Rider University College of Education and Human Services

05/18/2026

Here are some photos from our undergraduate commencement ceremony!

Go Broncs! Congratulations, graduates!!

05/18/2026

We had a wonderful day this past Saturday celebrating our graduates!

Here are some photos from our graduate-level commencement ceremony! Go Broncs! Congratulations, graduates!

05/15/2026

We can't wait to celebrate our graduates tomorrow! Go Broncs!!

05/14/2026

Interested in learning more about our revised Reading Specialist program? Click the link below to view our latest program flyer:

https://tinyurl.com/393ccudw

Additionally, there will be an online information session for interested candidates on June 2nd @ 4:30pm. Save the date, and look for more details to come regarding this event in the near future!

https://www.rider.edu/admissions/graduate/contact

05/14/2026

Our student teachers have the opportunity to spend a portion of their semester teaching abroad thanks to the work of people like Dr. Diane Casale-Giannola, Dr. Erica Spence-Umstead, our faculty supervisors, and the work of the Rider University Office of International Education.

Our Spring 2026 international student teachers, Caresse Hueck, Annette Fornah, and Erin Foley, recently returned from their time abroad and had the opportunity to discuss their experiences and to present what they learned. Their presentation highlighted the different cultures and varied educational systems that they experienced abroad and compared them to their domestic placements here in NJ.

Thank you, Caresse, Annette, and Erin for representing Rider and our teacher preparation programs across the globe! We're so glad you had such great experiences, and we thank all involved in this program's success.

05/11/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Susan Dougherty on earning the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award today!

Dr. Dougherty, Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Services and Chair of the Department of Teacher Education, received this award today to thunderous applause in front of university leadership, faculty peers, staff colleagues, and most importantly--her family.

Congratulations, Dr. Dougherty! Well deserved!

05/11/2026

The Department of Teacher Education was proud to welcome students and their families to the Student Awards Ceremony this past Friday, honoring and recognizing our undergraduate students who went above and beyond throughout their time here at Rider.

With more than sixteen awards presented, the photos below capture only a small snapshot of the beautiful event. Congratulations to all award recipients, and thank you to the families and loved ones who attended!

05/11/2026

We were delighted to hold our bi-annual Student Teaching Wrap Up Celebration this past Friday where we celebrated our pending teacher graduates and recognized our amazing students, cooperating teachers, faculty supervisors, and staff!

We congratulate Brooke Kane on receiving the Dr. Suzanne Gespass Literacy Award.

We congratulate long-time district partner Heather Shwom on receiving the Cooperating Teacher Leadership Award.

We thank Dr. David Aderhold, Superintendent of West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional SD, and adjunct faculty member at Rider, for presenting the keynote address.

Thank you to our Office of Field Placement & State Certification staff for running this event. Thank you to Dr. Erica Spence-Umstead, our Assistant Dean for Partnerships and Field Placements, for her leadership year after year. Lastly, thank you to all of our faculty and guests who spoke at Wrap Up, presented awards, etc. This event doesn't come together without the involvement and dedication of many, many people!

Congratulations to all!!

05/06/2026

We were so proud to hold the Doctoral Hood Presentation this past Monday evening for our graduating EdD in Educational Leadership students! We congratulate all of our pending graduates, and thank their families and our university leadership for their support and attendance.

We also had the opportunity to welcome the incoming students of Cohort 10. We are so glad you are here!

This program has come so far, and we'd be remiss to not thank former CEHS Dean Sharon Sherman and Dr. Len Goduto (both in attendance) for all of their work in getting this program built and launched. Special thanks to Dr. Bonnie Lehet, as well, for her continued leadership of this program.

Congratulations, Doctors!! See you at Commencement!

05/05/2026

Congratulations, Dr. Villalobos-Buehner!

Dr. Maria Villalobos-Buehner brings expertise to government project in Peru

05/05/2026

Today is National Teacher Day!

We thank all of the wonderful teachers both local to Rider and across the state (and nation!) for their dedication and hard work. We thank all of the cooperating teachers who support our students in the field, and we are so proud of all of our teacher alumni who have gone on to become wonderful educators!

One such alumni is Valerie Scamardella. Since graduating from Rider University in 2018 and subsequently being hired in the Howell Township School District, Valerie has hosted several of our student teachers over the years and remained connected with our teacher preparation programs through various events and panels.

Valerie is pictured here with her current student teacher, Abby Chernet, who is finishing her last days of student teaching this week. Valerie shares that Abby was a wonderful addition to her classroom this semester. We look forward to celebrating Abby, and all of our future teachers, later this week!