PHILLIPS ACADEMY OUTREACH PROGRAM REPORT
2021 IRT IMPACT and OUTCOMES Advanced degrees earned by alumni
2,647 total IRT alumni to date
393
1,000+
PhD degrees
Terminal master’s degrees
OUR MISSION The Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) addresses the lack of diversity in the nation’s teaching
(highest degree awarded in a given field)
faculties by recruiting outstanding college students of color and other scholars committed to diversity, counseling them through the graduate school application process, and advocating for sufficient funding for advanced study.
OUTCOMES More than 1,000 IRT alumni have gone on to earn master’s degrees in the humanities, social sciences, or
Graduate school admissions—Class of 2020
85%
36%
accepted to at least 1 graduate school program
accepted to 4 or more graduate school programs
Top PhD degree–granting fields pursued by alumni
17% EDUCATIONAL STUDIES 16% ENGLISH 13% HISTORY
education; an additional 393 have earned doctorates.
As a low-income, first-gen student
IMPACT
of color, the IRT program provided valuable knowledge to help me
IRT graduates have enjoyed remarkable success securing jobs as K–12 teachers, counselors, principals, and superintendents as well as school psychologists, professors, university administrators, and leaders in education. They serve as positive role models and mentors to students of all races and ethnicities.
overcome the barrier of accessing
67%
41%
received partial to full funding
received full funding
funding for graduate school. It showed me what networking with care can accomplish.”
—Yesenia Vega, IRT ’20
Visit andover.edu/irt to learn more about the IRT and its impact.
2021 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Throughout this program year, the IRT continued to implement strategies created during the pandemic and shape those strategies to better serve our community. We supported all of our scholars virtually with the know-how and wisdom of our staff, faculty, and dedicated alumni. We’ve transformed our program in the following ways:
INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY—IRT consortium partners connected with all scholars through our virtual recruitment fair. Each day in July, consortium partner institutions presented on their graduate-level programs and answered questions posed by IRT scholars.
DEEPER CONNECTIONS—Through virtual platforms, IRT alumni participated in panels to connect to current scholars. Some panels focused on the field of higher education, some gave tips and tricks for navigating the admissions process, and others demystified the process for parents and families.
SUPPORTING TRAILBLAZERS—The IRT is committed to aiding those from historically marginalized and excluded backgrounds. Sixty-one percent of our 2021 cohort are first-generation college students, 44 percent are low-income, and 33 percent of our scholars are both first-generation and low-income.
ENHANCING COMMUNITIES—Our 2020 cohort found success matriculating at universities. At least 10 consortium institutions accepted three or more scholars. Top matriculated institutions include Northwestern University, University of Michigan, Teachers College at Columbia University, Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
NEW PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES—The virtual IRT Summer Workshop encouraged faculty to develop and facilitate their courses. Courses included Black and Black Studies; Yuh Deh Outside, Dem Deh Inside: Traversing Difference & Positionality in the Academy; Critical Race Theory in Education; Know Yourself & Own Your Purpose: Storytelling through your SOP; S.O.S.: Sens(ing) Our Socialities; and Schooling & Pedagogy: The Purpose of U.S. Schools. Students could join IRT alumni in classes to read, dialogue, and engage with the curriculum.
“
LASHAWNDA BROOKS Executive Director
Connection and persistence. Through an online workshop, increased student touchpoints and online engagement, alumni panels, and outdoor hangouts, the IRT deepened its connections to scholars and our community. We utilized last year’s challenges to envision a program that anticipates students’ struggles and encourages them to persevere.”
LaShawnda Brooks has spent over a decade in the field of education. After graduating from the University of Virginia, she worked within AmeriCorps programs to increase access and equity in education. After earning a master’s degree in education policy, she joined the IRT. Here she emphasizes evaluation, history, and policy in the IRT’s program delivery to create systemic change in our education systems.
TRIBUTES TO KELLY WISE then dean of faculty at Phillips Academy,
Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91, P’13, ’17, the IRT’s education programs specialist, remembers her former colleague.
tenacious, Kelly’s humane touch,
Kelly Wise made it a priority to recruit
When I think of Kelly
residential experience, seasoned
faculty of color and faculty who were first-
Wise, I remember his
humor, and profound convictions about
generation college. His most remarkable
tremendous foresight
the diversity of teachers led him to
As chair of the English department and
accomplishment, however, was founding the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers. “With the IRT, Kelly took his crusade for diversity in education to a national
His vision gathered colleagues, former
the endearing sense of
students’ great support, a consortium
care he extended to his
private schools.”
staff members who
PA Instructor in English & Director of Andover Bread Loaf
lift, requirements, and gifts of teaching.
unwavering spirit, and
students and the IRT
—LOU BERNIERI P’96, ’10
endless travel and education about the
and vision, his
level, one that included public as well as
of universities and their graduate programs, Phillips Academy’s growing understanding, and the spreading
worked by his side.
word, hearts, and aspirations of
Some 29 years
students across the country. Kelly
ago, when I was an undergrad at Cleveland State University,
Wise’s genius and a thriving IRT are IRT founder Kelly Wise P’83, ‘86, passed away on August 6, 2021.
Kelly Wise was a force to be reckoned
I picked up an IRT flyer. I could not believe such an
with. While others were spinning their
organization existed!
wheels about how, for whom, and even whether it was necessary or possible to solve the problem of representation
Tender and, at times, marvelously
treasures. How deeply we miss him.”
—REV. PHILIP ZAEDER P’79, ’83, GP’17, ’18 Former PA Protestant Chaplain & Instructor in English Emeritus
The IRT would change the trajectory of my life. Kelly assisted me in applying to several postgrad programs and smoothed my transition to the University of Rhode
During my six years at the IRT, I
Island. I went on to teach Spanish literature in inner-city
came to admire and rely on Kelly’s
Nashville for four years. Never in my wildest dreams did
competence, wonderful sense of humor,
I think that the work that Kelly called a “labor of love”
and compassion for his staff and his
that could effectively remove the barriers
would become my life’s passion.
students. He was steady, wise, and
to access that so many underrepresented
I returned to join the IRT team in 2002. Kelly was a fierce
in the field of education, Kelly rolled up his sleeves and built the IRT. He utilized his unique understanding of the higher education ecosystem to build a program
and underestimated students encounter. He was a very difficult person to say ‘no’ to, and he leveraged that power in the service of doing the right thing. The world is forever changed thanks to Kelly’s vision and tenacity.”
—JULIA JOHANNSEN ’96
Former IRT Advisory Board Chair
and compassionate leader who could always rally us with a pep talk. We shared heartrending discussions about the need for more teachers of color, the impact of various court cases on our work, and the stress of each fall’s application deadlines. We cannot thank you enough, Kelly, for your vision for the IRT. Rest gently, my friend. You have left us a strong foundation.
humorous. My husband, Philip Zaeder, and I joined Kelly and his wife, Sybil, on many occasions, and we became very close friends. I watched him father their children, where he again showed his competence, endurance, and love— amidst much laughter.”
—SYLVIA THAYER ’54, P’79, ’83, GP’17, ’18 Former IRT Administrator & PA Cluster Dean P = Phillips Academy Parent
GP = Phillips Academy Grandparent
Monica Muñoz Martinez, IRT ’05
➤ READ MORE ON THE IRT BLOG
Juliana “Juju” Wong, IRT ’15
MACARTHUR FELLOW NAMED
ALUMNA Q&A
Monica is an IRT alumna, educator, public historian, award-winning author, and now a 2021 MacArthur Fellow. Her research is featured on many national media outlets, and she is an associate professor in history at the University of Texas.
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO HAVE A CAREER IN EDUCATION, AND HOW DID THE IRT ASSIST YOU?
Photo © John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation—used with permission
IRT Consortium Universities
HOW HAS THE IRT INFLUENCED YOUR OUTLOOK ON EDUCATION? The IRT has shown me that community care is at the root of educational justice. We are not meant
I believe in the power of young people to create their own learning opportunities. I want youth to see education beyond
to learn, teach, and navigate the systemic barriers and inequities alone. Whether you are a student, professional, teacher, or administrator—we need each other.
HOW HAS THE IRT IMPACTED YOUR LIFE? As a firstgeneration college student, Asian American womxn, and daughter of working-class immigrants, the IRT has provided me a platform to amplify my intellectual and personal voice in a field that continues to make invisible the diverse experiences and needs of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community in discourse, scholarship, and practice. The IRT sees me, affirms me, and empowers me to show up authentically so
Midwest
University of New Hampshire
Michigan State University (School of Education)
University of Pennsylvania
Northwestern University
University of Rochester
Purdue University
University of Vermont
to experience
HOW DO YOU BELIEVE IRT SCHOLARS AND ALUMNI MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD? The IRT
University of Chicago
Yale University
it through
scholars and alumni are the visionaries leading the way
University of Michigan
Southeast
relationships,
in reimagining the world (of education). Our diverse
Duke University
interactions, and
cultural pedagogies revolutionize how the next generation
life moments.
of learners make meaning of shared knowledge and apply
The IRT helped
it to persisting social issues and challenges. We take
University of Notre Dame University of Wisconsin–Madison Washington University in St. Louis
University of Rhode Island
Emory University George Washington University
Northeast
University of Maryland– College Park
Boston College
University of Virginia
Boston University
Vanderbilt University
Brandeis University
Southwest
Brown University Columbia University Cornell University
Rice University University of Arizona
Harvard University
West
New York University
Stanford University
Princeton University
University of California–Berkeley
Rutgers University
University of California–Davis
Teachers College, Columbia University
University of California–San Diego
Tufts University
University of Washington
University of Connecticut
Washington State University
University of Maine
University of Southern California
classrooms. Instead, I want them
that our students can do the same.
me get my master’s degree debt free, and it continues to
Dr. Tara Yosso’s notion of “community cultural wealth”
provide professional opportunities for me to develop my
beyond theory. We apply it to our lives and the lives of our
knowledge and expertise as a statement of purpose (SOP)
students by owning the strengths, assets, and power that
advisor and Summer Workshop faculty member.
we carry from our ancestors, families, and communities. In short, we educate to liberate.
Juliana “Juju” Wong, MEd, (she/her) is a bicoastal edupreneur (educator + entrepreneur) based in Ohlone and Lenapehoking land—San Francisco and New York City. She was born and raised in the Bay Area, earned a BA in communications at UC–San Diego, and completed an MEd in student affairs at the University of Maryland–College Park. With 10-plus years of experience in college access and persistence work for first-generation BIPOC learners, Juju is a DEI strategist who integrates her ethnic studies and equity lens to build curriculum and programs that center the complexity of human experiences and emotions. Follow @ProfessorJuuj on Instagram and TikTok!
Brighid Dwyer, IRT ’01 & Kelechi Ajunwa, IRT ’01
SUPPORTING THE DREAMS AND GOALS OF FUTURE EDUCATORS Back in 2001, Brighid Dwyer was on the fence about paying for the plane fare to get to the IRT’s Recruiters’ Weekend. “I am so glad I did,” she says. Along with learning about exciting graduate school possibilities, Dwyer met other scholars of color with similar educational goals—including Kelechi Ajunwa, an undergrad at Tufts University. “Like Brighid, I wanted to be in an environment where I could be intellectually challenged and surrounded by motivated and determined students from backgrounds like mine,” says Ajunwa. Dwyer went on to earn a PhD from the University of Michigan; Ajunwa earned an MEd at Tufts. In 2007, they got married. Grateful for the transformative impact of their own IRT experiences, the couple is committed to helping other underrepresented students succeed. In 2005, they drove four hours to an IRT alumni dinner in Chicago, where they spoke to donors and encouraged their ongoing support. Ajunwa joined the IRT’s summer teaching faculty from 2004 to 2007, and Dwyer served as an IRT campus recruiter during her seven years at Villanova. They also make annual gifts to the IRT. “Kelechi and I are proud to help financially support the dreams and goals of young people while also helping diversify the next generation of teachers,” says Dwyer. Dr. Brighid Dwyer, vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Pennsylvania, earned a PhD from the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan. Dr. Kelechi Ajunwa, an associate professor and chair of education at Delaware County Community College, earned a PhD in urban education from Temple University.
We are grateful to our IRT Advisory Board members and many donors, whose generosity and partnership make the IRT program possible. Thank you! Anonymous Donald B. & Elizabeth B. Abbott Jessica D. Acosta-Chavez ’06, IRT ’12 Sanders L. Adu ’90 & Tanita Adu Asna Afzal ’99 Saffron R. Agrawal ’21 Amanda Aiken, IRT ’06 Kelechi C. Ajunwa, IRT ’01 & Brighid M. Dwyer, IRT ’01 Chrystal Lynn Akor ’00 Adrian K. Almquist, MD, ’64 & Sally Rae K. Almquist John A. Almquist Jr. ’50 & Laura Treman Almquist Katherine Moore Arrington ’83
Asna Afzal ’99 Mercy L. Bell ’08
Ryan W. Coughlan ’02 & Marcus Haymon William D. Cox Jr. ’57 & Leslie Fausset Jennifer H. Cray ’83 & Marc E. Igler P’18 Naomi E. Cromwell ’88
Andrew M. Chin ’00 Sari L. Edelstein ’98
Anthony Cunningham ’91 & Sandra D. Cunningham P’21
Tyrone A. Forman ’88 Kimberly D. Formisano ’86, P’17
Diana M. D’Agostino ’96 Karen Dean
Andrew J. Guff Jr. ’79 Julia Lloyd Johannsen ’96
Alexandra L. Decker ’14 Julie Ongaro de Luxembourg ’84 & Robert de Luxembourg Timothy D. Dempsey ’76
2022 IRT Advisory Board Alarik Myrin ’88, Co-Chair Alejandro Velasco, IRT ’99, Co-Chair
Marc A. Johnson, IRT ’97 Victoria Kataoka ’93
Bret D. Asbury ’96, IRT ’99 Robert F. Asbury & Alice Walker Asbury P’91, ’96 Rekha Auguste-Nelson ’09
Michael J. Koehler ’94 Kevin Maillard, IRT ’94
Sharyn Bahn Lauren Barkwill
Bruce S. Wilson ’77, P’12 Adam K. Wise ’83
John B. Bassett, DMD, ’67 & Jane Thorn Bassett
Gonzalo S. Zeballos, IRT ’92
Ellen Bateman, IRT ’05 Kristine C. Bay ’81 & Robert A. Iger Mercy L. Bell ’08 Janel Benson Keith Berger Cedric Bernardeau Emily Bibb, IRT ’07 Carol O. Biondi P’96 Taylor S. Bodman ’79 & Willa C. Bodman Carroll R. Bogert ’79 Priscilla Bolanos-Salas, IRT ’12 Janelle Bonasera Paulette L. Branch, IRT ’90 LaShawnda Brooks David C. Brown ’95 & Meisha Brown Raha Brown Susan D. Brown, IRT ’00 Anya P. Brunnick & Michael Brunnick Louis M. Bernieri P’96, ’10 & Heather C. Bryant Nicholas R. Buehler ’21 William M. Callahan ’19
Chera D. Reid, IRT ’00 Renee O. Wilmot, IRT ’12, ’17
PA Student Representatives Aleena Kibria ’23 Jasmine Ma ’23
Susannah Smoot Campbell ’93 & Neil P. Campbell Joseph F. Capella ’82 & Carlyn Capella Sara Cerretani A. Lawrence Chickering ’58 & Serena Chickering Andrew M. Chin ’00 & Emily D. Griset ’00 William F. Chiu ’88 Andrew Clancy Denyse Finn Clancy ’85 Regan E. Clarke ’96 David J. Cohen ’70 & Ruth Kevess-Cohen Allison M. Colbert ’01 Kim Conroy Erin Cooper, IRT ’18 Oscar Cornejo, IRT ’16
Erin Dennis Berol Dewdney ’09 Esther Morgo Diskin ’84 & Glenn S. Diskin Elizabeth Heroy Donnelly ’01 & Mark Donnelly Robert W. Doran ’51 & Evelyn H. Doran GP’22, ’25 John B. Doyle ’10 Joanie Dunson Emile F. duPont II ’71 & Lindsay H. duPont P’04, ’06 Sari L. Edelstein, PhD, ’98 & Holly Jackson, PhD David B. Ensor ’69 & Anita Ensor Kristin & Nicholas Faivre Patrick J. & Karen J. Farrell P’08 Patricia Feraud, IRT ’17 Steve Ferguson Karina Fernandez, IRT ’06 Dianne Fields Keith T. Flaherty, MD, ’89 & Mira Kautzky, MD, P’23 Devontae A. Freeland ’15 Perrin L. French, MD, ’60 & Rita D. French Beth Friedman & Sherri Bisci Jason Fontana, IRT ’17 Catherine Ford ’11 & Riley Ford Tyrone A. Forman ’88 & Amanda Lewis, MD Kimberly Doggett Formisano ’86 & James A. Formisano P’17 Lisa M. Foster ’84, P’12, ’22
Stephen H. Frank ’81 & Jane Reny Frank P’09 Omar Galarraga, IRT ’98 Melani C. Garcia ’21 Elizabeth Gil, IRT ’11 John W. Gillespie Jr. ’71 & Susan Gillespie Jonathan Ginsburg ’69 Vikas Goela ’01 & Sphurthi Annapareddy Tracy P. Goodman P’13, ’22 Andrew J. Guff Jr. ’79 & Jessica Stedman Guff Kimberly A. Guzowski ’86 Aria Halliday, IRT ’11 Howard J. Harvin ’89 & Courtney Brooks Rejji P. Hayes ’93 & Celeste Watkins-Hayes, PhD Elizabeth Hilgenberg Heminway ’54 Meredith Higbee Heather Holladay William L. Hudson ’70 Margot E. Hutchins ’20 Tessa S. Igler ’18 James C. Israel ’86 William B. Jaquith ’56 & Diane W. Jaquith Julia Lloyd Johannsen ’96 & Peter Johannsen Marc A. Johnson, IRT ’97 Marsha Johnson Lloyd A. Johnson Alan C. Johnston ’64 & Kathryn Edwards Johnston Arianne Johnston Nicholas Jones Frederick W. Jordan ’73 & Karen Erck Jordan Olugbenga Joseph, IRT ’18 Tiffany D. Joseph, PhD, ’00, IRT ’03 Victoria Kataoka ’93 & James Brown Louise A. Kennedy ’76 Marisol C. Kevelson, IRT ’01 Suzanne Kim David M. Kleinberg-Levin ’58
Michael J. Koehler ’94 & Amy Koehler Kenneth Y. Lee ’92 & Rebecca S. Lee Cher Lewis ’68
Nicholas Olmo ’98 & Johanna Olmo
William E. Locke III ’19 Thomas P. Lockerby & Kathleen J. McCrickerd Lissette Lorenz, IRT ’16 Melissa Lorenzo-Herva Brendan Lowe Martha Phipps Maguire ’78 & Walter L. Maguire Jr. Janelle Maillard Kenneth G. Maillard Kevin Maillard, IRT ’94 & Iris Chiu John P. Margolis ’78 Anne & Scott Marino P’19 John A. Mayer Jr. ’58 & Barbara Phillips Mayer Charlita Mays Sean J. McCarthy & Nicole K. Shadeed Traci McClellan-Sorell Lauren McCullough Kathleen M. McGowan ’03 Irma McIntyre Julian A. McNeil, IRT ’16 Kristin L. Mendez ’13 Clarisa S. Merkatz ’19 LaTissia Mitchell Amithyse Moore, IRT ’14 Christopher L. Moore ’66 & Elizabeth H. Moore P’95, ’99 Aaron Moreno, IRT ’03 Camila Moreno-Jimenez, IRT ’18 Jane Biondi Munna ’96 & Dax Munna Minor Myers III ’96 & Eliza W. Myers, MD F. Alarik Myrin III ’88 & Christine G. Myrin Richard Naddeo Olwethu Ngubo ’21 Dawn N. Nicholson Kathleen Connor Nomicos ’80 & Nicholas G. Nomicos
Diana Calderon Palerm ’00 & Jorge Junquera
Oscar L. Tang ’56 Christina Tennyson
Emma Parker Beth & Tim Parsons Holly Peterson Bang Pham, IRT ’13 Jennifer Poole Edward W. Probert ’54 & Ann Linen Probert Melynda J. Price Krista M. Ramonas & Gordon S. Rubenstein Debra Regan Chera D. Reid, IRT ’00 & Brian D. Tutt Douglas Rennie Angelica Reza, IRT ’18 Julia Robinson, IRT ’18 David L. Ross ’70 Kimberly Rubey Keith B. Sabin ’81 Alisa Sanchez, IRT ’06 Kwame Sarfo-Mensah Ryan Sermon, IRT ’10 Camille Sheffield, IRT ’15 Hannah C. Sharpless Graff ’94 & John W. Graff Christian Sherman Richard J. Shin ’90 & Hay-Won Byun Jane C. Siviski Kathryn & Eli Slater George B. Smith Jr. ’83 & Beth Becker-Smith Lauren Feldman Smith ’93 & Michael Smith Carolyn Y. Song ’21 Meredith Steele Mark W. Stevens ’69 & Annalyn S. Stevens William F. Stiles ’58 Marc & Rachel Strauss Ellen M. Sullivan
Sylvia L. Thayer ’54 & J. Philip Zaeder P’79, ’83, GP’17, ’18 Jamila Thomas, IRT ’05 Christopher C. Thompson ’83 & Elizabeth Thompson Christine C. True-Frost LaTasha Tucker, IRT ’02 Alexis Umeh, IRT ’19 Wendy Vargas Alejandro Velasco, IRT ’99 Rachel Walden Cranston, IRT ’95 Nicolette Wagoner Jeffrey S. Wang ’95 Oren Warshavsky Nathaniel L. Waters ’95 Matthew R. Welch ’17 Mark Weinsier Gary Weinstein Linda White Renee Wilmot, IRT ’12, ’17 Bruce S. Wilson ’77 & Lisa D. Westfall P’12 Harrison S. Wilson ’20 Adam K. Wise ’83 & Ann S. Wise Lydia L. Wise ’86, P’21 Christi Wong Joshua C. Woodfork, IRT ’96 Joy K. Wright, IRT ’94 & Steven I. Goodison Alan Yeh, IRT ’18 Marcy Kerr Yuknat ’90 & David A. Yuknat J. Murph Yule ’68 Stefanie Scheer Young ’81 & Andrew W. Young ’81, P’11, ’14 Gonzalo S. Zeballos, IRT ’92 & Lisa M. Duffy-Zeballos Anna J. Zimmer ’17 James P. Zimmer & Carolyn M. Zimmer P’17, ’20 Brittany Zorn, IRT ’13
Nina Owolabi, IRT ’19 Kevin Pajaro, IRT ’15
This list reflects gifts received from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021. P = Phillips Academy Parent
John R. Swansburg Jr. ’96 & Harriet P. Menocal ’98 Zoe C. Sylvester-Chin ’19
GP = Phillips Academy Grandparent
andover.edu/irt
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE In these unprecedented times, the ongoing support of alumni, parents, and friends is especially critical to the IRT. Your gift—of any size—will have a direct and meaningful impact, empowering the IRT’s work to advance diversity and equity in our nation’s classrooms.
SUPPORT THE IRT TODAY To learn more about supporting the IRT, please contact Beth Parsons, director for museums and educational outreach, at 978-749-4523 or bparsons@andover.edu.
A PRIVATE SCHOOL WITH A PUBLIC PURPOSE Phillips Academy’s four educational outreach programs—Andover Bread Loaf, the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers, (MS)2, and PALS—have long served as resources for students and teachers locally, nationally, and worldwide.