Graduate School of Education and Human Development
Commencement 2020
A Message from the Dean
Dear GSEHD Graduate,
It’s an understatement to say these are extraordinary times. In any other year, you would be walking across a stage in the GW Smith Center, shaking my hand, hearing the cheers of your faculty and staff, waving to your fellow students and family and friends, and smiling for the photographer. You would be hugging your advisor and taking selfies with classmates. The applause for your accomplishments would shake the rafters.
While much in life has changed, your commitment to making the world a better place has not. You came to GSEHD to hone your skills and gather new tools to face the many complex issues that await you as you continue your professional journey. Now maybe even more than ever, your passion to advance the public good is what gives us all hope for the future. Whether you plan to teach, advise, counsel, support, or lead, your expertise, creativity, flexibility, resilience, perseverance, and dedication will make a difference.
We wish we could be together to celebrate the old-fashioned way. But even though we have to be socially distant, we are emotionally close. We send you our warmest wishes and honor you from afar.
I look forward to this time next year, when we hope you will join us on campus to celebrate in person--with the pomp and circumstance you have earned and so deserve.
Congratulations and my very best wishes for continued good health and success.
Michael Feuer
Dean, Graduate School of Education and Human Development
Please download the 2020 GSEHD Graduation Celebration program PDF to view digitally, follow along during the ceremony, or print at home.
If you would like a PDF formatted for professional printing, please email us at [email protected] for the file and further instructions.
Please download the 2020 GSEHD Doctoral Hooding program PDF to view digitally, follow along during the ceremony, or print at home.
If you would like a PDF formatted for professional printing, please email us at [email protected] for the file and further instructions.
Dean Michael Feuer Addresses Graduates
Remarks by Student Speaker, Erika McMullen
Masters, Organizational Leadership and Learning
Dean's Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award
Award recipient Gaetano R. Lotrecchiano
Gaetano R. Lotrecchiano, EdD, PhD
Gaetano R. Lotrecchiano, Ed.D., Ph.D. graduated from the Graduate School for Education and Human Development in 2012 and was granted a degree from the Executive Leadership Program in the Human and Organizational Learning department. He has been a GW faculty member for the past 15 years and is an Associate Professor of Clinical Research and Leadership and of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Presently, he serves GW as the Associate Dean for Innovative and Collaborative Pedagogy at the Libraries and Academic Innovation.
His area of expertise is in team science which is the study of team dynamic in science teams. He focuses on motivation in knowledge-producing teams, complexity leadership, and transdisciplinary theory and learning. His pedagogy for developing translational scientists stresses the growing need for cross-disciplinary skills and agency for change as interdisciplinary brokers. Since the completion of his doctorate he has served the university in a number of capacities, including developing the team science curriculum in the School of Medicine and Health Science, designing the PhD in Clinical Translational Health Science, and serving as its Director of Doctoral Candidacy.
Departmental Awards
Chi Sigma Iota Outstanding Master’s Counseling Student Award
Samara Gelb
Chris Erickson Mental Health Service Advocacy Award
Katherine Bascuas
Clemmont E. Vontress Cross-Cultural Award
Ashlee Demastus
Donald C. Linkowski Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Rehabilitation Counseling
David Leon
Harry Grubb Detwiler Memorial Award
Cara Hissey
Corey Hansen Award
Schuyler Hunt
Elementary Education Model Program Award
Jessica Hurtt, Isabel Scrabis
Sylven Seid Beck Elementary Education Prize
Mehtaab Moazzam
Doris and Sam Buchalter Museum Education Prize
Emily D. Crowe
Dorothy A. Moore Award in International Education
Nicole Carney
Henry Willett Scholarship Award
Tamilah White Richardson
Jere Trout Award in Educational Technology Leadership
Hailey Lee
Brenner Museum Education Award
Mary Elizabeth Mueller, Chantal C. Ochoa
Nakyuin Shin International Education Award
Ilham Chelabi, Roric McCorristin
Rossetta A. and Sadie B. Feldman Fellow in Museum Education
Ariel K. Waldman
Leonard Nadler Leadership Award
Cody Dunn, Yvonne Faisal, Christopher Frasse, Evelyn Nash
Bertice Cornish Award in Early Childhood Special Education
Louisa Murphy
Bilingual Special Education Award
Anna Krughoff
Perry Botwin Award in Special Education
Jessica Dawn Shaffer
Rita Ives Award
Susan Jaffe
Presentation of Doctoral Degrees
Doctoral graduates are presented in alphabetical order by academic program. We recommend downloading the Doctoral Hooding Celebration program for reference.
Presentation of EdS and Masters Degrees
Educational Specialist and Masters graduates are presented in alphabetical order by academic program beginning with the Educational Specialists. We recommend downloading the Celebration program for reference.
Department of Counseling and Human Development
Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy
Department of Educational Leadership
Department of Human and Organizational Learning
Department of Special Education and Disability Studies
Recognition of GSEHD Certificates and Programs
GSEHD celebrates those students who have successfully completed Graduate Certificates, Post-Masters Certificates, and the GWTeach program. We look forward to your next steps and further contributions to the fields of education and human development. Congratulations!
Welcome to the Alumni Community!
Dr. Reggie Grier, GSEHD '79
Today you officially join the GSEHD alumni family, a network of leaders, educators, and scholars spanning the globe. Your connection to GSEHD is just beginning.
For more than two decades, Dr. Ed Vest and Dr. Reggie Grier have participated in the GSEHD graduation celebration by opening the ceremony, distributing gifts, and making sure to shake every graduate’s hand. This year they welcome you virtually as our newest alumni.
Congratulations Class of 2020 from Ed Vest, Reggie Grier, and the GW Alumni Association.
Dr. Ed Vest, GSEHD '72
Let’s Celebrate our Graduates using #GSEHDgrad
2020 GW University-wide Commencement
We invite you, your family, and your friends to join us for the GW University-wide Virtual Commencement Ceremony, which you can watch on GW’s Facebook page on Sunday, May 17 at 11 a.m. E.T. The video will also be available to watch on the GW Commencement site at your own time after 11 a.m. E.T.
GW ALMA MATER
Hail Alma Mater
To thy spirit guiding,
Knowledge thy closest friend
In its strength abiding,
Pledge we fidelity
Ne'er its place resigning,
Hail thee George Washington!
2021 Commencement
The class of 2020 is invited to join GW at the bicentennial Commencement on the National Mall in May 2021. Specific details will be shared when they are available.