Education Department

Ryan is an Assistant Professor of Secondary Education. He earned a Ph.D. in Teacher Education and School Improvement and an M.Ed. in Social Justice Education from UMass Amherst. He has extensive experience teaching English Language Arts at the secondary level in Western Massachusetts. Ryan approaches teaching about both the system and practice of education through equity-based frameworks.

Ericka Blais is the technology teacher at Stefanik School, Chicopee. She teaches our technology courses.

Dr. Dillard’s career as an educator began in middle schools where she taught a variety of subjects. Her primary interest is in the teaching of mathematics, at all levels. She has extensive experience as a curriculum developer, mentor to student teachers, and faculty member in Western Massachusetts teacher preparation programs.

Melinda Gowdey is an elementary teacher in Hinsdale, with an expertise in educational technology. She teaches the technology and multicultural children’s literature courses at our Pittsfield site.

Kelly Hawkins, M.A.T., has worked in various roles in education for over twenty-five years, primarily as a high school English teacher. In addition to her position as Practicum Director, she teaches the Pre-practicum Seminar and the Professional Seminar in Education.

Yeukai Imeh, Ph.D., MBA, has joined the college as an assistant professor of education. Imeh earned her doctorate at Simmons College in Boston, her MBA at Southern Connecticut State University; and holds a master of math adolescent education from Pace University in New York. She has been an adjunct professor at several local colleges, including Elms, and she also supervised Elms student teachers last spring. She is an experienced teacher in mathematics at the middle/high-school levels and in urban settings. Imeh will also advise middle/secondary licensure candidates.

Dr. Janeczek is a former elementary bilingual (Spanish) and English as a second language (E.S.L.) teacher. She has also served as western regional administrator for bilingual and E.S.L. programs for the state of Massachusetts. Her interests include language acquisition, E.S.L. methodology, and cross-cultural communication.

Patricia Regan, M.Ed., CAGS, is a certified Reading Recovery instructor and a reading teacher in Wilbraham, Mass. She teaches the multicultural children’s literature course at our main campus.

Suzanne Rene has taught preschool, special education, and most recently was an elementary Instructional Leadership Specialist for the Springfield Public Schools. Her area of expertise is Literacy. Professor Rene is the Director of the Reading Specialist Master of Arts in Teaching Program, and of its Summer Reading Clinic.

Sarah Sawyer, M.Ed., is a pre-kindergarten teacher in Springfield, Mass. She has extensive experience with children with special needs and teaches the early childhood curriculum and instruction courses at our main campus.

Earned Masters in Communication and Information Management in March, 2024. Bachelor degree in Business Studies at Umass – Amherst UWW May, 2010. Resident of Chicopee for life. Engage in community service on various committees, which include Hampden County 4-H / Youth Fair, Camp Howe in Goshen, MA., Massachusetts 4-H Foundation Board.

Tara Witte, MAT, has been an elementary teacher for the last ten years, teaching both third and fourth grades. She is a licensed reading specialist, and serves as the assistant director of the Elms College Summer Reading Clinic.

Emily Wood, M.Ed., is a preschool teacher for an integrated classroom in Dalton, Mass. She teaches the ECE assessment and methods courses at our off-campus site in Pittsfield, Mass.