HGSE Remembers Jacqueline Zeller

The Harvard Graduate School of Education is remembering Lecturer Jacqueline Zeller, a longtime faculty member who passed away on July 24.

In a message to the HGSE community, Dean Nonie Lesaux honored Zeller’s many contributions to the school, particularly to the students with whom she worked, writing, “Jackie’s impact on the careers of counselors and educators has been profound and lasting.”

A licensed psychologist, Zeller spent much of her career working in schools, serving at various points as school psychologist, school counselor, school adjustment counselor/social worker, and elementary education teacher. She also worked as a therapist in a variety of settings, including treatment centers, outpatient clinics, and hospitals. She joined HGSE as a faculty member in 2005.

Zeller’s extensive clinical experience, along with her field-tested school counseling strategies, allowed her to provide a unique perspective to her students, first in the former Risk and Prevention and Prevention Science and Practice Programs, and most recently in the Human Development and Education Program. As a key faculty member of the C.A.S. in Counseling Program, she was central to the reimagining of the counseling strand, helping to mold it into the current School Counseling Licensure Pathway (SCLP).

“Jackie was an integral part of our community, well-known for her kindness, dedication, and delightful (quirky!) sense of humor,” wrote Senior Lecturer Josephine Kim, a colleague in SCLP and a friend from their time as doctoral students at the University of Virginia. “For two decades, Jackie touched the lives of so many at HGSE with her unwavering commitment to the development of school counselors, and through her courses in individual counseling, child advocacy, legal and ethical issues, and self-care, Jackie left an indelible mark, not only on HGSE but on the broader field of school counseling.”

Praised in student evaluations as a “gifted educator” with “a wealth of knowledge,” “enthusiastic,” and “supportive,” Zeller was known for creating a “warm and welcoming environment” in her classroom. She was also the go-to adviser for students interested in pursuing a clinical Ph.D. program after HGSE. 

Central to Zeller’s philosophy as an educator was her belief that creating safe learning environments — including at HGSE — is one of the most important aspects of teaching and learning. 

“I hope to create a sense of a caring community in my classes so that my students will also be attentive to the importance of creating caring communities with the youth in their schools,” Zeller wrote in a blog post in 2015. “I am grateful and humbled to have community partners and the HGSE community of teachers and learners from whom I continue to learn so much.”

Her success in building that caring community is evident in the bonds she created with colleagues and her students, who were inspired to bring the same level of care into their classrooms. 

“Jackie approached her work with a depth of care that you could feel; whether you were in her class, in a meeting with her, or in a one-on-one conversation, you always knew that you had her full attention and wisdom,” said Lecturer Gretchen Brion-Meisels. “She was a generous teacher who modeled a deep ethical commitment in all of her work. Her research and teaching will impact children for years to come through the work of her many students.”

Zeller served as a practicum site coordinator for the C.A.S. Program, working with field supervisors and providing regular feedback and support to students learning to work as counselors in a professional setting.

“She never shied away from the conversations we needed to have to grow,” said Peju Bobbett, Ed.M.’25, for whom Zeller acted as a practicum adviser last year. “She was an incredible advocate for students and I know I grew as a person, counselor, and academic in her care.”

Zeller's research and consultation work focused on the quality of teacher-student relationships, supporting school-based mental health professionals’ work in schools, and facilitating workshops focused on practitioners' self-care. In 2023, she began as a district-wide consultant for elementary school counselors in Cambridge Public Schools, where she facilitated regular consultation groups for counselors throughout the academic year and consulted with district leaders on how best to support counselors and students. 

“Jackie was truly one of the most compassionate people I’ve ever met,” said Jessica Middlebrook, Ed.M.’07, C.A.S.’08, a school adjustment counselor at MLK School in Cambridge with whom Zeller worked when Middlebrook was a HGSE student and, later, in schools. “She approached every interaction with an almost otherworldly sense of positivity and kindness. Her commitment to the counseling profession was evident in her seamless integration of theory and practice, and her focus on caring for oneself in order to care for others will stay with me and her many students for our whole careers.”

Zeller's passion for and dedication to teaching was evident to all with whom she came in contact, particularly her students, her colleagues, and her family.

“Jackie loved to teach!” wrote her husband Pete Shapiro, who works at HGSE in the role of service owner/manager multimedia technologies. “She glowed after her classes.”

Added Lesaux, “As a clinical role model and teacher to her students, a generous faculty colleague, and, above all, a person of caring and compassion, Jackie will long be treasured by our HGSE community.”

In addition to her husband Pete, Jackie is survived by daughter, Zoie, her parents, Robin and Robert, and her brother, Jonathan.