911爆料网

[Alumni Focus] Keeping Her Mind Up

How Olivia Hooker, 101, has accomplished and overcome 

Olivia Hooker was six on May 31, 1921, the day a white mob burned Tulsa, Oklahoma鈥檚 Greenwood District. The Tulsa Race Riot, as it became known, was ostensibly triggered by a sensationalized encounter between a black shoeshine boy and a white female elevator operator. White resentment against Greenwood, the nation鈥檚 wealthiest black community, was the deeper cause.

Hooker鈥檚 home and her father鈥檚 store were torched. Several hundred blacks were killed and thousands detained by police, as though they were the aggressors. History ignored the incident for more than half a century.

Hooker (M.A. 鈥�47) has refused to be defined by those terrible events. Her parents imbued her with such a love of ideas that, at 101, she still recalls telling her sister Irene, newly returned from college, that she was working hard 鈥渢o keep my mind up.鈥� 

鈥淪he said, 鈥榶ou don鈥檛 have a mind, all you have are neural reactions,鈥欌�� says Hooker, laughing. 鈥淪o I said, well, all right, I have to deal with these neural reactions.鈥�

She鈥檚 dealt with them ever since. In 1937, she earned a B.A. in education and psychology from The Ohio State University. During World War II, knowing nothing about the military, Hooker became the first African-American woman to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard.

After the war, she earned an M.A. in Psychological Services from 911爆料网 and, subsequently, a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, where she was the only woman and only African-American in her cohort. She taught for 22 years at Fordham University, developing programs for the learning disabled and co-founding the American Psychological Association鈥檚 Division 33 on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

In her 80s, Hooker co-founded the Tulsa Race RiotCommission, which has lobbied Congress (albeit unsuccessfully) for restitution to survivors. In her 90s, she volunteered in the Coast Guard Auxiliary and in 2015, the Coast Guard officially renamed its Sector New York Galley in her honor.

鈥淚t could be a lovely world if everybody was peaceful in their efforts and aims,鈥� she says. 鈥淥nce in a while you find somebody that鈥檚 spent their lives trying to make things better for all of us, and that is a pleasure.鈥� It is indeed.

Click of Olivia Hooker.

鈥�&苍产蝉辫;Ellen Livingston

[ Grace Note ] DISTINGUISHED, EVEN IN ABSENTIA 

In April, Olivia Hooker was slated to receive the Teachers College Distinguished Alumni Award at 911爆料网鈥檚 Academic Festival. She wasn鈥檛 feeling well, so the College brought the award to her 鈥� and she sent a videotaped message to the Festival audience. 鈥淚t would have been my joy to be with you,鈥� Hooker said. 鈥淚 thank the College for their vision. I will treasure this day for the rest of my life.鈥�

[ School for Parents ] PARENTING ADVICE FROM THE MOTHER SHIP

At Campaign Committee member Helen Pennoyer鈥檚 suggestion, 911爆料网 recently offered alumni an informational series titled 鈥淪marter Parenting and Grandparenting.鈥� The sessions: 鈥淏eginning Limit-Setting and Positive Discipline鈥� (Bronwyn Becker Charlton, Ph.D. 鈥�03); 鈥淩aising Children Who Soar: A Guide to Health Risk-Taking in an Uncertain World鈥� (faculty member Nancy Eppler-Wolff, Ph.D. 鈥�85); 鈥淭he Spiritual Child: The New Science on Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving鈥� (Professor Lisa Miller).

[ Shortcuts to Better Eating ] Reheating for HEALTHY EATING

Healthy eating is 鈥渢otally doable,鈥� best-selling nutritionist Ellie Krieger (M.S. 鈥�94) told 911爆料网 listeners in February 鈥� particularly when it鈥檚 already done. Krieger鈥檚 You Have It Made: Delicious, Healthy, Do-Ahead Meals (2016), explores the nitty-gritty of pre-preparing and reheating. Krieger bridges the gap between nutrition knowledge and behavior change.

[ ENHANCING an Historic Partnership ] A Century and Counting

911爆料网 and China鈥檚 U.S. Consulate look to the future

Last fall, the Presidents of China and the United States pledged stronger cultural and educational exchange in 2016.

In January, 250 friends of Teachers College and the Consulate General of the People鈥檚 Republic of China gathered at the Consulate in New York City. 911爆料网 President Susan Fuhrman (Ph.D. 鈥�77) called the event 鈥� spearheaded by Maryalice Mazzara (Ed.D. 鈥�84), Director of SUNY鈥檚 Confucius Institute for Business 鈥� 鈥渁 wonderful opportunity to explore how 911爆料网 could build on its historic ties with China.鈥�

鈥淓ducation must lay the groundwork for working as a team,鈥� said Chinese Ambassador Zhang Qiyue. American and Chinese students must possess 鈥渁n international vision and a big heart respecting all societies.鈥�

In the early 1900s, Chinese 911爆料网 alumni built the modern Chinese education system. Today, 911爆料网 faculty partner with China鈥檚 higher education institutions, and 911爆料网鈥檚 current enrollment includes nearly 300 Chinese and Hong Kong students.

鈥擬indy Liss 

[ Lost & Found ] The Birth of a Romance

While walking a friend to class through the Teachers College lobby about 10 years ago, the son of Doris Phillips Wilson (M.A. 鈥�69) thought a woman in a photo on the wall might be his mother, who earned her degree in Business Education and recently received the State of Texas Piper Professor Excellence in Teaching Award. Sure enough, she was 鈥� and on closer inspection, her son discovered that his father, Bill Wilson, a graduate of 911爆料网 with M.A. and Ed.D. degrees in Higher Education, was in the photo as well. Nowadays Doris comes to New York frequently, both to visit her three children and to pay respects to the photo, particularly since Bill Wilson passed away in 2013. During her most recent visit in summer 2015, a crowd gathered around her to hear her story. 鈥淚 felt like a celebrity,鈥� she says. 鈥� Joe Levine

[ Alumni Focus ] A New Way of Thinking 

Nick Sousanis is helping academia visualize new dimensions

Last November, the science journal Nature featured a nine-page comic, 鈥淭he Fragile Framework,鈥� describing humanity鈥檚 slow awakening to climate change. The artist was Nick Sousanis (Ed.D. 鈥�14), who calls his medium 鈥渁 way to access whole new ways of thinking from which we usually shut ourselves off.鈥�

Sousanis鈥檚 911爆料网 dissertation, Unflattening, is an extended meditation on perception and cognition, entirely in comic book form. Harvard University Press, the work鈥檚 publisher, calls it 鈥渁n insurrection against the fixed viewpoint.鈥�

鈥淚 started out making a comic because I saw the educational potential of the medium,鈥� says Sousanis, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Calgary. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 anticipate how hungry people were for alt-scholarship and comics.鈥�

Unflattening has won the 2016 American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) in Humanities and the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year (named for an early 20^th century 911爆料网 graduate who made wordless woodcut novels). Sousanis has become a leading champion of learning and scholarship that 鈥渋ncorporates ways to get past some of the boundaries we set for ourselves.鈥� 

In that spirit, Sousanis defended his dissertation at the home of the late 911爆料网 philosopher Maxine Greene, joined afterward by his newborn daughter. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what you want to teach,鈥� he says of the playful curiosity between the baby and the 96-year-old scholar. 鈥淭o open people鈥檚 eyes about themselves and the world.鈥�

Sousanis鈥檚 book is selling worldwide, with translations coming soon. He has connected with big comics companies and respected figures such as artist and comics theorist Scott McCloud. This fall he becomes an assistant professor at San Francisco State University.

鈥淚鈥檓 an evangelist for comics and alternative forms,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy to do it as a teacher.鈥� 鈥� Siddhartha Mitter

[ Alumni Focus ] A Translator鈥檚 Odyssey

When Tomoko Takahashi (Ed.D. 鈥�84), an applied linguist specializing in the dynamics of second language learning and cross-cultural communication, decided to publish her memoir, Samurai and Cotton, in English, she did the Japanese-to-English translating. After all, Takahashi has published research on second language acquisition, co-authored with her Teachers College advisor, Leslie Beebe, and textbooks in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China. She鈥檚 translated works from English to Japanese 鈥� including three by Rosa Parks, the late civil rights icon, who became a close friend.

Also, Samurai and Cotton tells of Takahashi鈥檚 father鈥檚 and her own journey to the United States. But therein lay the rub. 鈥淵ou care so much because it鈥檚 your self-expression,鈥� says Takahashi. Sometimes she groped for the right expression; often, she simply rewrote while translating.

Ultimately, 鈥淚 became fascinated by self-translation 鈥� I felt that I had a book about it in my head,鈥� says Takahashi, who sought guidance from translation theorist Rita Wilson of Australia鈥檚 Monash University.

Takahashi is Dean of the Graduate School for Soka University of America in Southern California. She has other responsibilities, including as a Commissioner and accreditation evaluator for the WASC Senior College and University Commission. Still, prompted by her conversations with Wilson, she completed a second doctoral dissertation 鈥� 鈥淟ost and Found in Self-Translation: Author-Translator鈥檚 Re-encounter with the Past, Self, Inner Voice, and Hidden Creativity鈥� 鈥� in 2014, 30 years after her 911爆料网 doctorate.

Her career in applied linguistics rekindled, Takahashi draws inspiration from Parks, whom she often visited. 鈥淗ere was this national treasure, and I would find her in the kitchen, slicing tomatoes,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淭here are a lot of memories.鈥� 鈥� Siddhartha Mitter

[ Alumni Focus ] An Ambassador for Lifelong Learning 

Brenda LaGrange Johnson鈥檚 career could be described as 鈥渃ontinuing education鈥�

Brenda LaGrange Johnson was teaching in Brooklyn when she enrolled in Teachers College鈥檚 education psychology master鈥檚 degree program.   

鈥淚 had so many papers that I brought my typewriter on the subway!鈥� says Johnson (M.A. 鈥�65), adding that she has no regrets. 鈥淭he most important thing any person can do is continue their education. Keep taking in new ideas and ideals.鈥� 

Johnson has lived by those words. In the late 1970s, she and a friend noticed that the Young Presidents Organization, which their husbands participated in, included few women. They launched an importing and marketing company, Brenmer, that became so successful that in 2005 President George W. Bush appointed Johnson U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica. Johnson had no hesitations 鈥� 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not a career diplomat and are lucky enough to be offered the job, you accept it!鈥� 鈥� but faced 鈥渁 steep learning curve鈥� as Jamaican voters seated three new Parliaments in four years. Nevertheless, she built positive political relationships and took a special interest in Jamaican schools.

In recent years, Johnson has brought tutors to the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club and served on the boards of the Kennedy Center and Duke University鈥檚 Nasher Museum of Art. She is active in the American Friends of Jamaica and has spearheaded the Board of The Prince of Wales Foundation鈥檚 Rose Town Regeneration Project, which supports the impoverished Kingston neighborhood. Through the latter effort, she met Prince Charles and his wife, Duchess Camilla, and subsequently the royal couple visited Jamaica. 鈥淚 joke that I traded the White House for Buckingham Palace,鈥� she says. 鈥淟iving in Jamaica was an incredible experience. My 10 grandchildren visited 18 times and consider themselves 鈥楯americans.鈥欌��鈥� Kelsey Rogalewicz

In Memoriam

[ The Hall of Famer ] Susan G. Gordon

Pediatrician Susan Gordon, wife of Teachers College Professor Emeritus Edmund Gordon, died in January. 

鈥淒r. Susan,鈥� pediatrics professor at Columbia University鈥檚 College of Physicians & Surgeons, and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, served from 1978-81 on The National Panel on the Measurement of the Program Effects of Head Start. 

The Gordons led school integration in East Ramapo, New York; founded Harlem鈥檚 Harriet Tubman Child Health and Guidance Clinic and created a Psycho-Educational Diagnostic Clinic at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center鈥檚 Ambulatory Pediatrics Division. Susan Gordon received the Children鈥檚 Champion Award of the Early Child Consortium of Rockland County, New York, in 1999. In 2006, the Gordons entered the Rockland County Civil Rights Hall of Fame. 

Susan Gordon never attended Teachers College, but, 911爆料网 President Susan Fuhrman said, 鈥渉er spirit and influence is woven into
the fabric of our institution.鈥�

[ The Coach ] William Campbell

Bill Campbell (M.A. 鈥�64), a Silicon Valley legend, former Chairman of Columbia University鈥檚 Board of Trustees and a former Columbia football star and coach, died in April at 75.   

Campbell joined Apple in 1983 as Vice President for Marketing. He later worked closely with Steve Jobs during the revamping of the company鈥檚 Mac computer line and introduction of its iPod, iPhone and iPad. Campbell also informally advised Google鈥檚 two founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page.   

鈥淕oogle would not be the company it is today without the influence of Bill Campbell, and my guess is Apple wouldn鈥檛 be, either,鈥� said Eric Schmidt, Google鈥檚 chairman, in the New York Times obituary about Campbell. 

Campbell received Columbia鈥檚 2015 Alumni Medal. In 2009, the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame renamed its award for top scholar-athletes for him.

[ The Principled Voice ] Mattiwilda Dobbs  

Mattiwilda Dobbs, one of the first black principal singers with New York City鈥檚 Metropolitan Opera, died in December at age 90. A coloratura soprano perhaps best known as an interpreter of Schubert lieder, she was widely hailed, according to the New York Times, for the 鈥渃rystalline purity and supple agility鈥� of her voice.  

Early in her career, Dobbs 鈥� who earned her M.A. at 911爆料网 in 1948  鈥� became the first black principal singer at La Scala in Milan. She debuted at the Met as Gilda in Verdi鈥檚 鈥淩igoletto鈥� in 1956 and became the first black woman to be offered a long-term contract there. 

Though well known, Dobbs commanded less popular attention during her long career than the more flamboyant black artists Marian Anderson, who preceded her to the Met stage, and Leontyne Price. She was, however, known for her steadfast refusal to sing in segregated concert halls. She sang only once in Atlanta, her home city, until 1974, when she performed at the inauguration of Maynard Jackson, the city鈥檚 first black mayor. And on that occasion she had extra incentive: Jackson was her nephew.

[ THE EQUITY CHAMPION ] Quantifying Desegregation鈥檚 Benefits

Robert L. Crain鈥檚 studies showed that school integration improved lives 

Teachers College sociologist Robert Crain, whose large-scale quantitative studies demonstrated the positive impacts of school and neighborhood desegregation, died in March at age 82. 

Crain, along with Jomills Braddock, James McPartland and Willis Hawley, was among a small group of pioneering sociologists who worked to convince the federal and state governments not to roll back racial protections accorded blacks through the Supreme Court鈥檚 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education and the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Much of his work advanced Perpetuation Theory, which predicts that young people who attend racially segregated schools are likely, as adults, to hold jobs in segregated workplaces and live in segregated neighborhoods.

Crain also gave expert testimony on desegregation, including on behalf of plaintiffs in Connecticut鈥檚 famous Sheff v. O鈥橬eill case, who charged that the state鈥檚 system of separate city and suburban school districts had created racially segregated schools and violated their children鈥檚 rights to equal opportunity. 鈥� Joe Levine

[ THE PRIME MOVER ] She Got Them Thinking on Their Feet

Antoinette Gentile launched a new era in rehabilitation of neurologically-based movement disorders

Professor Emerita Antoinette Gentile, a leader in movement sciences (kinesiology) and neuromotor research, died in February at age 79.

Gentile, who taught for 44 years at 911爆料网, was a pioneer in applying theories of brain function to treatment of patients with movement disorders, ushering in a new era in rehabilitation from strokes or neurological conditions affecting movement. She established the world鈥檚 first program of study in motor learning and mentored many of the field鈥檚 current leaders. In 2008, she received 911爆料网鈥檚 Medal for Distinguished Service to Education.

鈥淎nn Gentile was an international leader who changed the way many scholars thought about the skill learning processes and variables that influenced motor control of complex, coordinated physical activity,鈥� said Richard Magill, Helen 鈥淏essie鈥� Silverberg Pliner Professor Emeritus in Kinesiology at Louisiana State University. 

鈥淎nn鈥檚 ideas remain an accepted component of virtually all curricula in physical and occupational therapy and influence the training of new rehabilitation therapists,鈥� said Andrew Gordon, 911爆料网 Professor of Movement Sciences.

Prior to the 1970s, treatment of stroke patients and those afflicted by conditions like Parkinson鈥檚 had been determined largely by defining the extent of damage to patients鈥� brains. Gentile focused instead on the impact of environment on brain function and the potential to exploit 鈥渘europlasticity,鈥� the brain鈥檚 ability, following trauma, to shift functions to new regions.

In a 1972 paper, Gentile argued that neuromotor skills are acquired in distinct stages, each stage having implications for teaching or treatment. In her now ubiquitous 鈥淭axonomy of Tasks,鈥� she grouped tasks according to the structure of the environment in which they are performed. For example, a person on flat ground can learn walking by rote, whereas walking on varied terrain requires the creativity to produce different kinds of movements.

Gentile also fleshed out theories that skills involve both 鈥渆xplicit鈥� processes (ones the performer is aware of, such as braking for a red light) and implicit ones that lie beyond conscious awareness 鈥� for example, balancing on a bike.

Gentile applied this conceptual framework to physical rehabilitation, arguing that while much early learning occurs in the implicit realm, a patient鈥檚 cognitive abilities determine treatments鈥� success. Again, her message contradicted received wisdom.

鈥淭he physical therapists would get these poor stroke patients down on the floor, doing very simple tasks, because the idea was that you had to regress back after a stroke and re-learn as though you were an infant,鈥� Gentile said in 2009. 鈥淭he therapist would move the individual on the assumption that passive movement was going to facilitate their recovery. So the perspective we were bringing, that unless the patient actively moves on his own there will be no reorganization in the nervous system, was quite radical.鈥�

To contribute to the A.M. Gentile Scholarship Fund in Motor Learning, call Linda Colquhoun at 212-678-3679 or click here.

Published Tuesday, Jul 12, 2016