Education Division

Timothy Allen, Ed.D., is principal of Birchland Park Middle School in East Longmeadow, Mass. Over the course of his career he has held roles as an urban school principal and an assistant principal. Timothy has also held teaching positions in Boston, Springfield, and the Bronx. His professional focus is on motivating teachers and students alike to utilize innovative and creative teaching strategies to optimize student learning.

Dr. Bertrand comes to Elms from high-level administrative positions at The American Women’s College at Bay Path University and American International College.  She earned her doctorate in Teacher Education and School Improvement at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and she is an experienced elementary and middle school teacher. Her area of expertise is in the workplace experiences of novice teachers, and multivariate teacher retention statistics.

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

Mahera Chiarizio is an independent training consultant in the field of early care and education. She teaches the cultural competency and health/safety/nutrition courses at our Greenfield campus.

Joan Daly is a retired teacher of young children with special needs from the Holyoke Public Schools. She is the instructor for the assessment course in the early care and education program in Greenfield.

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 Finnerty 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.

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.

Dr. O’Reilly-McRae is a preschool teacher and early childhood educator at Conway Grammar School. She teaches our mathematics methods course in the ECE program at the Greenfield site.

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 and off-campus location in Greenfield, Mass.

Ellen Sulzycki is a reference librarian for the City of Springfield. She teaches multicultural children’s literature at our off-campus site in Greenfield, Mass.

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.