alan also coordinated institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, managed campus-wide student crises, and supported campus offices through transition and change.
In addition to his campus-based work, Alan has been actively involved in ACPA – College Student Educators International (ACPA) and the Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA) throughout his career. He has served each organization in numerous roles, including as the ACPA Foundation Treasurer, Chair of ACPA’s Commission for Student Conduct and Legal Issues, coordinator for ACPA’s Voices of Inclusion medallions, co-chairing the ASCA case-study competition, and serving as the Educational Initiatives chair for ASCA’s 2016 Annual Conference. Alan has also authored numerous articles and chapters for academic publications, and he was a co-editor of a book focused on student conduct in the residence halls as part of a collaboration between ASCA and the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I). Alan believes in the power of education to uplift communities and change lives, which drives and centers the work he does.
Danielle Morgan Acosta, PhD (she/her) is a passionate and collaborative student affairs practitioner and leadership educator of over 15 years, focused on facilitating change, social justice, and student and staff development. She currently serves as the Associate Dean of Students for Engagement and Belonging at Clark University, where she oversees orientation, student leadership and programming, identity student engagement and access, and wellness education programs and services. Danielle has also worked at Florida State University as the Interim-Director of Student Engagement and Director of Student Governance & Advocacy at Florida State University, where she supported student government, the identity-based student unions, the Allies & Safe Zones program, and the strategic vision and crafting of a vibrant and inclusive undergraduate student experience; and for Residence Life at Salem State University, supporting RHA and student programming, student leadership development and training, and the first-year experience.
A first-generation college graduate, Danielle earned her undergraduate degree at Clark University, holds masters’ degrees from Clark University and Salem State University and received her PhD from Florida State University, where she conducted a phenomenological exploration of how female undergraduate student leadership is influenced by divorce during childhood. She has taught undergraduate courses in leadership and change and prepared dozens of trainings regarding leadership, inclusion, systemic change, and student voice. She has written and presented on governance and funding structures, leadership and change, cross-cultural advising, social capital and Twitter, first year experience programs, and university inclusion efforts.
Her professional involvement expands to ACPA-College Student Educators, International, where she has served in formal roles including the Standing Committee for Graduate Students and New Professionals Chair, ACPA Foundation Trustee Associate, Phyllis Mable Emerging Leaders Institute faculty member, Convention Chair, and three-time member of the Governing Board, most recently concluding her ACPA Presidency in 2022.
Tiffani Curtis, EdD leads the Office of Talent Management at Hartford Public Schools, where she oversees the full life cycle of talent to ensure every student has access to a highly qualified and culturally competent educator.
Dr. Curtis joined the education profession in 1992 as a Teach For America (TFA) corps member in Los Angeles, California. She has served as a middle and elementary school teacher, an instructional coach for preschool and elementary school teachers, the founding principal of an elementary school in Las Vegas, Nevada, and a turnaround principal in Albany, NY. As a school leader she was charged with creating sustainable school systems that supported teacher retention, practitioner development, school-based leadership, and diverse learner populations.
Dr. Curtis formerly served as a School Supervisor and Chief of Schools for a public-school district in Massachusetts. In this role, she supported schools with a specific focus on the professional development of district principals, and also supported the Department of Family and Community Engagement and the Department of Student Support Services. Additionally, Dr. Curtis led the race and equity professional learning and initiatives for the district.
Tiffani holds a BS in Business from the University of Southern California. She continued at USC to earn a MAT and EdD from the Rossier School of Education where she studied K-12 educational leadership with a focus on urban school settings.
Laura L. Arroyo, EdD (she/her/hers) is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Transitions and Academic Partnerships at the University of Colorado Boulder. Before moving into the Assistant Vice Chancellor role, Laura served as the Director for Housing Administration overseeing a multifaceted portfolio which supported students living both on and off campus. She also served within residence life at CU Boulder supporting academic partnership integration, and the learning occurring outside of the classroom within the residential environment.
Laura has worked in higher education for over 17 years at a variety of institutions across the nation, both public and private. Laura earned her EdD in Educational Equity with a concentration in Urban and Diverse Communities from the University of Colorado Denver, and she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees within Clinical Social Work. Laura’s academic and research interests include issues of equity and justice within higher education, co-curricular approaches to student learning, living learning community development, and third space theory.
Laura is very involved within national higher education organization leadership through ACPA, including previous roles leading the Commission for Housing and Residential Life (CHRL) as well as serving on the ACPA Governing Board. Currently she serves on the ACPA Foundation as a committee chair and board trustee and is supporting writing and governance initiatives to further the work of the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization (SIRJD). Laura is a proud first generation college student and cares deeply about building leadership pathways for students and staff, and supporting students within the many transitions they experience throughout their collegiate journey.
Lee A. Brossoit, EdD is the Assistant Vice President at Salem State University. In this position he has direct supervision and leadership of the Center for Academic Excellence - a comprehensive academic support division focused on student success. In this role he has oversight for Academic Advising, First Year Experience, Retention Services, Disability Services, TRIO, Summer Bridge, Upward Bound, Tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, Veteran Affairs, Student Transition and Engagement Program, Mapworks, and Peer Mentoring. Prior to serving in this role, he held the following positions: Assistant Provost, Assistant Dean of Graduate Admissions, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life. He is the founder of the Masters of Education in Higher Education in Student Affairs program at Salem State University and holds the rank of Visiting Professor.
He has over thirty years of experience in Academic Affairs and Student Affairs including working at Stony Brook University, Syracuse University and Buffalo State College. Dr. Brossoit has lectured extensively in the areas of multicultural issues and social justice, retention of college students, violence against women, alcohol abuse, and the impact of racism on college progression. Dr. Brossoit received his Doctor of Education Degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and holds a Bachelor and Masters’ Degree in Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo.
Nate Bryant, EdD has over 30 years of higher education experience. He currently serves as the Vice President of Student Success at Salem State University. In this role, he oversees the areas of Enrollment Management, Student Life, Marketing and Communications, Public Relations, Athletics, and the Center for Academic Excellence. Prior to his current role as vice president, he served as the Interim President at North Shore Community College. Other areas of responsibilities over the course of his 30 years include Chief of Staff to the President, and overseeing the areas of Admissions, Financial Aid, Multicultural Affairs, Student Support Services, Civic Engagement, External Affairs, and Grants. Additionally, Nate has considerable experience in in the areas of fundraising, crisis management, strategic planning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. In 2021, Nate was named one of the 50 Most Influential People of Color in Higher Education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Nate holds a BS in Business Administration and MS Education from Salem State University, and an EdD in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Additionally, Nate attended Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, Institute for Educational Management, an institute focused on leadership for senior level administrators in higher education.
A resident of Salem, Nate has served his community in various capacities, including serving on the Salem School Committee for eight years. He currently sits on the boards of Salem Hospital, Essex National Heritage Commission, Corporator of Marblehead Bank, and the Race and Equity Task Force for the cities of Salem and Beverly, Massachusetts.
Kim Burns, EdD work is informed by adult learning theory, appreciative inquiry, emotional intelligence, systems thinking, her commitment to social justice and her extensive experience as a community college administrator. For twenty-six years, Dr. Burns served in leadership positions in the Massachusetts community college system. Most recently, she was the Dean of Academic Innovations and Professional Development at Northern Essex Community College where she led the development of the first competency-based education associate degree in the state. She also facilitated leadership development and strategic planning programs aimed at helping individuals and groups achieve their goals by leveraging their strengths. Kim has also taught as an adjunct instructor in the Higher Education graduate program at Merrimack College.
She is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation, a certified DiSC facilitator, and certified appreciative inquiry facilitator. Kim earned a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Massachusetts Boston, a Master of Arts in Community/Social Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Gwen Dungy, PhD is an accomplished speaker, leader, and educator. She served as the executive director of NASPA- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education from 1995-2012. In 2012, the summer leadership component of the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program was renamed the Dungy Leadership Institute in recognition for Dr. Dungy’s longtime support of this program. As a national advocate for students and student affairs in higher education, she continues to serve as a higher education consultant and executive coach.
Before joining NASPA, Dr. Dungy was associate director of the Curriculum and Faculty Development Network and coordinator of the National Diversity Network at the Association of American Colleges & Universities. She also served as faculty for AAC&U’s well-regarded High Impact Practices institutes and was a Senior Fellow at AAC&U in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success. Previously, she was a senior administrator at the County College of Morris (NJ), Montgomery College (MD), Catonsville Community College (MD), and a counseling faculty member at St. Louis Community College (MO).
A licensed psychologist and a board-certified professional counselor and career counselor, Dr. Dungy earned BS and MS degrees from Eastern Illinois University, and MA degree from Drew University in New Jersey, and a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis. In 2017, NASPA honored her as the inaugural recipient of the Bobby E. Leach Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and as a Distinguished Pillar of the Profession in 2019.
Timothy Ecklund, PhD has over 35 years of experience in student affairs administration and has significant experience in dean of students, student success, residential life, student auxiliary services, campus life, orientation and first-year programs, student conduct, counseling, health service and Title XI and Clery compliance. Dr. Ecklund has worked at large and midsize public universities as well as small private liberal arts colleges. He has been successful building comprehensive student affairs programs and developing learning communities and other high impact programs designed to enhance student development and success.
Dr. Ecklund started his career working in different roles as a residential life professional at Illinois State University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the University at Buffalo. Most recently he served as the Assistant Vice President for Student Success at Hartwick College. Previously, he served as Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students and Campus Life at Utica College, the AVP/Dean of Students at Stony Brook University and AVP for Campus Life at SUNY Buffalo State. He is a 2012 recipient of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Annuit Coeptis Award for service to the profession of student affairs, the 2016 Outstanding Contribution to the Profession Award by the College Student Personnel Association New York and a 2019 ACPA Diamond Honoree. He has held in several leadership roles in ACPA and NASPA including as ACPA conference general programs co-chair, two terms as the Chair of NASPA Faculty Fellows and currently serves as an ACPA Foundation Board Trustee. Dr. Ecklund has extensive experience teaching graduate students serving as an affiliate assistant professor of higher education at Buffalo State University, the University at Buffalo, and Stony Brook University. His research agenda includes Native American college student development, creating multicultural change and first-year student success.
Dr. Ecklund earned a PhD in Higher Education Administration from the University of Buffalo a MS in Student Personnel Administration from Buffalo State and his BA from the State University of New York at Geneseo, in Psychology and Elementary Education.
Judith T. Herzberg, PhD (she/her) has over three decades of experience in higher education. She is Associate Professor of Human Services at Springfield College in Massachusetts. Her research and teaching have focused on diversity, ethics, and leadership. She has also taught at Rutgers University School of Education where, in the Multicultural Institute for Educators, she developed the curriculum and initiated a multicultural community speakers’ program that gave educators the opportunity to meet with external stakeholders from their communities. She also developed an array of programs to address diversity issues on campus for the Multicultural Affairs Office. Through her DEI consulting firm, she trained K-12 teachers throughout the state of New Jersey.
Judith is currently working with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts on community initiatives to address antisemitism and racism. She is also involved with the DEI committee of the National Organization of Human Services, where she is developing position papers for the profession. Dr. Herzberg’s PhD dissertation investigated the ways that academic programs in Human Service were teaching social change theories and strategies that would effectively address structural social problems. She has authored a textbook and a number of articles that concern racism in higher education and the scope of practice for human service professionals.
Keith Lezama, EdD has 15+ years of experience serving as a visionary leader in K-12 and Higher Education creating comprehensive, rigorous and systematic educational programming. In his current role, he serves as Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, adjunct faculty member, Chair of the IDEAA (Inclusion, Diversity Equity, and Access through Action) Committee, and Coordinator and primary instructor in the DEI Certificate Program at Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr. Lezama currently holds a seat on the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) Committee for professional development.
Dr. Lezama is the Co-Founder and Co-Chief Empowerment Officer of L&P Educational Services. An organization that was established to redefine educational communities to be conscious of the role race and culture play in pedagogy and leadership practices.
He is also the Founder of the Building Bridges, a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) event in Boston, MA. The program is committed to ensuring students have greater access and opportunity to attend HBCUs and has served over 800+ students. The program hosts over 20+ HBCU admission representatives for a three-day event that offers informational sessions, a college fair, and on-site interviews that have produced over 200 on the spot acceptances and awarded over $250,000 in scholarships.
Dr. Lezama holds a Bachelor of Liberal Studies with a concentration in Education from Emmanuel College, a master's degree in Educational Leadership from Simmons University, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Northeastern University.
Asia Lyons, EdD is the founder of Lyons Educational Consulting LLC, a consulting and coaching firm that supports foundations, schools, and other non-profits in creating culturally responsive programming and curriculum through equity-centered design thinking.
Before founding Lyons Educational Consulting, Dr. Lyons worked as a K-12 educator for over 10 years. She also served as the school-partner specialist. She worked with schools and other non-profits across the Denver Metro Area to provide communities with resources to help close the access gap for Black children and children of Color.
She has her doctorate in Leadership for Educational Equity. Her research focuses on how racism-related stress and racial battle fatigue cross over from Black educators to their families.
In addition to her work in consulting, Dr. Lyons is the co-host of, The Exit Interview, a podcast focusing on the lived experience of former Black educators.
Jesus Montoya Jr, PhD is the Associate Director for Retention Services at Salem State University. As a first-generation college student, Jesus draws on his personal experiences to inform and shape his practice. Jesus utilizes university data to help identify institutional barriers, working closely with students, faculty, and staff to capitalize on opportunities to adapt current practice to provide more equitable experiences and outcomes for students.
Jesus has over 15 years of professional higher education experience. His introduction to student affairs was Residence Life. Jesus was a Resident Assistant while earning his undergraduate degree, worked as a Graduate Residence Director for Greek Life Housing and traditional residence halls while earning his graduate degree, and began his professional career in higher education as a Residence Hall Director at Salem State University. Post RD Life, Jesus worked in Housing Operations and is currently working in Retention Services using education technology to support student success and retention.
Jesus attended the University of the Pacific where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Management) and Master of Arts in Educational Administration (Student Affairs). Jesus recently completed his PhD from the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Kevin S. Piskadlo, Ph.D. (he/him) currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts. As a senior leader in the division, Kevin directly oversees the departments of Community Standards, Counseling Services, First-Year Experience & Leadership Development, Residence Life, and Student Engagement.
Committed to the field of student affairs, Kevin has been intimately involved with several longitudinal projects centered on the experience of new professionals in the field. This collaboration with student affairs scholars and practitioners across the country and has resulted in several national presentations and authored chapters in two books on this important topic.
Since 2011, Kevin has taught aspiring student affairs leaders in a variety of graduate courses, most regularly an introductory course in student development theory, as a Visiting Professor in the Higher Education in Student Affairs program at Salem State University and as an adjunct instructor at Merrimack College. Additionally, Kevin has served as a mentor and job coach for dozens of new professionals and has managed graduate students in a variety of practicums.
Before arriving at Stonehill in 2012, Kevin spent nine years at Bentley University (2003-2012) serving as the Assistant Dean of Academic Services and Director of the Undergraduate Academic Advising Center after starting his career in the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame (1999-2003). He has a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Massachusetts Boston, an M.S. in College Student Personnel from Miami University, and a B.A. in Politics from Catholic University.
Pat Rissmeyer, PhD is a higher education executive with 30 years of experience as a college dean, associate vice president, and vice president at Emmanuel College in Boston, MA and Canisius College in Buffalo, NY.
Pat earned her PhD at the University of Buffalo where she wrote her dissertation on the successful transition to college for African American students on predominantly white campuses. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Hartford, CT in Secondary Education (English) and Special Education. Although her professional journey led her to higher education administration, she feels a kinship with student-centered educators at all levels.
Pat has taught courses in student affairs administration, leadership, women's issues, and college student success. She has authored chapters in several books and delivered numerous conference presentations. Pat has held leadership positions in the National Association of Personnel Administrators, serving on the editorial board of the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, on the Regional 1 Advisory Board, and on the NASPA Parents Study Research Team.
Pat is deeply committed to student success, particularly for historically underrepresented students. Over the course of her career, she has led initiatives to ensure representation and support for students at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA; Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN; Canisius College, Buffalo, NY and Emmanuel College, Boston, MA.
Pat currently works as a higher education consultant, and a community volunteer. She serves on the Town of Hadley, MA Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and on the Springfield College Advisory Committee for the PhD in Educational Leadership.
Joanna Ravello Goods, PhD is a thought leader and strategist with more than 15 years’ success driving DE&I initiatives in fast-paced, multi-faceted organizations. She has worked collaboratively with stakeholders to identify key priorities and change interventions that transform organizational culture and climate; designed and facilitated interactive educational modules for various audiences to advance justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion practices and strategies; and served as a subject matter expert and trusted partner to leaders and employees.
She joins Stonehill College most recently from the University of Rhode Island where she served as the Director of Community and Organizational Development. In this role, she helped set the strategic vision for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. She drafted the 2017-22 Office of Community, Equity and Diversity Strategic Plan: A Campus–Wide Guide for Promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion based on recommendations from the University’s diversity committees; best practices in social justice research and scholarship; and frameworks in multicultural organizational development.
She holds degrees in Human Development & Family Studies from the University of Rhode Island (BS and MS) and a PhD in Higher Education with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Dr. Ravello Goods responsibilities at Stonehill include leading the development of a unifying strategic vision for DEI, building consensus for a campus-wide DEI strategic plan, operationalizing its goals, and establishing metrics to monitor progress and successful outcomes. She supports faculty development efforts in the areas of pedagogy, curriculum, scholarship, and leadership.
Diana Santay, EdD is a practicing elementary art educator with 18 years of experience in the classroom. She started her career in Northern Virginia in Loudoun County School District before moving to Colorado in 2010. She currently teaches at Pine Ridge Elementary in the Cherry Creek School District where she is committed to providing an inclusive classroom environment.
Diana earned her EdD in Leadership for Educational Equity from the University of Colorado Denver where she wrote her doctoral research project on the racial and cultural consciousness of elementary art educators. She holds a B.A. in Art Education from Muskingum University and a M.A. in Art Education from the University of Florida. When she is not in the classroom, you can find her playing soccer, exploring beautiful Colorado, and spending time with her two Alaskan Klee Kai.
Sara Scribner, PhD, is a former inclusive special education with a passion for creating more just educational experiences for all students, including students with disabilities. As a public school teacher, she co-taught across a variety of grade levels for students with complex support needs. Her research utilizes a critical lens and her interests include inclusive best practices, the intersections between "disability" and other forms of marginalization in schools, supporting students with challenging behavior in general education classrooms, classroom community and membership, and preparing inclusive social justice-oriented teachers. Sara formerly served as an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Springfield College and is now an Assistant Professor of Special Education and the Special Education Graduate Program Coordinator at Plymouth State University. Alongside her work with emerging educators, she also collaborates with families and/or school districts to evaluate current special education services and provide recommendations for ways to create more inclusive learning environments.
Sara holds a PhD in Inclusive Special Education, a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Disability Studies, a MS is Inclusive Special Education-Multiple/Severe Disabilities and a BS in Inclusive Elementary and Special Education, all from Syracuse University. When not working, she loves to spend time outside: hiking, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, snowshoeing and many other activities, usually with her two large dogs.
JW Tabacchi, EdD has worked in the field of Student Affairs for 13 years working at both public and private colleges. He currently works at Penn State University-New Kensington as the Director of Student Affairs. In this role, he oversees the Student Affairs Department that consists of Career Services, Counseling Services, Health Services, International Student Services, Student Life and Transportation Services. The Department also oversees the CARE Team, Behavior Threat Management Team process, Student Conduct process and Title IX. Prior to joining Penn State New Kensington, JW served in a variety of roles at Point Park University including the Director of Student Activities, Director of Student Conduct, Director of Student Development and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. Additionally, he served as an interim director for the offices of Orientation, Career Development and Title IX. At both institutions, he has led assessment, retention, and strategic planning efforts. He received his BA from the University of Valley Forge, MA from Indiana University of PA & EdD from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to his ASCA membership, he is currently the President elect of the American College Personnel Association's Foundation.
Daniel R. Walsh, PhD has worked at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of education for over 30 years. He is currently serving as an English Language Fellow with the U.S. State Department in Perú where he provides professional learning to Peruvian teachers of English. Prior to this position, he was a Teaching Faculty in the Department of Educational Policy Studies (EPS) at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. There, he taught undergraduate foundations courses such as School and Society and Race, Ethnicity, and Inequality in American Schools, as well as a graduate teacher education course in social and cultural policy analysis.
Prior to joining EPS, Daniel held various leadership roles in the New York City Department of Education including Director of Multilingual Learners, Director of Teaching & Learning, Principal, and Senior Director of Professional Learning. He has 10 years of classroom ESL teaching experience in K-5, high school, and community college settings in both the U.S. and abroad and was a founding team member of The International High School @ Prospect Heights, a school specifically designed to meet the academic and social needs of recently arrived immigrant students learning English. Additionally, he has published in the field of immigrant education and culturally sustaining pedagogy, including a co-authored book entitled Humanizing Education for Immigrant and Refugee Youth: 20 Strategies for the Classroom and Beyond and “Youth Participatory Action Research as Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy,” which won the Theory Into Practice “Best Article Award” in 2018. In what feels like a prior life, he worked in Residence Life and New Student Orientation at SUNY New Paltz and Oberlin College.
Daniel holds a BA in Political Science from SUNY Binghamton, an M.S. in Ed. in TESOL from SUNY New Paltz, and an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Urban Education from the CUNY’s Graduate Center. He is certified in New York State as a School Building Leader and School District Leader. Currently, he lives in Cusco, Perú with his pup Dakota and recently hiked the Incan Trail to Machu Picchu!
Charmaine L. Wijeyesinghe, EdD is an educator and author who has worked with colleges, universities, and organizations on issues of social justice, racial and social identity, intersectionality, and conflict resolution for over 35 years. Her professional background reflects 13 years in student affairs and positions such as staff associate to the vice chancellor of student affairs and assistant ombudsperson at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and dean of students at Mount Holyoke College. Charmaine received her EdD from the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and her 1992 dissertation on Multiracial identity produced one of the earliest ecological models of racial identity development. This tool was adopted into the anti-bias curriculum of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
Charmaine’s writing explores a range of social justice topics, most notably racial identity development and intersectionality. She served as editor or co-editor for five volumes, including Enacting Intersectionality in Student Affairs (2017), Multiracial Experiences in Higher Education: Contesting Knowledge, Honoring Voice, and Innovating Practice (2021), and The Complexities of Race: Identity, Power, and Justice in an Evolving American (2021). Her writing mirror the arc of her thinking, meant to expand knowledge while also questioning it. Charmaine’s scholarship has been recognized by awards given by the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE) and ACPA.
Charmaine has presented over 150 sessions at NCORE, ACPA, ISPRC, the Teachers College Round Table, NAME, and AAC & U. Currently her seminars focus on intersectionality, rethinking core concepts within identity and racial identity development, and using writing and publishing to promote social justice. She enjoys engaging current and emerging scholars, practitioners, and students in the exploration of questions that will support what she sees as “our wandering and our wondering” for years to come.
