Selected Doctoral Alum and Current Student Profiles

Salvatore L. Cammarata, Cohort 2

Principal, Garfield Elementary School, Revere, Massachusetts

An educator of thirty-two years with Revere Public Schools, I have taught grade six, coordinated a bilingual/ESL program, and served in the capacity of assistant principal.  I am currently in my eighth year as principal of a very diverse and multicultural learning center housing 650 eager to learn students at the early childhood through grade five levels.  Our staff consists of 70 highly qualified professional teachers and specialists who are assisted by 30 highly qualified paraprofessionals.  Our school features two dynamic literacy initiatives, Reading First and Bay State Readers' Institute and the exciting Singapore Mathematics Program.   

Annette Chinn, Cohort 3

English/Language Arts Dept. Chair and Teacher, Crossroads Second Chance South High School, Union City, Georgia

In 1971, I received a Bachelor of Arts in English/Secondary Education from Morris Brown College. I worked for Southern Railway/Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation for 30 years, 28 of which were spent in the Engineering Department. An early retirement offer from management afforded me the opportunity to return to my initial career choice, teaching. Since retiring, I have earned an MEd in Special Education, and a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership. Research toward completion of my doctorate is centered on the placement of special needs students in an alternative education setting.

Júlio César Mendes de Carvalho, Cohort 2 Graduate

Portuguese Teacher, Lowell High School, Lowell, Massachusetts 

I have been an educator for the past 23 years (secondary schools and college level). I hold a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Educational Leadership, a Master of Education with Integrated Studies & Management Concentration, a Specialized Graduate Certificate in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, a Specialized Graduate Certificate in Diversity, and a BA in Foreign Languages. I am fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, French, English, Cape-Verdean, and other African languages. I joined the Cape-Verdean army when I was 16, and became a drill sergeant one year later. At 19, I moved to Washington DC to work for my country's embassy.

Idamay Patricia Denny, Cohort 2 Graduate
Deputy Chief Education Officer, Ministry of Education, Barbados 

From the Caribbean island of Barbados, I have been an educator for 33 years, 16 teaching at the elementary level and the last 17 as an administrator in the Ministry of Education which oversees and regulates the entire education system in Barbados. As an administrator I have served as Reading Specialist, Education Officer responsible for Language Arts, and Senior Education Officer responsible for Curriculum and School Supervision and Management, respectively. Since 2000, I have served as Deputy Chief Education Officer, first with responsibility for Schools, and since 2005, with responsibility for Planning and Development. I was educated at Erdiston Teachers' Training College, the University of the West Indies, Howard University, and Cambridge College.

Maureen E. Gaughan, Cohort 2 Graduate

Director of Special Education, Carver Public Schools, Carver, Massachusetts
 

For the past eight years, I have been in an educational leadership position in the area of special education, beginning at the South Shore Charter Public School and continuing in my present position in Carver. Prior to administration, I worked in the field of Speech-Language Pathology for 22 years servicing adults and children in a variety of settings: hospitals, schools, and home health agencies. I have also worked at the University of Michigan training graduate students in Speech-Language Pathology. My area of interest for my doctoral research is in evidence-based practice in special education, particularly how the research can be applied to daily practice to enhance the provision of services to students with disabilities.

Tammy Graham, Cohort 1 Graduate
Assistant Professor of Education, The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina

I was recently hired as an Assistant Professor at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, where I teach Educational Psychology and Special Education courses.  In addition, I advise teacher candidates and work closely with local school systems.  From 1990 until 2007, I worked in public education in the states of Alabama and Virginia, 7 years as a special education teacher, 7 years as an educational diagnostician, and 4 years as a special education coordinator.  I also taught as an adjunct professor for Shenandoah University from 2004 until 2007.   

Sylvia Maureen Henry, Cohort 2 Graduate
Senior Education Officer, Ministry of Education, Barbados, West Indies

My educational journey started over thirty years ago in the beautiful island of Barbados. My quest for knowledge led to the completion of a Teachers’ Professional certificate from Erdiston Teachers’ College; Literacy Studies from the University of the West Indies (Barbados); Organization and Administration of Education (UK); Educational Leadership (Niagara College, Canada); Master of Arts, Teaching English (Union College, Schenectady); and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies, School Administration (Cambridge College). Just when I thought that I had done it all, the Cambridge College Doctoral program in Educational Leadership has reignited a spark in my professional life that will burn forever.

April C. Howell, Cohort 2 Graduate

Special Education Lead Teacher- 8th grade, Midwest City, Oklahoma

I have been an educator the past 11 years in elementary and secondary schools as both a regular and special education teacher.  Before becoming a teacher, I worked for four years as first a camera operator, video editor and finally a news producer at a major television station in Savannah, Georgia.  I bring my love of technology into every teaching and learning environment I encounter.   I received my Masters (Special Education) and CAGS (Education Leadership) from Cambridge College and was ecstatic to discover that I had been accepted into the Doctoral Program. 

Robert J. Kennedy, Jr., Cohort 2

Literacy and Humanities Specialist, Lawrence, Massachusetts

I've worked in various positions in education since 1989, including teaching in correctional facilities, adult education, working as a middle school administrator, teaching on the college level, and most recently teaching as a Literacy and Humanities Specialist on the middle school level. I also teach part time for the National Safety Council and have recently accepted an adjunct faculty position with Cambridge College. I have a CAGS in Educational Leadership and Masters Degrees in School Counseling and Curriculum and Instruction. I have a strong interest in social justice as it relates to education.

Walletta T. Moore, Cohort 3
Prospect Researcher, Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina

I have been an educator for nine years, teaching on the elementary level as well as in the English Department at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, SC. I am currently the Prospect Researcher and Title III Assistant in the Office of Institutional Advancement at Benedict College in Columbia, SC. I obtained my MEd from Southern Wesleyan University in Central, SC, and my EdS in Educational Leadership from Cambridge College. Upon completion of my doctoral studies, I intend to further my research of writing strategies for college students and to design a curriculum and/or best practices publication to assist college-level students as well as administrators with improving students' writing skills for success in college and beyond.

John Michael Moschella, EFO, Cohort 2 Graduate
Retired Deputy Fire Chief, Revere, Massachusetts
 

I have just completed a career in the fire service that spanned three decades. During that time, I rose through the ranks to reach the position of deputy chief. In addition to my fire service career, I am an adjunct professor of fire science and administration at Anna Maria College and currently sit on the editorial board for the International Fire Service Journal of Leadership and Management. I have made well use of my three master’s degrees in Intellectual European History, German/Jewish History, and Fire Science and Administration to publish numerous articles in these disciplines.
 

Lillian Norris-Holmes, Cohort 1 Graduate
Supervisor of Enrichment and Specialty Programs, Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Division of Academics, Prince George’s County Public Schools System, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 
 

I completed My CAGS in Curriculum and Instruction in 2001 and returned in summer 2002 as a special student for Educational Leadership. As a member of the first Ed.D cohort in Educational Leadership, my dissertation study focused on the implementation of high-quality after-school programs, polices, and practices in a large urban public school district. My professional background includes teaching K-16 in a variety of settings, serving as Grant Specialist and Program Manager of federal and state grants.
 

Sally R. Orme, Cohort 2 Graduate
Principal, Forestdale International School, Malden, Massachusetts

For close to 30 years I have worked in education, with a couple of detours as bookstore manager and VISTA volunteer. I’ve worked in nonprofits - a science museum and Educators for Social Responsibility - and schools in Guatemala, Minnesota and Massachusetts. I have taught science, early literacy and bilingual kindergarten. The bulk of my practice has been as a middle school mathematics teacher in a K-8 two-way bilingual school in Cambridge, MA. I hold a BA in Psychology and Biology from Macalester College, a M.Ed. in Reading from Lesley University, and a CAGS in Educational Administration from Cambridge College.

Jessica C. Pitsillides, Cohort 1
Director, Hartwell Learning Center – CMSEC, Worcester, Massachusetts

Since 1998, I have worked in therapeutic school programs with special education students diagnosed with severe emotional disabilities. As a classroom teacher I taught student in grades 7-12 for four years, before becoming an administrator for students in grades K-6. Currently I am the director at the Hartwell Learning Center a therapeutic day school for students in grades K-12. I have also been a certified Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) instructor since 2001. Education: BA/SPED – Fitchburg State College, 1998; M.Ed./SPED – Cambridge College, 2003; CAGS/SPED ADMIN – Cambridge College, 2005; Ed.D – Cambridge College, presently.

Jennifer Ray, Cohort 2
Middle School Teacher, Coastal Middle School, Savannah, Georgia

I have been an educator for eighteen years with the Savannah/Chatham Public School System. Among other leadership positions, I have organized and coordinated a program called The MASTERS (Males Achieving Skills to Experience Real Success) Team for African American males. In 2002, I was recognized by the Savannah Board of Education, and received a plaque for academic excellence from our superintendent when two of my fourth-grade students were among the top four winners of an essay contest, sponsored by The Atlanta Constitution and Macy’s, for Georgia students in grades 4-8. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Early Childhood Education, a Master of Education, and a Specialist in Leadership and Administration (CAGS).

Kathy A. Sikes, Cohort 2 Graduate
K-5 Instructional Facilitator, Vidalia City Public Schools, Vidalia, Georgia

In my current position I help facilitate any new initiatives for the system and also help with new teachers. I have been in education for 18 years, teaching fourth, fifth and sixth grade language arts and fourth grade math. I have served as a team chairperson, design team member, school leadership team member, and have been elected teacher of the year. I currently hold a master's degree and a CAGS from Cambridge College with a teacher support specialist (TSS) add-on. My dissertation research is focused on what impediments exist to teachers' use of data-driven decision making.  

Sheila Spaulding, Cohort 2 Graduate
Principal, Southside Performance Learning Center, Brunswick, Georgia

I am presently working as a principal for a non-traditional high school. Prior to this assignment, I worked as a high school mathematics teacher. I earned my BS in Mathematics from Savannah State, my teaching certification from Georgia Southern University, a Masters in Foundations of Education from Troy State University in Troy, Alabama, and a CAGS from Cambridge College. My Dissertation topic is Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Teens in Georgia: Examining Policy from a Critical Theory Perspective. After completing my work at Cambridge College, I plan to serve as an advocate for students at risk of leaving high school before completing their requirements for graduation and those leaving school before receiving the necessary skills to become productive citizens.  

Sam Whack, Jr., Cohort 1 Graduate
Principal, Rosenwald Elementary/Middle School, Society Hill, South Carolina 

I hold a B.S. in Elementary Education from South Carolina State University and an M.Ed. and CAGS in School Administration from Cambridge College.  I began my career as an elementary school teacher, then became an assistant principal in a neighboring school district, and have been serving as the principal of Rosenwald Elementary/Middle School for the past six years.  On June 8, 2008, I will be hooded as the first male graduate of Cambridge College's doctoral program.  Additionally, I am the pastor of the Chaney Grove Missionary Baptist Church, in Timmonsville, South Carolina.  

Carla Frye Williams, Cohort 4
Instructional Supervisor, English as a Second Language PreK–12, Newport News Public Schools, Newport News, Virginia

I began my educational career teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)in 1997 for Newport News Public Schools. I was voted Teacher of the Year during the 2005-06 school year. The following year, I completed my CAGS from Cambridge College and was hired as an Assistant Principal at one of our elementary ESL centers. The following year, I was appointed the Instructional Supervisor of the pre-k – 12 ESL program for our district. Working with English Language Learners is a passion of mine. I believe in being a life-long learner and providing the best educational experience possible for all students.