After admitting our newest class and graduating our most recent, the IRT is thrilled to launch our newest summer workshop. This workshop will continue to build on our previous virtual delivery with curriculum delivery, Chalk Talks, Recruiters Weekend, and opportunities for scholars to demonstrate their learning. I am excited to see how our Summer faculty will continue to develop ways to support scholars through these shifts in higher education and greater society.
Imanalla! We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Alba Lamar, IRT ’14, has joined the IRT as our new Arts and Sciences Program Specialist. A Lënapehòkin-born Andean African-descendant, Alba is a lifelong artivist, educator, independent scholar, and widely published author. Her work is deeply rooted in the study of rematriation, Land-based knowledges, liberation, and abolition. Through the lenses of #guerrilladiscourse, Hip Hop, and Tattoo epistemologies, she explores thriving ontologies and anticolonialism.
Alba brings two decades of experience teaching students from infancy through college, including pre-service teachers. Her career is distinguished by the development of social and environmental justice curricula and resources for parents and educators, with a steadfast focus on Black Liberation, Indigenous Sovereignty, and sustaining, revitalizing pedagogies. Her professional journey has spanned Florida, New York City, Michigan, California, and Shanghai, China. An alumna of the 2014 IRT Associate Program, Alba earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education from Michigan State University. She also holds a Master of Science in Education from CUNY Hunter College and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Linguistics from the University of Central Florida.
Dr. Alba Lamar, IRT ’14
Alba’s connection to our mission is profound. Following her doctoral studies, she served as an IRT Statement of Purpose Advisor in 2021, 2023, and 2025. In this role, she drew upon her lived experience and academic expertise to help aspiring graduate students craft powerful narratives that define their purpose and intellectual curiosity.
As she steps into the role of Arts and Sciences Program Specialist, Alba’s dedication to nurturing underrepresented future educators aligns perfectly with the IRT’s commitment to advocacy and mentorship. We are honored to have her expertise as we continue to expand career paths and elevate the next generation of educational leaders.
Christian Walkes, IRT ’17 PhD, Education Harvard University
Walkes defended his dissertation titled Landscapes of Freedom: Black Educational Architects & Historical Geographies of African American School Grounds.
Emerson Mayorga, IRT ’25 MA, Journalism University of Arizona
Impact refers to a powerful lasting effect/influence that an event, person, or idea has on a situation.
Many alumni have formed lasting friendships, built lifelong connections, found new opportunities, had family members and children go through the program, or even found a partner through IRT. Whatever the impact, share your story with us.
Institute for Recruitment of Teachers 
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