Cohort 2009
Student Profiles
Cohort 2009
Jamel Adkins-Sharif has fifteen years experience as a preK-8 general and special education teacher in the New York City public school and independent school systems. During that time he also served as special education coordinator, dean of student discipline, and program coordinator. He holds two master degrees in education, one in special education and the other in educational organization management. Holding a J.D., he has an interest in civil rights and international human rights law. His proposed area of study is in developing school cultures that foster social activism and civic engagement among urban elementary students of color.
Karen Daniels brings more than 30 years of experience in public and private school education to the role she presently serves in as Executive Director of Step UP, a multi-university collaboration with ten Boston Public Schools. Her proposed area of study is in examining school/district partnerships and their role in school improvement. She hopes to use her research to explore ways to mentor principals in creating and maintaining effective school. Her long term goal is to become a school district superintendent.
Megan Fidler-Carey has worked in the Boston Public Schools since receiving an MEd from UMass Boston in 2004. She currently serves as the Director of External Partnerships for a small public pilot school and is interested in reflecting on partnership work for her doctoral research.
Tim Lavin has been teaching at Dorchester High School in the Boston Public Schools for the past ten years. During this time, he has taught Economics and Business classes. His work with external business partners to support his program and the learning of his students has led to his interest in examining the impact of these partnerships on the quality of urban high school student’s education.
Keith Love is a proud native of Camden New Jersey, (Home of Campbell Soup) and huge Steelers fan has been in Boston Public School for 16 years. His Current position as the Chief Administrative Officer for TechBoston Academy affords him the opportunity to work with students on a daily basis. He is responsible for the day to day operations for TBA while charged with developing a culture of learning for all his students. His no nonsense approach assist student in preparing for their biggest test; LIFE. A graduate of Boston College and UMASS, he interest of research centers around the prevention of youth, (middle schools students particularly) from joining gangs. His work with Boston Police and since joining the LIUS program has exposed Keith to several networking opportunities that will not only progress his passion, but more importantly help him help his students accomplish their goals.
Stacey Mulligan currently teaches in Boston Public Schools. She teaches US History to the freshmen at Dorchester Academy. This is her 10th year teaching and 6th year teaching high school students. She received her MEd from UMass Boston in 2003. She has an interest in culture, race and social issues in education. Stacey is married and the mother of two little boys Noah and Braeden. She hopes plans to continue on being a teacher-leader in her school district.
Katherine Petta is a native of Needham, Massachusetts, and is in her fourth year of teaching English at Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester. While still undecided about an area of study, she is currently interested in federal and state educational policies and their impact on underperforming urban schools along with the role that teacher leadership impacts student achievement. Katherine plans on continuing her career as a classroom teacher next fall.
Christina Porter is a National Board Certified Teacher of English and a Literacy Coach for Revere High School. As a Folger Shakespeare Library Fellow and a Teach Plus Teacher Policy Fellow, she is interested in researching the impact recent educational policy initiatives on English Language Learners in public schools. She is pursuing a doctoral program to strengthen her understanding of what it means to be an urban school leader and to learn from her fellow students and exemplary teachers. She plans on continuing to be a teacher-leader in Revere and eventually moving on to be a curriculum director or a principal.
Baifeng Sun Cadieux is Associate Director of the UMass Confucius Institute at Boston. She is interested in finding more about how Distributed Leadership can make an organization more efficient in operation, more beneficial to all levels of employment, and contribute to society.
Jinhui Xu grew up in China, beginning her career in marketing management in luxury product field. She came to the United States to pursue advanced degrees in 1995. Jinhui holds an MBA. She has spent three years working with the Cambridge Public Schools in developing a Chinese language program for K-12 students. Currently Jinhui serves as the director of Global Outreach Program in Boston Renaissance Charter Public School. She has experience in working for both elementary schools and universities. She is interested in developing global education and international partnerships.
