“It’s very easy when you’re working to get so busy that you forget to look beyond the little sphere you operate in every day,” he says. “HGSE offered me the opportunity to step back and think about the big picture.”

Now heading back to his position at the University of Chicago, Follmer is thankful for the framework provided by HEP that taught him how to think through the many issues facing postsecondary education from a variety of perspectives. “I’ll take that framework with me wherever I go, whether in higher education administration or elsewhere,” he says.

“Daniel Follmer engaged in his master’s degree studies with enthusiasm and an enjoyment of learning that was contagious,” says Professor Judy McLaughlin, director of HEP. “He asked probing questions, made thoughtful comments, and regularly drew connections between course concepts and professional practice. Many of his classmates noted that he was generous with this time, helping them with papers and projects and thinking with them about their career possibilities.”

Upon learning that he had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for HEP, Follmer answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

How did you stay inspired throughout the year? It honestly wasn’t difficult. There are far too many interesting things happening on Appian Way to lose inspiration. 

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? More than any individual professor or class, what has most shaped my experience has been how well the courses complement each other. For example, and this really happened, on a Tuesday I was in a class with Bridget Terry Long hearing the economic perspective on college access. The next day, I was in a class with Mandy Savitz-Romer learning about the developmental processes that inform postsecondary and career planning. Then, on the walk home that day, I thought back to my History of American Higher Education class with Julie Reuben, in which we learned about when and how higher education first became more widely accessible in the United States. To be able to make these connections between different perspectives on the same issue is quite powerful and has shaped the way I think about every issue in education.

What advice do you have for next year’s students going through your program? Spend time with the cohort, and go to Askwith Forums whenever you can. It’s really unusual to get to see such interesting and accomplished people in the same buildings you’re studying in. Plus, once you’re working again, you’ll always be able to find a reason that you can’t go to interesting talks.

Despite your busy schedule, you always make time for … Cooking. It’s a great way to step back from homework and have some time to think. Plus, when you’re elbow-deep in research and feel like you’re getting nowhere, cooking a nice meal allows you to accomplish something tangible.

If you could transport one person/place/thing from HGSE to your next destination, what would it be? The Higher Ed cohort, without question. I tried to convince them all to move to Chicago, to no avail. I wouldn’t have learned anywhere near as much, or had as much fun, without them.

Read profiles of the other master’s students being honored with the 2013 Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award.

“At the end of 2008, I was homeless, jobless, and isolated, the result of my active alcohol and drug addiction,” he shares. “Today I am graduating with a master’s degree from Harvard University. There are so many reasons why I should not have this opportunity. Remembering that is how I stay inspired.”

Motivated to finally finish his Ed School journey, Romaneski returned with the goal of developing his skills in leadership and organizational behavior, hoping to one day aid in the growth and capacity of nonprofits and educational institutions.

“From the moment Ryan stepped foot on campus it was clear that he was a leader,” says John Collins, director of SSP. “His contributions to building the Special Studies cohort ranged from organizing career clinics and workshops, to promoting social gatherings, and informing the group of lectures and cultural events. The biggest contribution of all, however, was Ryan’s genuine interest and concern for his fellow students. He became a sought after peer adviser and someone who had the respect and admiration of the entire cohort. He is a remarkable man.”

Upon learning that he had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for SSP, Romaneski answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

What are your post-HGSE plans? I will be completing an Education Pioneers Summer Fellowship with the Boston Public Schools. Following that, I would love to work as program director or project manager in one of the districts, charter management organizations, or nonprofits working at the forefront of the movement to redesign schools or transform learning through whole-district reform.

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? Yes! So many! [Professor] Tom Hehir has been a friend for nearly 10 years, and I can honestly say I would not be at HGSE right now if it wasn’t for him. And [Professor] Monica Higgins has been, and continues to be, a huge part of my experience this year. A mentor and friend to me, Monica is an adept thinker, a brilliant woman, a skilled educator, and a caring soul.

What will you change in education and why? I will work to push the envelope with new and innovative school models that reshape how we educate students for college and career readiness.

What is something that you learned at HGSE that you will take with you throughout your career in education? Leading is not about getting others to follow you. It is about mobilizing people to face problematic realities and generate what is needed in order to make progress and improve the human condition.

If you could transport one person/place/thing from HGSE to your next destination, what would it be? The warmth and kindness I have received from my new friends this year. I hope I DO take it with me, wherever we are next year! 

The number one, biggest surprise of the last year was … How much I can actually do in a 24 hour period!

Read profiles of the other master’s students being honored with the 2013 Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award.

In this edition of the EdCast, Pillemer, professor of human development at Cornell University, discusses his book, where you can find the wisest Americans, and what just makes them so wise.

About the Harvard EdCast

The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series of podcasts, available on the Harvard University iTunes U page, that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber, the Harvard EdCast is a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.

“My classmates have been my inspiration. It was common to grab drinks after class and actively learn from each other’s leadership and work experiences,” Kalra says. “One of my favorite moments was spending time with classmates during Winter Storm Nemo. A group of us ‘hunkered down’ at a local pub and spent hours simply talking and laughing.”

Kalra says his classmates’ experiences in countries as diverse as China, India, Spain, Senegal, Lebanon, and South Sudan, left him “inspired by their example to live and work in cultures different than their own.”

“Kevin Kalra exemplifies that social progress is the result of the small efforts of ordinary people when they take responsibility to join others in helping to improve the world,” says Professor Fernando Reimers, director of IEP. “He understands also that at this time of enhanced global interdependence, education leaders need to engage in the global public sphere in creating and sustaining the global commons that expand educational opportunity. Kevin has the courage, the ethical sensibilities and the skills to lead globally.”

After graduation, Kalra will be working with an international multilateral agency on business engagement in global education, and later intends to join a private school company that is re-engineering the delivery of low-cost private education in Africa. Upon learning that he had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for IEP, Kalra answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

What was your goal upon entering the Ed School? My goal was to study the benefits, challenges, and impacts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) philanthropic efforts in international education. After college, I joined a Fortune 500 company as a geographer, and I used geographic information systems to communicate the company’s social impacts in education. While major companies make substantial annual investments in education, especially contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA), I learned there were few tools available to guide and evaluate their collective impact.

Is that goal any different now? My goal remained steady throughout the year, although I learned that the private sector in education encompasses different kinds of engagement and activities. CSR includes activities that align with core business as well as advocacy and philanthropy. Also, the efforts of social entrepreneurs, private schools, and businesses in the education industry all contribute to the achievement of the MDGs and EFA.

What is something that you learned at HGSE that you will take with you throughout your career in education? Take initiative to lead and have courage in times of uncertainty. In January, I asked my peers to join me on a study trek trip to Sri Lanka. While planning the trip, there were many unknowns, including an uncertain schedule, research beneficiaries, and how the state would react to a project of this nature. It required a delicate balance to collect data directly at the source and be respectful of the national vision of our host country. All went well, and we were able to produce a quality report for the Educate Lanka Foundation. Similarly, innovators will face such challenges, and it requires immense courage to test their ideas and realize their vision for global education reform.

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? Professor Fernando Reimers and his course A132: Educational Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship in Comparative Perspective provided a framework to assess the feasibility of an idea in practice. When visiting the i-lab and speaking with entrepreneurs on campus, I find myself testing their theories of change and asking them to assess their own evidence for social impact. Outside of class, I am inspired by Professor Reimers’ example and abundant energy. In addition to being a well-established researcher, he finds time to be a dedicated practitioner, from serving on the advisory board of Room to Read to providing thought-leadership for education leaders from Brazil. I am equally inspired by the work and leadership of [Assistant Professor] Sarah-Dryden Peterson (the faculty adviser for the Sri Lanka study trek), [Professor] Richard Murnane, [Lecturer] Haiyan Hua, [Senior Lecturer] Katherine Merseth, and [HKS Adjunct Lecturer] Jane Nelson.      

What advice do you have for next year’s students going through your program? Don’t take yourself too seriously. One of the greatest gifts from this year is knowing that after HGSE, I can call on a great group of friends, and we can reminisce over our times at HGSE. We built strong relationships in graduate school. While building a breadth of relationships is important, it is equally important to develop depth.

Read profiles of the other master’s students being honored with the 2013 Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award.

“[At HGSE] I expanded my vision of what my role should/can/will be in education,” Schnur says. “I started thinking about how small businesses and informal relationships provide critical learning opportunities for youth. I veered away from thinking about ‘the next best program’ to thinking about facilitating deep, long-lasting, and community-driven impact that builds upon existing habits and relationships.”

Prior to enrolling in the Prevention Science and Practice (PSP) Program, Schnur had spent four years working as a youth program coordinator and community organizer in Lynn, Mass. It was in that role that he began to see how community building, political organizing, and youth work interact and build upon each other. He came to HGSE in order to deepen his understanding and effectiveness.

“In so many ways, Harry reflects the spirit of PSP: A strong commitment to youth development; an extraordinary ability to reflect and test his own assumptions; and an impressive ability to understand individual young people as well as the multiple contexts in which they live and develop,” says Senior Lecturer Mandy Savitz-Romer, director of PSP. “As an activist, Harry delights in opportunities to engage with his peers on almost any subject. And, more notably, his approach to education begins and ends with attention to how people are involved in the process. He refutes any specific expertise and instead looks for expertise in others, whether that is his peers, his supervisors, or young people themselves.”

Upon learning that he had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for PSP, Schnur answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

Is there any professor or class that significantly shaped your experience at the Ed School? [Senior Lecturer] Karen Mapp’s Elements of Effective Family-School Partnership January Term course had a major impact on my learning. I took that course with a lot of close friends, and Dr. Mapp guided the class through both the intellectual and emotional content of family engagement in a way that really knocked my socks off. It was extremely important for me to be in a course that validated and expanded my beliefs about community organizing and relationship building as it relates to education.

The PSP faculty and staff (Karen Bottari is my hero) were extremely supportive throughout the year. [Professor] Bob Selman kept me honest, Mandy Savitz-Romer made sure I was working hard enough, [Professor] Nancy Hill showed me the humanity of research, and [doctoral candidate] Gretchen Brion-Meisels provided a ton of great ideas and feedback throughout the year. Thank you everyone!

How did you stay inspired throughout the year? Three ways. One, I stayed in touch with the young people and mentors I had worked with in Lynn at the Kaya program. This reminded me of the knowledge they had privileged me with and the purpose I had for entering the program in the first place. Two, I built meaningful relationships with a number of my classmates, who challenged and supported me throughout the year. You know who you are! Three, my partner Joanna and my family were incredibly supportive of me along the way, even during crazy weeks where I couldn’t seem to clear my head or pick up a phone.

If you could transport one person/place/thing from HGSE to your next destination, what would it be? A play-by-play reel of every moment my thinking (or feeling) shifted due to some crazy insightful thing someone said.

What will you change in education and why? In the midst of many voices focused on standardized testing and technological pathways to achievement, I hope to be a voice for the other important aspects of education: student engagement via out-of-school learning, community engagement, and relationship building. In my own education, I found myself most engaged when I was encouraged to question what I was being “sold” and interrogate my own assumptions about the world. I believe it is the responsibility of educators to create space for young people to think critically about the world we live in, so that they can bring their energy to bear on the issues they perceive as important. Wherever I work in the future, I plan to bring that perspective (even when people get tired of hearing me talk about it).

The number one, biggest surprise of the last year was … Being persuaded by classmates to pursue ideas like coMMotion fresh food (my youth and community development food truck pipe-dream). We applied for and were granted a temporary residency at the Harvard iLab, which was like being transported to Silicon Valley. It has been an amazing opportunity and I would not have pursued it without the support and engagement of my friends here.

I also did not expect a professor to throw snowballs in class! But yeah… that happened.

“When asked, ‘How do you find school?” many students reply with ‘Boring.’ I will change that to ‘Fun,’” he says. “If young children are in school for 6–8 hours out of their days the least I could do is combine learning with fun.”

Yet, the Human Development and Psychology (HDP) graduate knows that there are no quick fixes to education’s issues. Instead, he sees innovative collaborations as means to successful solutions. “Such a theory diminishes the ‘superstar’ effect and encourages a stronger sense of community and ownership for multiple bodies of people,” he says.

Beliefs like this are just part of what makes Goodman such an inspiration to his cohort.

“Tim clearly thinks hard about his positions, and he is willing to take unpopular stances on important issues. He also listens carefully and respects other points of view,” says Lecturer Richard Weissbourd, director of HDP. “As a human being he seems to embody the Latin phrase non sibi — not for self. His commitment to others and his commitment to this community have been real and deep. So is his commitment to creating a better and more just world.”

Upon learning that he had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for HDP, Goodman answered some questions about his time at the Ed School and beyond.

What was your goal upon entering the Ed School? My goals in coming to the Ed School were threefold: expanding my knowledge of how people, early childhood through adolescence, develop moral and ethical behaviors; creating strategies, systems, and tools that educators can use to best preserve and promote moral and ethical growth in the students they teach; and refining the leadership and research skills necessary to further my role as a teacher leader and reformer for the future.

What advice do you have for next year’s students going through your program? First, find a balance of school, work, and fun that keeps you healthy and successful. For me, I wanted to succeed in my coursework, but I also wanted to contribute and be a part of the broader Harvard community. I also wanted to build friendships and spend time with classmates as much as possible. Make time for what is most important to you, and realize that this is different for everyone.

Second, it’s easy in such an intellectual and successful community to doubt your own abilities. Avoid this at all costs and remember that you were chosen to be at HGSE.  Whether it is your intellect, your experience, your passion, your uniqueness, or your ideas, you were selected by multiple people to be here. Find that strength and own it, in the most humble way possible.

The number one, biggest surprise of the last year was … The biggest surprise from last year was learning as much as I did from Rick Weissbourd and my classmates about how to help young people have ethical romantic and sexual relationships.  I never really saw this coming, but after working on Rick’s research team (YPRR: Young Peoples Romantic Relationships) and attending his Moral Adults: Moral Children class I got more than I had anticipated, in a good way of course. Maybe it means I’ll be getting married soon.

If you could transport one person/place/thing from HGSE to your next destination, what would it be? The entire HGSE student body. Even before I got here I wondered about how cool it would be to unite all of us to impact the face of education. We would all move to one location and open a collection of schools that served students preschool through college. (Ha, ha.) Granted, it wouldn’t fix everything and it wouldn’t serve everyone’s needs, but WOW, it would be an absolutely amazing place. My classmates are some of the most amazing, talented, brilliant, and passionate people I have ever met.

Read profiles of the other master’s students being honored with the 2013 Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award.

“I am utterly delighted by this award,” Jones said. “It is a great opportunity to honor the dedication and work of Joe Zins, and to join such an illustrious group of scholars whose efforts are so central to supporting the highest quality research, practice, and policymaking in social-emotional learning.”

Jones’ research focuses on the longitudinal effects of poverty and exposure to violence on social and emotional development in early childhood and adolescence. Currently, she is the principal investigator of an experimental evaluation of the 4Rs Program — a universal school-based intervention designed to integrate social-emotional learning and literacy development — funded by National Institute of Mental Health, the Institute for Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education, as well as by the William T. Grant Foundation. She is also involved as co-investigator in a number of similar evaluation studies conducted in early childhood educational settings including Chicago School Readiness Project, Foundations of Learning, and Head Start CARES.

The Zins award, created in 2007, honors the memory of Joseph E. Zins, a pioneer in the field of social and emotional learning, who exemplified blending of rigorous scientific research and effective practice that CASEL has upheld as an abiding standard. The former University of Cincinnati professor’s published works include Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning: What Does the Research Say? (2004) and Promoting Social and Emotional Learning: Guidelines for Educators (1997).

“I will continue infusing my classrooms and other learning spaces with joy and empathy while simultaneously continuing to be as conscious as possible about making pedagogical choices that are rooted in inclusion, morality, and the awareness of who the learners are,” she says.

Dennis moved to Cambridge from Washington State, bringing her biggest cheerleader along for the ride. Her young son has proven the perfect companion throughout her year at HGSE, providing tremendous amounts of support and inspiration, not only to her, but to her entire cohort.

“Sedia Dennis has consistently demonstrated her warm connection to the L&T cohort, and she has joyfully included her young son in many L&T events and activities. (In fact, he has become an unofficial member of the L&T cohort!),” says Senior Lecturer Katherine Boles, director of L&T. “The L&T cohort has been enriched and inspired by the life and career choices Sedia has made, and they have been inspired further by her enthusiasm and positive ‘can-do’ activist attitude that celebrates education as a vehicle for the improvement of the lives those who are most in need.”

Upon learning that she had been honored with the Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award for L&T, Dennis answered some questions about her time at the Ed School and beyond.

How did you stay inspired throughout the year? My 10-year-old son (whose name happens to mean veritas) is my biggest inspiration. He is the kindest, most thoughtful, most loving person I know. I strive to be my best self for me, yes, but I also cultivate myself for my son. He’s given me high fives all year. “Mama,” he’d ask, “Did you finish your neuroscience paper?” If he received a “yes,” I’d get a high five, a hug, and the biggest smile ever. If he received a “not yet,” I’d get concerned eyes and a gentle pep talk. We motivate each other and want to shine for each other — and although I am definitely his guide and take that role seriously, I would love to be more like him when I grow up.

Any special study spots? Now that I am graduating, I can reveal my secret study spots. They include two spots (the quiet room and the garden room) in Harvard’s best library (Gutman, of course), and Lamont library, next to the Harry Potter books.

What advice do you have for next year’s students going through your program? I would advise next year’s students to get to know the other Harvard schools, drink as many hot chocolates at Burdick’s as possible, really explore the books in the Gutman stacks (what a collection!), and pace yourself during the first semester.

The number one, biggest surprise of the last year was … Being the co-winner of the 2013 Harvard Kennedy School talent show was probably my biggest surprise this year.  I was so nervous during the audition that I played the wrong guitar chords. Thankfully, we sang well enough to be invited to participate. After the actual show was over, we had packed up our things and were putting on our jackets as they announced the winners, and we were shocked when they told us to take them off again because we had won!

What will you change in education and why? If I could change one thing in education, it would be to ensure that all educators are mindful of the importance of not only teaching to the intellect but also to the spirit. When we teachers attend to the spiritual aspect of learning and teaching — that is, when we are mindful of and in tune with our own and learners’ emotions in connection to the subject matter and the learning process — we can better find ways to help learners enter into the content and engage with it. When learners are at ease, they can more easily turn their attention to learning rather than simply persevering and surviving.

Read profiles of the other master’s students being honored with the 2013 Intellectual Contribution/Faculty Tribute Award.