Ammon School's PDK Chapter Member Growth Tops in the Nation
A letter from Kate Stephens, director of relationships and outreach at the
Phi Delta Kappa International Honor Society in Education
, to
Dennis Cowan
, faculty adviser at the PDK Adelphi Chapter and senior adjunct faculty in the Ammon School, said, "I want to congratulate you on the number of new Phi Delta Kappa members you brought in through PDK Adelphi Chapter 1604 during the 2017–2018 year."
Stephens added, "Between July 2017 and June 2018, your chapter initiated 56 new members, a record among PDK chapters for this fiscal year."
Kappa Delta Pi Membership Soars to a New Record
Another international honor society in education at the Ammon School, Kappa Delta Pi, reported that it inducted 54 members in November 2018—the largest number in the KDP chapter's history, said Anne Mungai, Ph.D., Ammon School interim dean.
Mahatma Gandhi Gold Medal Awarded to Rita Verma, Ph.D.
Department of Curriculum and Instruction Associate Professor
Rita Verma, Ph.D.
, was among 25 international recipients of the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Gold Medal at the Global Achievers Conclave in London in October 2018. The gold medal is given by the Government of India and the NRI Welfare Society of India to recognize people of Indian origin for outstanding contributions in their respective fields. The official ceremony took place October 25, 2018, at the House of Lords in London.
Ammon School Introduces "Explore NYC Schools" Initiative at Queens High School
On November 16, 2018, the Ammon School kicked off its first "Explore NYC Schools" initiative with the New York City Department of Education at Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School (Edison CTE) in Jamaica, Queens, New York.
Mirella Avalos-Louie, Ed.D.
, director of the Ammon School’s Office of Professional Experiences and Community Engagement (PECE)—formerly the Office of School and Community Partnerships (OSCP)—and six Scholar Teacher Education Program (STEP) students visited Edison CTE. As hosts, the high school’s principal
Moses Ojeda, M.A. '09
,
and
Gina Paulson ’10, M.S.Ed. ’11
, assistant principal and guidance counselor, invited the STEP students to observe various classes, tour the school and participate in staff discussions on what to expect as a new teacher, teacher evaluations and cocurricular collaboration on the tenets of the Model UN.
This Ammon School-wide initiative will involve students from its other departments in future high school visits.
Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Present at Denmark Conference on Early Childhood
Department of Curriculum and Instruction Assistant Professor
Lisa Minicozzi, Ed.D.
, Professor
Karen Lombardi, Ph.D.
, and Ph.D. candidate
Killian Folse
were panelists at the RECE Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in October 2018. RECE is short for Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education. The event was themed "Inequality in Early Childhood Education and Care."
The panelists shared how working from a humanistic perspective can inform their professional practice and a broader vision for young children’s role in society. They also explored how coordinated team or multidisciplinary institutional efforts often overlook or restrict unconditional appreciation and equality for all young children. Professor
Michael O'Loughlin, Ph.D.
, also presented at RECE.
Carol Ammon Offered Advice at Adelphi's Women's Leadership Conference
Carol A. Ammon, M.B.A. '79, '10 (Hon.)
—whose $8.5 million gift in 2006 led to renaming the School of Education as the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education in honor of her mother (a 1942 alumna)—was a keynote speaker at Adelphi’s second annual Women’s Leadership Conference on November 3, 2018. “Women lead differently from men,” the founder and retired CEO and chair of Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., said.
Ammon’s advice to up-and-comers in her audience: “Take the time to decide what’s best for [your] career, what’s best for [your] life balance. …Once you make that decision, don’t look back. …Make the most of the moment.” She added, “Enjoy the journey. …If you’re always focused on that next job to get those tools [you need] in your tool box, you won’t enjoy the journey.”
M.A. Student Praises Her Supportive First-Semester Professors
Graduate student
Breana Martinez
wrote a thank-you to Adelphi President
Christine M. Riordan
praising two associate professors saying, "My name is Breana Martinez, I am currently finishing up my first semester of the Master of Arts in Childhood Education program..." Her two classes this fall were School and Society, taught by
Shilpi Sinha, Ph.D.
, and Childhood Development, taught by
Srilata Bhattacharyya, Ph.D.
As she wraps up her first semester at Adelphi, she added that Dr. Bhattacharyya "has given me a confidence that I didn't have before entering this program. ...In my undergraduate career, my professors didn't even know my name. This semester has shown me that I made the right decision in pursuing this degree at Adelphi."
