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The Decade of the 1970s [Updated May 19, 2008 ] |
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I am taking a sabbatical from my volunteer job at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training in Arlington, where, as senior fellow, I assist other retired diplomats in editing and publishing their manuscripts. Addicted to biography now, I am taking on bigger game. The sailor-author-merchant-consul Peter Strickland from New London, Conn. was a perfect subject to start with: his personal diary from 1857 to 1921 was unparalleled. Now I am researching a dual biography, the husband-wife team of Henry & Emily Folger, founders of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, where I work most days in the Tudor Reading Room. With 166 linear feet of personal papers to go through, I'll be at it for a while. [5-08]
Stephen Grant’s Peter Strickland: New London Shipmaster, Boston Merchant, First Consul to Senegal
(New Academia, 2007) is the 29th volume in the Diplomats and Diplomacy Series that is intended to increase public knowledge and appreciation of the involvement of American diplomats in world history.. Grant based this account on extensive research, including US consular ispatches, a detailed personal diary, obscure documents in libraries in the eastern United States, and Consul Strickland’s correspondence with French authorities that the author unearthed in the Senegalese national archives. His book recounts how Connecticut Yankee Strickland strove to survive and prosper from 1864 to 1905 in the midst of a strong French colonial presence in Senegal — first as captain of merchant ships in the trans-Atlantic trade and then as the first US consul in Senegal, indeed the first in French West Africa [12-06]
Stephen Guild (Ed.D. 1973) sguild41@gmail.com
In 1980, I moved to Seattle. I began a consulting business concentrating on the design, development and delivery of training programs for businesses and organizations, and my
clients included Boeing, Microsoft, the American Institute of Banking, Recreational Equipment, Inc., several Washington State departments and others. During that time, I also worked in Russia, Guam, China, Germany, Slovakia and Greece. My family and I spent one year in Kenya (1994-95), teaching at the United States International University in Nairobi.
In 2003, I began working for City University, a private university in the Seattle area, as the Dean of Faculty Development, a position I held until 2006. When my job was eliminated and my office dissolved, I decided that I would move to Brazil to be with my partner, Tiago, whom I had met on the Internet and had cyber-dated for a year-and-a half. I moved to Recife, the largest city in Northeastern Brazil, in June 2006.
I was certified as a TESOL teacher before I left Seattle, but right now I teach entirely online for several different universities and organizations, so my job is portable…and I don’t have any morning rush-hour traffic to contend with. [5-08]
Gordon Schimmel (Ed.D. 1974) wrightflight@gmail.com
A lot of water has passed over the dam since I last communicated with the Center, so I will try to be brief. After twenty-one years as superintendent of the Mansfield Public Schools in eastern Connecticut, I have announced my retirement as of July, 2008. While I will miss the talented teachers and administrators on this staff, I can honestly say I will not miss night meetings, budget battles and snow-day decisions that are part of the daily routine. I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in a great school district, located in a university community that supports innovation in public education.
Part of our success has been programs in international education, beginning with language training in Spanish (starting in second grade), continuing with four world languages in the middle school (German, French Spanish and Latin) and many years of student/teacher exchanges with Germany, China, Thailand, Chile and the Ukraine. It is not easy to walk away from three decades of interesting public school service so, after some time away, I expect I may work with other school districts to help with projects they may have to offer.
For my own professional development (to keep my sanity and to get out of the office!), I began teaching some of our own elementary and middle schools students about the science of flight several years ago.
Eventually this work led to a contract with an organization in Dayton, Ohio, to create Inventing Flight, a multi-disciplinary, multi-media curriculum to celebrate the Wright Brothers Centennial in 2003. This work led to AeroLab, a second project, funded by the Alcoa Foundation, a series of activities in applied math and physics based on flight. These workshops continue to be well-received by math and science teachers who are understandably overwhelmed by federal “No Child Left Behind” mandates; we have presented in many states around the country as well as at aerospace education conferences in Scotland, Switzerland and Ireland. We are now a partner with the FAA to help with their educational program and plan to do several more workshops for them during the coming year.
News on the family front: Dale received her Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut a few years ago and is currently the Math/Science Supervisor for a five-town regional school district northwest of Worchester, Massachusetts. She retires in eighteen months and will join me at our home on Cape Cod. After spending forty plus years on a schedule mostly determined by others, I am a little unsure of how to approach setting my own. I am assured by all who precede me in retirement that I will be busier than I am now, but on my own terms. Travel, studying art, architecture, world religions, and educational projects all beckon, but I may just stop smell the roses – at least for awhile. [5-08]
Robert Pearson (Ed.D. 1973) r.pearson@comcast.net
Since leaving the Center in 1972 I’ve been an Education Professor at Swarthmore, Lafayette and Muhlenberg colleges, the director of a drug and alcohol education agency, and the director of a USAID project in Romania dealing with the awful orphanage situation there which you undoubtedly remember from the media coverage in the early nineties. Since 1992 I’ve been “semi-retired”, spending much of my time playing serious senior softball (tournaments etc.), reading, writing, and occasionally consulting. Since 1993 I’ve directed a Peace Corps training project in Albania, worked with Muslim refugees in Croatia, given a teacher education workshop in Ethiopia, 
worked with Leon Clark evaluating a USAID education project in Swaziland, been to Armenia four times with UNICEF on a training project for school principals as well as training trainers in interactive teaching methods and supervising the development of a teacher’s manual in interactive teaching methods. In 2005 I worked on a Basic Education proposal in Afghanistan, and in 2006 I worked with UNICEF/Turkey in drafting a sample five year plan for the Ministry of Education in Turkey.
Beeby and I live in Wellfleet on Cape Cod and are outdoors every day, working, hiking, and swimming. Between us we have five children. Those of you who remember my two, Erik and Tim, may be interested to know they are both in the arts, Erik a musician (guitar, banjo, flute) and composer --he had a small banjo piece in the recent movie “Into the Wild” --, and Tim an oil painter. Naturally they need supplementary careers, Erik as a computer guy, and Tim as a carpenter. My three step-children are also either musicians or oil painters. Those of you who live near Boston may have heard of Tim Gearan, well - known in the Boston music scene.
Over the winter we are in Vieques, a little island off the coast of Puerto Rico known to many because of the protests against the Navy bombing (which fortunately ended in 2003). If anyone is in the area of Wellfleet during the year or Vieques in the winter, email us and we can get together! [5-08]
Steve McLaughlin (Ed.D. 1979) smclaugh@comcast.net
Steve McLaughlin continues his current independent consulting for a wide variety of organizations, ranging from UNAIDS to Plan USA. He plies his evaluation and research trade with assignments that have taken him to Nigeria, Russia, Malawi, and Vietnam over the past year. His latest interest is to continue a new relationship with an environmental organization to improve the connection between international environmental protection and humanitarian development. When they are both in the country, he and Margaret endure an increasingly frustrating commuter arrangement, with Steve working out of their house on Cape Cod and Margaret working M-F in Washington, DC and returning on weekends--that is, when Steve is not down there. In addition to remaining busy with international work, Steve and Margaret have continued their friendships with the many individuals they've met overseas. Last year, they attended the traditional Muslim wedding (in Lancaster Pennsylvania, of all places) of an Iraqi woman they both knew in Baghdad several years ago and have stayed closely in contact as she pursues her doctoral studies in genetic engineering, and makes a family, in the United States. Steve, also, regularly gets together with Wellfleet-based Bob Pearson and sees DRE and, occasionally, other CIE and School of Ed folks who vacation on the Cape.
Margaret and Steve welcome seeing any Center members who want to sample the delights of Cape Cod. They know all the best beaches, restaurants, bike paths, scenic lighthouses, and ice cream parlors. Come anytime--even in the winter, if you dislike crowds. You can contact them by email or phone at 508-477-5895 [4-08]
David J. Rosen (Ed. D. 1974) djrosen@newsomeassociates.com
David has worked in alternative education, out-of-school youth education, adult literacy and nonformal education, all of which he says were themes of his studies at UMass. In the early 1980s, following his work as founder and first director of a publicly-funded alternative high school in Waltham, Massachusetts, he was the 
Director of Education at Boston's Jobs for Youth, now JFY Networks. He was for 15 years, until 2003, the Director of the Adult Literacy
Resource Institute at UMass Boston.
With World Education, David helped the Philippines Department of Education to develop nonformal education, specifically the Alternative Learning System, and helped teachers of elementary, secondary and out-of-school youth to use authentic assessment in project-based learning, specifically in Integrated Pest Management projects. David founded, and for ten years moderated, the National Literacy Advocacy electronic list, now sponsored by the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education.
Now an independent consultant, David is the President of Newsome Associates. This past year he has worked in Northern Cyprus with an EDC-sponsored public schools vocational education project, and recently in South Africa and Haiti on Youth Build International-sponsored integrated curriculum projects. He works with Portland State University (Oregon), as a regional implementation advisor for a federally-funded adult literacy education project called the Learner Web. David leads a National institute for Literacy Special Topics electronic discussion list, writes a technology column for an adult literacy journal, has recently had a book chapter published on adult literacy and technology, and has also recently completed a study for
OECD on formative assessment in adult literacy in Flanders, Belgium.
David is a musician, too. With former CIE Teacher Corps Project member, Owen Hartford, in 1975 he founded the Gloucester Hornpipe and Clog Society. Still going strong, this six-member Celtic, Nautical, and New England music folk band performs regularly in New England and
has performed twice in Ireland. [4-08]
Jeanne Moulton (Ed.D. 1977) JeanneM@caii.com
Jeanne Moulton is Technical Director in the Education, Mobilization and Communications Division of Creative Associates International, Inc. She has many years of experience in helping improve education in developing countries. She has worked in the Asia, Near East, Eastern Europe and Africa regions, particularly in basic education. Her recent focus has been on strategic planning and program and project design and evaluation. Dr. Moulton also studies what has been learned from experience as guidance for current planning. Her current interest is work in fragile states. She frequently works with Center members and has recently been working with a project to train primary teachers in Afghanistan, where Julio Ramirez is the Chief of Party, and Chris Gamm is the senior advisor for teacher education. [4-08]
Dale Kinsley (Ed.D. 1977) dalekinsley@comcast.net
In 1971 I left UMass to accept a job at the University of California/Santa Cruz to work with Joe Blackman, a fellow Charter member of CIE, on a Teacher Corps/Peace Corps program. Later I became a faculty member and Director of Teacher Preparation at UCSC. Later I decided to take a leave in 1979 to join another CIE'er, Jim Hoxeng, at USAID in Washington, D. C. I couldn't decide at the time whether I was going to make a difference in schools in the US or through programs in the developing world. While in DC Bill Smith, another CIE'er and staff member at the Academy for Educational Development at the time, helped me meet my soon-to-be-bride, Cheryll
Greenwood. Cheryll was running the International Division of AED at the time, but within a short time married me and off we went to Santa Cruz, CA to accept a position as their Superintendent of Schools. That was more than 24 years ago! [9-05]
Although I retired last June, I almost immediately "failed" retirement over the summer, taking on a number of consultant jobs as well as teaching a course last Fall for the Superintendent Credential Program at Western Washington University. In late October I was asked to become the founding Director of a Washington State Leadership Academy for practicing superintendents and principals. The state legislature and the Gates Foundation have provided the professional associations for principals and superintendents three years of start-up funding to create a more focussed, personalized, and job-embedded learning/support program across the State. They hired me to figure it out and to draw a connection from leadership learning to improved student achievement. No small task.... So, I am now working with a design team of professionals from across the state to prepare a pilot initiative for next Fall that will include district teams of administrators working together with on-site coaching support. In addition, I am currently working with two school districts as an "improvement coach" and am team teaching a leadership seminar in our region for district teams from 10 districts. All of this adds up to a lot of driving, since my office is either at home or in my car or wherever I need to be to work with folks. [2-08]
Hank
has spent the past 25 years or so in Thailand where he has pursued
a career in teaching as well as founding and becoming the managing
director of Cross-Cultural Management Co. Ltd. The firm has developed a series of focused training courses to assist
expatriates working in Thailand to be more effective in communicating
and working with Thai colleagues. To facilitate that goal he co-authored
a book entitled: Working with the Thais: A Guide to Managing
in Thailand. The book is intended for both newcomers and seasoned
foreigners in Thailand. It provides useful steps to deepen your understanding,
respect, and abilities to forge lively cooperation and teamwork between
expatriates and Thais. (We have recently used parts of the book in
a course here at CIE
Hank wrote recently on changes in his life:
Although I retired last year, at age 72, our company (Cross-Cultural Management Company, Ltd.) continues to thrive. (They seem to do better without the Old Man...) The company has several faithful clients, like Michelin, Citibank, three or four Thai companies, and someUN organizations. We still run cross-cultural training courses, of which an increasing number are for Thais and Japanese (rather than Westerners) who have to work together. Examples are Toyota and Daikin. Believe me, there are plenty of juicy differences between these two Asian cultures. Apart from our long-standing cross-cultural courses, we have moved into the more general areas of Leadership and Team-Building, using very unusual and stimulating techniques, I must say.
I wrote a series of 60-odd articles about management (Thai, Western, and Japanese issues) for a local newpaper, the Nation. Now these are being condensed and translated into Thai, to appear in a couple of months. The tentative title is "Managing the Cultures... Inspiring the Team." If any one of you at CIE wants information about the courses and the articles, just let me know.
I'm living most of the year in the Bay Area of San Francisco. I have tried some one-to-one tutoring. Good fun. There are many "retirement homes" out here, and I play the piano and guitar for them quite frequently. Also playing for a couple of USTA tennis leagues for fellow creepers, over 60. We are slow but crafty. [1-08]
William A. Smith (Ed. D. 1976) tryst@erols.comcast.net
Bill Smith is the Executive Vice President of the Academy for Educational Development in Washington, DC. For over twenty years, he has led the Academy's work in public health communication and social marketing programs in over 65 countries around the world. Bill is now partly retired and sent in the following reflections on his many years of experience.
It is 37 years or so since I left the Center. I have been pretty much at the same place all that time. AED was 35 people when I came here and now we are almost 3000. I had a very small role in that change. But it has been a learning experience to stay focused on real work andstill pretend to “manage” things at the same time.
I have a total pinball mind. I have never wanted to be a world class expert on anything and I
have achieved that goal. I went from Paulo Freire to Madison Avenue – from liberating adults to rehydrating babies – from rural villages in Africa to gay bars in Santo Domingo – from putting on condoms to taking off pounds. I became a world expert on health literacy just because I participated in a single Institute of Medicine Panel. And I became a famous social marketer by telling people to make their complex programs of social change – fun, easy and popular for people.
But enough about my past….let’s focus on my future! Ahhhhhhhhh. Bored yet?
What I am doing now is trying to find something useful to say to young people. It is a dilemma, because I still believe in experiential learning. It just seems such a shame that people have to go through the same 30 years I did, or you did. Of course, no one does. They make their own mistakes. It is only a coincidence that their mistakes look just like our mistakes. But my God, did we have to invade Iraq without a plan, or God forbid, at all?
The question isn’t – What do we have to share with young people that is useful? – but rather “Is there someway to say what we learned so that it’s useful to them living in a world which seems very different but actually isn’t. You know that thirty years ago none of us could have IMAGINED, and I mean IMAGINED, cell phones, Google or Second Life. Second life meant finishing the damn dissertation. But we still have to figure out what to say on the cell, who to call, what to believe on Google, and what role to play in Second Life.
Right now I am interested in listening to young people; understanding social media; promoting social movements; and using systems thinking. When you get old your eyesight fails and you have to focus on things very far away, like these topics, in order to see anything at all.
Look forward to seeing many of you at the reunion/ anniversary. [1-08]
Bill's complete statement including a Sufi Poem is in a Word file. See also his web site for one of his new hobbies.
A recent update from Peter since he has moved to Cambridge, MA:
I hit the big seven zero mark last August, a milestone I would be happy to forget. But I draw inspiration from a bumper sticker I saw the other day which read "Born just fine the first time". And in all candor, rocketing back and forth from extremes seems to suit me. Let me explain myself.
While I have a 45 year-old son who is a tenured professor at Bryn Mawr, I also have a 10 year-old half Samoan little bomber who rejoices in the name of Roxanna Ataata-o-Mauga (try saying that fast).Through guile, stealth and cunning, she has managed to get me to sit down with her every night to do her homework, half of which is in French (she attends the Ecole Bilingue here in Cambridge). She fills me with great happiness so while there are moments when I am wondering what in hell I'm doing at my advanced age, the fact is that I am happy to do it. So that is one extreme.
The other is that I have been involved (under UNESCO auspices) in devising a support system for a Siberian Inuit nomadic schools project. The weather? Appalling. As I write these lines, the temp in Yakutsk (capital of the Sakha Republic - 3 times the size of California with a population of 1.5 million) is roughly -50 Celsius. And the logistical challenges? Equally so. Does anybody fancy a two-day drive on a snow mobile in -50 C.??
The Siberian Inuits that make up the so-called Five nations are reindeer herders. And I don't mean they look after Donner und Blitzen during the down months: a single family's herd can easily number 2,500 animals. Reindeer are migratory which means that if the family is to stay together, if the way of life, the culture, the languages are to be preserved...the school must follow. And the point is that they want no other life. When the weather warms up to a measly -30 C, they sweat. They LIKE their lives, they revere their culture and traditions and they emphatically do not want these things to be undermined by schooling. But providing education to them that is at all consistent with the national curriculum is off the charts in terms of per capita cost.
This is not the place to describe all this in any great detail but a few snippets might be of some interest. They want a curriculum that is part "core" and part "life skills" – fine but in what proportions? And by the way, once you get past the simple vocational aspects of life skills education (e.g. reindeer husbandry), you find yourselves butted up against pure fuzz stretching away in all directions: what does anyone mean by education to promote "life quality"?
There are quite a few areas where I felt I struck a responsive chord - e.g. training in classroom diagnostic testing methods, multi-class teaching, and the like - but the biggest hurdle by far was trying to find ways of reducing per capita costs. And while the answer is hardly rocket science, accomplishing it is another matter altogether. While teacher support was/is hardly adequate, there is some interaction between the teachers on the one hand and the inspectorate, curriculum advisors and district education officers on the other. The problem has been that the latter have always interpreted their role as essentially one of policing the putative undisciplined teacher.
The people are heart-breakingly welcoming and enthusiasm runs high. Will Moscow follow? Bof, qu'est-ce que j'en sais?But it is just possible that, if countries with significant Inuit and other Arctic populations of their own -i.e. the Canadians, the Danes (for Greenland) the Norwegians and Finns (for the Lapps) - could be persuaded to come to the party in support of a workable circum-polar educational network, this real, and I have to say extraordinary, if unlikely way of life can be preserved, with or without Moscow. So that is it.
Sorry this is so long but as the French salon courtesan, Madame de Stael once famously wrote to a friend, "Je vous prie de bien vouloir me pardonner cette lettre trop longue mais je n'ai pas eu le temps de vous en ecrire une courte" (forgive this long letter but I didn't have the time to write a short one). Being succinct for me is chasing a receding horizon.
Greetings and best wishes to those who remember me. [12-07]
Elvyn Jones-Dube (Ed. D. 1984) ejonesdube@yahoo.com
Elvyn continues with her private practice in psychotherapy, is an adjunct professor at the Graduate School in the College of New Rochelle. At the end of 2007 she sent along this update:
I continue in my second profession as psychoanalyst and mental health specialist, which arose out of my experiences of living abroad for over twenty-five years. During that time, I became aware of the paucity of knowledge and services available to indigenous populations and the international community living abroad. International life and service has a tendency of taking one into unanticipated areas. My areas of work have coalesced in providing individual and group therapy to diverse populations, program management, teaching, training and supervision. I maintain my links with the international community. [12-07]
Last year I was made a Diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association and in the spring, will be running for a state-wide office in the National Association of Social Workers. My motto continues to be "sieze the time". I continue to work full time in the field of adult education and mental health, which has grown to include clients with HIV/Aids and Hep C. [This is New York!] As I discovered in London, mental health issues are a neglected area amongst us all, largely due to stigma. This is doubly so among people of color. It is a fitting and much need area for work, training and study for someone with my skills set and broad cultural exposure. At present, I am working with a Kenyan colleague to explore the viability of an information transfer from the US to African mental health practitioners. [2-07]
She also asked to be moved into the 1970's cohort since she feels more part of that group.
R. Michael Haviland (Ed.D. 1973) havila12000@yahoo.com
I recently finished redrafting and editing an "Edu Tainment" novel, Arcadia. The “Edu”part draws attention to the plight of the world’s two billion persons who have incomes of less than two dollar per day. In the book, the Arcadia Foundation implements innovative model programs to address extreme poverty. The “Tainment” part of the book is my attempt to write prose which attractss and holds its readers. I am now looking for an agent/publisher to take the book to the next stage and am anxious to begin work on a new project.
In 1995, I was appointed the Director of International Programs at the Colorado School of Mines. It is challenging trying to internationalize the culture of a U.S.oriented engineering institution, even though more than half of its graduate students are from abroad. Over eight years, there was progress. The school, in cooperation with the government of Qatar, recently founded and now administers a petroleum and chemical engineering undergraduate college in Doha. Several professors from Colorado teach at the new college in Qatar.
During a recent trip to Myanmar, I met with several staff members of the Save the Children program. It is one of the few international NGOs allowed to operate there. Although closely monitored and restricted, it provides basic health and education services for adults and children in rural areas. My hosts were alumni of the Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright entity, which I directed from 1979-1989. Meeting with the colleagues in Myanmar was a uniquely informative and rewarding personal experience.
I look forward to revisiting CIE, and attending the 40th anniversary conference. [11-07]
Retnaningsih Burham (M.Ed. 1980) (no email address)
Retna Burham recently wrote from Jakarta, Indonesia with an update on her life. She was happy to see the pictures and descriptions of folks she knew at CIE in the newsletter, including Anna Donovan, June Bourbeau and John Comings. Jaya Gajanayake was her room-mate at UMass.
In the 27 years since she left Amherst, she’s consulted for UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank, and USAID, among others. Retna is now retired but still advises students during the thesis/dissertation process at the State University of Jakarta, and is still writing environmental education texts for Indonesian schools. She has also written books about methodology and evaluation techniques in non-formal education, guides for tutors and facilitators, and building objectives and needs assessments.
In the past few years she has seen Nanette Brey in Jakarta, Jan Droegkamp in Bali, Kathleen Cash in Medan, and Daniel Moulton in Jakarta, where they both worked for a World Bank basic education project from 2004-2006.
My Indonesian colleagues from CIE UMass group (10) are mostly retired but some of them are working at private universities. It’s still hard to change the participative learning system from the traditional one in Indonesia. There are many aspects in education that must be control and developed by the government. We are discussing about spiritual quotient, Indigenous children and also Millennium Development Goals. [7-07]
Priscilla Angelo (Ed.D. 1977) PartnersGE@aol.com
I have now entered a life chapter I call reinvention (others call it retirement) and love scheduling my own priorities. When I first retired, I took classes at the RI School of Design to learn something about architecture and design. I would like time for a second career in architecture but decided it was getting too late. So instead, I learned just enough for us to design a new home that we had built on Narragansett Bay. And I loved the opportunity for such a creative process. It reminded me of the creative times higher education administration offered in the 60's and 70's!
"Reinvention" allows space to do the things I have always loved: Garden Club, Book groups, lots of volunteering in the arts, ...and of course travel. In January 2006 we spent a month in the Thailand hills; spring renting a house in Umbria (Italy); fall on safari in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia; Zimbabwe, S. Africa.
In Feb. 2007 we spent ten days in Aruba and soon we leave for China and Tibet . My husband (John Eng-Wong) is also retired but continues his research in the Center for Ethnicity at Brown University. Together we are working on a Food and Culture project (looking at ways comfort food transforms itself as it crosses oceans and makes its way to the States). Our research has introduced us to new customs, food and people. Hope you are well and thanks for keeping in touch. The Center holds my heart at U Mass. [3-07]
I had no idea when I was a grad student at CIE that, after stints in the Peace Corps, the nonprofit world, and academia, I would end up in business. It just happened. And, when my time at my company ITAP is done, I’ll be happy to return to some of those things that I wanted to do before I ended up in business.
The last few years have seen a geographic expansion of ITAP, from an exclusively domestic organization to one that has merged with a European partner, now with affiliates in Europe, Africa, and Asia. All this has been done on a shoestring (which came from my left shoe). My wife and partner Cass has been a leading force in marketing and professionalizing the organization. We are now in the process of spinning off the intellectual property we have created over the past 20 years so the income streams can be used to attract investors. I’ve never done anything like this, so every step is new.
ITAP provides training and consulting mostly to larger businesses, and mostly in the cross-cultural and competencies fields. But the work I most value has been the development of assessment instruments, one of which measures individuals’ cultural profiles, which can then be compared to country profiles. These are quantitative measures based on the work of an extraordinary man, Geert Hofstede, a Dutchman and pioneer in the field of intercultural research who I now call an old friend. I’ve just completed a fully web-enabled version of this instrument, which I understand DRE may use in some courses at CIE.
I am so pleased that the Center has continued its marvelous work over these many years and served so many students and communities from around the world. It is a very large and special legacy, unlike any other in the world.
I recently visited Alberto and Mariaelena Ochoa in San Diego and had a marvelous time. I hope old friends will visit us more frequently. We have space for you all! [1-07]
Farideh Seihoun (Ed.D. 1972) fseihoun@juno.com
Up on graduation I returned to Iran where over the next 7 years I was able to established two colleges, one for Foreign Languages & one for 
teacher training & education. I was in process of starting a new K-16 institution on Kish Island for International students when the Islamic revolution intervened and I returned to the States.
I went back to UMass took courses in Special Education & Administration and became certified on those areas & started working in public schools. From 1988 to 2005 I was Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum at Chicopee public schools. In 1998 and 2000 I wrote several successful teacher training grants to train teachers for Chicopee. The grants gave me opportunity to negotiate with a few colleges and we finally reached an agreement with Framingham State to have 4 different Masters program on site for teachers and administrators in Western Mass. Although the actual classes are in Chicopee, we have had students from other Western Mass communities.
In 2005 I retired from Chicopee but I remained a full professor at FSC where I still teach one course per semester. Now in collaboration with a few friends we have registered a nonprofit educational collaborative called High Quality Teacher training whose goal is to mentor public school teachers.
Of course I'm always ready to move & start something else but I don't know what yet. I still love to go overseas.... [10-06]
Alberto Ochoa serves as a tenured professor and the Chair of the Department for Policy Studies in Language and Cross Cultural Education, in the College of Education at the San Diego State University (SDSU). As Chair of the PLC Department, he has been responsible for the implementation and evaluation of the bilingual teacher education programs at the elementary an secondary levels. He also serves as the Academic Director of the Joint Doctoral Program between Claremont University and SDSU. He is actively involved in teaching courses in the bilingual credential programs, MA Degree program, and the Doctoral program.
At SDSU he has maintained an active record of professional development, grant writing and service to the community. Alberto's work is action research based, while combining theory and application in the resolution of equity problems confronting social and educational institutions. He actively participates in community and institutional development program/projects that have as their goals to promote democratic schooling and broad based community participation.
Alberto's research interests include public equity, school desegregation, language policy, critical pedagogy, student achievement, and parental leadership. In the last ten years, he has also been involved in developing processes for forecasting the educational needs of school districts through demographic trends, socio-political conditions, fiscal allocation of resources, and educational reform trends. His ongoing work focusses on educational and community development, organizational receptivity to change, bilingual education, race/gender/national origin desegregation, parent leadership, and multicultural/critical pedagogy. All of these areas have an educational equity and action research focus. Future endeavors will continue to focus on educational community development, social equity and democratic schooling.
His Holiday Greetings for the new year included the following poem reminding us of the ongoing challenges we face as educators [12-06]
En la jornada de un año cruzando fronteras sin luz y con luz una gota de sangre una gota de vida |
y aprendimos que tenemos que abrazar aquellos que amamos y respetamos que tenemos que trabajar para cargar un universo de justicía en los hombros de lo que hacemos |
Que 2007 nos de la fuerza para levantarnos y construir un mundo de esperanza y fé. |
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After her stints as Ambassador to Sierra Leone and Burundi, Cynthia spent some time in Texas and was then appointed U.S. Director to the African Development Bank where she has served ever since. Recently she wrote:
I am more entwined than ever in the affairs of the African Development Bank which is struggling with human resources problems, statistical contradictions and sacred cows! I expect to continue as Director until the end of 2007 before contemplating a return to Texas. I invite you to check our website to note some things that are being successfully accomplished here at the Bank as well as consultative and employment opportunities. Some CIE members might wish to apply on line for the many professional positions for which we're recruiting. Salaries and benefits are competitive with other similar institutions. Tunis is a temporary site for the Bank which we hope to change soon and to return to Subsaharan Africa. Give my regards to all and my invitation to visit Tunis while I'm still here. Best wishes to all CIE members who remember me! [12-06]
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When last I wrote (2000) I had just moved to my current position, and again I have changed, but only in title as now I am fully owned by USAID's Office of Education on a five year Foreign Service Limited contract. Same cube, across from Jim Hoxeng's, and he and I are still playing squash twice a week if we are healthy and both in town. I serve as CTO for a major Award, managed by Jane Benbow, that provides support to USAID missions for improving educational quality at the classroom and community level. It also has a special focus on Education and Crisis which has kept me active in that field both on supporting the development of INEE's Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies, Chronic Crises and Early Reconstruction, and more recently in producing An Assessment Tool for Education and Fragility. Though my field support activities are now focused on USAID's Asia/Near East Region (Pakistan, Yemen, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines particularly) I have also keep in touch with Tanzania's needs, and more recently have been supporting the Liberia mission. Educational data, girls education and education for those with disabilities continue to involve my professional time. With wife Marolyn recently retired, the pressure is starting to build for me to do so as well so as to spend more time with five widely dispersed grandchildren, so stay tuned.... [12-06]
Lillian recently wrote: Just a quick word to tell you that I am retiring from the ACI directorship at the end of December 2006, and moving to Rome. It should be an interesting adventure, and while very exciting and challenging, I am pulling up roots after 32 years here.
She and Gary Engelberg are the founders and directors of Africa Consultants International (ACI), a training and resource center in Dakar, Senegal which was founded in 1983. In 2000 they launched a new magazine called Yëgóo, a bi-lingual quarterly journal of culture and development intended to provide a forum for cultural dialogue and exchange. The journal is now online. They explain the meaning of the title as follows:
The word yëgóo is a rich Wolof expression which embodies the purpose of this journal. Yëgóo means to keep in touch with one another, to treat each other with respect and consideration, and to share information. Yëgóo is the reflexive form of ëg and expresses communication and reciprocal exchange of consideration and information. Wolof society values the practice of yëgóo as it helps maintain community solidarity. As one bids farewell to a friend, one may say, "Nanny yëgóo te ban umpante," which means "let us keep in touch and not be strangers."
For decades Lillian has been CIE's representative in Dakar and Senegal providing hospitality and entree to a wide variety of visitors. As the picture shows, it wasn't all work! We will all miss her presence there. [ 12-06 ]
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Jim continues his work at USAID, where he has been for over 30 years, in support of the Education Office's activities, provides liaison support to the Latin America/Caribbean Office, and to non-formal education and literacy efforts. Until recently he was CTO for the BEPS project which was managed by Don Graybill. His kids are out on their own with established significant others, and daughter Megan keeps him fit with weekly "power walks." [11-06]
] It is with great regret that CIE announces the passing of one our most distinguished alumni, the Hon. Dr. Mose P. Tjitendero. Mose, who was a former Member of Parliament of Namibia, died in hospital in his homeland on the morning of April 26, after a long illness.
Among his many accomplishments, Mose served as the first Speaker of Namibia's National Assembly between 1990 and 2004, and had been a member of the South West African Peoples' Organisation (Swapo) Central Committee since 1981. He formed part of the ' Tanganyika club' of activists in the 1960s, who worked to propel Swapo into an international movement. Mose also served as Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Inter Parliamentary Union of which Namibia is a member.
In the political arena in his native Namibia Mose has been described i n the 2004 'Guide to Namibian Politics' as "widely respected as an impartial chairperson of parliamentary proceedings and an advocate of popular participation in Namibia's democracy." Mose was also a well respected scholar and orator who inspired many while working tirelessly for the freedom independence and advancement of his country.
Dr Tjitendero was widely respected throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and played a key role in community building. It can be said correctly that he made a significant contribution to changing the region. He was the vision, inspiration and driving force for the establishment of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, a battle he fought over several years, persisting until he won the support of all SADC parliaments, for an initiative so new and yet so obvious that it is now taken for granted as an established player in the region. It was not always thus.
The Center uses this opportunity to laud the perseverance and accomplishments of Mose (See complete obituary in AllAfrica). Though he has passed, as a community we take heart in the fact that Mose represented the true CIE spirit.
We offer our condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace. Center members who want to convey their condolences may send their messages to Michael Tjivikua. [5-06]
Joe recently sent a succinct summary of his comings and goings - in his own words:
Life Story: From Amherst to Santa Cruz (UCSC, Santa Cruz Schools)to New York (yoga ashram, writing courses) to Santa Monica (yoga ashram, head of video dept.) to Ganeshpuri, India (yoga ashram, three years, meditating a lot, met new wife) to New York (yoga ashram, married, video librarian and head of global bookstores) to Florida (care for wife's parents, research professor of education at USF, wife died, publication of book Graceful Exits) to New York again (head of children's initiative and hospice volunteer) to Oakland (retire and be near family and new grandson) to Santa Fe (be with family, which moved to Santa Fe, bond with Grandson) and finally back to Santa Cruz (Executive Director of the Santa Cruz County End-of-Life Coalition and having a ball). Who would have thunk it? Certainly not me. Are we there yet?
I
am
returning to finish my program after 18 or so years of being "out
in the world". I left the UMass campus in 1981 to work with several
consulting firms on projects in Lesotho, Botswana, Yemen, Bolivia and
Honduras. As my son matured, I found that I became more and more interested
in working on issues of education in the United States, particularly public
education in Washington, DC, where my husband and I had settled.The complexities of urban education, as well as urban politics and life,
has been the focus of my work for the last 10 years, during which time
I have published a local newspaper, continued consulting in both the US
and aboard and worked for several city council members and school board
members. For the last two years, I served as Policy Analyst for the DC
Board of Education. My new dissertation proposal focusses on the politics
and issues of school choice. [April 2004]
Hong Sah-myung (M. Ed. 1974) samhong@dreamwiz.com
I
retired from my position of Director of Korea Research Foundation, the
Korean equivalent of National Science Foundation, as the year 1998 was
drawing to a close. Since then I have been teaching at Hankuk University
of Foreign Studies. My status is an adjunct professor with the treatment
of full professor. Thirty years of involvement in the inter-country
exchange of academics stimulated my keen interest in "Korea in
the global context." Korea, once a trauma-filled child, has grown
up rapidly. Dazzled by the breathless change, its history is hidden
unnoticed by foreigners. I have been in charge of Korean studies abroad
and you may remember my approach to the Five niversity system some
15 years ago about the possibility of opening Korean studies. Smith
College showed an enthusiastic response that led to the establishment
of Korean language studies there.
My work experience focused my interest on Korean area
studies. I teach two courses now, both related to Korea. One is "Korea
and the World" given in English to undergraduates and the other
one is "Identity of Koreans" also given in English to foreign
students at the post-graduate level. I have one year to go and there
is a good chance of renewing the contract that will extend my teaching
for another two years. I received an invitation from the University
of Stockholm to teach there for one year beginning in the fall semester
of 2005. If things go as scheduled, it will allow me to visit Amherst
on my way to Stockholm and renew my acquaintance with the Center. [March
2004]
Leon Clark (Ed. D. 1977) [1935-2003]
In October 2003, Leon and his wife, Maria, were sightseeing at Great Falls, MD when Leon suffered an unexpected aneurysm and died shortly thereafter. Survivors include his wife of 28 years, Maria Donoso Clark who lives in Alexandria.
As many of you know, Leon was the founder of the ITEP program at American University where he spent 17 years as a professor. His love of international education grew from his years of teaching and community development work in Bangladesh, India, countries throughout Africa, and elsewhere. Most recently, Leon had a fellowship at his alma mater, Yale University, to write a book exploring the intersection of the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic faiths.
Long interested in diverse cultures, Dr. Clark wrote his first textbook, Through African Eyes, in the early 1970s. The book, a detailed study of African cultures and studies, led to others: Through Indian Eyes, Through Chinese Eyes, and most recently he and Bob Pearson (Ed. D. 1977) finished editing the 4th edition of their book, Through Middle Eastern Eyes. The books became part of the Center for International Training and Education's World Culture Series for college and high school social studies classes.
The following words from Through African Eyes capture what was perhaps the central commitment of his teaching and beliefs.
Indeed, ethnocentrism is universal. Everyone begins life in a particular culture, learns how to behave in that culture and will probably continue throughout life to view reality through the lens of that culture. There is nothing inherently wrong with this type of enculturation. Without it we would fail to learn the rules of human social behavior. We would be lost in our own culture and we would probably lack any perspective for viewing other cultures. After all, we have to begin somewhere. But to impose our rules on others -- to assume everyone should want to see life the way we do -- is an injustice to other human beings. Moreover, it is a false assumption that distorts reality, making it impossible to develop anything even approaching an objective understanding of other cultures. Maintaining an unself-critical ethnocentric stance has the effect of distorting 'the other'. We end up, as the Chinese say, simply seeing 'what is behind our own eyes.'
...The goal is to counteract the negative distortions of ethnocentrism by looking at [other cultures] from the inside out, rather than from the outside in. Only by trying to accept other cultures on their own terms -- by listening to their own explanations of why they function as they do -- can we fully, if ever, understand them. (November 2003)
Dariush Dehghan (Ed. D. 1978) dariush@dehghans.com
After finishing my doctorate in 1978, I went back to Iran. Due to the revolution, the UNESCO branch in Iran where I had previously worked was closed down. Instead, I was selected to be the dean of a two-year teacher training college. A year later, I became one of the three teacher training policy makers for the Ministry of Education. Later I served for five years as an associate professor at the Tehran University for Teacher Education. During these five years, I taught courses such as Methods of Teaching, Educational planning, and Curriculum Development. I also wrote some articles and translated a book by Audrey Howard Nicholson titled: Developing a Curriculum: A Practical Guide from English to Farsi, to be used as a textbook.
In
1985 I earned a sabbatical opportunity and returned to CIE. I stayed in
CIE for a few months and later went to Baltimore, Maryland to join my
family who had just come to the US. We have resided in Maryland ever since.
Since 1986 I have had three main occupations: teaching in the school system and colleges as a teacher and adjunct faculty, as well as volunteering as a principal for Farsi schools; using one of my masters degrees in counseling & guidance to work as a counselor for youth; and serving as an Employee Training Specialist for the State of Maryland and private sectors. As an Employee Training Specialist, I taught subjects such as: Total Quality Management, Conflict Resolution, Goal Setting, Stress Management, Supervision, Task Analyses, Motivation, Team Building. For the private sector, I taught management and computer courses. To be even more effective, I obtained two certifications in the Computer Construction and Networking fields.
In 1996 I had an opportunity to go to Iran for nine months. During this time, I translated some educational articles and a book from English to Farsi. The book, which was published by UNESCO in 1995, was titled: Partnership in Teacher Development for A New Asia: Report of An International Conference. The Institute for Research in Tehran published the translation of this book in 1977.
I am currently searching for new challenges as
well as working on a book for developing teenagers. This book is in the
early stages. My wife and two sons are doing well. Koorosh, my older son,
is an Intellectual Property attorney practicing in the Washington metropolitan
area, and Sasan, a computer information system graduate, is a very busy
program manager, directing various software and networking project. My
wife and I are very proud of them. (June
2003)
Valerie Miller (Ed. D. 1983) SHIMBAHILL@aol.com
Valerie
is Senior Advisor and a Co-Founder of Just Associates, otherwise known
as JASS.
She has worked in advocacy,
international development, gender, and human rights for more than 30 years.
She has collaborated with grassroots organizations, NGOs, and international
agencies from around the world as an organizer, trainer, advocate, evaluator,
and researcher. In the mid eighties she served as co-coordinator of a
national human rights coalition composed of main-line churches and independent
labor groups dedicated to ending US military support to Central America.
Over the past 15 years, she has been policy advocacy director at Oxfam
America, director of policy and exchange programs at the Institute for
Development Research, and advisor and associate of a wide variety of organizations
including the Global Women in Politics Program, Women, Law and Development
International, and the Highlander Center. She has also served as a board
member of Cenzontle, a Nicaraguan NGO (founded by Malena
de Montis) focused on women's economic and political empowerment,
and Grassroots International, a US-based group supporting social movements
around the world.
She
is the co-author of a new book entitled A New Weave of Power, People
& Politics: The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation.The
product of many years of work with organizations around the world, the book
takes a holistic and innovative approach to citizen participation and advocacy.
The Action Guide provides tools, analytical frameworks, concepts and a selection
of workshop and planning designs to help groups think and act strategically
in contexts of shifting power dynamics. Valerie also helped to edit volume
43 of PLA Notes on Advocacy and Citizen Participation. Valerie
recently sent us an email:
I just got back from China last week working with Ford and IDS on a workshop on local governance with community leaders and local officials from neighborhoods in eight cities. it was a profoundly moving and powerful experience. talk about upended stereotypes -- the humor - outrageous and sidesplitting humor was not what I expected -- serious work we did, of course, but their jokes, puns and irreverent on-the-spot songs and poems that reflected the learning of the workshop -- I did not expect any of that. Simply quite amazing. Their challenges are daunting, of course; the growing inequities fierce.Then I am off to South Africa and Mozambique for a coalition-building workshop and strategic planning session with Oxfam and its partners. And so the world turns, and the drums of war beat. I continue to hope for the best in people, even our president, but as the days go by, I worry more. In the meantime, it's almost springtime and I can't wait to see the first robin. [March 2003]
Jane Vella (Ed. D. 1979) janevella@juno.com
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Jane has written Learning to Listen Learning to Teach ( 1994, revised edition 2002), Training Through Dialogue ( 1997) How Do They Know They Know (1998) and Taking Learning to Task (2000). A second edition of Learning to Listen Learning to Teach was published in 2002. In June of 2003 Jossey Bass will publish Jane's new book entitled Dialogue Education, which she has written with twenty of her associates. The Center that she founded, Global Learning Partners, http://www.globalearning.com/ is now based in Toronto, Canada and is working worldwide on issues of peace-building and anti-racism through dialogue education.[February 2003] For more information about Jane and her ongoing interests see http://www.janevella.com/ |
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After
finishing her studies at CIE, Jane Vella founded the Jubilee Popular
Education Center, now Global Learning Partners, Inc. Jane has worked
in education since 1953, in over forty countries around the world.
As a Maryknoll Sister, she taught at the University of Dar es Salaam
in Tanzania where she where she lived from 1955 - 1977. Jane has
spent the past twenty years developing new ways of thinking about
learning and teaching. She advocates a new model of transformative
exchange where teachers and learners are involved in a co-leaning
and co-teaching process. For her, dialogue lies at the heart of
this approach. She has developed her ideas in a series of books
as well as many years of providing training workshops.Jock Gunter (Ed. D 1975) jfgunter@swbell.net
A recent email from Missouri where Jock lives, chronicles some of his current activities:
The two telecoms companies I co-founded in the 90's are alive (if not well) in Latin America and providing mobile communications (like nextel 2-way radios) in one case, and high-speed fixed (non-mobile) internet access for businesses in the other case.
Both were restructured in ways which injected new capital, saved the companies, but diluted founders' interest quite dramatically! It wasn't really "easy come, easy go" but more like "bust your ass, bust your ass, bust your ass... hey, where did the fruits of all my labor go? ..."
I'm now working on a domestic health education effort aimed at 50-somethings who are looking ahead and newly motivated to take initiative to improve their health status and prospects. As you may remember, I've long been a health nut, having started jogging well before Dr. Kenneth Cooper coined the term "aerobics", and in the last decade have tightened up on diet and nutrition. It's amazing how these factors can promote long-term health. Hey, I can still do as many "chin-ups" as I could in high school. I think the time is ripe to infect lots of boomers with my health mania. After all, they won't be able to afford conventional "healthcare"!
I used to get to New England when daughter Janet was at Brown. But, alas no more. She's working in East Timor with Unicef - speaks good Portuguese and Tetun, the local language. And did i tell you, she was an election observer at the first ever E. Timor presidential elections for the Carter Center. [February 2003]
Jim Theroux (Ed. D. 1974) theroux@som.umass.edu
Jim,
who is a professor in the Isenberg School of Management at UMass, received
this year's top honor in Innovative Pedagogy for Entrepreneurship Education
from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Theroux won the award in January for a course that focused on a real-time case study of a high-technology firm, Optasite, Inc., a start-up firm in the communications industry in Worcester. Five years in the making, the course, offered during the fall 2001 semester, examined the ongoing pursuits the company. His course was also one of three finalists in the prestigious Decision Sciences Institute's annual awards for instructional innovation.
As far as I know, the course's "live" case was the first ever offered by a business school - actually four business schools - classes at the University of New Brunswick, Florida Atlantic University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute also participated in the case, said Theroux.
Interacting periodically with the company's president and other officers, Theroux and his students evaluated the firm's products, marketing strategy, acquisition of capital, human resources, and competitors. Each Saturday at 6 p.m., the course's full-time case writer - on site at the firm - posted new case material and related articles on a dedicated Web site. In response, students analyzed the material, discussed related issues via e-mail and in class, and forwarded their suggestions to the company. [excerpted from an article in the Feb 21st Campus Chronicle at UMass]
Several current CIE members took the course and
thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The course will be offered again in
Spring 2004 with a new company. [February 2003]
Pat Guild O'Rourke (Ed. D. 1980) patgo@islandwood.org
Pat has been an educator for more than 35 years, working as a teacher, principal and university faculty member. Her research has focused on learning styles, and she has published two books and numerous articles designed to help educators and parents honor diverse ways of learning and teaching. For the past 25 years, Pat has worked in teacher education, most recently directing certification programs in Kitsap County for Western Washington University. She served in the Peace Corps, taught at a university in East Africa, and developed multicultural curriculum materials. In her Holiday newsletter Pat has the following to say about recent changes in her life.
Many changes this year - new name, address and job. Bainbridge Island is a 35 minute ferry ride to downtown Seattle. It's a nice community, somewhat rural but full of commuters to the big city. I moved here in July because I started a new job as the Education Director of an environmental learning center. Most of you know that I do not have a background in outdoor education but the center was looking for someone who could lead a very talented team of 10 full-time staff. The timing was right and I'm very happy with my new job.
Island Wood is 255 acres of mostly forest, with a complete watershed (pond, marsh, bog and estuary). It's a brand new facility and just won a five star award for sustainable design. For more details see our web site at www.islandwood.org . We have 15 graduate students who live on site and do much of the teaching of kids. The professional staff teaches the grads, who receive a certificate in environmental education from the University of Washington.
In addition Pat has recently been in Korea several times as part of a program to teach English and to train Korean teachers of English. Pat recently saw Gordon Schimmel in Seattle and keeps in touch with Susan Carpenter. Lillian Baer visited last year as well. [January 2003]
Michael P. Hagerty (Ed. D. 1978) mikey@mhagerty.com
In a recent communication, Michael provides a succinct summary of life in the fast lane of the technology world.
Finished my doctorate, went to a small consulting firm as a software engineer, which led to a management position at one of their client firms. Revolutionized industrial process control software and created a new standard. Went to Motorola for the weather (you may remember both Donna and I hate the snow) and then to head up marketing at a compiler firm in Boulder that later tanked. During this time, I was the chairman of the national committee to standardize Pascal and produced two published standards. Fled the cold to Carmel (CA), where we have lived ever since, by joining a firm that manufactured equipment for the alarm industry. After replacing their answer to central station alarm management software with a radical new solution, I joined a startup that was cratered in the stock crash. To avoid losing our house, I went to work for Computer Sciences Corporation, first building a replacement for the system used by the Navy to route all of their aircraft, and then working wherever they needed system architecture and information security services nationwide. I was sacked last summer in a downsizing. I was considered too expensive... [December 2002]
Currently
I'm heading the South African office of the Academy for Educational Development.
As most CIE members know, AED is an independent, non-profit service organization
committed to addressing human development needs throughout the world.
As well as implementing a couple of South African education-sector projects
for USAID, I am looking at possibilities for expanding our work in this
country to other donors and sectors.
How did I get here? Well, after leaving the School of Education in 1973 I spent a couple of years in the Chicago area working on Bahá'í teaching and youth programs, then moved to Eastern Ontario to work for five years as the instructional systems specialist at a technical community college. In 1980 I finally accomplished my long-standing objective to work in Africa, beginning with AED as Chief of Party for a five-year USAID project in Kenya that developed a radio-based methodology for teaching English to children in rural primary schools (a system now being used by more than 500,000 South African children). I moved to Southern Africa in 1985, where I've managed basic education reform projects in Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia.
One of my main interests continues to be the potential of information and communications technologies to meet the challenge of providing quality education for all Africans. In 1996 Debbie and I decided to settle permanently in South Africa, where I took a detour into the world of dot-com entrepreneurship. I helped establish Cyberschool Africa, an innovative Web-based revision service for high-school students that operated until going the way of most dot-coms (out of business!) in 2000. At that point I moved back into the donor-funded development arena when I rejoined AED.
It was wonderful to see a few Center members and other old School of Ed friends at the October 2001 reunion. As I said to DRE then, I remain convinced that the light we kindled with the revolution of 1968 still burns most brightly within CIE's lamp. May it continue to shine there for many more years! [October, 2001] top of page
Carla Clason-Hook (M. Ed. 1973; Ed.D. 1992) carlaclason@surfmk.com
I
have been living in Amherst since 1989 when I came back from living in
Sweden for so many years. I am now teaching foreign languages at a high
school in Springfield, MA, and since that is not enough I also consult
for a Latino social service agency also in Springfield. The first job
sustains me economically, the consulting feeds my soul as it is "old fashioned" conciousness-raising king of work, with Latina women.
I tried for some years with a good friend, to start a Folk School in this area–one modeled after the Swedish study circles and Folk Schools of Denmark. We worked for years with little funding but managing to do exciting things. Finally it got to be too much trying to teach full time, to develop programs which really needed a full-time commitment and also be a single parent. So, that was given up with great sorrow for that is where my heart is, but it is not sustainable.
So, I continue to teach in high school, in an inner city environment which is too often a psychological battle ground and sometimes a physical one as well. Sometimes it is also a place where great things happen not perhaps in the realm of teaching or learning, but in the realm of reaching someone in ways I do not know how to describe with words. Perhaps, that is what keeps me there.
My sons have grown up and Mikael graduated with a Business Management degree and is now working in Washington D.C. with his girlfriend Otilia. They will soon be transferred to Holland! Daniel is still in university and finishing a degree in Social Thought and Political Economy he is a prime candidate to continue our struggle to save the world!
So, for the time being, I will continue to live in Amherst which is a wonderful place to live most of the year, except in the winter! Greetings to Everyone! [March 2001] top of page
John Comings (Ed.D. 1979) comingjo@gse.harvard.edu
For the past five years, I've been Director of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) and a member of the faculty of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. NCSALL is engaged in research and dissemination activities that are focused on improving the quality of educational programs that are serving US adults who do not speak English, who do not have a high school diploma, or who have low reading, writing and math skills. Recently our grant was extended for five additional years, and so this might be my last job.
Over the last 12 months, I've published two monographs.
Both are available at NCSALL's 
website
http://ncsall.gse.harvard.edu.
Building a Level Playing Field estimates the number
US workers who do not speak English well, who do not have a high school
diploma, or who have literacy and math skills that are too low to compete
for good jobs that include benefits. The paper also makes the case for
investment in educational services for this population reach their full
potentional as workers, family members and citizens. The second is The
First Five Years, which describes everything NCSALL did in its
first grant period, summarizes all the research, and draws lessons learned.
My present research uses quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the forces that support and inhibit persistence among adult students in ABE, ESOL and GED programs in the US. The first report of this research, Persistence Among Adult Basic Education Students in Pre-GED Classes, is available at the NCSALL website and the next of four reports So I Made Up My Mind are available at http://www.mdrc.org/RecentPublications.htm . Earlier I completed a policy study, New Skills for a New Economy that is available at www.massinc.org .
After twenty-five years of working on international development projects, I've really enjoyed applying my skills and knowledge to adult education issues at home. I have definitely been able to apply what I learned in Asia and Africa to my work here, and maybe sometime in the future, I'll be able to apply what I've learned here overseas. If you want a summary of what I've been doing you can look at my faculty profile, which includes a five-year old picture go to http://gse.harvard.edu and look under faculty profiles for me.
My wife Rima is on the faculty of Harvard's School of Public Health and is doing research on health and literacy (www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy ). In a mild form of nepotism, NCSALL is funding some of her research. Our son Andrew is soon to be 20 and is just finishing his second year at Wesleyan University. He says he wants to be a high school history teacher, is a great musician, and is willing to put his arm around his father in public. [December 2002] top of page
Arthur Gillette (Ed.D. 1976) Armedv@aol.com
After 25 plus years of service to Unesco, Arthur retired from his last position as Director of Youth and Sports Activities in April 1998. He has since enthusiastically pursued a diverse agenda of activities, some of them chronicled below.
1)
Crossed the Atlantic on 28 Ft ketch AMITY from England via Spain and Portugal
(mainland and Madeira) with two English pals and son Arthur - not so easy
as the first tome 30 yrs ago: for an account of the troubles that began
Christmas day, when we got a visit from El Nino's mid-Atlantic cousin
instead of Santa Claus, check "Christmas Log", and article by co-owner
Glyn Roberts in the Dec. 99 issue of the British Yachting Monthly.
Anyone want to buy her? She's hurricane-cradled at English Harbour, Antigua.During
the 3+ months I spent alone repairing her in Antigua I kept from going
stir crazy by teaching Spanish to the leadership of the local trade union
twice a week.
2) Hiked the 37 extant miles of Hadrian's Wall - fascinating and very well preserved if a bit muddy/cold/wet. Discovered that UK Youth Hostels now admit even old codgers like me - and that their food has improved massively (OK, not difficult given the baseline quality 40 + years ago). My little jaunt is documented by yours truly in an article called Managing a Museum 120 Km. Long that appeared in UNESCO's quarterly Museum International magazine for July-Sept. 2000.
3)
Am publishing "Paris Through the Ages," a series of 9 pocket map-guides
to 2-3 hr strolls ranging from Roman Paris to Art Nouveau architecture
here. [http://www.media-cartes.fr/site_US/Paris_historical.htm]
They have been published as mini pocket-guides on camembert label paper--hard
to tear, and can be used as rain bonnets in case of an unforeseen downpour.
Am also guiding visitors and Parisians alike. I get a real kick out of
guiding and now have eleven period-focussed strolls do-able in 2 to 2
1/2 hours, ranging from Roman Paris through 19-25 August 1944: The Liberation
of Paris. I also work as a volunteer guide for the Association pour la
Sauvegarde et la Mise en Valeur du Paris Historique. His efforts were
featured in a LA Times article this year.
4) Have done voluntary missions on youth/environment/employment issues for French and Austrian NGOs to Hungary and Palestine, and a mission to start up a local student voluntary service scheme in Baku for the UN Volunteer Programme. I am now working up a draft "guidance note" for governments (national, local), NGOs, the private sector, etc., on "Volunteering and Social Cohesion."
5) Next caper? Possibly to replicate R.L. Stevenson's "Inland Voyage" in a kayak by river and canal from Antwerp to Paris. [December 2000]
Beverly Lindsay (Ed.D. 1976) lindsaybeverly@yahoo.com
Beverly Lindsay, Executive Fellow at the Institute of Multi-Track Diplomacy
in Rosslyn, Virginia 
and
Professor and Senior Scientist at Penn State University was the recipient
of a second Senior Fulbright Specialist grant. Her grant was awarded to
design and implement executive and faculty leadership development, foster
peace and conflict resolution, and facilitate
academic and strategic planning. She was affiliated with the Institute
of Peace, Leadership, and Governance and Africa University in Mutare,
Zimbabwe
in late summer and fall 2003. The Institute of Peace, Leadership, and
Governance engages in peace and conflict
resolution for legislators, non-government organization officials, and
private sector leaders from Southern Africa. Africa University is the
second oldest university in Zimbabwe and enrolls students from throughout
the African continent in undergraduate and graduate programs.
[February 2004]
In Fall 2002, she was awarded a Senior Fulbright Specialist grant to
South Korea..
Envision interacting with administrators, colleagues, faculty, and students at South Korean universities and engaging in stimulating and challenging executive and scholarly endeavors which mirror [yet differ from American] domestic matters. My Fulbright entailed ventures at Woosong and Hong-Ik Universities - private entities known nationally for their respective professional and artistic/humanities programs - and Seoul National recognized as a leading public university in Asia and the Pacific. My portfolio encompassed: facilitating and structuring the design of executive and faculty development and leadership; enhancing strategic planning processes; fostering academic program evaluation in liberal arts and professional schools; and briefing the American embassy to help ensure successful academic and cultural diplomacy in South Korea and other nations.
This only touches upon the incredible collegial and international features including assistance from the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy [http://www.imtd.org] interns from Georgetown, Syracuse, and American Universities. Indeed, as international affairs majors, these interns were queried about their leadership perspectives and those of their South Korean counterparts. "What would you like to know about leadership? How might you and Korean peers envision leadership at the threshold of your careers?" Their insightful responses illuminated my keynote address, "Creative Leadership or Antique Models in New Guises?" that was covered by Korean provincial and national media. Later, students from Pusan National University echoed similar questions and comments about American counterparts.
Visiting the Pusan International Film Festival venue, touring the Independence Hall which portrays the March 1, 1919 Movement toward independence from Japan, and pondering the causes of global conflict at a POW camp on Keoje Island and the United Nations Memorial Cemetery enabled me to observe and interact with indigenous citizens and hear their touching perspectives.
Her most recent book The Quest for Equity in Higher Education was published by SUNY in 2001.
Ronald Bell (ED.D. 1973) bellr@arps.org
Where does the time go? I am now beginning my 28th year as Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Amherst. While this might seem a rut to many, I can say that during this time I have had 28 differing jobs - thus keeping my energy and interest up. The last few years have entailed coordinating a 22 million dollar expansion/renovation of our high school, including bringing it into the 21st century in terms of technology. As a very brief respite, next summer I'll be coordinating the expansion/renovation of two elementary schools. It seems as if I have gone into the construction business. It's whole new language to learn - everything from 'noise reduction coefficients' to the varying quality of 'three-pass vs. four-pass boilers'. I don't seem to recall a course from DRE in this stuff, but it's probably something I just overlooked in putting my doctoral program together.
The educational and political challenges have substantially increased in Massachusetts within the last few years. Frankly, the Commonwealth is becoming very unattractive to the teaching profession at a time when large numbers of teachers will be retiring. The state Board of Education has approached the issue of accountability (legitimate) in a very accusatory and finger-pointing manner (not legitimate). As a result, even the good stuff - and there is a good deal of it - is slow to be accepted at the local level because of the manner in which it has been introduced. But enough about business.
For fun I have continued an active sideline with
my trumpet playing. This 
spring
will see my 30th year with the Pioneer Valley Symphony, 18th year directing
the Amherst Brass Band, and 21st year with the Amherst Brass Ensemble
- plus cantatas, musicals, weddings and church gigs too numerous to mention.
I have even been successful over the years in getting DRE to pull out
his trombone from time to time to join us in some of these ventures.
Amherst continues to be the crossroads of the world. Over 30 different languages are spoken in our public schools - friends from my early days in Ethiopia continue to relocate in Amherst (including CIE alumnus Ash Hartwell and his wife Trish), and folks continue to drop in from my past on a surprisingly regular basis. All this - as well as my family - continue to keep me young.
There was that brief episode with the heart a year ago, but all is well as no damage was done. It also helped me put things in perspective and balance out my work schedule in a more reasonable manner. While I never did get out of town following my CIE degree, the world - as I noted above - continues to visit Amherst. Please give a call when you drop into town. [November 2000] top of page
Arlen Etling (Ed. D. 1975) aetling@unl.edu
In
October of 1999, Arlen Etling became the Director of International Programs
for the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources
(IANR). His job is to help faculty, students and Nebraska residents with
opportunities for international teaching, learning, research and extension.
IANR is looking for partnerships with international universities and organizations
where institutional strengths and needs are complementary. Current geographical
focus is on Mexico, China, Russia, Ukraine, Australia, Ethiopia and the
European Union. The International Programs web site at <http://www.ianr.unl.edu/intlpgms/>
has more information.
Arlen's last book, Liderazgo Efectivo, was published in 1998 by Editorial Trillas in Mexico City (ISBN 968-24-3450-5). It describes leadership skills that are needed by nonformal educators and community development workers. It builds on Arlen's 1975 dissertation, Characteristics of Facilitators: The Ecuador Project and Beyond, which is available as a CIE publication. An expanded version of these community educator skills, in English, can be found on the Nebraska 4-H web site at http://www.ianr.unl.edu/ianr/4h/volun/arlen/atoolkit.htm
Lana and Arlen enjoy rural Nebraska where they can garden and stay close to their extended families. Travis, married in August, 2000, works in special education for Covington, KY, schools. Melissa will complete her music degree in bassoon performance from Northwestern University in December, 2000. [September 2000]
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Patricio
Barriga (M. Ed. 1974) Since 1994 (having previously worked with the UN and USAID/AED) Patricio has been working as an independent consultant. His main work is in Behavioral Change and Ethnographic Research, understanding that the first contains the second. He has many success (and failure) stories to tell. Currently he is working on the development of a new project that hopes to develop specific hard skills in Ethnographic (qualitative) Research and Behavioral Change among university graduate students and faculty members. He will soon share with us an outline of this project, which includes hands-on experience in a Central American country rural setting He voiced his amazement on how it is possible to find more quantitative and qualitative poverty in his country in spite of all the developmental efforts during the past three decades. Could it be that we were wrong all this time? Or maybe "evil capitalism" did it again? Is it humankind's fate to have extremes of rich and poor? He shared with us the fact that his generation has been in power during the last ten years and things haven't changed or have gotten worse. For example, Ecuador, an oil country and first exporter of banana and shrimp in the world, is on the brink of bankruptcy, but most of the upper class enjoy luxury while the ever growing masses suffer increasing malnutrition, illiteracy and housing shortage. "The ruling class assume that consultants who provide TA to their countries are not interested in development either", he added. He voices his concern and hope for better approaches and commitment. After all, he hasn't lost his passion and commitment for social justice, he believes that we can still help to turn the world into a better place. top of page [posted May 2000] |
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Susan Carpenter (Ed. D. 1976) scarpenter3@worldnet.att.net Susan Carpenter stays busy with her consulting
business building consensus and resolving large-scale controversies.
She has spent the past twenty-five years working as a mediator and
facilitator on She has a chapter entitled "Choosing Appropriate Consensus Building Techniques and Strategies" in the The Consensus Building Handbook, published by Sage in 1999. The chapter addresses various factors that need to be considered in designing a consensus strategy. Her earlier book, Managing Public Disputes, continues to sell much, to the surprise of its publisher, Jossey-Bass. For those who want further information about these methods, Susan recommends two organizations that she works with. The first is The Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution (SPIDR) [ |
complex
public issues. She is presently increasing the amount of time that
she spends training others to understand and use collaborative strategies
to solve community and regional problems. She finds herself with
many opportunities to apply her tools overseas and to work with
foreign visitors in the U.S. She has had three projects in Russia
and one in Eastern Europe recently among other places.