Rowan, Rutgers students among NJ teaching fellows
Fourteen Rowan and Rutgers students are among 50 announced today as the first cohort of the a fellowship program aimed at sending STEM teachers to high-need secondary schools.
Fourteen Rowan and Rutgers students are among 49 announced today as the first cohort of the a fellowship program aimed at sending STEM teachers to high-need secondary schools.
Rowan University and Rutgers–Camden both have seven students in the inaugural class of the Woodrow Wilson New Jersey Teaching Fellows, Gov. Christie announced today. Fellows agree to teach for three years in a high-need school district in return for a $30,000 stipend and a one-year master's degree and teacher certification program.
"With today's announcement we are reaffirming our commitment to investing in teacher talent with a new pipeline for recruiting highly qualified teaching candidates and training them so that they can generate the greatest positive learning outcomes for our children," Gov. Christie said in a news release.
The Jersey program aims to support students into intensive one-year teaching master's degree programs at five state colleges: Rowan, Rutgers–Camden, The College of New Jersey, Montclair State University, and William Paterson University. Fellows receive their master's degree and teacher certification in science, math, or technology education.
Fellows enroll in the one-year programs and receive a $30,000 stipend for that year. Some colleges also offer tuition discounts:
In return, the fellows agree to spend three years teaching in a high-need school district partnering with the schools. (They become full salaried employees during that time.)
"Study after study has shown that the single most important in-school factor in student achievement is access to excellent classroom teachers," Arthur Levine, the president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, said in a news release. "These fellows are bringing real science and math expertise to the kids who most need them."
Rowan partners with school districts in Millville, Bridgeton, and Vineland; the first seven students will work in Millville and Vineland, the school said.
Rutgers–Camden partners with the Camden City School District and Pemberton Township Schools.
One goal of the fellowship program is to transform teacher education, a spokeswoman for the foundation said. Modeled partly on training-hospital programs for physicians, the five colleges' yearlong programs are service-based, with fellows learning in part by teaching in real classrooms.
"Ultimately, we aim not only to prepare excellent teachers for a long-term career, but also to change the way all New Jersey teachers are prepared for real classroom challenges," Levine said in the release.
New Jersey is one of four states nationwide to offer the fellowship program, which began in Indiana in 2009. Ohio and Michigan also have the program, and Georgia is in the process of creating one now.
Initial funding for the program, totaling $10.6 million, came from a variety of private funders, led by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.
Rowan University has seven fellows, students in the College of Education's new Master of Arts in Teaching STEM program:
Jeffrey Chiusano, of Cherry Hill. A 2014 physics alumnus from The College of New Jersey, Chiusano will teach physics at Millville High School.
Drew Favat, of Gibbsboro. Favat earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics from Rowan in May. He will teach eighth-grade math at Rossi Intermediate School in Vineland.
Bethany Fowler, of Uvalde, Texas. Fowler just completed her master's degree in mathematics from Arizona State University. She also holds an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics from the University of Texas, earned in 2012. She will teach math and engineering at Millville High School.
Daniel Klehamer, of Avenel. Klehamer, who earned his bachelor's degree in physics from Rowan in May, will teach physics to juniors and seniors at Vineland High School.
Leslie Tolentino, of Bronx, NY. A 2014 mathematics graduate of the University of Albany, Tolentino will teach eighth-grade math at Lakeside Middle School in Millville.
Christopher Tomlinson, of Chatsworth. Tomlinson graduated from Rowan in 2010 with his bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering. In 2012, he earned his master's degree in civil engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He'll teach math to ninth- and tenth-graders at Vineland High School.
Matthew Zachariades, of Egg Harbor Township. Zachariades completed his mathematics degree in May from High Point University. He will teach eighth-grade algebra at Lakeside Middle School in Millville.
Rutgers–Camden has seven fellows, whose program is housed in the Institute for Effective Education. The following profiles were released by the foundation:
Darlene Fleming, of Delran, NJ, a 1987 biology graduate of Salve Regina University. Small business owner, interior landscape company, with extensive knowledge of plants and their diseases and treatments; chief financial officer and credit manager; volunteer field hockey coach; graduate of high-need schools.
Jen Lee, of Hammonton, NJ, a 1996 chemistry graduate of Rutgers–New Brunswick. Adjunct community college chemistry faculty; chemist and technical writer, food and pharmaceutical industries, 18+ years; IT technical support engineer, with additional credentials in programming and coding; database designer; web and graphic designer; peer trainer; animal shelter volunteer; youth theater leader.
Seung-Yub Lee, of Cherry Hill, a 1991 chemistry graduate of KyungPook National University in Daegu, South Korea. Received master's degree in organic chemistry from KyungPook National University in 1994 and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Stony Brook University in 2000. Senior scientist in research institutes and biotechnology companies; author on 19 published articles and holder of three patents with expertise in chemistry, biochemistry, and biology; mentor for high school summer interns at chemical biology research institute.
A-Nam Nguyen, of New Brunswick, a 2014 cell biology and neuroscience graduate of Rutgers–New Brunswick. Undergraduate researcher, melanoma; intern, health care project on wellness and race/ethnicity; mentor for women students; emergency room volunteer; women's studies minor; award-winning filmmaker/leader on homelessness; youth volunteer; member, Phi Beta Kappa; Dean's List student, with graduation honors; fluent in Vietnamese, with conversational Spanish.
Jarred Phillips, of Eastampton, a 2014 molecular, cellular, and developmental biology graduate of Yale University. Undergraduate researcher, plant lab; science enrichment instructor in afterschool program for noted national museum; summer school physics teacher at Newark charter school; community health educator in urban schools; assistant director and tutor for academic enrichment program for disadvantaged youth.
Timothy Pilla, of West Deptford, a 2011 biology graduate of Rowan University. Camp instructor for large groups of children through a nature-based adventure firm; ocean enthusiast; expert scuba diver and scuba intern in Bali; advocate for ecological awareness and conservation; musician, photographer/videographer, skateboarder, cyclist.
Kelly Troendle, of Pitman, a 2012 biology graduate of Rutgers–Camden. Teacher's assistant in middle-school science classrooms, working one-on-one to create lessons and provide enrichment.
The College of New Jersey has 11 fellows. The following profiles were released by the foundation:
Kelly Barna, of Hainesport, NJ, a 2013 biology graduate of The College of New Jersey. Independent student researcher, biostatistics; private tutor; information technology specialist; camp counselor, third and fourth graders; Science Olympiad participant; volunteer with homeless shelter, Habitat for Humanity, and school and medical clinic in Costa Rica; award-winning scholar-athlete in field hockey.
Adam Behr, of Brick, a 2011 physics graduate of Seton Hall University. Research assistant in biophysics, econophysics, and pulsed laser deposition, with two published articles; assistant restaurant manager, praised for customer service and problem-solving; member, Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity.
Ikechukwu (Ike) Ekedede, of Newark, a 2004 computer science and mathematics graduate of Saint Peter's University. Substitute teacher and math tutor; former quality assurance analyst and information technology support staff; campus award-winner for performance and ability in computer science; physics minor; graduate of/tutor in high need schools.
Thuy Le, of Trenton, a 1983 analytical chemistry graduate of Bloomsburg University. Master's degree in organic chemistry in 1989 from the University of South Florida and Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1995 from the University of Maryland. Adjunct college faculty, general and organic chemistry; mentor; volunteer science educator; former patent examiner; former researcher/senior scientist in medicinal chemistry with national pharmaceutical firms, 15+ years; certificates and coursework in entrepreneurship, leadership development, project management; recipient of multiple academic awards and honors.
Lily Marino, of Bernardsville, a 2014 mathematics graduate of the University of Notre Dame. Teaching assistant, early childhood centers; math tutor for peers and family; creator and leader of leadership retreat for fellow students; member of the Notre Dame Marching Band and music mentor.
Jennifer Pfaff, of Titusville, a 2014 environmental studies graduate of Wheaton College. Substitute teacher; tutor for Nepali refugees; undergraduate researcher, aquaponics; environmental educator working with youth at local farm; wetland ecology teacher; horticulture apprentice; summer camp counselor; Sunday School teacher; child care provider; Dean's List student.
Kevin Rutz, of Toms River, a 2012 interdisciplinary business graduate of The College of New Jersey. Substitute teacher; member of technology education society, with expertise in electronics, audio/video systems, television production; statewide judge in student technology competition; website builder; Eagle Scout and Boy Scout leader; campus orientation leader.
Kathryn Seibring, of Towanda, IL, a 2014 mathematics graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University. Volunteer after-school tutor/mentor in high-need elementary school; financial intern with national insurance group; Spanish minor; tutor for Spanish-speaking high school student; elementary girls' basketball coach; former childcare provider; captain, varsity women's basketball team; graduate of high-need school.
Cameron Smith, of New Brunswick, a 1978 physics graduate of Johns Hopkins University. Master's degree in 1980 from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Product risk manager for major national insurance firm; former Internet business manager in telecommunications; avid lifelong physics buff.
Lindsay Steirer Taylor, of Princeton, a 2003 biology graduate of Purdue University. Ph.D. in molecular cell biology in 2009 from Washington University in St. Louis. Lecturer/postdoctoral research associate; adjunct faculty, community college; published researcher and recipient of fellowships from the National Institutes of Health and Howard Hughes Medical Institute; mentor for high school and college students; volunteer with emotionally troubled adolescents; adventurous traveler who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and trekked to Mayan ruins.
Brandon Washington, of Lakewood, OH, a 2010 integrated science, business, and technology graduate of LaSalle University. Information technology expert and consultant; help desk technician; web designer and social media manager; summer camp counselor and youth mentor; heir to a landmark Philadelphia restaurant, working to reopen the family business; member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
Montclair State University has 12 fellows. The following profiles were released by the foundation:
Sue-Anne Alonso, of Clifton, a 1991 biology graduate of the University of Toronto and 2014 biology graduate of Montclair State University. Substitute teacher; volunteer assistant teacher for freshman seminars; volunteer art teacher, parochial school; volunteer church teacher; president of campus FEA/MINTCO (Future Educators Association/Minority Inclusive Teacher Candidate Organization); former fundraiser and grantwriter.
Wahab Ashraf, of Avenel, a 2010 biology graduate of Rutgers–Newark and New Jersey Institute of Technology. Master's in biology in 2014 from Rutgers–Newark and New Jersey Institute of Technology. College-level biology instructor; math coordinator/lead instructor, Upward Bound; tutor/part-time lecturer; math teaching assistant; graduate of high-need schools; fluent Urdu and Hindi speaker, with conversational French and Arabic; Dean's List student and recipient of multiple scholarships and awards.
Eric Clementelli, of Old Bridge, a 2014 geology graduate of Rutgers–New Brunswick. Teaching assistant/tutor, environmental geology, earth science, anthropology; former field intern in stratigraphy in the Black Hills; veteran, United States Marine Corps; Dean's List student, three semesters, academic award winner, and member of two academic honorary societies; president, campus geology club.
Aline De Sousa, of Wayne, a 2014 biology graduate of Montclair State University. Teacher assistant, early childhood center; teacher, private youth creativity franchise; business administration minor; physical therapy aide; temporary teacher aide, high-need urban charter school; former store manager; graduate of high-need schools; fluent Portuguese speaker, with conversational Spanish.
Jessica Ferreira, of Kearny, a 2014 biology graduate of Bryn Mawr College. Undergraduate researcher, environmental factors in decomposition; tutor, chemistry, biology, and math; student math instructor; student consultant on undergraduate learning and teaching; member of multiple academic honoraries; scholar-athlete, rowing; fluent Portuguese speaker, with conversational Italian.
Bradley Gold, of Maplewood, a 2008 cinema and photography graduate of Ithaca College and 2014 biology graduate of Montclair State University. Undergraduate researcher ; substitute teacher, math, science, history, physical education, working with high-need students; peer tutor; Dean's List student, every semester; recipient of multiple academic awards and scholarships.
Brian Moshofsky, of New York, NY, a 2006 chemistry graduate of University of California, Santa Cruz. Master's degree in chemistry in 2009 from the University of California, Berkeley, and Ph.D. in nanoscale science and engineering in 2014 from the Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Graduate student instructor, chemistry; research mentor for master's-level students; tutor, middle- and high school students, chemistry, biology, physics, math; published researcher in nanostructures and materials science; recipient of numerous awards and scholarships; avid traveler, basketball player, cook, and computer programmer.
Evangelina Pena, of Bergenfield, a 2014 biological oceanography graduate of Rutgers–New Brunswick. Independent student researcher, coral reef conservation and marine molecular biology; animal care intern and youth educator at aquarium; coordinator, student-run environmental newsletter; member of service and academic societies; volunteer in urban schools and community organizations; Dean's List student; scuba diving enthusiast; fluent Spanish speaker.
Veronica Pistoia, of Allentown, PA, a 2008 biology graduate of Mansfield University. Master's degree in biology in 2013 from West Chester University. Microbiology technician; substitute teacher's assistant; private tutor and mentor for autistic children; ecological researcher; STEM supplemental instructor for the National Park Service and various organizations; judge at science fairs; education volunteer, local environmental centers; avid hiker, whitewater rafter, reader, and jazz enthusiast.
Shannon Quirk, of West Orange, a 2006 biology graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University. Teacher's aide, special needs children; chemistry minor; theater volunteer, including work with youth conservatory; Dean's List student and member of academic honorary; world traveler.
Jillian Varner, of Oak Ridge, a 2014 physics graduate of Montclair State University. Substitute teacher; certified tutor in physics and mathematics; undergraduate researcher, complex fluids lab, studying the plausibility of using pipeline transportation to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used on farms; percussion instructor, marching band; campus physics club president.
Jaquil White, of East Orange, a 2014 mathematics graduate of Rutgers–Newark. Math teacher assistant, Upward Bound; head mentor, academic boot camp; teacher assistant, high-need middle school; undergraduate researcher, interactive computer-based math program; graduate of high-need schools; Dean's List student and member of several academic honoraries.
William Paterson University has 12 fellows. The following profiles were released by the foundation:
Alexander Aleynik, of Englewood Cliffs, a 2006 biochemistry graduate of New York University. Master's degree in microbiology/molecular biology/stem cell biology in 2013 from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Teaching assistant, stem cell biology; associate scientist in quality assurance for major pharmaceutical firm; private tutor, math and science, middle school through college level; Dean's List student; fluent speaker of French and Russian.
Caitlin Ament, of Little Falls, a 2009 molecular biology graduate of Montclair State University. Master's degree in molecular biology in 2011 from Montclair State University. Substitute teacher; adjunct professor of biology; certified tutor in science, math, and English; National Science Foundation Fellow in local schools; research assistant on various projects, including toxicological studies of World Trade Center dust; recipient of multiple scholarships and awards.
Randolph Dorcent, of Roselle, a 2009 biology graduate of Seton Hall University. Paraprofessional teacher aide and substitute teacher; private SAT teacher and math tutor; chemistry minor' camp counselor; patient care intern, hospice care organization; trainer, coalition-building program; member of multiple academic honoraries; fluent speaker of Creole and French.
Virginia Fasulo, of Wantage, a 2006 biology graduate of the University at Albany. Master's degree in epidemiology in 2010 from the University at Albany. Former public health technician/intern; researcher on Lyme, West Nile, and other arthropod-borne diseases; sanitary inspector; former swim instructor; events manager and volunteer, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, including three events with high school students; PR volunteer, environmental organization.
Olugbenga Ige, of Newark, a 1980 geology graduate of the University of Ibadan in Ibadan, Nigeria. Master's degree in mineral exploration in 1982 from the University of Ibadan and Ph.D. in geology in 1988 from the University of Ibadan. College professor, geology (Introduction to Geology, Mining Geology, Economic Geology, Geochemistry, Conservation Science), Nigeria; published scholar with more than 20 published papers on geology, materials research, and archaeology; visiting scholar in U.S., U.K., and Germany; familiarity with high-need circumstances and communities.
Tenzin Jigmey, of Jersey City, a 1997 chemistry graduate of Barkatalluh University in Bhopal, India. Master's degree in chemistry in 2005 from Jamia Hamdard University in New Delhi, India. Adjunct community college chemistry instructor; substitute teacher, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities; chemistry teacher, high school-aged students, Dharamsala, India; college-level lecturer in general chemistry, Dharamsala, India; published scholar/researcher; director of quality and research, Tibetan Medical Institute; analytical chemist/research assistant in U.S.
Danielle Kinloch, of Nutley, a 2014 biology graduate of Montclair State University. Private tutor, science and reading; hospital geriatric education volunteer; physical therapist aide; former camp counselor; volunteer, Special Olympics and local soup kitchen; avid runner and marathoner.
David Kornitzer, of Wayne, a 2013 biology graduate of Kean University. Tutor and substitute teacher, biology; physical therapy aide; camp counselor; volunteer with special needs children; CPR professional and emergency responder; carpenter/roofer; lacrosse player; Dean's List student; member of TriBeta biology honors society.
Steven Kuipers, of Wayne, a 2014 mathematics graduate of Montclair State University. Math tutor, both in private settings and in a learning center; undergraduate researcher, graph theory; classroom intern, urban school; volunteer, local food pantry; magna cum laude graduate; Russian minor.
Jacqueline Kuzora, of Milford, a 2012 biology graduate of William Paterson University. Undergraduate researcher, honeybee behavior, with grant support; research assistant; teacher's assistant and director of aftercare program, nursery school; animal caretaker/control/investigator for local humane society; Dean's List student; member of academic societies in animal behavior and Italian.
Eric Nyabeta, of Paterson, a 2007 biology graduate of the University of Eastern Africa in Eldoret, Kenya. Master's degree in molecular biology in 2011 from Montclair State University. Paraprofessional teacher in special education and inclusion classes, elementary level; substitute teacher; researcher in Kenya, HIV and malaria; laboratory technician, quality assurance testing and pharmaceutical analysis.
Angie Rivera, of Haledon, a 2014 biology graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University. Undergraduate biotechnology researcher; biotechnology lab assistant; tutor, private firm; college-level tutor in chemistry, biology, and physics; former hospital volunteer; avid scuba diver and skydiver; fluent Spanish speaker.
— Jonathan Lai and Rita Giordano