2010 Cohort – Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

Alumni Accolades, Fall 2026

Marta Holliday, IRT ’03
Marta was recently promoted to the rank of full professor at Alabama State University. Marta was first hired in 2011 and received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in 2017.

“Thank you to the IRT for your continued support of me, from my graduate school application process in 2003, to my journey to my PhD from the University of Iowa, to the job search and tenure application process and now to my journey to becoming a full professor. I am especially indebted to the dedication of my IRT mentors Ms. Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 and Ms. Alexandra Cornelius, IRT ’91.”

Mayra Canizales Cruz, IRT ’07
Congratulations to Mayra an IRT and Donovan Urban Teaching Scholar alum who has been selected to participate in the Pahara Fellowship Program.

The program was founded in 2007 and their mission states: “Our mission is to strengthen and sustain values-driven leaders who are transforming public education so that every child is prepared to lead a free and fulfilling life.”

Mai Thai, IRT ’10
Mai was promoted to Associate Professor of Sociology at Occidental College. She also published a book, KID COPS, about U.S. policing and the American educational system, from the University of Chicago Press. Additional resources for teachers using the book in class can be found in the KID COPS Reading, Discussion, and Teaching Guide.

Alumni Reunite for Summer Workshop Experience

The IRT is thrilled to have Heather Moore Roberson, IRT ’07, ’10 Ryan Sermon, IRT ’10, and Renée Wilmot, IRT ’12, ’17 return as Summer Workshop Co-Curriculum Coordinators. They took a few moments to share what brings them back and their expectations for this year’s workshop.

Heather Moore Roberson is the Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Allegheny College. Heather received her M.A. and Ph.D. from the American Studies program at Purdue University.

What motivates you to return as a Co-Curriculum Coordinator?

I have had the honor and privilege to serve as a member of the faculty since 2016. After I received my Ph.D., it was vital for me to get reconnected with the next generation of teacher scholars who will transform higher education. I would not be a faculty member/administrator if it wasn’t for the IRT Summer Workshop. IRT continues to be an integral part of my village. As a curriculum coordinator, I get to share my experiences and insights that will help scholars thrive in K-16 environments.

Alumni Accolades, October 2024

Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 and Ain Ealy, IRT ’21 met up at a week-long Summer Institute titled Towards a More Equitable and Inclusive Digital World in Latin America, sponsored by the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies at Vanderbilt University and in collaboration with Tulane’s Stone Center for Latin American Studies and Arizona’s Center for Latin American Studies. Read more on Leislie’s experience.

(L-R) Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 and Ain Ealy, IRT ’21

Angela Batista, IRT ’96
Batista was honored by the University of Vermont (UVM) during their annual Andrew Harris Legacy Reception. This annual event honors the legacy and work of UVM community members who have inspired and strengthened diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Alumni Accolades, March 2024

Shani Mott, IRT ’97
Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Dr. Mott who passed away earlier this month. Shani was a lecturer in Africana Studies and the Department of History at Johns Hopkins University. An obituary is posted on the university’s website. To learn more about Dr. Mott’s legacy read the NYT article.

In Memoriam – Shani Mott, IRT ’97

Heather Moore Roberson, IRT ’01/’10
Heather is recognized by the PA Chamber for Black Owned Business in their compilation of 100 Black Trailblazers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

JT Roane, IRT ’08
Roane’s book Dark Agoras: Insurgent Black Social Life and the Politics of Place (New York: NYU Press, 2023) won the Pauli Murray Book Prize. Roane and other winners were honored at the 2024 AAIHS conference, hosted by The Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies at the University of Virginia.

Aesha Mustafa, IRT ’16
Mustafa has been nominated for the 2024 Washtenaw Community College/Parkridge Black Business Community Impact Award. She is a co-owner of Integrative Empowerment Group, PLLC.

GJ Sevillano, IRT ’18
GJ is a recipient of the Philip Amsterdam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award by The George Washington University. This is one of the university’s highest teaching honors and recognizes GJ’s work in the classroom and contributions to the educational process at the university.

Alumni Accolades, June 2023

Sonia Garcia, IRT ‘92 was appointed as the new assistant dean for Undergraduate Diversity, Equity & Inclusion with the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia.

Monica Muñoz Martinez, IRT ’05 named one of USA Today’s Women of the Year recognizing women who have made a significant impact in their communities across the country. She is an associate professor at the University of Texas.

Candis Watts Smith, IRT ‘05 is the interim Vice Provost of undergraduate education at Duke University.

Cecilia Márquez, IRT ’10 wrote a book “Making the Latino South,” which will be out in September 2023 from the University of North Carolina Press. Márquez is Hunt Family Assistant Professor of History at Duke University. For information on the book visit the UNC Press website.