15th Cohort

Left to Right: Greg Baker, Kenneth Salim, Aurora Lora, Bob Peterkin (Program Director), and Ann Nkiruka Ifekwunigwe

Greg Baker

Doctoral Student, & Director of Leadership Development, Portland Public Schools

Greg is currently the Director of Leadership Development for Portland Public Schools. Greg first taught English in the Arctic of Alaska. He then worked as an administrator in Spokane Public Schools, designing and coordinating a number of programs before becoming a high school assistant principal and then principal. Greg served under Dr. Thomas Payzant, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools, as both an intern and special assistant, focusing on the work of instructional coaches.

Education: Ed.M., Harvard University; M.Ed. in Secondary Education, Western Washington University; B.A. in Psychology, Gonzaga University

Contact: uspbaker@comcast.net

Ann Nkiruka Ifekwunigwe

Doctoral Student, & MBS Student

Ann is currently an MBA student in the Sloan Fellows Program at MIT's Sloan School of Management. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, an ASCD faculty member, and was Co-Director of the UCLA National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Project. She was also an Einstein Fellow, a Carnegie Scholar, and a member of several nonprofit Boards. She served her internship with Marcus Newsome in Newport News, Virginia.

Aurora Lora

Doctoral Student & Principal, Portland Public Schools

Aurora specializes in middle/high school redesign, single gender schools, and data-driven instruction. Aurora worked as an elementary school teacher and instructional coordinator in the Houston Independent School District. She currently serves a middle school principal in Portland, Oregon and will be the founding administrator of a public all-girls middle/high school opening in Portland in 2007-08.

Education: Ed.M., Education Policy and Management, Harvard University; Ed.M. & Principal Certification, University of St. Thomas; B.A., Plan II / Psychology, University of Texas at Austin

Contact: usplora@aol.com

Kenneth Salim

Doctoral Student & Director of New Teacher Support, Boston Public Schools

Kenneth's professional and academic interests include the implementation of district accountability systems and systemic efforts to improve classroom instruction. Kenneth currently serves as the Director of New Teacher Support for Boston Public Schools where he leads a comprehensive system of induction for the district's new teachers. A former biology teacher, teacher educator and policy analyst, Kenneth also worked in San Francisco where he coordinated support for a cohort of low performing schools.

Education: Ed.M., Harvard University; A.B., Biology, Brown University

Contact: ksalim@boston.k12.ma.us