Field Experience Program Team

Eileen McGowan, Ed.D., Program Director

Eileen is the Director the Field Experience Program, Lecturer on Education, and Special Assistant to the Urban Superintendent's Program at Harvard. Her work focuses on the establishment, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of mentoring programs in multiple contexts. In addition, she teaches advanced methods courses to doctoral students in researching and writing literature reviews. Her latest research is forthcoming in the Handbook of Mentoring (Kram and Ragins, Eds., in press)

Eileen consults with a number of different types of organizations including urban school systems, institutions of higher education, and for-profit organizations. Eileen received her Ed.D., C.A.S., and Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She also holds an Ed.M. from Boston College. She was a teacher of children with special needs for 14 years.

Sarah Deighton, Ed.M., Program Specialist

Sarah is the Field Experience Program Specialist and collaborates closely with Eileen in managing the program and developing the future strategy for this course. Her work includes outreach to internship sites, development and facilitation of the career seminar, and providing career guidance to students interested in the program.

Most recently, Sarah was the Director of Career Services and Alumni Relations at the Stanford University School of Education (SUSE). Prior to working at SUSE, Sarah worked at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford and the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. Before working in a university setting, she held a variety of roles in recruiting and marketing at Korn/Ferry International, the executive search firm.

Sarah graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2003 and continues to be an active alumna. She currently serves as a member of the School's Recent Alumni Circle.

Rachael McDermott, M.A., Staff Assistant

As part of her role as the Career Services Staff Assistant, Rachael provides guidance to incoming students, represents the Field Experience Program to internship sites, assists in marketing the FEP to students and employers as well as coordinates certain administrative aspects of the program.

Rachael previously worked in the Office of Career Services at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Prior to her career in higher education, Rachael worked for 6 years in public relations. She holds a master's degree in History from Tufts University.

Teaching Fellows (2007-2008)

Rachel Currie-Rubin is a 2nd year doctoral student in the Human Development and Education concentration. Her background includes teaching reading and writing to adults and children. She recently helped develop a reading comprehension program for first graders in Peru. Rachel's research interests include children and adult literacy in general, and specifically how perception of spoken language may be related to various aspects of reading. In addition to working on a number of research projects at HGSE, she works at Children's Hospital on a multi-disciplinary team as an educational specialist. Rachel graduated from Ithaca College with a B.S. in Speech and Language Pathology and from HGSE with an Ed.M. in Language and Literacy.

Shari Dickstein is a 2nd year doctoral student in the Education Policy, Leadership, and Instructional Practice program. Her current research focuses on how traditional and non-traditional teacher education programs prepare teachers for urban settings, what supports and strategies inform a most efficacious urban teaching force, and the link between teacher preparation and teacher retention. She currently consults for the Boston Public School's Boston Teacher Residency program, is a member of HGSE's Everyday Anti-Racism Research Group and serves as an advisor for HGSE's Teacher Education Program.  Prior to coming to HGSE, Shari served as an adjunct professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Education instructing courses in teaching methods and educational policy trends.  She also worked as a Literacy Program Researcher for the City University of New York (Baruch College), taught high school social studies for five years in New York City and directed the school's junior and senior year internship and dramatic arts programs. She received her B.A. in Government and International Relations from Cornell University and her M.A. in Social Studies Education from New York University.

Cynthia Gordon is a 3rd year doctoral student studying the moral development of adolescents and young adults. Her research focuses on how students develop in their commitments to issues of social justice in the context of Higher Education courses. Her background includes extensive international experience as a Fulbright Scholar in Berlin and a Graduate Research Intern in Lancaster, England, and student in Freiburg, Germany. Cynthia's professional background is in student affairs as a student activities advisor and assistant hall director. Cynthia graduated from Connecticut College with a BA in Cross-cultural Constructions of Gender in the U.S., and a M.A. from Ohio State University in Higher Education and Student Affairs.

Amanda Taylor is a 3rd year doctoral student in the Education Policy, Leadership, and Instructional Practice program. Her current research focuses on how community organizing initiatives in low-income communities of color help create the conditions necessary to better support and sustain school improvement efforts. She was recently named a Jacob K. Javits Fellow by the US Department of Education. Prior to coming to HGSE, Amanda served as the Director of Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid for the School of International Service at American University. She received her B.A. in English and her M.A.T. in Secondary English Education from the University of Virginia, and has taught in urban, rural, and international school contexts. A life-long dancer, Amanda is currently a member of a Boston-based contemporary dance company.

Jennie Weiner is a 2nd year doctoral student in in the Education Policy, Leadership, and Instructional Practice program. Her current research focuses on systemic school reform and building internal capacity at the school site. Prior to HGSE, Jennie taught middle school and high school in Los Angeles, and worked extensively in curriculum development and student mentoring.  As a senior research associate for the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) at the Milken Family Foundation, Jennie researched a variety of educational and pedagogical issues for TAP schools.  She conducted yearly program reviews at TAP sites, assisted with program development, and provided technical assistance to schools.  Most recently, she has worked for the Boston Plan for Excellence serving as a research intern focused on studying the success of a teacher leadership and induction initiative. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Amherst College and a Master’s in Education in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from HGSE.