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Alumni
Board
Current College of Education Alumni Advisory Board
The College of Education Alumni Advisory Board meets bi-annually to provide input and advice to the College of Education administration, faculty, and staff.
Nicole Alston-Abel
Nicole Alston-Abel earned her Ph. D. in School Psychology in 2009. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Spelman College, and a Masters Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from New York University. She is a 1993 Rockerfeller Brothers Fund Fellow and member of their 2000 Educational Leadership Cohort. Alston-Abel has worked in elementary education for over 10 years, and is currently a full-time School Psychologist. Throughout her career Alston-Abel has worked with low income and minority children. Her research interests focus on home literacy and home-school relationships, and their connections to academic achievement.
Betty Cobbs
Betty Cobbs has worked in public education for over three decades. In 1973, Cobbs graduated from Western Washington University (WWU), receiving a BA degree in Education with emphasis in Elementary Education and Ethnic Studies. Realizing a childhood dream, Cobbs became a school teacher at the primary level for Everett Public Schools. She earned a MA degree in Education Administration in 1976 and principal’s credential in 1977 from WWU. Cobbs enrolled in the University of Washington Leadership for Learning Program in 2004 and earned a Doctorate degree in 2008. Her dissertation was titled, Action Inquiry for Home Visits: Learning from Immigrant Families to Strengthen the Motivational Significance of Instructional Practices. Cobbs’ educational career spans over 36 years. After nine years as a primary teacher, she served as an principal for 25 years in three elementary schools. On a two year special assignment as Director of Human Resources, Cobbs successfully developed and implemented a K-12 program to support the skills of newly hired teachers in Everett Public Schools. This year Cobbs began as principal of Woodside Elementary School with Everett Public Schools. Cobbs currently serves on the board of directors for Volunteers of America Western Washington, City of Everett Civil Service Commission, and Imagine Children’s Museum. In 2009 she was appointed to the Board of Trustees at Everett Community College by Governor Christine Gregoire.
Donald Eismann
Donald Eismann, a loyal College of Education graduate and supporter, received his Ph. D from the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies area. He served as Superintendent of Schools in the Sumner School District for 22 years. During his career in education he founded a non-graded continuous progress choice program, opened the first American Teachers Center in England and served as teacher, music and science specialist in a variety of school settings from New York City to Lakenheath England.
Isaac Gottesman
Isaac Gottesman received his Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Foundations from the Area of Educational Leadership in Policy Studies in 2009. An independent scholar, Gottesman’s work focuses on the history of the relationship between education and social change and the history of education as an academic field of study. He is currently working on a book project tentatively titled Critical Pedagogy: A History. Gottesman is originally from Eugene, Oregon.
Kirby Green
Kirby Green is a 2008 graduate of the Master In Teaching Program. He is currently in his second year of teaching elementary school in South Seattle and is starting to consider an attempt at National Board Certification. In his other career Green runs a commercial salmon boat in Alaska. While this doesn’t exactly qualify as a true summer “vacation” he finds the abrupt change from the school year to the salmon season (then vice-versa) comfortably refreshing. In his free time Green enjoys trying new sports, cooking, coaching basketball, and traveling.
Mary Ingraham
Mary Ingraham received her Master’s in Teaching from the University of Washington’s College of Education in 2006. For four years she has taught as a secondary English teacher in the Bellevue School District. Ingraham received a Bachelor of Arts double major in Communication Studies and Sociology from Westmont College and also was a member of the two time NAIA national champion collegiate women’s soccer team. Ingraham taught an integrated high needs preschool class, and, concurrently, she coached high school girls’ soccer. Ingraham is experienced in non-profit fundraising and grant writing. In the community, she volunteers to support women and vulnerable children as well as advocates for persons with profound developmental disabilities. Ingraham and her husband enjoy sailing and playing recreational soccer.
Julie Kang
Julie Kang has served as the National Board Program manager at the University of Washington since 2001, where she develops curriculum and teaches teachers. Her research interest includes professional development opportunities and equity issues related to teachers of color, bilingual and multicultural education. For example, she developed a multicultural education course through the Huckabay fellowship which she taught at UW Seattle and UW Bothel. Kang’s other academic interests include early childhood and special education. She currently serves on the board for Wonderland Developmental Center. Kang volunteers in the community to educate early childhood program providers and teachers through Annual Crib to Classroom Conferences, North FACES, and Love and Logic. She loves to travel, most recently to the Galapagos Islands, read, being mom to daughter Katherine, and conducting oral histories with veteran teachers of color.
Judy Longstreth
For over thirty years Judy Longstreth has worked in both public and private education in the State of Washington. After graduating from the College of Education in 1964, she began teaching the intermediate grades for Shoreline School District in north Seattle. At the end of the sixties, Longstreth left education to become mother of her two children, Bres and Amy. In 1978 she returned to her career. At that time she chose to teach at a private K-12 school in Mountlake Terrace. It was during those years that Longstreth returned to the College of Education to get her MEd and principal’s credential, which were conferred in 1986. The last fifteen years of her career were spent as a teacher and administrator of gifted programs, and as principal for two elementary schools (North Hill and Valley View) in Highline School District. In 2001 Longstreth was recognized as one of the top principals in the state with the Washington State Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Education. Now, having retired, Longstreth is currently teaching education courses at Green River Community College and supervising student teachers for several universities.
Terryl Ross
Terryl Ross has over 15 years of experience related to diversity and inclusion. He is currently the Director of Community and Diversity for Oregon State University. Ross completed his Ph.D. in Educational Communications and Technology at the University of Washington. His dissertation topic was, “MOSAIC: The Case Study of a diversity-based, E-learning Community.” He received his MA from Syracuse University in Public Relations and he double-majored at Eastern Washington University in Government and Commercial Recreation. Ross has served as the campaign co-chair for the Inclusive Corvallis Ballot Measure 02-56, facilitator for the 509J Diversity Action Planning Team, producer of the Voices Project, and co-founder (with Mayor Charlie Tomlinson) of the Diversity Dialogues Project. He currently serves on the United Way of Benton & Lincoln Counties Board and Corvallis Police Department Citizen Review Board. Ross is a class member of Leadership Corvallis 2005 and a Senior Fellow of Oregon’s 2006 American Leadership Forum. Ross’s leadership helped Oregon State University win a Minority Access Inc. 2008 Award as one of America’s most promising diversity programs. He has worked and volunteered in a variety of settings. He has been a: college student body president, DJ, head football coach, documentary filmmaker, small business owner, Army intelligence officer, consultant, and leader in local and national political campaigns.
Britta Saltonstall
Britta Saltonstall discovered special education much like anyone does: unexpectedly and gratefully. Saltonstall is committed to fostering access and connections in education for all children; particularly those who sit in the margins of the margins of society. Her professional work has focused on early intervention and autism spectrum disorders, her academic work on teacher preparation, and her research on sexual maturation in context of girls with severe disability. Current endeavors include developing resources for sexuality education in developmental disability. Current projects include arranging a dissertation for publication. Having recently finished a lengthy stint in school, current enjoyments include moving her hands away from the keyboard to mix cookie dough in the kitchen and find treasures at the beach.
Edward “Ed” Taylor
Edward Taylor currently serves as vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs at the University of Washington Seattle. A Ph.D. alum from the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies area, Taylor joined the UW’s College of Education in 1995 as an assistant professor. His research and teaching center around diversity and leadership in education, social justice, P-20 access, undergraduate initiatives and teaching and learning. He has written, taught, and presented extensively on these topics. A leader in the community, Taylor is a trustee and former regent of Gonzaga University; founding board member of Molo Care, a non-governmental organization helping children in South Africa attend school; board chair and a founding board member of Rainier Scholars, a scholastic preparation program for high-achieving children of color; and has served on numerous other boards.
