Professor Lesley Bartlett

Email bartlett@exchange.tc.columbia.edu

Professor Lesley Bartlett is an assistant professor in the Department of International and Transcultural Studies at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her scholarly interests are in comparative and international education; anthropology of education; adult education; social theory; social studies of language, literacy, and cognition; multiliteracies; transnationalism; race and class formation; Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Her research includes ethnographic studies of communication, multilingual literacies, popular education, race and class inequality, and schooling across the Americas. Professor Bartlett's latest publications include: "To Seem and to Feel: Situated Identities and Literacy Practices." in Teachers College Record; "Dialogue, Knowledge, and Teacher-Student Relations: Freirean Pedagogy in Theory and Practice," in Comparative Education Review 49(3); and "Identity Work and Cultural Artifacts in Literacy Learning and Use: A Sociocultural Analysis" in Language and Education 19(1): 1-9. To read more about Professor Bartlett, click here to visit her website.

Marcelo De Stefano

Email marcelo888@hotmail.com

Marcelo De Stefano is from Argentina. He is the manager of school-based health centers at the NYC Department of Education. Previously, he worked as a teacher, trainer, administrator, lead researcher, grant writer, and independent consultant in education. In Argentina, he worked for five years for the State of Santa Fe and the National Ministry of Education developing and coordinating projects in education funded by the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. He holds an Ed.D and Ed.M. in Educational Administration/Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, an Ed.M in Educational Administration/International Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a Master of Architecture from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain, and an Architectural degree from Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Argentina. His areas of interest include school effectiveness, leadership, and school building design.

Rosario Torres-Guevara

Email rt2012@columbia.edu

Rosario Torres-Guevara is from Mexico. She earned her BA in Applied Linguistics with a concentration in Didactics from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico. She earned her MA in TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she is currently completing her EdD in International Educational Development with a concentration in Bilingual and Bicultural Education. Her research interests are language policy in education, immigration and education, and bilingual and intercultural education. Rosario has been a teacher for 16 years. She has taught a variety of courses including English as a Second Language (ESL) and as a Foreign Language (EFL); ESL/EFL Teacher Training and Lesson Planning; Language Arts; Immigration and Education; and Bilingual Education in various schools of Mexico and of New York City, which include CUNY City College; SUNY Educational Opportunity Center; Teachers College, Columbia University; Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon; and the Mexican-North American Institute of Cultural Relations. She is currently a faculty member at BMCC, CUNY.

Milagros Nores

Email mn2058@columbia.edu

Milagros Nores is from Argentina. She holds a PhD and a PhM in Education and Economics from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an EdM in Educational Administration/Social Policy from Harvard University. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Taubman Center in Public Policy, Brown University, where she teaches Education Policy in a Comparative Perspective, and Economics of Public Policy. Her research interests are poverty and education, analysis of education policy, analyses across education systems, and early childhood education. Her latest publications include "The High/Scope Perry Preschool Program: Cost-Benefit Analysis Using Data from the Age 40 Follow-Up" and "Socioeconomic segregation with (without) competitive education policies. A Comparative Analysis of Argentina and Chile." She has also consulted for the World Bank in education projects in Latin America.

Cesar Fernandez Geara

Email caf2115@columbia.edu

Cesar Fernandez Geara is from the Dominican Republic. He earned his BA in Psychology from the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo, in the Dom. Rep. There he worked as a TA for courses on Social Psychology and Methodology of Research. He is currently completing his MA in Psychology in Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Before moving to New York to pursue his Masters degree he worked in a public hospital in Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep., giving therapy and counseling to at-risk youth from disadvantaged communities. He also worked in the Educational Management Department at the National Judiciary School of the Dominican Republic, where part of his duties included the reformulation of the educational model implemented at the school and the evaluation of students and teachers. His current research interests are race and ethnicity in multicultural contexts and Latino studies. In a more clinical arena he is also interested in antisocial behavior in at-risk youths and anxiety disorders.

Dina Lopez

Email dal2117@columbia.edu

Dina Lopez was born in Guatemala and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. After receiving her BA in Community Health from Brown University, she spent three years working with community-based organizations in Providence around issues of health education, neighborhood improvement, adult literacy and immigrant rights. Dina moved to the New York area to pursue an MS in Adult Education at Fordham University. Pedagogically, Dina has been highly influenced by many people including Paulo Freire, Myles Horton, bell hooks, and the countless popular educators she has met through practice. Politically, she is inspired by grassroots movements for social justice, the women's movement, Zapatismo, the movement for immigrant rights, environmentalism and the movement for open source technology. Dina Lopez is currently a doctoral student in International Educational Development-with a concentration in Peace Education-at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests include popular education in Latin America and the U.S., critical pedagogy, participatory adult literacy, and the relationship between popular education and social change.

Tamara Vinacur

Email tvinacur@fibertel.com.ar

Tamara Vinacur is from Argentina. She came to the United States in 2006 after completing a BA in Educational Science at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and a Specialization Degree in Educational Management at the Universidad de San Andres in Argentina. She is currently pursuing an EdM on Measurement & Evaluation at Teachers College, Columbia University. Previously, she worked in the National Ministry of Education in Argentina for 4 years as a technical assistant to the Secretary and later on as a consultant to the area of Information and Quality Assessment, where her interest in Evaluation and Policy Analysis emerged. She also worked as a consultant to the IIEP/ UNESCO on the adaptation of the United Nations' Argentine Report on Human Development for high school teachers. She is the founder and director of a consulting firm called DIERESIS that offers advice to parents on their children school choices. Tamara's goal is to explore strategies to improve decision-making in relation to educational policies in developing countries. In particular, she is interested in studying mechanisms to promote a more efficient use of information in policy design in order to respond to some of the structural weaknesses of Argentina's educational system.

Cándido Hernández-Limón

Email ch2020@columbia.edu

Cándido Hernández-Limón is from México. He earned his BA in Computer Science and his MA in Human Resources Development from the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, Mexico. He is currently completing his EdD in Instructional Technology and Media. Candido's interests are technology in education policy, pedagogical film, and long distance learning. His doctoral research looks into the perceptions and attitudes of members in disadvantaged communities towards technology. Candido's motivation to pursue this research is his belief that community voices are essential to understand any given context and that this may offer ways to reduce the digital divide. He has been a teacher for 12 years and a filmmaker for 3 years. He has taught technology integration in the classroom; instructional design, and language computer programs in several schools of the U.S. and Mexico, such as Teikyo Post University, Loretto Heights University, CUNY City College, and the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas. He is currently a consultant for the Autonomous University of Tamaulipas and the DaVinci University.

Paulo Sergio Da Silva

Email pauloavlis@yahoo.com

Paulo Sergio Da Silva is from Brazil. He majored in Vernacular Languages and Literature from the School of Sciences, Philosophy, and Languages at Bebedouro, Sao Paulo State. After moving to the capital of Sao Paulo, he worked as an academic supervisor and teacher educator at a binational center for the teaching of languages, Associacao Alumni, where he also taught Translation and Interpretation courses. He is a Certified Translator and Interpreter for the Government and Board of Trade of the State of Sao Paulo. Paulo earned a Fulbright Fellowship to pursue his MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he is now a doctoral student in International Educational Development with a concentration in Education Policy. His research interests are: policy on socio-economic inequalities; implications of new race-based policies for Brazil's broader goals of equity and democratic participation; educational policy and planning in developing countries; and international perspectives on racial inequalities in education. Paulo has recently completed his term as a member of the Board of Directors in Metro International, an NGO that creates global learning opportunities in public schools in New York City.

Verónica Cabezas

Email vc2172@columbia.edu

Verónica Cabezas is from Chile. She earned her BA in Industrial Engineering and a Specialization Degree in Transport at the Catholic University of Chile, and an EdM in Leadership, Policy and Politics in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently completing her PhD in Economics and Education from Teachers College. Before coming to the US, she worked in Puente Alto Municipal Government in Santiago, Chile as a project analyst. Her work included public policy analysis and educational budget elaboration analysis. Veronica was also a consultant to NGOs and the public sector, including "Un Techo para Chile", "Fundacion Ayuda y Esperanza" and the Chilean Ministry of Economy. Veronica's motivation to pursue an educational PhD came from her research and work experience in family and child policy, where she became aware of the role of education in income distribution and the mismanagement of public policy programs. In NY, Veronica worked as a consultant to the UNDP/Evaluation Office for the re-classification of project evaluation outcomes and the elaboration of a report for future design and implementation of programs and evaluations. She is currently TA for Politics of Economic Development at SIPA and Research Assistant of Prof. Jonah Rockoff. Her current research interests are gender achievement gap, child and family policy, and the impact of school resources on student achievement.

Laura Valdiviezo

Email lav2001@columbia.edu

Laura Valdiviezo is an adjunct assistant professor in the Bilingual/Bicultural Program at Teachers College, Columbia University and in the TESOL and Bilingual Program at the City College of New York. Laura was born and raised in Lima, Peru, where she earned a BA in education with a specialization in philosophy and social sciences from the Universidad Católica. Prior to obtaining her EdD in International Educational Development at Teachers College, Laura earned her MA in Education from Clark University in Massachusetts. Her doctoral dissertation brought Laura to the Peruvian Highlands where she conducted an ethnographic study of government policy implementation in indigenous schools. Her study focused on teachers' beliefs and practices in bilingual intercultural programs. Laura's scholarly interests are in language, culture, race and ethnic identity, access and equity, teaching practices, education policy and indigenous education. Among her publications are: "Interculturality for Afro-Peruvians: Towards a Racially Inclusive Education in Peru," International Education Journal, 7 (1), 26-35; and "El Maestro y las Conductas Difíciles," PUCP. As an experienced educator, Laura continues to work with bilingual teachers in the USA and in Peru.

Adrian Franco

Email af2052@columbia.edu

Adrian Franco Espinosa de Los Monteros was born in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City. He studied business administration at Boston University and a master in international affairs at Columbia University. Currently, he is a doctoral candidate in comparative and international education at Teachers College, Columbia University. His dissertation is on the involvement of Mexican parents in New York City public schools. Since 2002, he has coordinated numerous educational projects with the Hispanic community that includes English and computer literacy classes to immigrant mothers and an outreach program for educators of Mexican students. He has worked as a consultant for the New York City Department of Education and diverse private entities. Before coming to the U.S., he supervised the production of special projects in a public television station and became the executive assistant to the special ambassador for human rights and democracy at the Mexican Foreign Affairs Ministry. He is a guest columnist at Diario de México and writes a weekly editorial on New York City politics for the daily Hoy.

Ryan Burgess

Email rhb2108@columbia.edu

Ryan Burgess is a doctoral candidate in International Educational Development at Teachers College, Columbia University (TC), specializing in international humanitarian issues. He also has an EdM from TC in International Educational Development, specializing in Curriculum and Teaching. Prior to studying at TC, Ryan managed education development programs in Southeast Europe and Armenia with Catholic Relief Services. He has also worked with various organizations, researching and evaluating the relationship between policy reform and field-based approaches to formal and nonformal education programs for street children and children associated with fighting forces in Latin America, Africa and Asia. He has conducted fieldwork in Brazil, Costa Rica and Tanzania, and is currently in Colombia researching the focus of his doctoral dissertation, which is a psychosocial analysis of why children decide to join or not join armed groups in Colombia.

Carmina Makar

Email cm2521@columbia.edu

Carmina Makar is from Mexico. She earned her BA in Communication Studies with concentration in Education in Mexico. She is currently pursuing an EdM in International Education Development at Teachers College, Columbia University. Before coming to New York, Carmina worked as an educational museum researcher and professor at ITESO University and Universidad de Guadalajara. She has worked as a consultant for UNESCO and UNDP as well as for community-based organizations in Mexico and New York. Carmina is currently engaged in a distance learning project for Universidad de Guadalajara, for which she designs and teaches online courses for the Education department. Her scholarly interests include popular communication, media reception, multiliteracies, technology and bilingual-bicultural issues in the context of community development. In addition, Carmina is interested in exploring how non formal education settings can influence policy design for school reform and curriculum development.

Rita Sánchez

Email rds2133@columbia.edu

Rita del Carmen Sánchez González was born in Monterrey, México. She earned her BA in Industrial Engineering from the Technical Institute of Monterrey and an MS in Mathematics Education from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon. For the past 7 and half years, she has been working as a math and physics high school teacher in the Universidad de Monterrey. She was also Head of the High School Math and Physics department for 3 years. She is currently in an absence leave from the Universidad de Monterrey to pursue her PhD in Mathematics Education at Teachers College. One of her area of interests is didactics of mathematics. Her other area of interests deals with alternate assessments in mathematics for students that have learning disabilities. Her goal is to open a Center for Research in Mathematics Education at the Universidad de Monterrey when she gets back home.

Paul Neira

Email prn2104@columbia.edu

Paul Neira is from Peru, where he did three years of Philosophy Studies. He earned his BA in Education at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). While working as a teacher at this university in the area of social studies, he completed his Master of Arts in Sociology, with a concentration on public policy and organizational analysis. Paul worked as a curriculum consultant for different Peruvian schools, as well as a professor of the graduate studies program at the National University of Education. Prior to moving to NY, Paul worked as Assistant Researcher at Group for the Analysis of Development, a research center based in Lima, Peru. Paul earned a Fulbright Scholarship that allows him to currently pursue an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. Paul is currently involved in a project to develop the first Peruvian Educational Research Society (SIEP). His scholarly interests include curriculum policy, teachers? education, teachers' identity formation, teachers' evaluation educational policy, and evaluation of educational intervention programs.

Guillermo Marini

Email guillermo.marini@gmail.com

Guillermo Marini is from Argentina. He is a Philosophy and Education Ed.D. Candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University and teaches Philosophy and Education at SUNY New Paltz. He holds an Ed. M. in Arts in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a BA in Philosophy from the Catholic University of Argentina. In Harvard, he worked at Project Zero as Research Assistant in the Interdisciplinary Studies Project. In Argentina, he taught Philosophy, Art History and Music at different high schools and colleges, and worked as Political Network Secretary at the Laity Federal Network. His areas of interest include the development of Proactive Professional Networks, the relationship between University and Society, Liberal Arts and Humanistic Education, the Philosophy of the Arts in Education and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Diego Sarroca

Email ds2622@columbia.edu

Diego Sarroca is from Uruguay but also feels from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guinea-Bissau, and Belgium. Due to his father's job in the UN, he changed countries most of his life until at the age of 18 decided to pursue studies in Psychology at the Catholic University of Uruguay. His areas of interest are related to the development of identity in children that due to one of their parent's job lived in more than two countries beside their passport country. In 2006 he received the Fulbright/LASPAU scholarship and is actually pursuing a Master Degree in Developmental Psychology. Before coming to Teachers College he worked as a Clinical Psychologist for children and adolescents within a team of private practitioners. He also worked at a local NGO with kids and families of low SES and as a TA for Philosophical Anthropology in the Department of Psychology at the Catholic University of Uruguay.

Patricia Lopez

Email pal2108@columbia.edu

Patricia Lopez is originally from Posadas, Misiones, Argentina. She has been in New York since she was 6 years old. She attained her undergraduate degree at Hunter College with a double major in Psychology and Women Studies and a minor in Sociology. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Health Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is planning to continue her education at Teachers College in Adult Education in order to specialize in the area of adult education and social action. Patricia is fascinated by life transformations. She believes that everyone has a special gift, which, when put into use, demonstrates our utmost potential. As such, Patricia is interested in seeking ways to help Latinos/as find their potential, even in their adult age, since that is when she found hers. She is also the mother of Diamond Lopez, who is twelve years old.

Lorena Valencia

Email lmv2107@columbia.edu

Lorena Valencia is from Panama. She holds a BA in Psychology from Georgetown University. Lorena is currently a second year master's student at Teachers College, Columbia University, completing a degree in International Education Development with a concentration in Policy Studies. Lorena has participated in many child and youth-oriented volunteer programs in her native country Panama. In 2004, she initiated a branch of an established NGO called Learning Enterprises in Panama, where she recruits college students to go and teach English in rural parts of Panama for a period of six weeks during the summer. Lorena is also a founding member of Learning Foundation India, an NGO based in India that was founded in 2005. This past summer, Lorena interned at the United Nations Population Fund in the Adolescent and Youth Cluster; She was extremely interested in the relationship between education, health care and fertility. She hopes to conduct further research on these issues. Lorena's passions are disadvantaged children and youth in developing countries. She hopes to one day be able to return to Panama and improve contribute to policy changes within the educational as well as health sector.

Angye Rincon

Angye Rincon was born and raised in Santiago, Dominican Republic, where she earned her BA in Bussiness Administration at the Pontifical Catholic “Madre y Maestra” University (PUCMM). She holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Georgia State University (GSU) and Master of Science in Business Administration from San Diego State University. While studying for her MPA’s degree, she interned at The Carter Center in Atlanta and at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs in Washington, DC. At GSU, she was a Graduate Research Assistant at the Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies and in the Domestic Programs at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. In addition, she volunteered in the Program of Gender Equality for Local and State Governments at CIFAL-Atlanta. At Teachers College (TC), she is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in International Educational Development (IED) with a specialization in International Educational Policy. Before coming to TC, Angye worked in the Vice-rectory of International Relations, Research, and Innovation at PUCMM. Her research interests are education and economic development, minorities and achievement gaps, education policies and immigration, and educational equity and developing countries.

Alejandra Valdiviezo

Email sav2103@columbia.edu

Alejandra Valdiviezo is from Bolivia. She holds a BA in Education from Universidad Mayor de San Simón in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and an MA in Communication of Science from Universidad de Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain. Prior to moving to Spain, Alejandra worked first as a teaching assistant in the School of Education at Universidad Mayor de San Simón, and then as a research assistant at the Teachers Training Department of the same university. After completing her MA in Salamanca, she moved to the US. In New York, she has worked as a youth counselor at the Renaissance Alternative Education Center in Crown Heights, and as Spanish teacher to Middle School students at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights. Alejandra is currently completing an Ed.M. in International Educational Development, with a concentration on Humanitarian Affairs, at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests are critical pedagogy, teaching practices, language (policy) and culture in education, and class and ethnic inequalities.