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Barbara Rodey brodey@rti.org
Barbara joined IDG’s CMMR group as a business development specialist in March 2008. Barbara works with 
CMMR staff to develop and implement its expanded strategic plan, innovations in conflict mitigation, and IDG’s impact in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. She previously assisted CMMR as a consultant in 2007.
Barbara comes to RTI after spending 3.5 years with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/ Kabul Mission, where she served as senior advisor for community education, youth, and social development; and as a senior gender advisor. From 2002–2003, she provided project design, evaluation, and management of alternative education programs for various NGOs and the University of Massachusetts. During the Taliban regime, Barbara managed the United Nations Human Settlements Program’s (UNHABITAT’s) northern Afghanistan program. Prior to her service in Afghanistan, she worked for 12 years in microfinance and community development, primarily in Latin America, including as executive director of FINCA International for 2 years.
Her primary interests are fitness, cooking, hiking, and her family—two daughters, two sons, and four small grandchildren. Her passionate concern is for greater equity and justice in a sustainable world. [5-08]
Lisa Deyo (Ed.D. 2007) lisa_deyo@yahoo.com
Hello to the CIE community. In December 2007, I returned to Kabul after almost two years in Chicago. From 2004 to 2006, I worked for Management Sciences for Health and with CIE on the development of an integrated health and literacy program for Afghan women. I'm back in Kabul as Institutional Development Advisor with UN-HABITAT for phase 2 of the Learning for Community Empowerment Program. It's an exciting time to be working in
literacy education in Afghanistan. Under LCEP-2, we are offering a community based economic empowerment and educational program, integrating literacy, productive skills and savings and investment and helping to build the capacity of the Literacy Department.[5-08]
Michael J. Simsik (Ed.D. 2003) msimsik@gmail.com
In April of 2008 I was named Peace Corps Country Director in Mali, West Africa, where I
manage 40 staff and anywhere from 125 to 175 Peace Corps Volunteers. Previous to being named director, I was working as the Programming and Training Officer (also in Mali) since July 2006, and before that, as the Associate Peace Corps Director in Madagascar.
If any CIE folks happen to be traveling to Mali, please pay a visit in Bamako.[5-08]While I continue to be afflicted with guilt for not writing more, I have managed to get a couple things in the works
Simsik, M. J., (2007). “The Political Ecology of Biodiversity Erosion on the Central Highlands of Madagascar,” in Kaufmann, J., (Ed.), Greening the Great Red Island: Madagascar in Nature and Culture. Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), Pretoria, South Africa.
Simsik, M. J., (2007). “Adaptive Management,” “Botswana,” “Dian Fossey,” “League of Conservation Voters,” “Political Ecology,” and the “Sagebrush Rebellion” in The Encyclopedia of Environment and Society. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California.
Duc Le (Lee) Nguyen (M. Ed. 2006) lengduc@gmail.com
I can’t believe it's been two years since I left Amherst. It seems like just yesterday. After graduation from CIE, I decided to continue on the academic path. I was accepted to the Master’s program in Project Management at the School of Business, George Washington University. Having enrolled as a part-time student, it takes me longer
than usual to finish the degree but I’m happy since I can both work and study at the same time. I’ve changed a couple of jobs (Barbara would know) and World Learning is my most recent stop.
I am currently working as a Program Associate for the Global UGRAD program in the Capacity-Building Services Office of World Learning in Washington DC. This is a scholarship program initiated and funded by the US Department of State to bring undergraduate students from 18 countries in East Asia, the Pacific and Western Hemisphere to America. Scholarship holders will spend a semester or an academic year at different institutions across the nation, based on their major of interest. As a contractor, World Learning has administered and monitored the program. We are looking forward to the first student arrivals this July.
I am very excited to attend CIE's 40th anniversary and revisit Amherst. Hope to see some old and new faces. [5-08]
Dale Jones (Ed.D. 2004) djones411@charter.net
After graduating from CIE I was employed by the Cancer House of Hope in Westfield Mass, as the Director of Development. I worked there for a year and then took some time off to reflect on my next journey. I spent some time in North Carolina and also at my cabin in Shelburne Massachusetts. I became an avid road bicyclist for 2 years until my near fatal accident in August 2007. As of November 2007, I have accepted a position with the Western Mass Training Consortium's RECOVER Project in Greenfield, Massachusetts. This is a perfect match for my professional and personal values and my CIE education. This project is conducted by and embodies true "participatory" methods within a poor rural community with some of the most stigmatized and/or disenfranchised people.
Urakorn 'Toon' Fuderich (Ed.D. 2007) toon.fuderich@gmail.com
In 1982, after getting married to Rob, another CIE grad, Toon traveled to the US with Rob to teach at a Navajo Reservation, at Rock, Arizona. In 1985 Toon came to UMass to pursue a master degree in counseling psychology (family therapy and school guidance counseling). After co
mpleting her degree, Toon worked as a school guidance counselor at one of Amherst elementary schools and outreach counselor for Cambodian refugees in Amherst. In 1988, Toon accompanied Rob to Baluchistan where Rob worked with EIL and UNESCO respectively. During the four years of living there Toon took a primary role in raising the two young sons and worked with AED/USAID funded program as a teacher trainer and curriculum development specialist to provide technical assistance to the Baluchistan Bureau of Education.
In 1992, Toon returned to UMass to pursue a doctoral degree in international education. After finishing her comprehensive exam and field research in 1995 she packed up again and left for Croatia initially and then Switzerland where the family lived for nine years. In Geneva, Toon worked at an international school teaching 6th grade. In August of 2006 Toon felt compelled to put an end to her ABD status and returned to CIE. After sustaining considerable pressure from her guru, DRE, for 9 months she finally completed her dissertation. Her research explores factor influencing psychological resilience among adult Cambodian refuges who survived the Pol Pot regime as children and implications for educational intervention in conflict and post conflict settings. Toon is currently trying to figure out her next moves. She is interested in working as a consultant in the line of work that will allow her to combine her teaching, training, managing, and counseling backgrounds. [2-08]
Hi CIE community! It's been almost three years since I received my M.Ed. from the Center. I can't believe how quickly time has flown by.
After I graduated I returned to the classroom to teach in Washington, DC, which was an excellent experience. Most recently I was presented with an opportunity to work for the Peace Corps. Having served as a Volunteer myself, I was excited to rejoin the Peace Corps family. At the Peace Corps, I'm an Education Specialist working with the Coverdell World Wise Schools program. My main responsibility is to work with returned volunteers to develop curriculum and classroom materials for American teachers. These resources help to bring volunteer experiences from around the world into schools, exposing American students to a wide range of cultures. I've also been working with the training unit to help prepare preservice Peace Corps Volunteers. Working at the Peace Corps has been wonderful.[1-08]
I'm excited about the 40th anniversary celebration. I'm looking forward to seeing some old friends and meeting new ones.
Kaylen Jorgensen (M.Ed. 2002) kaylen6@gmail.com
Recent communication from Kaylen in Australia where she seems to be settling in for a long stay!
I have been in a holding pattern waiting to hear back regarding my application here at the University of Queensland. But all is well and I will be ending my job here at the School of Law on 15 Feb. and beginning a Ph.D. program on 18 Feb. in sociology/anthropology, with a four year scholarship. After a year she expects to be doing field research in Bolivia. I also have a research consultancy with Dr. Nadja Alexander in Alternative Dispute Resolution. As much as I have enjoyed editing Law Journals it will be good to move on. I will be an Australian citizen as of 5 March, with a strange American accent. I look forward to following all of CIE's happenings via the website.[1-08]
Yihong Fan (Ed. D. 2002) fanyihong2003@yahoo.com.cn
Fan Yihong is currently a professor at the Institute of Education Research, Xiamen University, P.R. CHINA. She is also responsible for developing international cooperation for the institute and chairing the Section for European Higher Education Studies. Recently, she received a Ministry of Education grant for a comparative study on Faculty Development between Chinese and European Universities. During the past four years since she returned to China from UMass, she has published 8 books, two in English and 6 translated from English to Chinese, the themes of which ranging from Holistic Education, Assuring University Learning Quality, Managing Successful University, Innovation Theory and Methodology and the Future of Higher Education.
She has a broad interest of study from the smallest microbial and atomic world to the biggest cosmos and its implications for human development and the evolution of humanity. Her passion is to bring a holistic educational vision and practice to higher education, especially by designing and implementing strategic, systematic and innovative educational programs at universities and colleges in China and beyond. [12-07]
Tamari Nduaguibe (M.Ed. 2004) henrytamari@hotmail.com
Tamari Nduaguibe has moved to Hong Kong with her family.
My husband Henry, and I have accepted two year teaching contracts at the International Christian School in Hong Kong. Our two children, Alex age 10, is a fifth grader, while
Chika, age 8, is a fourth grader at this school with us. After two years of living and teaching in Maine, with all of us spread out in 4 different schools, it is a blessing to all be back together at one school. This is the first time we have all been at the same Christian school together and it is an excellent experience thus far.
Hong Kong is truly an interesting, busy, and crowded place, but the standard of living is very high for most people. What an amazing and well-functioning public transportation system. This is different for us as we have been used to working in developing countries where the resources leave a lot to be desired both professiopnally and personally. Here, however, the school is very well stocked and equiped. My biggest learning curve is with all of the technology I am having to learn and keep on top of here. EVERYTHING is on computer at our school - from Rubicon for curriculum, to Grade Quick for report cards and assessment, to eClass for daily attendance, weekly parent communication, and posting homework assignments, not to mention the school email which I am expected to check a few times each day- it's all a new world for me! I have a wonderful class of 25 second graders, while Henry is teaching middle school science. We are looking forward to all that the Lord will bring our way over the next two years! [10-07]
Hui Zhao (M.Ed. 2005 ) zhao.hui@hotmail.com
Time passes so fast, I do not believe that I left CIE two and half years ago!
My first year back in China was kind of busy. My daughter was born at the end of 2006 and I started my work at the beginning of 2007. I work for the Department of Research and Development, National Education Examinations Authority in the Ministry of Education. The task I am engaged in is to manage the research projects and communications in the field of educational evaluation. In recent years, there have been curriculum innovations in the high school level all over the country to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The consequences bring the reforms for college entrance examination. So, the topics we are interested in are how to evaluate education and tests in China.
I am happy to see CIE members are working for the 40th birthday. I really miss the time that I was in CIE. Please let me know what I can do for CIE 40th celebration in China. [12-07]
Mary Monica Gomes (Ed.D. 2007) monicagomes507@yahoo.com
After spending the summer in USA and Canada with my family members (New York, Maryland, California, & Toronto) I am finally back in Bangladesh. I returned on October 31 and am re-settling here. Recently, I contacted the BRAC
University's Institute of Educational Development and they were very interested for me to join their team. I have been appointed as 'Senior Faculty' at the BRAC University Institute of Educational Development, and will be involved both in developing and teaching courses, as well as involved with other activities of the Institute. Among my tasks are assisting with the internal assessment of the Institute, leading to an external assessment and strategic planning for the next phase of development.
The Institute is within BRAC University and is developing academic programs as well as research and other activities, similar somewhat to CIE's contribution within UMass. In my initial discussion with the Director of the Institute, I mentioned that we might explore some form of linkage with CIE in the future and he was very supportive of this. Currently, they have partnerships with several academic institutions abroad, including George Washington University, University of Toronto, University of Manchester (UK) and others.
I would like to keep my links with CIE strong and vibrant and hope we can develop this institutionally as well. Definitely, I will work towards and welcome CIE's presence and contribution in the Bangladesh education scenario. If you have ideas that you want to share with me about this, I would love to hear them.[12-07]
Tigran is working as an Education Consultant at International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) Armenia office since 2005. During the last two years, he oversaw the completion of five teacher training projects in Armenia: Elementary Level Curriculum Development and Teacher Training Program, Middle School Social Studies Curriculum Development and Teacher Training Program, High School Social Studies 
Curriculum Development and Teacher Training Program, Pre-Service Education, and Leadership Training for School Administrators. Currently, Tigran is involved in the implementation of the Eurasia/South Asia Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program, Muskie and Global UGRAD programs.
As a curriculum development specialist, he has been involved in the “Education Quality and Relevance” project by the World Bank and Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia. Finally, in Spring 2007 Tigran with two colleagues finished the “Social Studies” Textbook and Teachers Guide that are currently mandatory readings for 8th grade students and teachers. Previously, they had published “Fundamental Principles of Democracy: Civic Education” alternative textbook and teachers’ guide for 8th and 9th grades.
As a part of EU TACIS Support to the Development of an Integrated Vocational Education and Training System Program Team, Tigran developed a Master level modular curriculum for the Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU). Additionally, Tigran coauthored "Pedagogy for Teachers of Artisan (preliminary) and College-based Vocational Education Institutions" manual that is close to launching by UNDP
In addition to his professional achievements, Tigran’s family welcomed a new member last year: Tatev Tovmasyan. Tigran has also agreed to serve as the communicator for the Muskies group in preparation for CIE's 40th Celebratory Conference. [11-07]
I didn't go very far after graduating from CIE in 2007 - from CIE admissions down the street to UMass admissions.
I've spent the last few months adjusting to post-student life. While my day is done at 5pm and I don't have any papers to worry about,I do miss being immersed in an academic environment. Luckily, when I start to miss CIE, I just walk down the street for a visit. The other big change has been in the world of admissions - I no longer deal with a mere 40 applicants whose applications are judged holistically and at length. UMass is expecting about 30,000 applicants this year, most of whom we select based on two scores: SATs and GPA. It's a whole new challenge, but I do miss getting to know applicants and developing a sense as to whether they belong at CIE or not. Other than that, the job is fun! Admissions sends me to New York for several weeks each semester to meet with guidance counselors and interested students and I'm enjoying counseling students through the admissions process, like I did at CIE.
I'm still in the area and very interested in staying in touch. My CIE email just stopped working so I need to be contacted through my email above. [11-07]
Fritz Affolter (Ed. D. 2002) a_ffolter@yahoo.com
Greetings from Luanda, Angola - and happy birthday to CIE's 40th anniversary. I am with UNDP Angola, responsible for the disbursement of a 2.5 Million Dollar Trust Fund to Angolan Civil Society Organizations who have submitted technically-feasible civic education proposals covering themes such as electoral systems, human rights, civic rights and conflict resolution. As a civic education coordinator, I have the challenge of funding and coordinating education activities of organizations with great visions and low organizational capacity. How does one train when the programme design itself does not allow for pre-service training?[11-07 ]
We recently heard from Josephine. She has left her post in Ministry of Education and joined an NGO. She describes her new post below.
I'm working as Program Officer. BRIDGE Project is an HIV prevention project and is designed to energize change in the way we Malawians think and speak about HIV/AIDS and more importantly, in how we act. Its principles and values which guide all our interventions are: B= Belief in a better future (Hope); R= Risk is shared by everyone (Personalized risk); I= I can STOP AIDS ( Personal responsibility, Action, Self-efficacy); D= Discussion about HIV/AIDS (Openeness, Destigmatization); G= Gender equity; E= Emphasing the positive( Action orientation, Community assets, Positive role modeling).
Since I joined BRIDGE I was assigned to work as Program officer for Life Savings Partnership project, CORE Initiative and now am coordinating Hope kit activities. A Hope Kit is an HIV prevention tool developed by BRIDGE. [11-07]
Recently, Dezie wrote to say
.(top of page)I am currently in Sweden following presentation of my research project on clusters to SIDA. I had felt that there was great need to implement my recommenedations, for instance reviving the system and ensuring that they are self sustaining. I saw an advert on the internet calling for project proposals and I jumped on it. Several Malawians had applied but only
two were picked.
The focus of the course is on Education for sustainable Development The participants are from Zambia, Botswana, Swaziland, China, Malawi, the Maldives and India. We are 26 in all and it was a very competitive process. [5/07]After my graduation I returned to my job as an Educational Methods Advisor with the Ministry of Education based in the South West Education Division office.
My Masters project examined the impact of the Malawi Secondary School Cluster System on the Management of the Community Day Secondary Schools. Among other things, my research found that communication at all levels was one of the challenges of the system. Therefore when I returned, I decided to launch a quarterly Division Newsletter which could address the problem. The Newsletter acts as a tool for the division to announce upcoming events, best practices observed in some schools and also for schools and other educational institutions to share experiences and communicate necessary issues to other educational institutions. The Newsletter is distributed to all Secondary and Primary Schools as well as District Education offices of the South West Education Division. Copies are also sent to the Ministry of Education, MANEB, The University of Malawi and some educational NGOs.
In addition to the newsletter, after my graduation, I have also organized and conducted three teacher training programs. Not only that but I have also organized and oriented 90 out of the 105 South West Education secondary school headteachers to Democratic Principles and the Rule of Law. The latter is intended to ensure that the management of schools is in line with the Constitution of Malawi and as a consequence that disciplinary issues are addressed in a fair and reasonable manner.[5-06]
Elena Khatskevich (M.Ed. 2002) khatskevich@comm.umass.edu
After I graduated from the Center for International Education, I went back home to Russia and chose a career in public health and development. I was hired by Johns Hopkins University as a project assistant for its USAID-sponsored project "Healthy Russia 2020." I worked in Moscow for Healthy Russia, first assisting the Chief of Party in daily program management and planning, and then I was promoted to a position of a project manager responsible for youth communication programs. In 2005, I applied for a Doctoral program in communication at the University of Massachusetts, and now I am back to UMass working on my PhD in communication.
My research endeavors are devoted to studying health as a cultural practice; I am trying to find the best ways to develop health communication campaigns based on cultural beliefs and community values. I am still working with Johns Hopkins University as a consultant on various public health projects and also collaborate with the recently created Institute for Global Health at UMass on its Russian project.
Svetlana Pivovar Dmitriyeva (M.Ed. 2004) sdmitrieva@inbox.ru
Svetlana has written several times about changes in her life since getting married and moving to Kiev.
In May of 2005 my husband and I returned to Ukraine. I had to terminate my contract with UNDP in Moscow though it was really hard for me to do because I enjoyed my position there. Right now I am staying at home with my daughter. Her name is Lada (this is the name of the Slavic goddess of love). [12/05]
I started working in January 2007 after spending a year and a half at home. Well, I think it was really worth it and I really enjoyed spending all my time with my daughter. But, honestly, I really missed communication with my colleagues and just the mere joy of learning something new at work every day.
Also, after working in UNDP I understood that I missed teaching and students a lot. So when I started looking for a job after my long maternity leave, I decided I would opt for a teaching position. Now I am working as a TOEFL and cross-cultural trainer in a US company based in Kiev, Ukraine. I am really enjoying the training format and I am using a lot of stuff from Sally's class on training and the cross-cultural management class. I am even rereading some parts from Hofstede to prepare for my classes. I am very thankful to CIE for these wonderful classes we had. [3-07]
Askarbek Mambetaliev (M. Ed. 2004) askarbek@gmail.com
A winner of the competition for the Edmund S. Muskie/Freedom Support Act Graduate Fellowship Program, Askarbek Mambetaliev came from the Kyrgyz Republic in 2002 to pursue his Master of Education degree in the Center for International Education of t
he University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Back home, Askarbek coordinated educational projects aimed at introducing values of a free society in the post soviet Central Asia. He served as a liaison person and cultural expert for pioneer international organizations in the early stages of independence of his country from the Soviet Union and published numerous articles in local languages concerning the issues of democracy and freedom. He is a strong supporter of open society ideas, an aggressive opponent of oppression, and a passionate promoter of mutual international relationships.
In early 2007 Askar approached the Rector of the Kyrgyz State University and he suggested that we launch a Center for International Education. Askar would like to create a Center like CIE-UMASS and would welcome suggestions and help. To get started he has created a blog. Add a comment or a suggestion.Welcome to his website. [3-07]
A recent update from Askar says:
I am now a Faculty Development Fellow of OSI-New York and will be at NYU for the spring semesters during 2008-2010. I am also a vice-rector of the Arabaev Kyrgyz State University and responsible for coordinating International Programs, Civic Education and Career Development Center. [11-07]
Larissa Savitskaya (M.Ed. 2005) savitskaya2003@yahoo.com
Larissa made a special effort to come to a Tuesday meeting at CIE and see old friends. Larissa was in Massachusetts to participate in an AACRAO conference for registrars in Boston. She said it was a good learning experience. Everyone at CIE was glad she made the trip out to Amherst while she’s in the states.
Larissa is currently the registrar at the Kazakhstan Institute of Management Economies and Strategic Research. In her position as registrar she focuses on University policy development, advising and making the registration process easily accessible and user friendly for students. Since leaving CIE in 2005 Larissa has worked as an international advisor on girls’ education issues with UNESCO in Tajikistan and also with UNESCO Paris on monitoring and evaluation of the EFA program in Kazakhstan. She also helped publish a manual for study abroad programs along with her colleague Muskie Fellows. Currently they are collaborating on developing sessions to aid graduates from orphan houses who are often left to fend for themselves when they turn 18. They are putting together sessions to help the graduates learn about their legal rights, educational opportunities, employment skills, and personal skills necessary for making the transition into the world of work.[3-07]
Mbarou Gassama Mbaye (Ed.D. 2004) mbarou.gassamambaye@gmail.com
Mbarou wrote recently in response to a notice about a presentation at a center meeting on self-financing groups because of her current role that she describes below:
I work currently as the Managing Director of a new project in Senegal " Women Incubator Center" funded by a US NGO, the National Council of Negro Women based in Washington, under a World Bank grant (InfoDev). This is the first women incubation program in Africa, Whose main goal is to support women entrepreneurs.
The pictures show the opening day ceremony of the office building of my current workplace - The Incubator Center. On the first floor of the center, we have a cyber café to provide Internet services for women in
business and tourists, while the second floor is dedicated to offices for the incubatees. The third floor is for the staff: myself, as managing director, a business development services coordinator, and the project assistant. Our main activities are: a) teaching women how to conduct their business, b) how to get organized in their office - most of them have received credit from organizations, but did not know how to use it, c) access to the computer and Internet - to learn word processing, to better manage their business and develop market strategies. I am using my nonformal training education and evaluation skills and also providing a lot of one-on-one coaching [2-07]
Phoebe McKinney (M. Ed. 2001) phoebemcki@aol.com
Since graduating from CIE in 2001, Phoebe's work and professional life have been interesting and rewarding.
I worked for several years as the Campaign Director for Amnesty International USA in Washington, DC. After relocating to
the San Francisco Bay area in 2004, I worked for a time for an organization that conducts leadership training for non-profit/NGO managers and leaders. Thanks in large measure to David Evans, I then secured consultancy work in Southern Sudan working for the American Institutes for Development on the Sudan Basic Education Program, in which CIE was also a partner. I am currently preparing to leave the U.S. to work on a short-term consultancy project for the American Refugee Committee in Gulu, Uganda to develop a curriculum -- and deliver a training of trainers -- for a youth-focused Life Skills development program for Ugandan IDPs affected by the civil war with the Lord's Resistance Army. I am also hoping to return to South Sudan to continue to work with some Southern Sudanese colleagues to create a human rights education project for teachers in Western Equatoria state. Finally, if funding is secured, I hope to do some tertiary teacher professional development and support work this summer with fellow CIE graduate (Ed.D) Michael Tjivikua in Namibia. I remain deeply indebted to CIE for opening up the wonderful professional path that I am so very blessed to be on. [2-07]
Recent update: I am on my way to Juba, South Sudan, where I will be working for 8-12 months on an education/food security/sanitation project. [3-08]
I am in Indonesia, busy working on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project. The purpose of the project is to reduce green house gases in the world that are a major cause of Global Warming. My project
captures methane gas from Municipal Solid Wastes and destroys it by flaring (burning) or uses the gas for energy to generate electricity. My company will then earn "carbon credits" that can be exchanged for cash or sold in the international market for the highest bid. Buyers are the European countries, Scandinavian, and Japan. Unfortunately NOT the United States, Australia and Canada. They just don't care about the global warming. I also started a company that I named "Outreach International" it involves in Renewable energy and Biofuels, you know fuel oils made from vegetable oils.
I will travel to Europe in February to explore opportunities for my CDM business. In March I will travel to the USA, to take a small business group to travel there for a week and then a seminar in Washington D.C.Yes, I am still dancing diligently :). I go dancing twice in a week at the prestigious Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jakarta.[1-07]
Recent news from Elias indicates that he is focussing his export business on growing Jatropha curcas Linneaus for green oil to export. [12-07]
Folks,
God has been merciful towards me. Besides my main job as a Case Manager of a Partial Care Program at a private psychiatry institution, I’m also teaching as an Adjunct Professor of Sociology at the Essex County College of New Jersey; and again as a permanent part-timer for the Department of Human Services of the State of New Jersey. Call me a busy man but not a workaholic. [1-07]
Sam recently published a novel - Coincidence: Life's Fashion Designer. The publisher's abstract says in part:
Joe Bayden, the immigrant, has been on a death row over a year for the murder of Mr. Tom Fauze, a prominent politician and an ex-U.S. diplomat. The two had met in Africa, but the murder occurred in Virginia, USA. What circumstances brought the two together? Were the two destined to suffer a similar fate as they tried to improve their conditions on earth? Nat Bradford, Joe’s defense attorney, has now stumbled onto a golden opportunity to propel him into the limelight as a renowned investigative and legal practitioner. Does he know how to utilize the enormous opportunities? What was his motive of sending development projects to Joe’s tiny village in Africa? A classic story of inexplicable coincidences and circumstances, loaded with adventures, romance, greed, investigations and suspense. At the end of it all the fact still remains that coincidences we face daily fashion our lives, either for better or for worse.
Stephanie Pirronie (M.Ed. 2003) spirroni@yahoo.com
Over the past three years and a half years Stephanie was living in Haifa, Israel, where she was serving at the Office of Social and Economic Development at the Bahai World Centre, following development projects in the Americas. In Haifa she was working with two CIE members, Haleh Arbab and David Walker.
Next month, Stephanie will be moving to Cali, Colombia where she will be working at the Fundacion para la Ensenanza y Aplicacion de las Ciencias (FUNDEAC) with a secondary education program for development called Preparation for Social Action aimed at helping youth to build the capacities they need to promote the well-
being of their own communities.
I very much enjoyed participating in 11 December Tuesday Center meeting and meeting up with old friends. It felt as if I had never left; there was a dynamic conversation amongst a diverse student body about their coursework and its future application in the field and afterwards we enjoyed a delicious cake baked by BGW to celebrate Jacqi Mosselson's pregnancy. Looking forward to staying in touch! [12-06]
Anita Anastacio (M.Ed. 2006) anitaanastacio@yahoo.com
I cannot believe that it is already December. I am not sure where the
months have gone. I returned to Afghanistan in late August 2006 to take up a new
challenge. I have become the Chief of Party for CARE heading a large,
five-year community-based education project called PACE-A: Partnership for Advancing Community-based 
education in Afghanistan. Not bad for a start after a
masters degree! The community-based education project
includes support to primary education, accelerated primary education for
out-of-school youth, adult literacy and early childhood education. Our
partners are IRC, CRS and the Aga Khan Foundation. CARE and IRC have been
running community-based schools for a number of years. CRS has implemented
Accelerated Learning classes since the fall of the Taliban, thanks to
another CIE-student, Barbara Rodey. Other CIE fellows such as Fritz
Affolter, Monica Gomes and Chris Gamm also worked on the CRS program. AKF brought in
their expertise in supporting teacher training and formal schools. Current CIE student Amina Davlatshoeva came from that program via CIE's Learning for Life program. The CIE world is small, isn't it?
Afghanistan has a new Minister of Education who is smart, active and knows
the language of the international community. Just this week the Minister
launched the first ever written 5-year education strategy for Afghanistan, a
"very ambitious" strategy requesting about 1 billion for the next five
years. Community-based education is one that the Ministry finally
recognizes as an important mechanism to expand access and quality to
education. Major steps still lie ahead. One of them is that our
community-based teachers need to be recognized and accredited
teachers in Afghanistan. For those of you working on similar issue I would love to connect! [12-06]
Laura Ivey (M.Ed. 2006) livey@air.org
Laura wrote recently from Malawi:
I'm working for American Institutes for Research (AIR)as the Learning Resource Coordinator for the Malawi Teacher Training Activity (MTTA). For the most part, I love my new job. I am involved in everything from administration to conducting training workshops to going out and to monitoring activities. My primary responsibility is to develop learning materials, which can be anything from resource manuals to handbooks for training workshops, or, last week, t-shirts for our new Mphamvu Kwa Achinyamata clubs--power to the youth clubs. These new
clubs are supposed to replace the stagnant and unproductive primary school AIDS clubs. They are supposed to be student run with a focus on community action projects, instead of a teacher teaching a lesson. I'm encouraging my co-workers to be more creative in the way we do things, the clubs are an example. Though, it often takes some convincing to try new things, and many times I have to let things go on as before, sometimes I am able to convince others to make some changes in the way we faciliate and the content of our training workshops. I feel that the people with whom I work are benefiting from my time at UMass.
I also work regularly with Fritz Kadyoma. In fact, he and I are leaving today to monitor training workshop that the Minitry of Education is conducting for the new primary school curriculum. We'll be in two districts for the rest of the week and making a stop over in Lilongwe to make a presentation to Peace Corps educators about the new AIDS clubs, because they will be helping us with them in the spring.[12-06]
Daftar January Khembo (Ed. D. 2004) dkhembo@fhi.org.mw
After his doctoral studies at the University of Massachusetts, Dafter returned to Malawi to continue his work in Research and Test Development at the Malawi National Examinations Board. Dafter has since resigned from his position and joined Family Health International (FHI) in Malawi, a nonprofit organization, as a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer.
FHI runs a number of programs which aim at improving lives worldwide through research, education, and services in family health. In Malawi, the focus of FHI programs is to assist households cope with HIV/AIDS by providing care and support to the chronically ill patients and orphans and other vulnerable children. Dafter’s task as M&E Officer is to evaluate the implementation and performance of these programs. It was fortunate that CIE offered an M&E course, which has become my main tool for my work, and Professor Rossman handled the course very well .[6-06]
(top of page)Majid Khan (M.Ed. 2003) smmajid@educ.umass.edu
It was nice to visit Umass after one and a half years away and meet old friends. I moved to Colorado in June 2005 and since then I have been 
working as a Residence Director at the Colorado State University, Fort-Collins, Colorado. My work includes student advising, staff supervision, administration, and I organize social, educational and cultural programs. During my stay at the CSU, I had the opportunity to work with key academic, key plus academic and global village living learning communities. Currently I work with Ingersoll living learning community where most of the students are part of the college of Natural Sciences. In addition, I teach a weekly student leadership development seminar at the CSU. Further, recently I had the opportunity to attend the inter-cultural development seminar in Portland Oregon and qualified to use the Inter-cultural development inventory (IDI). I am leaving for Pakistan on November, 2006 where I will conduct research and collect data on Privatization of Higher Education in Pakistan:Issues of Access and Equity, for my doctorate at CIE.. [10-06]
Mohamed Ibrahim Elgadi (Ed.D. 2003) mohamedelgadi@yahoo.com
Mohamed has now returned to Amherst where he has been working for the Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC). He is also doing a variety of part-time consulting. In March of 2007 he did a presentation at the Center meeting on the human rights situation in Sudan. [3-07]
For more than a year I worked at the American Friends Service Committee in their National Office in Philadelphia. My job title was Project Voice National Coordinator for Alliance Building. Project Voice is a new initiative sponsored by AFSC (which CIE's Janna Shadduck had a part in getting started) to strengthen the voices of immigrant-led organizations in setting the national agenda for immigration policy and immigrants' rights, in order to foster a full integration of immigrants and refugees in their new communities. Project Voice combines local and national organizing, education, and outreach campaigns to achieve a strategic impact on key immigration and refugee issues, including legalization, abuse of authority, community relations, workers' rights, and other human rights issues.
Over the past 30 months of my work here I have helped in bringing more diverse immigrant voices to the work of AFSC especially among African immigrant communities, and the progressive faith-based groups like the new Islamic school of thought that I'm part of. [2-06]
For more about Mohamed and his activities check out the Elgadi Family blog.
Vachel Miller (Ed.D. 2004) vmiller@smtp.aed.org
Vachel Miller works with the Academy for Educational Development. He is the M&E/Research/Policy Specialist at the Regional Office of KURET, a child labor and education project.
The project seeks to identify strategies that address both the impact of HIV/AIDS and challenges concerning child labor.
Based in Kampala, Uganda, the Vachel helps provide technical support to project offices in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia on data collection and strengthening child labor policies.
After several years of studying about learning theory, indicators, and post-conflict education at CIE, Vachel is trying to remember all the concepts he wanted to apply, once he got a job. He claims that his greatest
accomplishment to date is publicly challenging the donor's definition of participatory evaluation. [5-06]
Since graduating in May, 2002, I’ve been teaching at both Rhode Island College and The University of Rhode Island. At RIC, I’ve taught sections of required Foundations of Education courses for undergraduate teacher education students. These courses all focus significantly on the dynamics of cultural and human diversity in public education. At URI, I designed and offered a course, in the Department of Communication Studies, on “Cultural Conflict in Global Perspective.” This course has focused primarily on the rights of indigenous peoples and their struggles to maintain their lands, languages, and cultures in the face of overwhelming pressure to change and adapt to the modern world system. A second course, on the role of communication in fostering an ethic of environmentally sustainable living, is in preparation. Throughout this process, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know well over 400 students, of both typical college age and older.
I’ve also had the honor to serve on the board of the Apeiron Institute for Environmental Living, an environmental education organization whose goal is to make Rhode Island the first environmentally sustainable state. I’ve served on several committees at my daughters’ school, a public charter school with a vision of instilling values of environmentally sustainable living and social responsibility in all students.
In Fall, 2006, I’ll be taking a break from college teaching to complete the Rhode Island teacher certification process by student teaching at a public high school. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I’ve been coaching my daughters’ softball teams and acting as their full-time chauffeur to numerous enrichment activities. [5-06]
In 2004, I joined the Polytechnic of Namibia, Namibia’s University of Science and Technology as the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. The center was established to help improve teaching and learning on campus through academic development initiatives. It is focused on providing support to students and faculty.
Since my tenure here I have been preoccupied with the creation of an academic support system for the university. I am establishing an Academic Support Center for students which will provide a range of services to students but focused on tutoring in mathematics, writing and other courses for which they need assistance. I have also developed a series of support activities for faculty including induction, mentoring, academic discussions on best practices in teaching and learning, and faculty development workshops.
I am teaching a course titled Principles of Instruction and manage a faculty resource hub at the center. As you are well aware, Namibia is a relatively new democracy and we are fully engaged in the process of nation building and undoing the effects of apartheid and colonialism. [5-06]
Hatsue Kimura (M. Ed. 2003) kimura-ht@n-koei.jp
In spring of 2006, Hatsue began working for KRI International which has a contract from 
JICA to implement a literacy program in Afghanistan. Starting in April, Hatsue was in Kabul for several months and thereafter will spend about half her time in Kabul and half in Japan. Her assignment is to develop a database to monitor the progress of the literacy program. She will be working to develop the local capacity to collect and manage data generated by the various literacy classes.
Hatsue is eager to make contact with the vibrant CIE community in Kabul, which will increase with CIE’s new Higher Education project which also began in the spring of 2006. She is also hoping to draw upon CIE's experience with the recently completed Learning for Life project that trained over 8,000 women in basic literacy and health. [5-06]
Karin continues her peripatetic existence. After eight months in Khartoum with IRC she moved to Nyala in Darfur and continued her work there. Then she moved to Bujumbura in Burundi where she is now the regional officer for gender and violence programming and supports IRC's efforts in Chad, Tanganyika, Burundi and DRC, including the program she helped start earlier in the DRC (see below).[5-06]
After a year of bouncing between the Arctic and short consultancies in Guinea, Congo-Brazzaville, Sierra Leone and Uganda, I decided to put down some longer-term roots and settle for a year in the bustling city of Khartoum. I work for the International Rescue Committee as the Civil Society Development Team Manager. We work with local NGOs and Community-Based Organizations, focusing on institutional capacity building and providing partners with a sub-grant with which they implement projects. [12-04]
Since leaving CIE with my Master's in one hand and a plane ticket to China in the other, I had little doubt that the job waiting for me in eastern DR Congo would be the perfect way to combine the theory I had learned and experiences I had had during my 2 years at UMass. Now, two and a half months into the work, I feel more like a fresh graduate student again, in the position to learn much more than to 'teach'. Nothing like a new job away from everything familiar to demonstrate how much you still have to learn!
Incidences of rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence are becoming increasingly widespread in eastern DRC. Women and young girls are often raped in the presence of their families, and family members are forced to participate in the crime in one form or another. Individuals or groups are regularly abducted for any length of time ranging from two days to over a year, and struggle to survive in appalling living conditions while forced into sexual slavery. The psychological, physical and economic consequences for individual survivors and family and social structures are immeasurable. Families are broken apart and survivors repeatedly re-victimized as they are rejected and abandoned due to withstanding cultural gender norms. .I work with the International Rescue Committee as a sexual and gender-based violence technical advisor. At this point in the game, we are still setting-up the umbrella grant project which will operate mainly as a capacity-building mechanism for local organizations involved in addressing this issue of sexual violence.[11-02]
Saida Nabiyeva (M. Ed. 2003) bonjoursaida@yahoo.com
I still work for IFES as a Civic Education Project Coordinator. Along with discussion groups for the target groups (youth, women, IDPs, people with disabilities) on different civic related issues, summer Democracy Camps, I am also coordinating a school-based project entitled "Student Action Committee". The idea is to reinforce extracurricular activities at schools by
increasing teachers' interactive teaching techniques and mentorship skills, by enhancing students' practical skills - problem solving, self-initiative, team building, leadership, decision -making, communication - and by producing small but meaningful changes in school community through the leadership of the children. However, IFES will unfortunately downsize some of its programs very soon, therefore I restarted "job hunting" and was successful: I have just been offered a position of Children's Education Project Coordinator position at the Save the Children. This is a regional project involving South Caucasus region. I am more than sure that the course I took at CIE "Learning in Post-Conflict Settings" will be useful for me, the issue of peace education will be important for the implementation of this particular project. Hope to see you all one day With love form Baku. [4-06]
Silva wrote recently that she has gotten married and moved to Chicago. After spending some time tutoring students in math and statistics while looking for more permanent employment, in May she accepted a job at Northwestern University as a Research Analyst at the Kellogg Team and Group Research Center. The center is a research-based community of scholars from several disciplines dedicated to the study of understanding and improving the performance of work teams in organizations. She reports that
she is doing administrative, research and data analysis related work and that my
experience so far has been truly enjoyable. [5-06]
Karen is currently working with the Indonesian National Commission on Violence Against Women to set up a program to monitor violence and discrimination against women in Aceh, Indonesia. Over the years, political and religious factors, and natural disasters in the territory have displaced women, limited their freedom of movement and association, and have, generally, contributed to violence and discrimination against them. These realities include: armed conflict between the Indonesian military and the Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM); imposition of Islamic Law; and, the recent tsunami, which has resulted in many women being widowed, and some older daughters becoming head of household when both parents were killed. Karen is helping to train monitors of violence and discrimination against women - all of them displaced women with varying levels of literacy - and set up a documentation system.
Before this, Karen was seconded from the Christian University to work with the East Timor Reception, Truth-Seeking and Reconciliation Commission (CAVR). She coordinated the women’s research team that collected testimonies from women about their experiences of violence during the Indonesian occupation and the East Timor inter-party conflict prior to it. The completed Truth C
ommission report has been handed over (October, 2005) to the Timor Leste Parliament.
Along with her husband, John, Karen continues to support community development in Timor. Recently, John and Karen have been facilitating an informal “library” out of their home for the children of their village; they have purchased a number of children’s books for kids in their community, and are encouraging frequent exchanges of these reading materials. [12-05]
Leticia recently send us a holiday greeting from Bogota and reported on her current work.
(top of page)
I`m now working hard in the mayor’s office of Bogota for a program called: The Urban Poverty or New Poverty. This has been a very interesting job and I think this is a very important experience for me. My current position gives me the opportunity to learn many things related to my interests in family & poverty. Since I joined the Welfare Institute for Bogota, I have been working with issues of people in poverty and exclusion conditions (homeless, displacement, sexual workers, elderly people, etc). There is a Family Department inside the Institute and they deal with changes in family structure for unemployment, lay off situations, and of course forced displacement. [12/05]
David Bell (Ed.D. 2001) Since graduating from CIE, I have worked at the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding in Leverett. For the past three years I have worked as an Assistant Professor of International Development and Social Change in the Department of International Development, Community and Environment (IDCE) at Clark University in Worcester.
My scholarly work and research interests remain focused on Southern Africa and on South Africa in particular on the process of education transformation, policy and neocolonialism. I recently conducted an assessment of Child Labor and Education in South Africa for the US Department of Labor and I continue to work as a consultant doing evaluation work for the University of Johannesburg that focuses on the role of Service Learning in National Community Higher Education Partnership Project (CHESP). I also taught Introduction to International Education at CIE in the 04-05 Academic year. [9/05]
Thanh returned to Amherst for the summer to be with her family and dropped in at CIE to visit with old friends. Her family has a house in Belchertowm where her husband and her two children are living. She will be home during the summer time and for winter break.
She is currently the Academic Director for the School of International Training's study abroad program in the Mekong Delta – which includes Cambodia, Viet Nam. The program focuses on Natural and Cultural Ecology. This is a brand-new program in a new place for SIT. During Spring Semester 2005, Thanh ran the first course there for undergraduate American students. This 16-credit training course provides American students with exposure to different environmental and cultural sites of Viet Nam and Cambodia. Because the underlying philosophy of SIT is rooted in experiential learning, she travels with the students to a variety of cultural and ecologically important sites in the Mekong Delta region.. Thanh is actively working to promote educational exchanges between US and countries in Southeast Asia.
She has a chapter entitled “Educating hard-to-reach children in Viet Nam” in the book From Bullets to Blackboards recently published by the Inter-American Development Bank [6/05]
After a short but very satisfying 8-month stint in Uganda with AED, Dwaine left in May 2005 to join USAID as an Education Officer. Although it was difficult to leave Uganda (Dwaine's Peace Corps home), he felt
much better knowing that a CIE colleague, Vachel Miller, would be taking over for him in Kampala. Dwaine was recently sworn into the New Entry Professional program as an Education Officer for USAID. (Picture right).
He and his family will live in Washington DC for about 12-18 months while he goes through a series of trainings, rotations, and short overseas trips to learn better how USAID does business. He will also attend language training at the Foreign Service Institute for 4-6 months. Hopefully by the end of summer 2006 Dwaine will head overseas for his first tour of duty. Dwaine is currently on rotation in the EGAT/ED bureau working with CIE colleagues John Hatch and Jim Hoxeng. [6/05]
Janna has been a visiting junior scholar in the Dept. of Sociology at UCLA for the past 2 years where she was able to finish the writing of her dissertation, titled, Here I am Now! Community Service-learning with Immigrant and Refugee Undergraduate Students and Youth: The Use of Critical Pedagogy, 
Situated Learning and Funds of Knowledge. The dissertation looked at the experiences of 10 first generation students who were part of CIRCLE (Center for Immigrant and Refugee Community Leadership and Empowerment) that was housed within CIE from 1994-2000. Janna came to CIE in 1994 to do her Master's degree and continued on with doctoral work, graduating in May 2005
Before returning to working on her dissertation, Janna had been the National Director for Immigrant and Refugee Rights with the American Friends Service Committee in Philadelphia where she coordinated national and international projects related to immigration, displacement and global migration. During her tenure (1999-2002) at AFSC she co-produced an educational video and curriculum guide with Third World News Reel. The video is titled, Echando Raices/Taking Root: Immigrant and Refugee Communities in California, Texas and Iowa.
This coming fall and spring Janna will be teaching two courses in the World Arts and Culture Department at UCLA. Each has to do with an aspect of her doctoral work that she is very interested in: the application of the arts in community organizing and community development processes. The courses are titled, Community and the Arts and Visual Arts and Immigration. Post-dissertation, Janna is looking for different employment opportunities related to her interests in education, community development, the arts and immigration. She lives with her husband, Ruben Hernandez-Leon (professor at UCLA) and their two daughters Olin (6) and Paloma (4) in Los Angeles, truly an exciting global immigrant city. [6/05]
After getting his doctorate, Samson came back to Malawi and joined the University of Malawi, Chancellor College as lecturer in Educational Policy and Leadership, and Sociology of Education. In January 2005, he was appointed Head of Educational Foundations Department at Chancellor College, the University of Malawi. As head, he is responsible for coordinating all academic activities and provide leadership in the department. He is also a member of board of trustees for two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Malawi. In addition, he is an external examiner for two colleges and has acted as internal examiner and supervisor/advisor for graduate theses at Chancellor College. Furthermore, He is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Development Education. With his colleague, Ken Ndala, who is also a graduate of UMASS, he has conducted an in-service training in Educational Policy and Planning for sixteen officials from Malawi National Examination Board. The training was successful and the college, through the Faculty of Education, recognized it by offering certificates of attendance to the participants.
My vision now is to provide more training courses in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership to more officials in different institutions that deal with education in Malawi apart from the normal graduate program we are offering at Chancellor College. The aim is to help improve education in Malawi both at primary and secondary levels. I also want to help market the PPL program at Chancellor College to other countries so that we should serve people in the SADC region. Furthermore, I want to pursue a post-doctoral study where I will have time to sit down and reflect on the educational issues that I have confronted in Malawi and design a research project that will deal with such issues. So the journey is still on.
Samson has also been busy publishing work that he started during his doctoral studies. He has published versions of both his comprehensive papers and one paper from the Education Policy course - references below. [6/05]
Rural Communities-Education Relationship in Developing Countries: The Case of Malawi. International Education Journal Vol. 5, No 3, 2004, pp. 308-330
An Analysis of Free Primary Education in Malawi.
International Journal of Educational Reform, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2002, pp. 94-105.
Jack Stephen Chalimba (M.Ed. 2003) jschalimba@chanco.unima.mw
After completing his Masters degree, Jack returned to his job at the Malawi National Examination board where he continues to be responsible for examinations logistics.
In May of 2005 he attended a Sub Regional conference on Assessment which was held in Malawi and was attended by delegates from Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, and the host country. He presented a paper that was a critique of script checking as done by MANEB. In August he will attend an Association of Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA) meeeting in Uganda where he will be presenting on the theme of "the role of research in assessment practice."
My studies at UMASS helped to make me more able to write and present papers that deal with real measurement and testing issues [June 2005]
Mary Lugton (M. Ed. 2001) Mlugton2@aol.com
Mary has followed her usual peripatetic professional path since graduating from CIE. She
dedicated two years to writing a truly innovative curriculum resource book for high school/colleges teachers/community activists that critically examines traditional "wisdom" on global population issues. "Population in Perspective," which Mary wrote as a consultant to Hampshire College's Population and Development Program (under Betsy Hartmann, who actually READ Mary and Phoebe's joint Masters thesis!), has received rave reviews - copy available from the program. After completing the curriculum book, Mary and her partner Phoebe moved to California. After working so hard on the curriculum book, Mary sought a quieter existence teaching 4th graders in an "underserved" school in San Pablo, California, where she has been since the fall of 2004. Mary is deeply proud of her students, who in only eight months have all made signifant progress toward academic excellence. Each day, Mary draws on what she learned as a teacher in Namibia and as a student at CIE. Before returning to teaching, Mary became an expert in civic education and also made a return trip to her beloved Namibia for the 10th anniversary of the school where she previously taught. Mary is still in regularly touch with Michael Tjivikua, and they still plot and scheme about how to get Mary back to Namibia for some teacher training projects. [April 2005]
The Genges are proud to announce the birth of their second son Nicolas Daniel Genge Pérez on November 23 rd . To add to the excitement they are moving to La Paz (in the highlands, around 13,000 ft) around the 20th of Dec. after a year and a half in Santa Cruz (in the lowlands, around 1,200 ft.). Cole recently changed jobs and now works at The Nature Conservancy in the Southern Andes Conservation Program as Conservation Projects Coordinator for Bolivia. Basically he manages 3 projects (Parks in Peril - which provides assistance to 2 national parks in a highly conflictive area; Multisites - mostly financial support for the national system of protected areas and cross border conservation efforts between Bolivia and Argentina, Chile, Paraguay; and the Noel Kempff Climate Action Project - a greenhouse gas effect mitigation project via conservation, the largest in the world of its kind). Cole says:
I love the work I am doing, to the point that even on the longest and hardest days of work I come home exhausted but fulfilled and satisfied that I have accomplished something worth working for. It's a great feeling! Jenny was teaching a master's level course on Curriculum Development at a private Bolivian university until about a month ago when it got too uncomfortable to even move around because of the pregnancy. She loves teaching and does a fantastic job at it, but the systems in place are often times so counter productive that we wonder if it is worth going against the grain to provide a quality education. In any event, she is not planning to teach any tim
e soon, motherhood is more than a full-time job, and one she also loves and does very well.
We look forward to living in La Paz and escaping from the perpetual heat and moisture that is so characteristic of the Amazon basin. After all both Jenny and I are from the mountains - the Andes at that! Going back to the mountains will be a nice change. (November 2004)
I was particularly interested in reading through the snippets section of the CIE Off-Campus web site. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about my colleagues from the not-too-distant past. I've had a busy couple of years with buying a house, getting married, having a kid (the picture shows me with my son Owen on a recent hike up
Mt. Monadnock), and starting a new job in Putney,VT. I'm currently the Associate Dean of Short-term and Special Programs at Landmark College, which serves students with learning disabilities and/or AD/HD. One of my responsibilities is developing new programs in the Study Abroad department. Scrolling through all the people who've come and gone through CIE and seeing where they are now makes me all the more excited to renew old contacts and develop new partnerships around the world. I'll try to make a Tuesday meeting sometime soon and look forward to seeing you then. (October 2004)
Joanie Cohen-Mitchell (Ed. D. 2004) joanie@educ.umass.edu
After working 2 years with CIE on the Guatemala project as Research and Training Coordinator, Joanie returned to Western MA and spent two years as Executive Director of The Brick House Community Resource Center in Turners Falls, MA. While at The Brick House, Joanie developed a variety of community development initiatives including a women's empowerment and economic development program, a community technology collaborative, a youth arts program and an ESOL program for immigrants. After having Noah in July 2002, Joanie began consulting with the state DOE providing technical assistance and acting as an evaluator for family literacy programs throughout Western MA. She also works with Resource Economics Department at UMass on an exchange program in Colombia.In June 2004, Joanie, Tim and Noah moved to a rambling 1899 home in Orange, MA (October 2004)
Mainus Sultan (Ed. D. 2003) sultan@alumni.umass.edu
After
five plus years of work with the American Friends Service Committee, Hollyn,
Kajori and I returned from the Laos to North Village in Amherst, on a
quiet summer afternoon. Blurry-eyed with disorientation, we opened our
newly rented apartment and found a refrigerator full of food (thank you,
Jenny Ladd!) and enough bedding for a comfortable night (thank
you, Phyllis Robinson!).In Laos, we managed an international NGO and had the flexibility to do
field research. For AFSC and personal vacations, we visited eleven countries
in Asia and, after a long interval, I started writing Bangla again for
journals and daily newspapers. I had a series of travel stories published
illustrating trips to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. As a family
we were able to visit Bangladesh several times. Unexpectedly, two of my
books were published at this time. One is a collection of short stories
titled "Memory Traveler" and the other is a collection of poems
titled "Sweet Sixteen of Dew". I wrote these poems and stories
in the mid-1970s. All were published in not-so-popular magazines, but
they remained well liked and somewhat controversial, which encouraged
a publisher to take up this project.Back in the US, I managed to complete my graduate work after 13 years
of attachment with CIE (which is by no means the most impressive record!).
During the summer of 2002, I worked for a CIE project in Afghanistan.
The highlights of my Afghan work are small personal memories - morning
jogs to the top of a mountain with Barbara Rodey, visiting one
castle a day with Frank McNerney and a day trip with Monica
Gomes and Frank to a gorge.When I returned from Afghanistan, I started working with the Institute
for Training and Development. During this time, I was sent to the Republic
of Georgia, an interesting country with a rusty subway infrastructure
and golden grapevine in the Caucasus. I am scheduled to visit Romania,
Kosovo and Kyrgyzstan during 2004/5. Since my return, I have been teaching
courses at Springfield College and writing regular columns for three Bangladeshi
national daily newspapers.Today, as I write this short summary, I celebrate my 14 years of relationship
with the Center for International Education. I also would like to announce
the growth of our daughter, Kajori who is now ten and performs a perfect
cartwheel and loves to design materials for expression.(July
2004)
John Phillips (M.Ed. 2000) jtphil@hotmail.com
After
I graduated from CIE with a Masters in Int'l
Ed. Prior to CIE, I taught ESOL in Korea for
4 years, then non-formal adult basic ed/ ESOL
in Syracuse for two years. Currently, I am
the Management Development Educator in charge
of adult/ leadership education for an 8000
employee, not for profit hospital/ health
provider system in Buffalo, NY. I try to still stay involved
in development. I recently volunteered and
went as a team leader for 10 days with Global
Health Ministry to Kingston, Jamaica. I led
a team of doctors and nurses and we provided
free healthcare in the shantytowns. It was
a wonderful experience and I hope to go again
and work in development. (July
2004)
Swai
reports on his first months back in Tanzania after finishing
his doctorate at UMass. At the top of his list was the wedding
of his son, which also served to announce his return from
Massachusetts. Since returning he has also undertaken several
consultancies - one with the Tanzania Teacher Union to look
at the desired level of representation wanted by the members.
He found a significant majority preferred school rather than
branch representation. He was asked to advise owners of several
private secondary schools on the challenge of making their
schools financially sustainable. He reports a sizable demand
for secondary education, especially for girls, and notes that
the Minister of Education has just cut secondary school fees
by 50% which will have a sizeable impact on the demand as
well. He also reports on a new venture in his own words.