Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 and Savita Maharaj, IRT ’21
Leislie and Savita attended the play Lifted by Mfoniso Udofia, a graduate of Wellesley College, who has written the UFOT Family Cycle of 9 plays in May 2026 at the Wellesley College Alumnae Hall Auditorium. Lifted addresses Toyima Ufot’s path in academia, which was constructed upon her father’s previous academic research. When she is accused of plagiarism, she travels to Nigeria to uncover her familial history and to find healing. This play spoke to Savita and Leislie deeply, and they will attend the next play titled In Old Age in late June.
Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 and Kevin Olusola
In mid-May, Leislie had the opportunity to reconnect with Kevin Olusola, Phillips Academy alum ’06 of Pentatonix fame, who was a student Leislie mentored when he first came to Andover as an 11th grader. Kevin and Leislie shared a commonality -they both lived in Kentucky; Leislie lived in Bowling Green, and Kevin grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky. Kevin performed at Andover’s Cochran Chapel, sharing his unique style of beatboxing and cello musicianship, performing pieces from his new album titled Dawn of a Misfit.
(L-R) Kevin Olusola, Pat Davison, a former Phillips Academy colleague, and Leislie Godo-Solo
Aroutis Foster, IRT ’02
Foster was named Dean of the Baker School of Education at American University. Congratulations!
Diana Louis, IRT ’07
Diana Louis has been elected to membership in the American Antiquarian Society (AAS). Elected for their achievement in academic or public life, AAS members range from scholars, collectors, and librarians to artists, writers, and history enthusiasts. Louis is an Assistant Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and American Culture at the University of Michigan.
Terence Mayo, IRT ‘23
Mayo’s first academic text, “Beyond the Spectrum: Navigating the Mental Health Landscape of LGBTQ+ Youths”, is part of the SIEEJ Education Equity and Justice Series under the leadership of Drs. Antonio L. Ellis and Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy. This volume, co-edited by Mayo, Dr. Christopher Smith, and Dr. Haley Wikoff, is now available.
Jennifer ‘Queen’ McGrew, IRT ‘13
Jennifer is one of my Donovan/IRT alums who now has a JD from Duke and a PhD from Boston College in Curriculum & Instruction. It took her 9 years from start to finish. I’m so very proud of her! – Catherine Wong, IRT Associate Director and Manager of Programs.
Mariahadessa Tallie, IRT ’17
Congratulations to Mariahadessa, who has been awarded a two-year post-doctoral appointment at Brown University! She is an interdisciplinary artist, poet, and scholar.
Kéla Jackson, IRT ’18
Jackson received her PhD in the History of Art & Architecture from Harvard University. She is currently an assistant professor at the University of Memphis.
Stephen Lampkin, IRT ’19, and Catherine Wong, IRT Associate Director & Manager of Programs, catch up at the Teachers’ Lounge Educator Prom in Boston this past May.
Indigo Mudbhary, IRT ’25
A joyful moment for me was completing the full draft of my undergraduate thesis. I have been working on this project for almost two years, so to see the full draft come together was an incredibly joyful moment for me. While there are still many revisions ahead, I was very happy to have produced this full draft.
In terms of successes, I was very excited to receive admission to four of the graduate programs I applied to. This would not have been possible without the support of the IRT and various mentors at my undergraduate institution, and I hope they are feeling the same joy I am feeling.
For more accolades and alumni news… read our academic achievement post!
Institute for Recruitment of Teachers 