Below is a post written by Alison Puliatte, Ph.D. Dr. Puliatte is an Assistant Professor in Childhood Education at SUNY Plattsburgh. She earned a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Learning, Development and Instruction from the CUNY Graduate Center. 

Dr. Alison Puliatte

I completed my degree in Educational Psychology specializing in Learning, Development, and Instruction at the Graduate Center, CUNY in 2015.  My dissertation advisor, Linnea Ehri, was a valuable mentor to me as I completed my dissertation titled Relationship of Students’ Spelling Gains to Teacher Knowledge and Teacher Practice.  While I was pursuing my degree, I was working as an elementary school principal in a public school on Long Island.  After I completed my degree, I continued working as a principal while also serving as an adjunct assistant professor in the School Psychology department at Queens College, CUNY.  

In 2016, I left my twelve year career as a principal to accept a position as an assistant professor of childhood education at SUNY Plattsburgh. I am currently in my fourth year in this position and I absolutely enjoy every aspect of it!  I teach undergraduate and graduate childhood and special education classes in topics ranging from lesson planning and curricular methods to autism spectrum disorders.  

My area of research examines the impact of teacher factors on their students’ academic and behavioral performance.  A sampling of my scholarship includes: dissertation was published in a peer reviewed journal, co-authored a book examining the impact of mental health on pre-service college students’ performance, authored an article examining pre-service teacher’s self-efficacy for classroom management, chapter on the use of cloud computing for Gen-Z students, and chapter on my experiences as a woman in a leadership position.  I am currently working with the NYS Education Department on a federal grant evaluating the effectiveness of a counseling program for youth who are considered at risk.  

My position affords me the opportunity to engage in a variety of service activities related to elementary education.  I serve as an assistant to the director of the North Country NYS Master Teacher program where I develop collaborative projects with practicing teachers and pre-service teachers.  I am a faculty advisor for the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in education. This role allows me to mentor future teachers as they engage in community service projects.  I am the founding advisor of the Active Minds Club on my campus. Active Minds is a national organization aimed at supporting mental health awareness and education for students. I have also served on numerous faculty search committees and curriculum revision groups.  One of my proudest accomplishments is the establishment of the undergraduate Student Research Group. I created this group with a colleague and we mentor undergraduate students as they explore research topics of interest to them. Several of our group members were selected to present their research at state and national conferences and they have published their work in peer reviewed publications. 

I credit the Graduate Center, CUNY for my ability to gain employment in my current position.  The support provided to me by my professors helped me transition from a principal to a professor and scholar.

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