What CCT students and graduates do
Recent work of current and former students that builds on CCT studies
(submit additional news to cct@umb.edu or post yourself on the wiki).
(4/11) Convocation book award, June '11 to CCT graduate, Julie Johnstone
Renessa Ciampa Brewer, Delores Gallo Award for Creative Development and Outreach
Michael Johns, Nomination for Convocation Speaker (see citations/nomination)
(4/10) Convocation book award, May '10 to CCT graduate, Marie Levey-Pabst. (citation)
(4/09) Convocation book award, May '09 to CCT graduate, Jeremy Szteiter. (citation)
(10/08) Jim Clements ('05) has been named Recipient of 2008 InaBeth Miller Award for Distinguished Faculty of the Year at the New England Institute of Art & Communications.
(4/08) Barbara DiTullio and Kathy Leavitt have accepted positions as Nurse Managers at Boston Medical Center. "We are excited to be involved in the growth and development of the perioperative nursing department with the goal of providing exceptional care to the patient population served by BMC. The CCT program has assisted us in transitioning into these roles with the ability to bring new ideas and concepts to further support the nursing staff."
(4/08) Convocation book award, May '08 to CCT graduate, Sheryl Savage. (citation)
(8/07) Catherine Weber ('99) reports on the status of her consulting group at http://www.cwcg.com/newsletter/newsletterLP_2007q3.html
(8/07) Meghann McNiff Lindholm ('05) is back in Afghanistan. "I accepted a job with Development Alternative International (DAI) working on a Local Governance and Community Development project. There are so many players here, working to 'support the Government of Afghanistan' that coordination is a huge part of the job...and that is basically my role. I am coordinating with a few key players in a few of the Provinces we are working in to implement and monitor community development and local governance projects."
(6/07) Alice Harrigan ('99) has "been actively engaging in ongoing reflective dialogue with my colleagues, and presenting workshops on that topic. This year we've decided to expand our sphere of influence by preparing to write a workbook on creating such reflective practice groups, which we call Collective Dialogue or CD. To begin, we want to see what practitioners in our field are currently doing." (website)
(4/07) Bob Schoenberg, will present a workshop entitled, "Strategies & Methods for Incorporating Critical Thinking into your classroom" at the Critical Thinking Conference hosted by the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), Warwick campus on Wednesday, May 23, 2007. Mr. Schoenberg has developed a variety of classroom strategies for faculty to promote critical thinking among their students. He emphasizes that each strategy is simple, practical and effective. Schoenberg is the author of Critical Thinking in Business by Heuristic Books.
(4/07) Convocation book award, May '07 to CCT student, Jan Coe. (citation)
(3/07) Tim Eagan, World Languages Coordinator
Newton Public Schools. "When I received the book award in 2001 (SCHOOLS THAT LEARN), I picked it
up and read a bit. I was inspired, and put in on a shelf, forgetting
about it. Every once in a while I would look at it in passing and think,
'I have to read that.' Now that I'm in a new postion, responsible for curriculum, supervision and
evaluation of over 30 teachers, 5 languages, in 4 middle schools, I have
rediscovered the book. As I learn more and more about how to engage
teachers and introduce new initiatives (or more precisely, how NOT to...),
I am finding that I have so much to learn. The book is truly inspiring
and on target. Reading the chapter 'Leading without Control' has
especially given me important insight into how to do my job well and where
I need to grow. "
(2/07) Joelle Barton Nims. My most recent job as legal guardian for developmentally disabled adults is fascinating and intrinsically rewarding. The job boils down to thinking for those who cannot think for themselves...so I am putting my master's degree to practical use. I've been praised for my "solid thinking" and "creative problem solving skills" and each time I get a compliment like that, I think of my CCT degree, which I thought was the most impractical degree I could ever be getting. Funny how life sorts itself out like that.
(2/07) Kathleen (Walsh) Wooten (2005) is currently employed as an instrumental
music teacher with the Scituate Public Schools, as well as maintains an
active private lesson studio. She continues to use her CCT degree every day
in finding new ways to encourage creativity in her young students. Kathleen
is also pursuing graduate work in the field of Educational Leadership, with
a focus on action research in the classroom. She and her husband, David,
are living on the North Shore and are happily singing and creating with
their one year old daughter, Maille Kennae.
(12/06) Ashok Panikkar returned to India 20 months ago and has established a firm, "Meta-Culture" (http://www.meta-culture.in/), which encompasses Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Advanced Communication, Community Building and Dialogue Facilitation. See a recent email for more details.
(11/06) Suzanne Clark is teaching a course, The Creative Flame, again this semester at Berklee College, where she is now an Associate Professor. She also received her certification to teach chi gung as a
community leader in June and then presented her work on music/creativity
and her new course at the 17th Annual Creativity Conference at the Allen B.
Dow Creativity Center at Northwood University in July.
(10/06) Jeanne Berg Abrons (CCT 1992) has been awarded her Doctor of Education
degree in Curriculum and Instruction in Higher Education at the University of Sarasota, with a focus on creativity and higher education. A retired college instructor, her dissertation looked at Doctoral Education Students' "Perceptions of Creativity." Findings showed that participants, the potential educators of
future educators, described creativity and education in the third person, as what might be seen rather than what they might access personally and encourage in their classes
(5/06) Leor Alcalay ('96) was named "Faculty Member of the Year" by the new
President of Quincy College who has given him special
assignments in helping out the faculty. Other news is that the college has
made an emphasis on helping immigrant students and also won a Fulbright/IIE
grant to bring two visiting scholars to the College to teach courses in
Arabic and Chinese which Leor has designed.
(10/05) Charly Rauscher ('05) is leaving Boston to work for Dartmouth College at the Tuck Business School as Assoc. Dir. Of Operations for Tuck Annual Giving and Alumni Services. He'll be in charge of online administration of volunteer support & fundraising worldwide, the processing of gifts & acknowledgements, working with other depts. at Tuck & Dartmouth in support of fundraising goals, and based on the 15 folks he met in the interview process, just having fun. "I am really excited about this, it's a great opportunity and it provides an area to live in where I would like to retire. I would like to believe that CCT helped me in this process. I learned a lot about myself and also from interactions with [teachers] and classmates. Lebanon College is close by so I'm sure I can pursue adjunct positions using CCT principles."
(10/05) Pin-Yu Chen ('04) is full-time research assistant in the lab of cognitive neuroscience at National Young-Ming University in Taiwan.
(6/05) Michelle Hardy took up a new position as Program Coordinator, Annenberg/CPB Channel
in June, working Matt Schneps, with whom she did a CCT internship / independent study. She is working on the educational channel but I attends the brainstorming meetings for the interactive web projects. This group produces many of the science programs that are found on the Annenberg/CPB Channel and do work for the museums and other educational projects as well.
(4/05) Convocation book award, May '05 to CCT student, Matthew Puma, who has produced instructional strategies and a guide to help teachers use paradoxical and oppositional thinking as rich metaphors for enhancing students' development on many levels. (citation, synthesis abstract)
(2/05) Ashok Pannikar ('97) is returning to India to start a
conflict resolution and dialogical thinking center in Bangalore in
collaboration with some US based consulting businesses.
(1/05) Maryann Scheufele ('04) is story editor and
storyteller on Children's digital picture books that are now available from Kidzebo@aol.com. Also featured is music by CCT instructor, Ben Schwendener.
(1/05) Michael Ruf ('02) shot a short film last year that he wrote in Ben Schwendener's class in 2001. "Grosse Freiheit (Big Freedom)" was shown at several short film festivals and has already four audience awards.
(10/04) Heidi Straghan ('04) launches her boarding facility for cats, The Cat's Pajamas Inn,which emerged from her synthesis project.
(8/04) Davis Sweet ('04) has positions teaching Intro to Philosophy at Northern Essex CC and an Intro to Ethics at Mass Bay CC.
(8/04) Kyle Lindholm ('04) has a position at the New England Institute of Art in Brookline, MA teaching Drawing and Perspective.
(5/04) Convocation book award, May '04 to CCT student, Ivy Frances, who has discovered (and written about) an exciting new sense of self and of place as a thinker and photographer-artist-essayist. (citation, synthesis abstract)
(5/04) Tim Eagan ('00) will be teaching a class at Bridgewater State College this summer:
SPECIAL TOPICS IN EDUCATION: SPANISH BEYOND THE TEXTBOOK, based on his
work in CCT and subsequent curriculum development.
(4/04) Joelle Barrton Nims ('03). I work in the field of mental retardation. Often, we need to think creatively, out of the box, as it were, in order to serve our clients effectively with very little money. Also, we are often presented with seemingly insurmountable behavioral, medical, and/or programmatic problems either with an individual or with a group of individuals, and again, there is that need for flexible thinking. I just landed a job as a part of senior administration in an agency looking to solve big issues with programming, staffing, and overall effective delivery of services. I will be the idea person and the problem solver (along with another hat, but that is not important here).
(4/04) Kevin Russo ('96) I have a business called A.R.I.S.E. Consulting Service, Inc. (Achieving Realistic Interventions and Strategies for Every Day.) We work with individuals who possess challenges in the areas of Behavior, cognition and emotion. We have teachers, tutors, clinicians and counselors that help children, adolescents and their families get through tough times. I have never advertised and we have over 400 families. We also do educational advocacy (IEP) and we have extensive amounts of experience with MR and Autism. CCT helped me embark on a great career.
(4/04) Luanne Witkowski ('03) led a presentation at MassArt, where she is now a studio manager, on Studio Health & Safety - a (W)holistic Sustainable Studio/Life Experience
(3/04) Tim Eagan ('00) and Jody Klein, Newton Public Schools, Newton, MA ran a workshop, "Foreign Language Teaching For Proficiency: Beyond The Textbook," at New
England League of Middle Schools in Providence.
This workshop was to demonstrate dynamic approaches to middle school
language instruction that facilitate language acquisition by increasing
comprehensible input. The presenters will give a brief overview of second
language acquisition theory and will share lessons incorporating
childrenās stories, Total Physical Response, Total Physical Response
Storytelling, and content-enriched instruction.
(2003) Having secured her Masters degree in CCT, Susan Butler ('02) was awarded tenure at Pine Manor College, where she has taught photography and creativity for many years.
(4/03) Catherine Weber ('99) is founder of CW Consulting Group (www.cwcg.com) launched "the first Web presence for The Human Resources Consortium (HRC), a Wellesley-based human resources and organizational development consulting consortium that provides small and mid-sized companies with links to the wide array of highly specialized expert independent consulting services."
(2/03) Recent CCT graduate Suzanne Clark presented work based on her synthesis to faculty and administrators at Berklee College of Music in February, 2003. Participants were very enthusiastic about the content and appreciated the experiential learning and sharing that took place. Entitled "Fanning the Internal Creative Flame", this seminar will be a prototype for future seminars that will explore healthy and sustainable creative musical engagement.
(12/02) On Sunday December 15th, Mary Canning (applicant to CCT) held a benefit for the Ahavat Yisreal Documentary Film Project that she has been working on. Please see the preliminary Website: http://www.ahavatyisreal.net to find out more about this contribution to dialogue and peace in the Middle East.
(11/02) The Oni Gallery, 684 Washington Street Boston (in Chinatown) presents a solo exhibition: Luanne E. Witkowski: New Work - Large Paintings and Works on Paper from November 13th through December 1st.
(11/02) Lori Kent (CCT alum) exhibit: Repudiation of Memory, Tribes Gallery, NYC, through December 4th. http://www.tribes.org
(10/02) Recent CCT graduate Suzanne Clark gave a presentation on cognitive restructuring for a Performance Wellness Seminar hosted by Musicians' Wellness based in NY. Seminars are usually geared towards musicians, but this seminar was structured to suit a different audience - teachers and educational administrators from NY enagaged in development towards their recertification.
(9/02) Lou Loomis' Hartford Thinking Center has become the New England Cognitive Center. See www.cognitivecenter.org
(6/02) Efka Project, "Real Art for Real People: A Group Exhibition," through July 25, 1497 Tremont Street, Mission Hill (next to Mission Church) Efka Project, which is coordinated by Luanne Witkowski, offers an opportunity for the public to gain exposure to, and education about artists in their community who are about to embark on their careers. Real art for real people everyone should have access to/own art. Contact: LEW 617.442.8482 or hellolew@massart.edu
(6/02) Prospective CCT student, Mary Canning's documentary film, Ahavat Yisrael, follows a vocal cross-section of dedicated Jewish-American & Israeli activists deeply involved with education, dialogue and co-existence work in the hopes of ensuring a secure and lasting peace in Israel. These activist are also working to educate people about the Occupation; not solely on behalf of 3 & 1/2 million Palestinians, but because they believe it serves to destroy Israel's security, diminish the fabric of her democracy and undermine the moral high ground of the Jewish people as a whole. Mary Canning currently seeks private donors to contribute towards editing of a fundraising trailer, project website and film shoots in Israel & the U.S. T'shuvah Media, 45A Hancock Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
(5/02) Convocation book award, May '02 to CCT student, Suzanne Clark for writing about healthy musical and creative engagement, and for support of fellow students and the program. (citation, synthesis abstract)
(3/02) Exhibits of Photographs by CCT student Susan Butler in March and April '02 at the Hess Gallery at Pine Manor College, Chestnut Hill.
(2/02) Featured in Boston Globe, 3 Feb. '02: CCT student Luanne Witkowski's work establishing a store-front gallery for emerging artists in Jamaica Plain (36 South St., 617-522-1729 for hours and exhibit schedule).
Peter Galeno's writing text book: Daniel, D., C. Fauske, P. Galeno and D. Mael (2001). Take Charge of Your Writing: Dicovering Writing Through Self-Assessment. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Changes in Lives and Careers
The following responses were received to this 9/10/00 email request: "To update the fact sheet used in publicity, we'd be grateful if you can provide examples regarding the changes in lives and careers that have followed your CCT studies."
From: "Barbara Waters"
Subject: RE: changes in lives and careers
Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2000
"When I enrolled in the first CCT courses in 1986 I had no idea of the tremendous change it would make in my own learning and eventually to my science teaching.
My peak experience was to be recognized by my peers in 1993 and receive the Massachusetts Cultural Council Commonwealth Award at the State House for Interpretive Science [I shared the award with Dr. Steven Jay Gould of Harvard]. At the ceremony I gave full credit to the CCT Program for the award and received congratulatory letters from Dean Chistine Armett-Kibel and w Louis Esposito, Provost, with copies sent to Sherry Penney, Fuad Safwat, and Patricia Davidson.
How did I get to a position of recognition? I did not ask for it, I saw a role for my particular experience, knowledge and mission. Upon completing the CCT program in 1989, I was determined to bring the research in cognitive learning to the level of teachers. I chose the vehicle of science education because that is my field. My thesis became the Watershed to Bay:A Raindrop Journey curriculum and Watershed Education Teaching [W.E.T.] Kit published by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
I applied theory and strategies learned during my years with the Critical and Creative Thinking Program to my professional work in environmental education. My first priority was and still is to integrate CCT into my field. The next task was to convince institutions and people to support my ideas and projects. This required presentation of ideas that furthered both their mission and my goals. It also means raising funds in a competitive environment. With my confidence gained at CCT, collaborating with others in the last five years, our team has presented in depth watershed education programs to 561 teachers and nonprofit educators.
In addition, I designed graduate courses, based on my CCT research, then connected with institutions such as Bridgewater State College, Salem State College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst to get credits and funding. Our team of instructors implemented twelve courses with more to come. To date we have influenced over 1500 teachers to change how they view and teach science. Without the CCT Program these teachers would not have been reached.
Through the Critical and Creative Thinking Program I gained confidence in my own creativity and abilities to carry out a mission of educational change. I've guided many potential applicants to the CCT Program and watched as they made a real difference in their own fields of science, art, business and other fields. I do not believe that there is any other such program in the region. CCT is a program that breaks new ground and may even be ahead of its time. I hope the "powers that be" look for ways to allow CCT to continue its vital work and not let this center of innovation and inspiration diminish."
Barbara S. Waters
former CCT student and returnee to teach several courses.
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Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2000
Dear Peter,
Since I completed my degree. I have resigned from the Palm Beach School Board to teach first grade at an exclusive private school, American Heritage School (ahschool.com). I have gone from 30 students (minimum) with very little assistance to 19 students with a full time assistant. Plus, my son will begin PreK next year for free! Since I finished my degree I've had the confidence and qualifications to venture out from a secure teaching position to a job that is emotionally less draining and have time to truly integrate and teach critical and creative thinking.
Thank you again for all your help and assistance,
Christina Cawthon
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Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000
I am currently working for a consulting co. that does customer retention and loyalty consulting/training/research and teaching CT at Mass Bay Community College.
David Zwicker
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From: "Eileen Page"
Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2000
Since I have graduated from the CCT program in Dec. 93, much has happened and I believe that my personal and professional experiences at U Mass have been directly responsible. In June of '96 I ended a 20 year elementary reading career to become a full time self-employed Handwriting Consultant. Areas of specialization include handwriting instruction, diagnostics and examination of anonymous letters and questioned documents. My critical and creative thinking skills have led me to develop 3-credit graduate level courses which are offered to other educators. I also provide in-service programs to schools and lecture internationally to other handwriting experts. My thesis entitled, "Exploring Graphokinesics Critically and Creatively" has been published and in a couple of weeks I will have a another book published entitled, "A Humanistic Approach to Penmanship."
Thank you CCT!
Eileen M. Page
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Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000
From: Elisa J Beildeck
Elisa Beildeck - currently theatre arts teacher at Taft middle school , BPS. Critical thinking in the media curriculum was highlighted in a documentary to be aired on the Discovery Channel and throughout all Maryland schools. Also, received a scholarship by the English Speaking Union for Shakespeare unit. Scholarship enabled me to study Shakespeare at the Globe theatre in London. Also, offered an adjunct position at Mass Bay community college in Wellesly to teach Critical thinking.
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From: "mkenerson"
Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2000
I could write about ways that CCT has impacted my life all day. The profound personal learning, the education and perspective have enabled me to be a pioneer in integrating leadership & organizational development with business results. I was a business person who joined the program in order to gain the credentials "to foster creativity, diversity and global perspective" in the workplace. My studies and relationships at CCT led me to Peter Senge at MIT and on to become an independent consultant and speaker focused on building Learning Organizations. I eventually refocused my attention on the integration of critical and creative thinking, emotional intelligence, whole systems design with practical business process redesign and generation of shared standards and results. (Traditional business or management consulting with organizational development/change management training)
Most recently, I have accepted a position at IDG Communications in San Francisco ( www.idg.com or www.idg.net) as the "Vice President of Big Ideas" or Strategic Business Development in some circles! It is a position where I can use all that I have learned and embodied to innovative generate results. I will be responsible for assessing the various business units, product/service offerings and all the marketing demographics to determine what opportunities exist for doing things in new and innovative ways. I will be at liberty to define the role and projects that will best contribute to revenues and future strategies. IDG's mission is to provide information on Information Technology to various target audiences worldwide through: magazines including the new Darwin, CIO, Industry Standard, InfoWorld, Computer World, PC World, Network World, etc.; IDC-the research company; book publishing (Dummies, Frommer's, Cliffnotes); Conferences, events, and training; and many websites (including HungryMinds for Online Publishing).
I see lots of opportunities to foster the creation of knowledge and new ways of marketing emphasizing networks of relationship and the synthesis and evolution of information systems, business systems and human systems to generate learning and revenues. However, this opportunity is more about "doing" than "talking about".
It is my background at CCT that gives me the perspective to be able to do such a job and the willingness of the President of my company to create this "out of the box" position. We are confident it will manifest in lots of "results."
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Date: Sat, 16 Sep
From: "Peter Galeno"
Over the past two years, I have taken a leadership role in the devlopment of a college composition textbook titled "Take Charge of Your Writing: Discovering Writing Through Self-Assessment." As the title suggests, the underlying theory of the text is grounded in the priniples of critical thinking. We view the text as a bridge to help students become more independent in their writing and thinking about their writing.
The text will be published by Houghton Mifflin and is scheduled to be released this month (book-bound copies on 9-22).
Although I worked with three of my co-workers on the development of the book, the primary concept of the text, that students need to devlop the ability to assess their own writing in order to become life-long learners, is directly related to the work I did on my CCT thesis, "A Portfolio Model for Teaching Writing and Thinking."
Peter Galeno
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Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000
From: "Jane C. Lueders"
Subject: changes in lives and careers
Jane Lueders moved overseas to Istanbul, TURKEY to teach fifth grade after finishing her CCT degree in 1992. She has become involved in implementing the International Baccalaureate Organisation's Primary Years Programme (IBO PYP). Last year she was chosen from several hundred applicants to work on creating the Science and Technology Curriculum that will be used by all of the IBO PYP schools worldwide.
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Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000
Subject: Re: changes in lives and careers
late as usual, but I've been busy as usual... I have just started as a Literacy Coordinator for an elementary school in Medford under a two-year John Silber Grant. I'll be modelling literacy lessons in the classrooms, leading workshops for teachers and parents, and coordinating other literacy projects in the building. Of course, it's my CCT background that gave me the confidence to take on this awesome task! Hope all is well. Harriet Griffin
Posting c. 1997
Twenty-two recent graduates and three advanced students have found new
opportunities to apply critical and creative thinking in a non-traditional
educational setting. Some are developing curricula for such organizations
as the New England Aquarium, WGBH-TV, and the Gardner and Peabody Museums.
Others are in industry, representing fields as diverse as nursing care
reform and corporate training, and are involved in such activities as developing
curricula on computer mediated communications and conducting assessments
of arts programs. While most are working in Massachusetts CCT students
have found employment opportunities in Israel, Turkey, Japan, and Germany.
Eleven recent graduates and seven advanced students are involved in
teaching or counseling in higher education.
Nine recent graduates and two advanced students have taken on new challenges
in teaching or counseling in schools.
Twenty-two recent graduates are either currently enrolled in doctoral
programs, or have completed them. Some of the institutions they have gone
on to include Harvard, Boston College, Brown, Columbia, Rutgers, University
of Nebraska, University of Iowa, University of Illinois. and University
of California-Los Angeles.
Nearly one hundred students have received the Master's degree since the program began in 1979. [Over 200 as of Oct. 2000] Several of this group have published books,
monographs, curricula, and poetry. Numerous graduates have won awards for
outstanding teaching. Other prestigious awards to CCT alumni include the
Commonwealth Award in the category of Interpretive Science, a Jesse Unruh
Assembly Fellowship with the California Assembly, and the Middlesex League
Wrestling Coach of the Year award.
Websites of Alums (submit additions to cct@umb.edu).
Alice Harrigan, Reflecting On Our Practice
Bill Oakes (deceased)
Catherine Weber