Graduate Students Recognized for Achievements in Education Leadership

The College of Human Development, Culture, and Media’s Department of Education Leadership, Management, and Policy (ELMP) honored several distinguished award recipients during the spring semester.

Robert Cohen, a doctoral candidate in Higher Education, was selected as the 2025-26 Dissertation of the Year Award winner. Cohen’s dissertation, entitled “College Match and Retention for Students with Disabilities,” represents an outstanding contribution to the field of higher education, demonstrating exceptional relevance, methodological rigor and meaningful scholarly and practical impact.

Cohen's research examines the intersection of student to college matching, and first-year retention for students with disabilities, a “significant and underexplored issue in higher education” according to ELMP Department Chairperson Rong Chen, Ph.D. While prior research has examined these topics separately, Cohen’s work integrates them, focusing on a population that continues to face disparities in degree attainment. 

Carmen Morales, Ed.D., was selected as the 2025-26 recipient of the Gerard Babo Award.  The award honors the late Gerard (Gerry) Babo, Ed.D., associate professor in the ELMP, who passed away in 2019. Established by the Babo family and the College, the award recognizes individuals who reflect his legacy of service to students, the University and the broader community.

Morales, an educator with more than two decades of experience, was recognized for her commitment to her profession and community. "She exemplifies the spirit of this award through her sustained service to both her professional and local communities,” said David Reid, Ph.D., director of Prek-12 doctoral program. Morales currently serves as director of curriculum and instruction for the Essex County Schools of Technology and previously served as principal of Newark Tech High School, her alma mater. 

In 2024, while completing her doctoral studies, Morales was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly for the 34th Legislative District. She serves on four legislative committees, including as chair of the Higher Education Committee. As the first Puerto Rican Assemblywoman in Essex County, Morales has demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing opportunities for her community.  

Marsha Philemon, Ph.D., received the Petersheim Student Travel Award for her dissertation, entitled “Leading Beyond Concrete Ceilings: The Lived Experiences of African American Women Presidents at Predominantly White Institutions.” Philemon was recognized during The Petersheim Academic Exposition hosted by Seton Hall in April. 

All award recipients were honored at the College’s graduate commencement ceremony on May 13. 

Dissertation of the Year Nominees

• Kathleen Derillo, “Child Study Team Attitudes Toward Inclusion”
• Joseph Kyle, “Understanding How Teachers Define and Employ Civics Education in Non-Elective Social Studies Classrooms”
• Marsha Philemon, “Leading Beyond Concrete Ceilings: The Lived Experiences of African American Women Presidents at Predominantly White Institutions”
• Kendra Sherman, “Holistic Support and Development: Collaboration Between Residence Life and Faculty on Short-Term Education Abroad Programs”

Babo Award Nominees

Sister Kelly Schuster is a graduate of the Master of Arts in Education (Pre-K – 12). A Salesian Sister of St. John Bosco, she made her final vows in 2023. Prior to entering religious life, she taught theology at Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Washington, D.C. where she also served as assistant campus minister and spent two years as a Salesian lay missionary.   She later taught at Christi Holy Rosary School in Port Chester, New York, and at Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, New Jersey, which she now directs.

Alicia Subervi will graduate with her doctoral degree in education, focusing on Pre-K-12.  She serves as principal of Green Brook Middle School in Green Brook Township, New Jersey. With more than 25 years in education, Subervi has held roles as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and district-level leader, with a focus on building inclusive school cultures and serving others. She holds a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from California State University and a Master of Arts in Education Administration from Kean University. Her dissertation on the experiences of New Jersey administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic focused on leadership, communication, equity and organizational resilience.

Categories: Arts and Culture, Education, Research