Who's Who @ OSP
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OSP’s Director, Dr. Judith Boccia, facilitates partnerships, develops collaborative programs and secures grant funding to connect UMass Lowell faculty with educators in public schools throughout the northeast region of Mass. and southern NH. Currently, she directs programs with 30 school districts, including professional development for teachers and leaders in a variety of subjects, as well as student support programs for urban youth.
In addition to her OSP work, she teaches History and Theory of Curriculum and the Educational Specialist Seminar in the Graduate School of Education at UMass Lowell. She received her Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University, her M.A. from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and B.A. from Marymount College, Tarrytown, N.Y.
Phone: 978-934-4661
E-mail: Judith_Boccia@uml.edu
Marjorie Dennis has been a Project Manager and Grant Writer at the Office of School Partnerships since 1999. Dennis manages grant-funded projects from national, state and local funding sources. She also oversees the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Middle School Region IV Fair, the Northeast STEM Network and the K-12 outreach for the NSF “Center for High Rate Nanomanufacturing” at UMass Lowell.
Phone: 978-934-4666
E-mail: Marjorie_Dennis@uml.edu
Cynthia J. Bent joined the Office of School Partnerships in 1999, and has managed grant budgeting for a variety of programs. As a first generation college graduate, Cynthia cares deeply about guiding economically disadvantaged high school students and first generation freshmen through the challenging first years of college. Cynthia draws on this passion to serve as Program Coordinator for Dual Enrollment , College Success, UConnect and the College Access Challenge.
Phone: 978-934-4645
E-email: Cynthia_Bent@uml.edu
Gray Fitzsimons is a graduate of the University of Maryland (1979) in civil engineering with a master’s degree in history from the University of Washington (1992). He has worked in the fields of structural engineering, history, and education. He is currently a doctoral candidate in UMass Lowell’s Graduate School of Education and is working at the Office of School Partnerships on a Teaching American History project. Gray lives in Lowell, Massachusetts, an ocean away from his birthplace in Casablanca, Morocco.
Phone: 978-935-4872
E-mail: Gregory_Fitzsimons@uml.edu
A graduate of Yale University, Rebekah L. Fraser joined the Office of School Partnerships in 2010 as a web writer, and quickly added New Media Specialist to her responsibilities. In that capacity, Fraser co-created (with John Wren) an educational webzine, STEM matters, for the Northeast STEM Network. She currently acts as Co-Producer & Managing Editor for STEM matters. In addition, Fraser handles social media strategy for the office,and assists university partners with communications and branding. As a freelance writer, editor & consultant, Fraser contributes to trade, consumer & corporate publications throughout North America.
Phone: 203-606-2929
E-mail: Rebekah_Fraser@uml.edu
Nancy Pitkin coordinates school outreach projects and administrative tasks for the Office of School Partnerships.
Phone: 978-934-4650
E-mail: Nancy_Pitkin@uml.edu
David Troughton coordinates the Superintendents’ Forum at the Office of School Partnerships and teaches graduate courses in curriculum design, school law and school finance at UMass Lowell. Dr. Troughton also serves as the Regional Assistance Director of the Northeast District and School Assistance Center (DSAC) through the DESE. Dr. Troughton’s thirty-six years of experience in public schools, include positions as: Superintendent of Schools in North Reading, Mass., Assistant Superintendent (Chelmsford, Mass.), Director of Curriculum (Millbury, Mass.), Middle / High School Associate Principal (W. Boylston, Mass.) and High School Science Teacher (Lynnfield, Mass.). He is the former president of Mass. ASCD and has served on numerous professional committees at the state and regional levels.
Phone: 978-934-4650
E-mail: David_Troughton@uml.edu
Shelli Turocy works with Gray Fitszimons on the Teaching American History projects.
Phone: 978-934-4650
E-mail: Michele_Turocy@uml.edu
John Wren is responsible for technology training and web site design for all grant funded projects supported by the Office of School Partnerships. He offers several workshops on digital photography, podcasting, wiki design and other multimedia/tech skills. John also serves as Technical Producer for the STEM matters webzine. John joined OSP in 2000, after nearly two decades with Eastman Kodak where he supported digital on-demand printing systems for Harvard, MIT, and Digital.
Phone: 978-934-4653
E-mail: John_Wren@uml.edu