College Faculty Liaisons
Faculty liaisons play a very important role in our Professional Development School. They facilitate our individual university and school and childcare center partnerships and are instrumental with aligning our teacher preparation program with the evolving needs of P-12 classrooms. Faculty liaisons work on curriculum development, co-design professional development opportunities, and engage in collaborative inquiry with our partners. Their work creates a bridge between academic and practice-based teacher preparation.
Each PDS partnership includes one college faculty liaison. Faculty liaisons work closely with school or childcare center liaisons to collaboratively plan and implement PDS activities specific to their partnership each semester. Some common PDS activities include the following:
- Orientation
- Immersion experience (Interns have 2-3 uninterrupted, full-time weeks with mentors)
- Math Night
- Technology Events
- Science Day
Our PDS would not be possible without faculty liaisons and their willingness to share their time and expertise with partnering schools and childcare centers.
2025 - 2026 Faculty Liaisons
The list below includes our School of Education faculty members who teach courses that have embedded field placements. Faculty liaisons portray a strong dedication to developing partnerships with our childcare centers and schools and provide invaluable leadership through their collaborative efforts to support and enhance our teacher preparation programs.
Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department:
- Charlene Cornwell, faculty liaison for Caroline Elementary School, South Hill Elementary and North East Elementary Schools, Ithaca City School District
- Karen Diescher, faculty liaison for SUNY Cortland Childcare Center
- Cody Harrington, faculty liaison for Homer Elementary and Homer Intermediate Schools, Homer Central School District
- Lin Lin, faculty liaison for Appleby Elementary School, Marathon Central School District and Groton Elementary School, Groton Central School District
- Tricia Roiger, faculty liaison for CAPCO, Here We Grow Childcare Center, SUNY Cortland Childcare Center and Ithaca Community Child Care Center
- Deborah Silvis, faculty liaison for CAPCO
- Christine Uliassi, faculty liaison for Cayuga Heights Elementary and Belle Sherman Elementary, Ithaca City School District
- Chris Widdall, faculty liaison for Caryl E. Adams Primary and Tioughnioga Riverside Academy, Whitney Point Central School District
- Kim Wieczorek, faculty liaison for Franklin Elementary and Webster Elementary, Syracuse City School District
Foundations and Social Advocacy Department:
- Brian Barrett, faculty liaison for H.W. Smith Elementary School, Syracuse City School District
- Katie Ducett, Smith Elementary School, Cortland City School District
- Eunyoung Jung, faculty liaison for Barry Primary School, Cortland City School District and K.C. Heffernan Elementary and C.S. Driver Middle School, Marcellus Central School District
- Carrie Rood, Fall Creek Elementary School and Dewitt Middle School, Ithaca City School District