Alumni Committee – Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

Alumni Committee Update

After a year of dedicated service, IRT Alumni Committee (AC) Co-Chair Lissette Lorenz, IRT’16 is stepping down. Lissette’s Co-Chair Sumit Karn, IRT ’22 will stay on as the sole AC Chair. The Committee thanks Lissette for her visionary leadership and looks forward to continuing with the initiatives Lissette and Sumit have started together.

Currently, the AC is collecting input from the extended IRT alumni community regarding the kinds of programming and engagement folks would like to see from the AC. If you are interested in getting involved or have yet to share your thoughts, please respond to this very brief Alumni Engagement Survey on the IRT Alumni Network. The AC meets once about once a month and works under the supervision of Arts & Sciences Programs Specialist, Brittany Zorn, IRT’ 13.

IRT Alumni Committee Update

Dear IRT Alumni,

On behalf of the Alumni Committee, we extend a warm welcome to our robust alumni network of over 3,000 educators, scholars, and professionals. We are thrilled to have you as part of our passionate community of change-makers!

As alumni, you have a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise that can be invaluable to our IRT Scholars. We invite you to get involved in the alumni network and share your insights and perspectives with the next generation of educators and thought-leaders.

One way to get involved is to join the Alumni Committee. The Alumni Committee is a group of dedicated volunteers who work to strengthen the connection between our alumni. Committee members help to plan and organize events, provide mentorship to students, and advocate for the interests of alumni.

Alumni Committee Update

Congratulations to Dr. Renée Wilmot, IRT ‘ 12, ’17! Renée successfully defended her dissertation entitled, Pilate’s Wine House: Reimagining Black Women Educators’ Histories & Futures, in May and earned a doctorate in Curriculum, Instruction & Teacher Education from Michigan State University. Wilmot also holds a masters degree in Secondary English from Boston College and a BA from the University of Virginia. Wilmot has been the IRT Alumni Committee Chair and an IRT Advisory Board student representative for the past two years. She has also served as a faculty member for the IRT Summer Workshop and IRT Curriculum Coordinator for several years. As Wilmot’s role of chair ends, she will begin an assistant professor position at Michigan State University in Black, Feminisms, Genders & Sexualities in the Department of African American and African Studies.

We are pleased to welcome Truth Hunter, IRT ’11 who will be acting as the interim chair. Truth is currently pursuing a doctorate in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Hunter also has a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs from the university and a BA from Mount Holyoke College.

I am excited to serve as the interim chair for the IRT Alumni Committee because I truly believe in the mission of IRT, and if there’s anything I can do to give back, I want to be a part of it!
Truth Hunter, IRT ’11

IRT Alumni Committee Update, March 2023

On a monthly basis, the Alumni Committee meets to spearhead initiatives for cultivating community and building a more connected alumni network. Committee updates on upcoming events and any news related to this group is posted on the IRT Alumni Network – join today if you haven’t already to stay informed!

Gather & Grow: April 12th – 5:00 – 7:00pm EDT
This informal social event is hosted over Zoom where alumni can intentionally come together for networking, giving or receiving advice, celebrating achievements, lamenting challenges, and otherwise continuing to be in community together. You can hop in and leave whenever you need to, log in details are posted to the IRT Alumni Network or you can email the IRT to receive the Zoom link to join in!

IRT Alumni Committee Update

The Committee is currently working on developing social and professional spaces for alumni. Planning is underway for a virtual Alumni Summit to take place this summer. Stay tuned for additional details. Interested in finding out more about the Committee and/or being involved in the Alumni Summit planning ? Next Committee meeting – Wednesday, February 8th at 10am ET –Email the IRT to join the meeting or for more information on the Committee.