By james art More than 200 alumni, students, faculty and friends gathered on campus Oct. 19 for TC Alumni Day, a community gathering that focused on the benefits of building connections through a celebration of the college’s award-winning alumni and a dialogue that honored the late Ruth K. , Westheimer (Ed.D. ’70), also known as Dr. Ruth. Reflecting a shared commitment to creating a better world, the lively celebration brought the TC community together for networking opportunities, engaging panel discussions, and highlights of the impactful work of TC’s 2024 alumni honorees.
“What drives all of us, whether we’re deep in science writing or conducting research in the field, is our impact on people. That kind of connection is so important,” President Thomas Bailey said during his remarks at Milbank Chapel. “So I hope you will make your own connections today: with each other, with me, and with the Teachers College. Because although many of us come from different backgrounds, we are united in our belief in the power of education, health care and psychology to improve society. And our alumni are a vital component of our legacy, building on their learning here and contributing to a greater world and public good.”
Alumni in attendance spanned generations, with graduates from the Class of 1952 to the Class of 2024 reuniting in Morningside Heights on a warm fall day.
“This is a day when we look back … we go back to who we were maybe five, 10, 20 years ago when we were walking across 120th Street, up the steps of what is now Zankel Hall — when we were students, teaching or doing research. Or when we went to Tom’s Diner or the Hungarian Patisserie,” reflected Roberta W. Albert (MA ’97), vice president for institutional advancement, in her opening remarks. “In our minds we go back to the rush of the beginning. And that’s how we provide the kind of food we all need to keep us going.”
Pictured left to right: Honors Claudia Schrader (Ed.D. ’02, Ed.M. ’01, MA ’92) and Vikash Reddy (Ph.D. ’16, M.Phil. ’15) with President Thomas Bailey and other recipients of the Beverly Elmira Johnson (Ed.D. ’86, Ed.M. ’83), Louis N. Wool (Ed.D. ’14) and A. Brooks Bowden (Ph.D. ’14, M.Phil. ’13) Award. (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)
During the day’s festivities, Teachers College recognized the five recipients of this year’s Alumni Awards for profound contributions to their respective fields, the TC community and beyond.
“As stewards of our esteemed Teachers College, we are called to make a profound difference as we leave 120th Street and continue our work around the world,” said Brian Kennerly (MA ’92), president of the Alumni Council, at this year’s announcement distinguished. “This year’s alumni award recipients embody this important tradition, and to honor them at this year’s TC Alumni Day is among our greatest experiences as a community bound by this shared commitment to a better world.”
Central to the day’s focus on building connections, the program included a discussion on the latest book – aptly titled The joy of relationships — by the late Ruth Westheimer of TC (Ed.D. ’70), the iconic and pioneering sex therapist. The dialogue—moderated by Tom Rock (Ed.D. ’02), associate vice president and chief student affairs officer—between co-authors Allison Gilbert and Pierre Lehue explored ways to create deeper connections and honored the TC scholar’s legacy with her daughter Miriam Westheimer (Ed.D. ’90) attended.
“Trying to make friends and make connections, you can’t just sit back and expect those connections to come to you,” Lehue said. Referring to Westheimer’s fondness for turtles as a metaphor for life, he explained, “You have to stick out your neck and arms and legs and go to them and do something about your loneliness.”
Later, TC’s Sonali Rajan (Ed.D. ’10) led a heartfelt discussion about the power of connections and community with fellow faculty member John Alegrante and TC alumna Jacqueline Coffield (Ed.D. ’24). While acknowledging the difficult times we live in and the accompanying public health advice on loneliness, youth mental health, parenting stressors and gun violence, the panel focused on solutions to these myriad challenges.
“There is quite a bit of hope,” said Rajan, a professor of health education and the inaugural president of the Firearms-Related Harm Research Society. “Hope based on the research and work of scholars and educators who are committed to contributing new and needed solutions and a commitment … to facilitate these positive changes.”
For Allegrante—whose forthcoming edited volume, Culture of Anxiety: The New Global State of Human Affairsexplores such challenges—it’s the lack of connection and reluctance to engage with other perspectives that sustains persistent anxiety. “I’m convinced that this idea of staying curious and engaging other people is the key to making connections and improving life experiences for all of us,” said Alegrante, TC’s Charles Irwin Lambert Professor of Health Behavior and Education.
Citing the troubling effects of social media on teenagers, Alegrante is an advocate for personal connection, though Cofield further emphasizes that phones and social media are tools of connection that empower users to become creators instead of mere consumers. “When everyone has the ability to create content…we can connect and learn more about each other,” said Coffield, host and creator of the Beyond Beauty podcast and Joan Tisch Teaching Fellow at the Whitney Museum of American Art. “We can get into people’s experiences without them [phones and social media]we wouldn’t have those sight lines.’
TC Alumni Day ended with networking and lunch, giving everyone an opportunity to connect through community and conversation. Mixed in with alumni returning 50 years after graduation were students yet to embark on the journey beyond 120th Street.
“Connecting with alumni is such an amazing part of the college experience,” says Gwyneth Soter (M.Ed. ’25, School Counseling). “I am very excited to graduate in May and excited to be a part of the alumni community.”
Learn more about how to connect with TC’s robust alumni network here.