Beverly Bennett-Roberts – currently serves as a Professor in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, as well as serves in the capacity of Coordinator for the Early Childhood Education Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC. She also served for many years as an online Professor for graduate studies in Education at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa.

Professor Bennett-Roberts has functioned as an educational consultant and equity specialist from 1994 to the present. Some of her titles include: Diversity/Equity Consultant, Coach, Administrator, Educator, Parent Advocate, and FRIEND.

Her research covers a range of topics – with a current focus including Self-Awareness and Discovery relating to Diversity and Equitable Practices, Serving Children with Special Needs, Early Childhood Education Practices, Closing the Achievement Gap, Bullying, Parent Involvement/Family Engagement, Certified Scream-Free Parenting Facilitator, and Educational Success for “ALL” with emphasis on African-American and Latino Males.

An award winning faculty member, she regularly receives numerous requests to administer the Diversity Awareness Profile; facilitate training sessions on Workplace Diversity, Team-building, Effective Communication, Cultural Proficiency, and Cultural Sensitivity and Literacy. Ms. Bennett-Roberts is currently working on two new workshops: “Beyond the Golden Rule: It’s about the Platinum Rule!” as well as “From the Backpack to the Briefcase: Creating a College Mind-set.”

She is a former classroom teacher and middle school administrator. With four certifications in Special Education and a secondary principal’s license, Ms. Bennett Roberts has the utmost love, respect, and compassion for those dedicated to our most precious resource – “Children!” She served five years as a middle school administrator, and believes, “If you can do middle school, you can do anything!” She has trained students, educators, counselors, principals, school support staff, parents, and other educational leaders in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Canada.

Professor Pamela “P.S.” Perkins teaches Public Speaking at the University of the District of Columbia Community College where she has become an integral member of the Firebird family. She brings twenty-five years of extensive education, training and curriculum development in human communication practices into every course she teaches. Professor Perkins has also given back to the UDC community having served as a Faculty Advisor of the Artist Collective, a UDC-CC based student organization dedicated to helping students find their voice through live performance and the arts.  She is the Producer and Host of Conversations About Communication a UDC-TV program which has aired for over two years. Currently her infomercial series, InWORD OutWORD is being widely distributed to support behavioral communication healing.

P.S. is an author and co-author of numerous books dedicated to communication and several professional and personal growth periodicals. Among others, her works include the highly acclaimed business self-help book, The Art and Science of Communication: Tools for Effective Communication in the Workplace, released in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., as well as a contributing author to the books Laws of Communication, Wiley Publishers, 2009, Wake Up Women, 2009 and the e-book 77 Best Ways to Communicate in 7 Steps. She has taught numerous classes as an in demand lecturer and adjunct professor at several area institutions.

P.S. founded the Human Communication Institute (HCI), LLC, which specializes in working with people whose success depends on communication clarity. The company develops clinics on personal and professional development and performs a host of other communication based services for its clients. P.S. has personally developed countless workshops and trainings and has spoken and presented at a wide assortment of institutions, corporations and other establishments. Professor Perkins holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in Speech Communications and a Master of Arts in Human Communication in Behavioral Communication/Cross-Cultural Studies from New York University.  She is the recipient of a 2017 John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award, which she won in conjunction with being named one of three 2017 Faculty Members of the Year through the UDC-CC Employee Recognition Program. Professor Perkins holds the distinction of being the lone part-time faculty member earning such an award for 2017.

William S. Hacker, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, has a proud history at UDC-CC. Before his appointment to Associate Dean, he served as Director of Academic Support Services with the University of the District of Columbia Community College. As an educator, he has taught at Westwood College and TESST College of Technology and has taught numerous sections of various corrections based courses for UDC-CC. Additionally, he has taught general education courses to students with learning challenges within a mainstreamed inclusive classroom. Professor Hacker has earned high marks for the quality of classroom teaching, lesson plans, and instructional materials used in teaching diverse students within the criminal justice curriculum and has been a winner of multiple UDC-CC awards voted on by students and his peers.

Dr. Hacker earned his M.Ed. in Counseling and Guidance and B.A. in Administration of Justice degrees from Howard University before more recently earning his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University. Dr. Hacker has a proven track record of commended performance while teaching 10+ years, as well as providing 10+ years of service to children and families in Child Welfare and Corrections with passion for education, youth advocacy, and a commitment to optimizing student and school success via mentoring and guidance. Dean Hacker developed innovative approaches that were held as the model standard for meeting regional goals in areas including the curriculum, experiential learning, literacy, classroom observation, and diversity and continues to be a staple of customer service excellence for the University.

Professor Saundra Lamb, Esquire teaches Criminal Justice Systems, Legal Environment of Business and Criminal Procedure for the University of the District of Columbia Community College. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law, and is a retired member of the Bar. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Mrs. Lamb now resides in DC where she is a member of the Board of Directors for the Thurgood Marshall Center Trust.

Professor Lamb continues to be involved in several capacities which keep her connected to the legal and law enforcement communities. She is President and C.O.O. of Semforex, Inc., which designs and manufactures innovative ballistic apparel and body armor for law enforcement professionals. She has served as Administrator of Corporate Affairs and as General Counsel prior to being appointed to her current roles with the company.

Professor Lamb serves as an appointed member of the Governor’s Maryland Manufacturer’s Advisory Board and is the Advice Counsel for the Community Center for Social Advocacy (CCFSA) in Houston, Texas, where she was formerly the Associate Director. She is also a regular Lector at the Basilica of the National Shrine for the Immaculate Conception. Professor Lamb recently completed, Effective College Teaching, an intensive course on best practices in higher education teaching and pedagogy designed by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) with endorsement by the American Council on Education (ACE). Her completion of the course, which was facilitated by UDC-CC faculty, earned her the distinction of being named a “Dean’s Teaching Fellow” for the College.

Professor Patricia E. George has been part of the University of the District Columbia family for numerous years, both as a faculty member and a graduate student. Professor George earned her Masters of Arts in English Composition and Rhetoric from UDC where she was also highly active in the English Honor Society (Sigma Tau Delta). She graduated with honors and remained on the Dean’s list during her entire academic career at UDC. This masters was her second such degree after previously earning an MA in Education with Counseling concentration at Cal State San Bernardino where she also earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology. Recently, Professor George completed The Association of College and University Educators’ (ACUE) course on Effective College Teaching (offered through UDC-CC), thus earning an American Council on Education (ACE) recognized credential and the designation of “Dean’s Teaching Fellow.”

Before working in education, Professor George worked for several years as a counselor for the Los Angeles Job Corps and held employment as a Child Welfare Social Worker as well. Previous to her experience teaching for UDC, Professor George also managed a community college testing center. This well rounded resume makes Professor George a natural fit for the students she now teaches at UDC-CC, especially in her role teaching corequisite pairings of English Fundamentals and English Composition, thereby helping to save students valuable time towards earning a college degree.

Professor George’s acts of service, both for the institution and beyond UDC, reflect her life mission and teaching philosophy. She is a proponent of the belief that behaviors are learned and can change with education and that, “…with enough supports, anyone can learn new material and use it to communicate with others.” She has served lunch at the Bethany Programs Day Program for homeless women for roughly four years and has also served as part of a religious group for over 30 years (a group for which she also served as the recording secretary for six years taking minutes and providing administrative support). An avid writer and reader, Professor George has also received writing prizes for her analytical essays; she enjoys reading poetry, short stories, and numerous other varied sources of knowledge—including many magazines and other periodicals to which she subscribes.

Professor Brenda E. Brown-Mangum is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and winner of multiple faculty awards, including the UDC College of Arts and Science Outstanding Professor of the Year Award (2007). She has served as the Chair of the UDC Faculty Senate (NEA) for six years, and currently serves as the Vice Chair. She is a life time member of Phi Delta Kappa, and was the last president of the UDC chapter. Professor Brown earned a Master of Science in Pure Mathematics from Howard University and a Bachelor Degree in Mathematics from Fisk University. Additionally, Professor Brown has completed graduate course work at The Kellogg Institute on Developmental Education at Appalachian State University as well as substantial doctoral level courses in Education, both from Walden University’s  Riley College of Education and Grambling State University (via courses offered at UDC).

Professor Brown’s early experience in mathematics education came as a result of her work as a Graduate Assistant at Howard University and serving as a Mathematics Specialist at Lambda Corporation. Brenda also worked for the Ministry of Education in Niger State, Nigeria as a Mathematics and Science Coordinator at the West Africa Educational Research Center and in conjunction with UNICEF and UNESCO on a learning improvement project—ultimately serving as Coordinator of its First Annual Arts and Science Fair. Further, she served as a Mathematics Coordinator and Teacher at the University of Maryland’s Pre-college Program before later embarking on a lengthy career at the University of the District of Columbia throughout its many incarnations. Professor Brown’s extensive experience in the area of developmental education has been evidenced in her service to the University where she has occupied numerous coordinator and director roles within its Developmental Education Program.

Professor Brown currently teaches multiple sections of Intermediate Algebra and General College Math I and II. Since 2006, her work with the Gateway Academic Program (GAP), in conjunction with fellow trainer and UDC Professor Dr. Daryao Khatri, has yielded noteworthy results towards closing the gaps many underprepared students bring with them upon entrance into higher education institutions. The program caught the attention of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who have supported its merit as a program which frequently enables its participants to enter college and find greater success with mathematics. Professor Brown and Dr. Khatri were featured on the cover of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine in October of 2009 (Vol 26, No. 18) and in several other noteworthy publications, such as the Washington Post, explaining how summer programs and other similar interventions utilized by GAP can save students time on money from having to take non-credited remedial courses, thus increasing their chances to attain a college degree.

Professor Ella Marilyn Williams rejoined the mathematics faculty in 2013 after serving several years as a Math Learning Specialist and Adjunct Professor for UDC prior to her relatively recent return as a faculty member. Professor Williams’ love of teaching math and working with the underserved has been the impetus for working beyond her retirement years. Her extensive math experience spans over fifteen years with UDC and over thirty years as a mathematics teacher in the District of Columbia Public Schools as well. During her tenure as a public school math teacher, Ms. Williams was recognized for six years in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers for her teaching practices.

Professor Williams’ helpful nature and disposition make her a natural fit for students seeking extra help in the Center for Academic and Career Education (CACE), where she can regularly be found providing supplemental instruction for UDC-CC students. With her return to the classroom at UDC-CC, Professor Williams has become a sought out “go-to” faculty member teaching such courses as Intermediate Algebra, Basic Mathematics, General College Mathematics, and the corequisite pairing of Intro to Algebra with General College Mathematics.

Ms. Williams’ career in education began at Bennett College (Greensboro, NC). There she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education (Mathematics Concentration). Later, she would earn a Master’s degree at North Carolina University. At Trinity University and the University of the District of Columbia, Professor Williams would continue her education with post graduate work in mathematics. In the fall of 2017, Ms. Williams completed training in The Association of College and University Educators’ (ACUE) course on Effective College Teaching, thus earning the designation of “Dean’s Teaching Fellow” and this noteworthy American Council on Education (ACE) recognized credential.

Bushra Ahmad Saeed is currently serving as the Division Director of the Nursing, Allied Health, Life and Physical Sciences programs at UDC-CC. In addition to her Director role, she enjoys teaching Biological Science and Fundamentals of Chemistry Lab courses at the college where she serves as a key role model for many of its students. Professor Saeed has a strong passion to see underrepresented students, particularly in STEM, become educated and enter the work force highly prepared. Hence, she is a member of the District of Columbia STEM network, and annually hosts “Women in STEM” forums at UDC-CC. This actively engaging platform exposes students to accomplished women across a multitude of STEM fields (from NASA, Health institutes, FDA, etc.).

Dr. Saeed completed her Masters in Biotechnology (gold medalist) and her Ph.D. in molecular Biotechnology from the University of Karachi. She is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her Post Doctorate research from Cornell University in Bio-nanotechnology.

Dr. Saeed has authored numerous research articles which have been published in peer-reviewed research journals. She has published on Stem Cells, micropropagation and development of new molecular diagnostic techniques for virus indexing. Professor Saeed was recently named a “Dean’s Teaching Fellow” at UDC-CC, having completed The Association of College and University Educators’ (ACUE) comprehensive course on Effective College Teaching.

Dr. Serita R. Kelsey has taught Principles of Psychology since the summer of 2015 for the University of the District of Columbia Community College. Shortly before this time, Professor Kelsey also taught several courses over multiple semesters at the UDC main campus, including Developmental Psychology, Critical Skills Developmental Psychology, Psychology of Adjustment, and Juvenile Justice. A proud alumna of Morgan State University, Serita earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology, a Master of Science in Education and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership—all from Morgan State.

For a number of years, Professor Kelsey has taught Writing for the Social Sciences, an eight week online course offered by the College of Professional Studies (Department of Behavior Sciences) at Bowie State University. Dr. Kelsey is the Principle Director for her grant-writing, training and technical assistance consulting business Roselyn Associates, primarily providing services to not-for-profit organizations.

Professor Kelsey is nationally certified as an online educator by Quality Matters (QM), through UDC’s Center for the Advancement of Learning Professional Development. She was additionally named a “Dean’s Teaching Fellow” at UDC-CC, having recently completed a twenty-five (25) week national training program created by The Association of College and University Educators’ (ACUE) course on Effective College Teaching. As a result of her QM training, Dr. Kelsey developed the first (peer-reviewed) Principles of Psychology online course, which she teaches.

Professor Laurence Covington is a native Washingtonian. He holds a BA in English and an MA in Rhetoric and Composition from the University of the District of Columbia. Professor Covington has taught for the UDC English Department for well over a decade and served for five years as its Program Coordinator. He was instrumental in creating the UDC-CC corequisite design for English—a model for which he also teaches. He added the title of “Dean’s Teaching Fellow” to his already impressive resume by completing training in The Association of College and University Educators’s (ACUE) course on Effective College Teaching, thus earning a highly coveted credential with certification recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE). Professor Covington is a certified Online Instructor, a designation he earned in 2012 while working for the College of Arts and Sciences at UDC.

Professor Covington began teaching as an adjunct professor in the Workforce Development program in the Community College. His lengthy background in broadcast journalism allows him to convey the importance of the lessons he teaches in the classroom by connecting them to the industry. Prior to coming to UDC, he was a broadcast journalist beginning his career at Howard University Radio (WHUR) as a student reporter. He also was employed as a manuscript editor and program evaluator for the Publishing firm Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich in New York City before it was acquired by the General Cinema Corporation. While serving as an assistant to the Director of Public Relations at the Joint Center for Political Studies, he wrote and edited the center’s “Focus Magazine.” Professor Covington was employed as a reporter by the Washington Bureau of Newhouse News Service and as a news anchor for WTOP radio and television. In addition, he served as a reporter and talk show host for WTTG (Channel 5) Metromedia’s “Ten O’Clock News.”

Professor Covington maintains his university service as a Senate Faculty member. In addition, he continues to champion black males across the District, both from within the Community College and for those outside of its doors. He serves as a faculty mentor and advocate for UDC-CC students participating in its Male Achievement Program (MAP). The MAP is an academic success program which focuses on leadership, scholarship, financial security, entrepreneurship and employability. In addition, the professor is active in the community as a tennis professional with his Tennis For All program which focuses on introducing young children, ten and under to the game of tennis with academic components in English and Math. This program has been servicing the community for more than ten years. These kinds of experiential learning events have also resulted in numerous UDC students from Professor Covington’s classes being permitted the opportunity to learn how to trap shoot. In conjunction with champion shooter and UDC Professor John Kirksey, who spearheaded the program, Professor Covington has brought his students to Prince George’s County Trap and Skeet Center to also learn how to shoot and compete with other students at various institutions. Professor Covington is retiring from his full-time position at UDC in 2023, but continues his service as an Adjunct Professor.

Professor Lauren Grimes is a foreign diplomacy analyst, political science professor, and youth advocate. She attained her Bachelor of Art in Sociology at the University of Maryland and her Master of Public Policy degree at George Mason University. Ms. Grimes serves as a Program Analyst for the U.S. Department of State where she conducts policy and program work for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. As a native of Washington, D.C., Professor Grimes takes pride in dedicating herself to giving back to her community. Locally, she serves as Vice Chair of the Marshall Heights Civic Association and as Founder of “The Community Enrichment Project,” a youth civic engagement organization that focuses on providing community-based solutions to socio-economic issues in Wards 7 and 8 in Washington D.C.

After earning her M.P.P. degree, Mrs. Grimes was inspired to teach and began instructing as a Political Science professor at Trinity Washington University and the University of the District of Columbia. Professor Grimes has taught several courses for UDC in various formats across the institution’s multiple campuses. Her tireless work within her community, as well as her experiences abroad, have helped Mrs. Grimes expand her impact as she inspires others to give back to their local communities. She is a member of numerous other professional and community organizations and programs, including The Wilson Center’s Women in Public Service Project, Young Government Leaders, the Ward 7 D.C. Department of Behavioral Health Prevention Council, and the D.C. Young Democrats Policy Committee.

Professor Grimes regularly speaks at conferences and on panels sharing her impactful community based work to larger audiences. She recently authored and published an academic article “The Effect of the Digital Age on African American Identity and Political Participation” in The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs and is currently working on a forthcoming article “Practicing Democracy in Urban Settings: A Case Study on Increasing Political Participation in Washington D.C.’s Underserved Communities (Re-Imagining a 21st Century Democracy Journal).” Professor Grimes aspires to continue to pursue grassroots efforts and public policy changes to enhance civic awareness—within her community and around the world.

Professor Autherine Smith Scholl has taught a host of courses concerning the law, justice, and human relations for the University of the District of Columbia. She has particular expertise in Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bankruptcy Law and Litigation, Mortgage Foreclosure Litigation, and Juvenile Justice. She is a graduate of the Temple Beasley School of Law and Talladega College and has served internships at the Pennsylvania Bureau of Consumer Protection and in the Office of the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission.

For more than two decades, Professor Smith Scholl maintained an active litigation practice in the areas of bankruptcy law and consumer protection and housing litigation, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including stints as a supervising attorney at Community Legal Services, and, then as a senior associate at a major Philadelphia Banking firm. Professor Smith Scholl has extensive experience as an arbitrator in the Philadelphia County Court Common Pleas’ Civil Trial Division, and, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She is a certified mediator in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and in the Civil Division of the District of Columbia Superior Court in Washington, DC.

Professor Smith Scholl is a frequent continuing legal education lecturer on mediation and ethics issues and has taught courses in Bankruptcy Law and Commercial Litigation at the Rutgers University School of Law in Camden, New Jersey, and at the Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, DE. She is an active member of the Bars of the United States District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Washington, DC. Professor Smith Scholl was recently appointed to the New Jersey State Agricultural Mediation Panel.

Professor John Kirksey

John Kirksey graduated from Bowie state in 1989 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. After teaching elementary and high school music for three years he joined the U.S. Navy in 1993.  While in the Navy music program, Mr. Kirksey attended mortuary school at Delgado College in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mr. Kirksey completed the mortuary program in 1998 and returned home to the Washington DC area to pursue a mortuary career.

After working at several prestigious firms in the Washington DC area, Mr. Kirksey was asked to join the staff at the University of the District of Columbia in 2011. Since then, Professor Kirksey has taught Embalming, Restorative Art, History and Sociology of Funeral Service, Psychology of Grief and Funeral Service Management. He currently serves as the acting program director of mortuary science. On April 10, 2019, at the Annual Meeting of the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), in Miami, Florida, the UDC-CC Mortuary Science Program was granted a three-year initial accreditation. UDC-CC is the home of the only accredited Mortuary Science Program in the District. Professor Kirksey is a champion skeet shooter and has introduced the sport to scores of students. He is also an accomplished bass player.

Dr. Stella Obianuju Akpuaka, DNP, FNP-BC, RN, is an Associate Professor of Nursing at UDC-CC where she teaches courses in Mental Health and Foundations of Nursing Theory. Dr. Akpuaka, a Nurse Practitioner, earned her Doctorate at Carlow University and both her Masters of Science in Health Services Leadership & Management and Masters of Science in Health Care Administration from the University of Maryland. Before her numerous graduate degrees, however, Dr. Akpuaka started her academic journey by first earning an AAS from Cameron University, followed by a BS in Nursing from Bowie State University.

Dr. Akpuaka has published numerous articles, most recently three of which have appeared in The Journal of National Black Nurses Association and its NBNA Special Issue. Her research focuses on nurse education and the program accreditation process, as well as knowledge and perceptions of prostate cancer among Nigerian male immigrants. Professor Akpuaka is a native of Urumkpu Village, Umuoji in Idemmili Local Government Area of Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria. She has served multiple terms as the Vice President of Anambra State Association in the Americas Inc. Women’s Wing (ASAWW). She has also previously served as the association’s provost.

Professor Alex Jalinous brings the ideal blend of academic knowledge and “real world” experience to every class he teaches. After receiving his Bachelor’s from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Jalinous secured numerous system administration and network engineering positions in the field. He would later earn his Masters of Science Degree in Telecommunications from the University of Colorado, while continuing his career as a Network Consultant with numerous industry certifications earned along the way. Professor Jalinous began his teaching career as an instructor of Computer Network Management, as well as Data Base Management and Data Communications across several different institutions for corporate clients; he accepted his first academic teaching position as an Adjunct Instructor at University of California, (Riverside, California) teaching a Computer Networking class in the Telecommunications Department.

Over the course of his career, Professor Jalinous has taught multiple on-ground, asynchronous, and synchronous online courses with focus on Information Technology, including courses at several different higher educational institutions in and around the District. At UDC-CC, Jalinous initiated the efforts to start the Cisco Network Academy—for which he now teaches. He is currently working to develop several other Information Technology courses, such as Linux Server Management, Cyber Security and Windows Server Management, for inclusion into a new Information Technology program he is helping to design for UDCCC.

Dr. Sandra Jowers-Barber, a native of Atlantic City, NJ, is Director of the Humanities Division and Associate Professor of History at the University of the District of Columbia Community College. She is the host of UDC Forum on the University’s cable television station. Sandra received her BA in English, MA in Public History and PhD in United States History, from Howard University.  She is serving a four year appointed term as a commissioner on the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site Advisory Commission, and is a member of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the Association of Black Women Historians and Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.  Her research interest focuses on documenting and interpreting the history of the African American deaf community.

Dr. Jowers-Barber speaks frequently on the importance of oral history in documenting the African American experience.  Her chapter “The Struggle to Educate Black Deaf School Children in Washington, DC” in A Fair Chance in the Race of Life: Gallaudet University’s Role in Deaf History explores the struggle of African American deaf school age children for an education in the District. This anthology, published by Gallaudet University Press, celebrates 150 years of deaf education in Washington, D.C. “Educating Washington’s Black Deaf Children in the Nineteenth Century”,   and her chapter in Emerging Scholars Shifting Paradigms: Black Women’s Scholarship, documents the struggle to establishment a school for the deaf in the District. Her article, “Teaching the African Diaspora: Using History to Connect People” for the internet publication VidaAfrolatina.com explores how teaching in an international classroom provides opportunities for students to experience informative exchanges between different cultures in an academic arena. Her chapter, “The African-American Family: Giving the Gift of Roots and Wings” is included in the publication Family Affair: African American Identity in the 21st Century.  Her biographical entry on the “The National Black Deaf Advocates” is found in the Encyclopedia of American Disability.

Dr. Cherie Ward teaches Foundations of Oral Communications and engages her students by encouraging them to bring their interests to life into the classroom and during their presentations. She has been working in the fields of radio, television and film for more than 20 years and draws on her interests and experiences to help communicate the state of the profession to her students. A former “Miss District of Columbia,” and representative in the coveted Miss America Pageant, her professional poise is enhanced by her educational and professional successes. Dr. Ward possesses a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism and a Master of Arts and Teaching degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Howard University where she also completed her doctorate at in Communication, Culture and Media Studies, with a specialization in Educational Media Content and Production. Her dissertation, “Using Poetry as a Communication Multimodality to Encourage Reading Engagement in Selected African-American Learners: A Case Study,” was a way for her to continue the literacy discussion of using multimedia technology and its importance in educating African-American students, and multicultural students in general, using diverse texts. She was named Poet Laureate for the DC City Council 2021 – 2023 and recently published her book, By The Rubric of Rhythm. Her certification as a Reading Specialist, coupled with frontline experience as an Instructor of English for District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), illustrates her dedication to children, research, and literacy achievement.

In addition to being a performance poet, Dr. Ward is also a writer for the Howard University on-line research magazine and served as executive producer and co-founder for TEDxHowardUniversity and has continued with TEDxLeDroitPark and TEDxBrookland. Her first self-published book, Cherie Ward-One Voice: Empowerment Poetry Echoing Realities of Life, was produced for an hour television special on WHMM-TV32 (now WHUT- Howard University Television) and was nominated for a Gracie Award. Dr. Ward has also developed a number of lauded media programs, including Lumumba’s Playground (the pilot for a half-hour children’s educational television show) and Laughing and Learning with Language (educational products for Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts and Math S.T.R.E.A.M.). She is currently currently producing a six-episode pilot series for her educational children’s show, Lumumba’s Playground.

Dr. Ward is credited with building the Jim Vance Media Studio Center at Archbishop Carroll High School and continues as the director of the program; she was honored with an Apple Award from The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The award honors women who have given distinctive service in education and was presented to Dr. Ward in recognition of her role in directing the school’s Jim Vance Media Center and Program and its successful studio grand opening in March of 2020.

Professor Sylvia Tognetti has taught World Physical, Cultural and Regional Geography courses for UDC since 2011. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies from The George Washington University and an MA in Geography from the University of Maryland. Professor Tognetti is also a consultant on environmental science & policy matters and has worked with a variety of non-profits and multi-lateral organizations regarding policies centered on land, water and climate change.

Prior to attending graduate school, Sylvia held positions at the National Academies of Sciences – National Research Council and the former Congressional Office of Technology Assessment. More recently, she served as a Senior Advisor for the National Academy of Public Administration, working on projects centered on water affordability for the EPA as well as organizational assessment for DOI Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Her work has resulted in numerous reports and publications, including a chapter in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, for which she worked as a lead author. An ecosystems conservation and restoration advocate, Professor Tognetti consistently uses her voice to help develop strategies for increased private and public support of such initiatives.

Professor Erik Branson brings a wealth of real world and academic experience to the University of the District of Columbia. Having taught forensic and criminal investigation based courses at numerous institutions of higher education in the DC area, Professor Branson also brings with him a wide range of professional experience in his discipline as well. Having worked many years for the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia as a General Manager, Professor Branson has a wide range of knowledge regarding policy development, crime scene management, internal affairs investigation, patrol management, community policing, use of force studies in cooperation with the Department of Justice, and many more valuable and relevant content areas he is able to bring into his classrooms.

Professor Branson Earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of California at Davis and his Masters of Forensic Sciences at George Washington University where he has also taught Forensic Science as an adjunct professor. Recently, Professor Branson also completed a certificate program at Georgetown University in Forensic Accounting. This program analyzes the elements of fraud identification in financial reporting and teaches the requisite skills to develop evidence in supporting fraud claims through litigation and expert testimony techniques. His vast research areas of interest include civil disturbance, protest movements, evolution of police training, evidence and the courts, and analytics and online privacy issues.

Professor Stella Ayika was voted one of two UDC-CC full-time Faculty Members of the Year for 2017 through its Employee Recognition Program. An eternally upbeat, cheerful and effective assistant professor, Stella Ayika was also selected to represent UDC-CC on a national stage as a 2017 John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Awards recipient. The awards took place in Maryland during the League for Innovation in the Community College’s Innovations Conference in March of 2018 and specifically recognized her teaching impact upon future nurses at the University.

As a registered nurse, Professor Ayika’s personal philosophy centers upon the saying, “each one teach one” as well as mantras similar in nature to “no student left behind” emanating from her early experiences as a young Nigerian girl dreaming of becoming an RN in the Unites States of America. Having realized that dream, and now having taught at UDC-CC for over seven years, Stella Ayika has taken pride in watching initially underprepared students blossom into exceptional and safe practitioners under her careful watch. Professor Ayika is a graduate of UDC as well, having earned her Associate in Nursing while placing on the Dean’s list every semester from 1998-2001. Stella also obtained both her Bachelors and Masters in Nursing from the University of Phoenix and is also enrolled in a doctoral program at American Sentinel University focusing on Educational Leadership. She has refined her own teaching methods, evidenced recently by completing certification in the ACE credentialed ACUE course in Effective Teaching Practices earlier this semester (thus becoming a “Dean’s Teaching Fellow”). Stella also keeps herself abreast of current nursing practices by working part-time as a float nurse at Medstar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC).

Professor Robin L. Cook is a winner of the President’s Executive Cabinet Award in Teaching (Academic Year 2016-2017). She was named a “Dean’s Teaching Fellow” having completed training in The Association of College and University Educators’s (ACUE) course on Effective College Teaching, thus earning a highly coveted credential with certification recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE). She was instrumental in helping to create the corequisite model for mathematics currently utilized at the University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC), which helps to alleviate some of the burdens many students face while learning prerequisite mathematics. Currently, Professor Cook has worked with colleagues to create Associates of Applied Science degrees in Natural Science with concentrations in Math, Biology and Chemistry and she is part of the Guided Math Pathways team. She often teaches corequisite Math (Intro to Algebra and General College Math I), as well as General College Math II, Finite Math, Intermediate Algebra, and Precalculus (I & II).

As a native Washingtonian, Robin’s passion for math emerged as early as the seventh grade. After many struggles with algebra (and heavy tutoring sessions with her instructor), she became confident enough to help many of her struggling peers. It was then she realized her desire to become an educator prompting her to excel and later earn Salutatorian honors of her high school class. Professor Cook earned both her BS in Mathematics (Secondary Education) and her MS in Teaching Mathematics from UDC. Robin has served as the Program Coordinator for mathematics at UDC-CC for several years and was recently named the Acting Division Director of MITE (Mathematics, IT and Engineering). Robin is highly active in several service capacities at the college and university. Outside of UDC, Professor Cook is an active volunteer tutoring math at her church and for ten years served as Principal at a local Christian school. Her passion for education is evidenced by her more than thirty-five years of experience as a versatile educator of students from elementary school through college.

Professor Charlene Hamlin started her career at University of the District of Columbia as a Visiting Professor taking the place of Dr. Anderson while on Sabbatical leave. After Dr. Anderson’s return, Professor Hamlin continued to work for an additional year at the Community College on the Van Ness Campus—prior to its relocation at its current North Capitol location.

When not teaching at the Backus or Van Ness campus, Professor Hamlin can often be found in the UDC-CC Center for Academic and Career Education (CACE) helping students become more successful in mathematics. In this highly rewarding position, Professor Hamlin is able to use her diverse skill set teaching and reinforcing multiple concepts from arithmetic through algebra, as well as to explain various concepts from other higher level mathematics courses.

Before coming to UDC, Ms. Hamlin taught for many years at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School in Washington, DC. During her service at Woodrow Wilson, Ms. Hamlin served for two years as the Mathematics Department Head as well as a Senior Class Sponsor for four years and a Cheerleading Coach for an additional eight years. Professor Hamlin holds a Bachelor of Science in Math Education from Virginia State University and a Master of Science for Teachers (MST) in Mathematics from George Washington University.

Dr. Peter Michael Plourde began his career in education as a mathematics teacher in his native city of Lowell, Massachusetts, teaching and designing the Lowell Alternative High School Program for students at-risk of dropping out of school. Before coming to UDC, he served seven years as a full-time Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Northeastern University (NU) within a highly innovative first-year program known as Foundation Year in its College of Professional Studies. Professor Plourde taught as an adjunct professor at ten different Massachusetts colleges and universities. At NU, he also taught Math Methods courses for the Graduate School of Education (GSE), and in the summer of 2023 accepted a part-time faculty position with NU’s GSE designing curriculum and adjoining sessions for those NU students looking to pass the Mass MTEL tests in mathematics for both middle and high school and become certified teachers. Dr. Plourde’s NU doctoral dissertation, Increasing STEM degree attainment for underrepresented populations, has been a cornerstone adding to his work as a regular featured speaker and performer at over 100 colleges and universities while centering on incorporating Hip Hop culture into STEM and STEAM curriculum and programs and was a highlighted dissertation (with no recommended changes) which NU featured and converted for poster presentation as an exemplar for incoming doctoral students.

At UDC, Dr. Plourde is Director of Faculty Development for the UDC-CC Office of Academic Affairs and is an Associate Professor of Mathematics. He has taught multiple mathematics courses for the flagship campus as well as the community college while looking to identify best teaching practices across the campuses. Professor Plourde has served as the facilitator of the Association of College and University Educators’ (ACUE) course on Effective College Teaching helping to certify approximately fifty colleagues across UDC. He chairs grade appeal hearings for the College and serves on the Academic Hearing Committee for the University. Dr. Plourde is also the liaison for both Achieving the Dream and The League For Innovation and its awards program and serves as the faculty advisor for the UDC Artist Collective. He helped develop UDC’s AS in Quantum Literacy, the first of its kind, and is a subject matter expert of the NSF funded Quantum STEAM (QuSTEAM) Team.

Professor Plourde (AKA “Professor Lyrical”) is a well-known rap recording artist, spoken word poet, and Hip Hop personality whose music is distributed by Sony Orchard. He won the “Pitch & Flow” sustainable rap battle at the Kennedy Center within a month of moving to the DMV, which paired dope conscious rappers with successful CEOs of green technology based corporations helping to pitch their corporate missions to wider audiences while staying in alignment with UN sustainability goals.  He recently recorded a video for his single, NO, at the Backus campus featuring UDC’s Professor Pearsall, Dr. Yeoman and recent alum and mentee, Christian Sutton. Dr. Plourde is regularly invited to speak and perform at regional and national conferences and has also been a part of three Tedx Talks, including one at Howard University (LeDroit Park), developed by UDC’s own Dr. Ward. The “Professor” has been featured in scores of media and has recorded dozens of records over his career. He was recently featured on a segment of NBC Washington (NBCUniversal4) regarding how he incorporates Hip Hop into math education. Utilizing these skills, UDC (via CAL) had Pro create a promotional Blackboard rap video explaining Blackboard Ultra. “Lyrical” appeared with his wife, Nicole, as a contestant on the Wheel of Fortune after Nicole auditioned at UDC when the show toured the area searching for contestants.

Dr. S. Isaiah Harvin (Shelley) is a professor of philosophy at the University of the District of Columbia Community College, where he teaches Introduction to Logic and Introduction to Social Ethics and Critical Reasoning. Dr. Harvin received his BS (Business Administration) from St. Augustine’s University and both his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Howard University School of Divinity.

Born in North Carolina and Raised in Virginia, he has been an active member of the church and the community since moving to DC in 1995. He currently serves as a mentor for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., however, it was at Howard where Dr. Harvin first developed a passion for “investing into the lives of the next generation,” thus prompting him to continue his education while helping to serve as a role model for countless others whom he has taught and mentored along the way.

Albert J. Pearsall III, MBA (UDC), was honored by his peers in 2017 who voted him as one of two UDC-CC full-time Faculty Members of the Year through its Employee Recognition Program. This honor was recently reinforced by an additional committee based selection to have Pearsall represent UDC-CC on a national stage as a recipient of a 2017 John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award. Additionally, Professor Pearsall was named 2019 Excellence In Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Educator of the Year, and more recently an ACBS (Accreditation Council for Schools of Business) 2022 Teaching Excellence Award (Region 2, Associate Degree Category) recipient.

A Half of Fame member and 11th dan in Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do, Pearsall, a native Washingtonian, is a homegrown role-model committed to the ideals of self-betterment and discipline—constantly improving himself as an educator. Professor Pearsall, a “Dean’s Teaching Fellow,” and Business and Personal Finance instructor at UDC-CC, completed training during 2018 in The Association of College and University Educators’s (ACUE) course on Effective College Teaching, thus earning a highly coveted credential with certification recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE). He continues to hone his craft through participation in numerous professional development opportunities at UDC, many provided by the Center for Advanced Teaching and Learning. He is currently the President of the UDC Faculty Association – National Education Association.

Known for adeptly incorporating technology into his numerous business courses, Professor Pearsall utilizes various technological implementations into his courses—many of which he has presented in service to UDC-CC faculty during faculty development days to excellent critical feedback. He created the 2017 Business Division Essay Contest for UDC Community College students, which asked participants to critically consider factors which affected their respective choices to attend UDC-CC while pursuing a business degree, as well as how important they considered resultant entrepreneurs and businesses to the economic welfare of minority communities. During the spring semester of 2018, Pearsall spearheaded a unique experiential learning opportunity for nearly fifty UDC students, faculty, and staff by providing a private viewing of Marvel’s historic Black Panther at Landmark Theater on its opening day. This event included a post movie discussion at UDC-CC, as well as a reflection assignment on the impact of the film and its historical and cultural significance. Professor Pearsall developed the event as a forum for Black excellence, identity and esteem building, as well as a public speaking and civil discourse opportunity for UDC students.

Pearsall has taken the floor at District of Columbia Financial Literacy Council Meetings where he has finely represented UDC by describing a partnership he helped to develop between UDC and Guardian Life Insurance Company—where he brought students to participate in the process as well. Six additional students visited Guardian with him in the fall, thus allowing them access to executives of a Fortune 250 financial services firm. Pearsall subsequently developed and launched a successful Personal Finance hybrid course (BSEF 214) in 2017, which was required to meet the quality metrics established under the Quality Matters peer-review process.

Professor Rodney Parks is an invaluable member of the University of the District of Columbia. A former student at UDC, his service extends well beyond the confines of the campus. Professor Parks is perhaps better known as Officer Parks, after serving as a dedicated member of the Metropolitan Police Department for decades. In his career with the MPD, he rapidly rose through the ranks with promotions to Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Commander, and culminating as Assistant Chief of the Professional Development Bureau. Post retirement, he has worked as Assistant Chief of the Metro Transit Police and, of course, as an educator at UDC and for several other institutions which have sought out his expertise as a faculty member and lecturer.

His career with the MPD included assignments at five of the seven Patrol Districts in the city, working with specialized units such as; Traffic Division, Disciplinary Review Division, Office of the Chief of Police, Homicide Branch, Police Academy, Audit and Compliance, Internal Affairs, and the Criminal Investigations Division. It is perhaps no surprise that Professor Park’s experience as a faculty member for UDC-CC has included an equally impressive wide array of courses aligning with his vast professional experience. Our students have benefited from his wisdom in numerous sections of courses he has taught, including: Criminology, Contemporary Police Systems & Problems, First Year Seminar, Criminal Procedure, Geo-Spatioal Analysis, and Investigations.

Parks was educated in the DC area and graduated from Spingarn High School. He earned both his Bachelors and Masters of Science in Management from John Hopkins University. Professor Parks is also a graduate of the 201^st Session of the FBI National Academy and currently serves as an Executive Fellow for the Police Foundation. An avid sports fan and family man, he has gone on to coach numerous youth sports teams and still finds time to volunteer at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Professor Rosett Beck, MSN, RN, is an Assistant Visiting Professor of Nursing now serving in her second year in the role. Professor Beck teaches Maternal Newborn Nursing Theory/Practicum and Nursing Care of Child Theory/Practicum. She recently traveled to Africa and has done work with the Teenage Pregnancy Women International (TPWI) located there and looks to incorporate their work into her courses within the AASN program.

Professor Beck received her baccalaureate nursing degree at Howard University and her Master’s in Nursing Education from Drexel University. Professor Beck is currently attending Notre Dame of Maryland as a student in its Education and Leadership Doctoral Program and has advanced to the Ph.D. candidacy stage to complete her dissertation requirements. She aspires to perfect her teaching and instruction and to conduct research in nursing education to better serve nursing students and the nursing program.

Professor Beck had the opportunity to recently travel to Ghana with her daughter’s African dance team and was able to connect and develop a partnership with Teenage Pregnancy Women International (TPWI) that provides newborn, postpartum nursing care, and lactation education while striving to empower women, especially single mothers, to become self-sufficient.

Dr. Almala earned his Doctor of Education, researching Higher Education with concentration in Community College Education (2004), and his Master of Science in Applied and Engineering Physics at George Mason University (1995). Also holding a BS in Physics with a minor in mathematics, Dr. Almala was previously employed as a certified high school math and physics teacher for 10 years in private and public schools in Virginia and Maryland. He went on to assume various other academic roles, which include Dean; Professor of Education, Mathematics and Science (online and on-ground); Adjunct Professor of Higher Education; and Adjunct Professor of Physics and Mathematics at various community colleges—including UDC-CC.

Dr. Almala has published several articles in national and international journals, magazines, and presented workshops in national and international conferences. He has served on national, regional, and programmatic accreditation committees, and has performed the educational review process for several accredited institutions.

Dr. Almala has designed, developed, and implemented undergraduate and graduate STEM courses and programs in K-12 schools and institutions of higher education—including work he continues to be involved in at UDC/UDC-CC. He has been a driving force behind the creation efforts at UDC to develop the world’s first AS degree in Quantum Literacy.

Dr. Anil Pyakuryal was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal (Base of Mt. Everest), where he “ascended” to earn his Master of Science in Physics at Tribhuvan University, specializing in solid state physics and electronics. Not long after, Dr. Pyakuryal would earn an additional Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale followed by a PhD in Physics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. A Training Award Fellow in Radiotherapy/Dosimetry, conducting post-doctoral work in Cancer Research, he brough his talents to the DMV working with the National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Pyakuryal’s extensive research has been featured for well over a decade in scores of publications including a dozen peer-reviewed journals highlighting effective methodologies in cancer treatment using radiation therapy and in-house built novel software. Likewise, he holds professional memberships in the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physicist in Medicine (AAPM) and is an active article reviewer for a multitude of journals in radiation oncology physics and bio-medical science. He has held numerous academic positions at multiple institutions in Illinois and the DMV, including serving as an adjunct faculty member at UDC/UDC-CC since 2015.  Over the last eight years, Dr. Pyakuryal has maintained a strong teaching skillset—instructing various courses across the UDC campus in diversified fields such as Physical and Biological sciences, Engineering Sciences, Biotechnology, and Electrical Engineering.

Rhonda Heard Dickens is an Assistant Professor at the University of the District of Columbia Community College, where she has been a member of the faculty since 2015 teaching law-related coursework in the Criminology degree program. Her expertise is working with young people and teaching the foundational legal principles that are required for students seeking a profession in law enforcement and corrections.

Before becoming a professor, she practiced law with the Washington, D.C. office of Dickstein Shapiro LLP. She represented matters from civil litigation to government relations compliance.  Her pro bono work helped to reconnect displaced refugees during the conflict in Rwanda, mentor youth at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and draft temporary protection orders for domestic violence victims. She also served as the judicial intern for the late Chief Judge Eugene Hamilton at Superior Court in Washington, D.C.  As a judicial intern, she communicated with court personnel and United States Marshals in presenting defendants scheduled for trial, as well as, stepping back defendants into custody. She researched and wrote legal memoranda, drafted motions and orders in all types of local court matters, involving complex family law cases, and criminal matters, including post-conviction motions and related civil matters such as petitions for extraordinary relief filed by or on behalf of sentenced inmates, pretrial detainees, probation violators, and other litigants.

Professor Dickens has held presentations for her Criminal Procedure and Criminal Justice Systems courses where a representative from D.C. Public Defender Service conducts a presentation on the Criminal Law Internship Program. Her former student joins the presentation to share her experience as an Intern to becoming an Investigator.  Her Conflicts Resolution and Mediation course engages students with practical applications by training and participating in mock mediations.

She holds a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University.

Dr. Abe A. Vasquez is an Assistant Professor of Criminology at the University of the District of Columbia Community College. He served as an Adjunct Professor since 2019, until becoming appointed as Visiting Assistant Professor of Criminology in 2021 as the first full-time faculty member within the department at the Community College. In addition to his role at UDC-CC, he serves as an Adjunct Professor of Criminology for Southern New Hampshire University. A sample of multiple sections of courses he has taught includes Juvenile Justice, Community Policing, Geo-Spatial Analysis, Dynamics of Human Relations, Contemporary Police Systems, Criminal Investigation, and Cultural Awareness in Criminal Justice among others.

Dr. Vasquez was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Arlington, Virginia.  In 1995, The Washington Post published an article on him entitled “The Challenge of a Changing Student Body.” The article described the many hardships faced by members of his own Hispanic community.

Dr. Vasquez entered the Air Force in July of 2002 as a Security Forces Apprentice. He was highly active over his sixteen years of military service having served eight years abroad with numerous deployments all over the world. Honorably, Dr. Vasquez has served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Inherent Resolve while holding positions such as Base Defense Operations Center Controller, Police Services Section Leader, and Executive Security Member among many others.

Continuing his education online while deployed on active duty, led to Abe becoming “Dr. Vasquez.” The subject of Dr. Vasquez’ thesis is titled “Racial Profiling in Northern Virginia Against Hispanic Males.” He enjoys working in a minority driven environment, tackling injustices, and giving back to his community.

Dr. Bolanle Olajuyigbe received her training in general nursing and midwifery in Nigeria where she also obtained her Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Ibadan. She later earned her master’s degree in nursing education and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Walden University. Her doctoral thesis is entitled “An Educational Program to Reduce Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections.”

Dr. Olajuyigbe had worked as a registered nurse at the University Specialty Hospital (Baltimore, MD) for nine years and as a manager/educator at the Baltimore City Correctional Center for 10 years. Before becoming a Visiting Lecturer in 2022, she served at UDC as an Adjunct Lecturer (August 2019- May 2020).

Dr. Olajuyigbe is passionate about academics and imparting knowledge to her budding nurses whom she enjoys mentoring. In March 2022, she presented an abstract “An Educational Intervention to Reduce Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection” at Medstar Washington Hospital Center’s 5^th Annual Nurses’ Conference.