EPL Faculty & Staff

Education Policy and Leadership (EPL) Faculty & Staff

Reuben Jacobson Director of Education Policy and Leadership Program & Sr Professorial Lecturer SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Dr. Reuben Jacobson has worked at the intersection of education research, policy, and practice for nearly 20 years. He is committed to educational change and equity and has substantial experience desi…

Ìý reubenj@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3786

EPLÌýFaculty

Samantha Cohen Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Samantha teaches, coaches, and mentors in 51²è¹Ý School of Education's doctoral studies. She is responsible for launching the inaugural, practitioner based program in education leadership…

Ìý cohen@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-8965

Kecia Hayes Senior Professorial Lecturer SOE | Online Partner Programs (OLP)

Dr. kecia hayes has been a champion of antiracist k-12 leadership and praxis across a variety of organizational settings in New York City for more than two decades. Most recently, she led two communit…

Ìý khayes@american.edu

Brian McGowan Professor DOF | Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning

Dr. Brian McGowan is Professor in the School of Education and an equity-minded scholar-practitioner dedicated to enhancing the experiences of racially and ethnically minoritized students and faculty, …

Ìý bmcgowan@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-2809

Robert Shand Assistant Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Robert D. Shand is Assistant Professor in the School of Education at 51²è¹Ý. He received his Ph.D. in Economics and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. A former high sch…

Ìý rshand@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-6917

Jason Snyder Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer (Continuing) SOE | General Academics & Research

Jason Snyder’s teaching and research focuses on education law and education policy. He developed and served as founding director of 51²è¹Ý's Education Policy and Leadership (EPL) program from 2014-2018. H…

Ìý jtsnyder@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-6209

Jennifer Steele Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Dr. Jennifer L. Steele is a Professor in the School of Education at 51²è¹Ý (51²è¹Ý), and an affiliate faculty member in 51²è¹Ý's Department of Public Administration and Policy. Her research, whic…

Ìý steele@american.edu

Ìý (202) 885-3762

EPL Adjunct Faculty

Saba Bireda Adjunct Professor SOE | General Academics & Research

Saba Bireda is a Partner in the Washington, DC office of Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP, a national law firm with offices in Washington, DC, New York, California, Tennessee, and Maryland.Ms. Bireda joined…

Ìý bireda@american.edu

Amanda Fuchs Miller Adjunct Professorial Lecturer SPA | Government

Amanda Fuchs Miller has 25 years of advocacy, policy, research, and communications experience in and outside of government. As president of Seventh Street Strategies, Amanda consults with non-profits …

Ìý fuchsmil@american.edu

Jennifer Green Adjunct Instructor

Jennifer Green is an Assistant Principal of Literacy for DC Public Schools. Prior to working as an administrator, she taught 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades in DCPS and served as a Reading Specialist. S…

Ìý jgreen@american.edu

Donna Hollingshead Adjunct Professorial Lecturer

Donna Shimoda Hollingshead serves as the Associate Superintendent for School Administration in the Office of School Support and Improvement for Montgomery County Public Schools. Her previous professio…

Ìý dholling@american.edu

Cara Jackson Adjunct Professorial Lect

Dr. Cara Jackson is an Associate Partner with Bellwether Education in the program evaluation group. She previously worked for Montgomery County Public Schools in the Office of Shared Accountability, e…

Ìý cjackson@american.edu

Lisette Partelow Adjunct Instructor

Lisette Partelow is the director of K-12 Strategic Initiatives at American Progress. Her previous experience includes teaching first grade in Washington, D.C., working as a senior legislative assistan…

Ìý partelow@american.edu

Susan Patrick Adjunct Professorial Lecturer SOE | General Academics & Research

Susan Kemper Patrick is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at Vanderbilt University. Susan’s research primarily focuses on school-based efforts intended …

Ìý patrick@american.edu

David Pinder Adjunct Professorial Lecturer

Dr. Pinder currently serves as a High School Instructional Superintendent in DC public schools. With a focus on rigorous instruction and strong school climate, student achievement is on the rise. Unde…

Ìý pinder@american.edu

Eugene Pinkard Adjunct Instructor

Gene Pinkard has spent his career taking on leadership roles as a teacher, principal, district official, and nonprofit executive with a focus on creating new, rigorous, opportunities for students in u…

Ìý pinkard@american.edu

Simon Rodberg Adjunct Instructor SOE | General Academics & Research

Simon Rodberg was the founding principal of DC International School, helping achieve the public charter board’s Tier 1 status each year, as well as complete International Baccalaureate authorization; …

Ìý rodberg@american.edu

Elizabeth Ross Adjunct Professorial Lecturer SOE | Other Operations and Administration

Elizabeth is currently the Managing Director, State Policy at the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), where she oversees state research and policy, and leads technical assistance to support st…

Ìý ekaross@american.edu

Michael Scott Adjunct Professorial Lecturer SOE | General Academics & Research

Michael Scott is an adjunct professorial lecturer of research methods in the EPL program at 51²è¹Ý. He currently serves as a Senior Policy Analyst for the National Education Association. …

Ìý mscott@american.edu

Jessica Sutter Adjunct Professorial Lect

Jessica Sutter is President of EdPro Consulting. She has managed projects and authored research for organizations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the DC Public Charter School Board, t…

Ìý jsutter@american.edu

Peter Weber Adjunct Instructor

Pete Weber is an independent consulting focusing on strategic planning and organizational development. His clients include school districts, charter schools, hospitals, and non-profit organizations. H…

Ìý weber@american.edu

Travis Wiebe Adjunct Instructor SOE | General Academics & Research

Travis J. Wiebe currently serves as principal of Somerset Elementary School in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), the 14th largest school system in the country. Mr. Wiebe began his career as an …

Ìý wiebe@american.edu

Conor Williams Adjunct Professorial Lecturer

Conor P. Williams is a senior researcher in New America's Education Policy Program. His work addresses policies and practices related to educational equity, dual language learners, immigration, and sc…

Ìý cwilliam@american.edu