Overview
Work History
Education
GRANTS
SCHOLARLY PRESENTATIONS
HIGHLIGHTS OF LEADERSHIP SERVICE TO MERCY UNIVERSITY
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS
Timeline
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Teresa A. Quackenbush

Dobbs Ferry,NY

Overview

31
31
years of professional experience

Work History

Special Assistant to the Provost for Enhanced Student Outcomes

MERCY UNIVERSITY
01.2025 - Current
  • Provide institutional leadership for student success, retention, and completion strategies aligned with the University’s strategic plan, contributing to a 94.6% first-year student retention rate (Fall 2025 / Spring 2026).
  • Initiate and sustain cross-campus collaboration between Academic Affairs and Student Success units, including Advisement, Campus Life, Tutoring & Support Services (CAEI), Accessibility Services, and Counseling advancing a coordinated, student-centered retention strategies.
  • Translate institutional priorities into coordinated initiatives that improve student persistence, engagement, and academic momentum across multiple student populations.
  • Created and launched a centralized communication system on Mercy’s LMS enabling students to access all support services through a single, streamlined platform, significantly improving service navigation and engagement.
  • Partnered with PACT to realign progress report timelines, increasing progress report compliance by 15% (Fall 2025 to Fall 2026) and improving early academic intervention.
  • Designed and implemented a new workflow with the University Evaluation/Registration team that reduced barriers in resolving incomplete grades, improving efficiency and successfully launching in Fall 2025 with full institutional adoption by Spring 2026.
  • Led a university-wide task force to restructure and assess the effectiveness of Mercy’s tutoring supports (CAEI) support, producing recommendations for institutional improvement and alignment.
  • Coordinate academic success strategies across schools and departments, ensuring consistency while supporting discipline-specific retention interventions.
  • Collaborate with Institutional Research to analyze student feedback and course evaluation data, contributing to a 5% increase in student course evaluation response rates and engagement metrics.
  • Use institutional data to identify barriers to student success and inform redesign of academic support systems, early alerts, and intervention strategies.
  • Partner with the Center for Teaching and Learning and Marketing to design and launch a university-wide Finals Week Campaign, resulting in the highest recorded student registration and engagement levels for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 cohorts.
  • Collaborated with deans, faculty, and academic leadership to promote teaching and learning strategies that support student persistence and success.
  • Led the first-ever university-wide Adjunct Symposium, engaging large-scale adjunct faculty participation in professional development and student success initiatives across university student success teams.
  • Secured and led implementation of a $9.5 million grant from the Suzanne McGraw Foundation to expand recruitment and retention of pre-service teacher candidates over a five-year period.

Core Faculty Assistant Professor, Department of Childhood Education

MERCY UNIVERSITY
01.2015 - Current
  • Courses taught at multiple campuses and across modalities:
  • Science Methods
  • Introduction to Early Childhood and Childhood Education
  • Working with Parents and Families of Children
  • Student Teaching Seminar
  • Supervise student teachers in the Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester and Putnam.
  • Assisted with revising course syllabi to align with accreditation requirements

Adjunct Professor, Department of Childhood Education and Department of Secondary Education

MERCY UNIVERSITY
01.2007 - 01.2015
  • Courses taught at multiple campuses and online:
  • Assessment, Methods and Materials
  • Science Methods and Social Studies Methods
  • Introduction to Early Childhood Education
  • Educational Psychology
  • Supervise student teachers in the Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester and Putnam

Visiting Instructor, New York City Teaching Fellows

PACE UNIVERSITY
01.2010 - 01.2010
  • Courses: The Essentials of Teaching. Supervised student teachers in clinical practice throughout New York City

Curriculum Support Leader District 75

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
01.2008 - 01.2010
  • Supported and guided thirty classroom teachers by providing training in differentiated, individualized, academic, and vocational instruction coupled with social, emotional, behavioral and language supports to aid in the daily development of students. Additionally, served as the Assessment Coordinator for the Middle School site

THE NEW TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAM
01.2007 - 01.2010
  • Trained four cohorts of incoming teachers to the New York City schools.
  • Additionally, served as a Selector to assist in recruitment and training of new teachers in schools across New York

General Education, Inclusion and Special Education Teacher, District 75

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
01.2004 - 01.2010
  • Classroom teacher of students under both alternate and standardized assessment.
  • Experienced in ABA, TEACCH and PECS methodologies

Previous Leadership Experience

Television Producer
01.1995 - 01.2006
  • CNN (Larry King Live), Fox News and NBC Networks
  • Booked, wrote scripts and produced guests for live, news, entertainment and political programs.
  • Responsible for producing breaking news stories, celebrities and political guests

Education

Ed.D. - Higher Educational Leadership

Manhattanville College
Purchase, NY
01-2023

Master of Science - Elementary Education

Mercy College
Bronx, NY
01-2004

Bachelor of Arts - Communication

Villanova University
Villanova, PA
01-1995

GRANTS

  • Suzanne McGraw Scholars Program, Mercy University (2025) $9M+ philanthropic gift from the Suzanne McGraw Foundation.
  • Quackenbush, T. & Ohseki, A. (2023). Undergraduate Mentoring Program for 5-Year Education Students. Mercy College Faculty Development Grant. $2,500.00
  • Ohseki, A., Quackenbush, T. Nitecki, E. & Wasmuth, H. (2019). Collaborative clinical practice: Connecting the moving parts. Mercy College Faculty Senate Micro-Grant. $800.
  • Ohseki, A., Nitecki, E., Wasmuth, H., and Quackenbush, T. (2017-2018). Early Childhood collective advocacy plan (Pilot): Moving from dialogue to action. Mercy College Faculty Senate Micro-Grant. $1,740.
  • Ohseki, A., Nitecki, E., Wasmuth, H., Quackenbush, T. and (2017-2018). Early Childhood Collective Advocacy Plan: Moving from Dialogue to Action. Awarded Mercy College Faculty Senate Micro-Grant. $2,000.00
  • Nitecki, E., Miletta, A. Wasmuth, H., Mages, W., Quackenbush, T. and Ohseki, A. (2016). Early Childhood Guided Field Work Pilot: Visiting Preschools Together to Enrich the Field Work Experience. Awarded Mercy College Faculty Senate Micro-Grant. $2,500.00

SCHOLARLY PRESENTATIONS

  • Quackenbush, T. (2025). Unlocking the Power of Blackboard Ultra: A Faculty-Led Exploration of New Features and Best Practices. Mercy University Faculty Seminar Day. Dobbs Ferry, NY.
  • Quackenbush, T., Levy, R.V., Ohseki, A., Martone, E., (March 2024). The Shifting Landscape of American Education: Addressing the Teacher Shortage [Conference Presentation]. Critical Questions in Education Conference, New Orleans, LA.
  • Quackenbush, T., Levy, R.V., Ohseki, A., Martone, E., (November 2024). The Power of Literacy for Today’s Global Citizens: Creating Informed and Empowered Classrooms [Conference Presentation]. AMLE Conference, Nashville, TN
  • Quackenbush, T.,Vallice Levy, R., Ohseki, A., Gunning, A., & Marrero, M. (2023, March 23-25). The Hands-on Fun of STEM Across All Subjects. The National Science Teaching Association National Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
  • Quackenbush, T. (2023). The Evolving Role of Faculty in online learning: Creating student engagement in discussion posts. Mercy College June Intensives. Dobbs Ferry, NY.
  • Quackenbush, T. (2021). Going Beyond the Screen: Increasing Online Student Engagement. Mercy College June Intensives. Dobbs Ferry, NY.
  • Quackenbush, T. (2018). Identifying Authentic Assessment: Creating Accountability and Achievement. Mercy College Faculty Seminar Day. Dobbs Ferry, NY.
  • Quackenbush, T. & Wasmuth, H. (2017). Learning Beyond the Screen: Creating Engagement in Distance Learning. The Northeast Connect Conference. New York, New York.
  • Quackenbush, T. & Ohseki, A. (2017). New York State Association for the Education of Young Children’s Annual State Conference: Setting the Stage: Promoting Language and Literacy Development Through the Arts. New York State Association for the Education of Young Children (NYSAEYC) Annual Conference. Rye, NY.
  • Quackenbush, T. (2016). The Magic of Inquiry Learning. Westchester Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference. Dobbs Ferry, NY.
  • Quackenbush, T. & Ohseki, A. (2016). Keeping It Real in the Early Childhood Classroom: Authentic Assessment, Accountability and Achievement in a Common Core Climate. The New York State Association for the Education of Young Children (NYSAEYC) Annual Conference. Rye, NY.
  • Quackenbush, T. (2016). Innovative Technology in Teaching and The X, Y and Z of Blackboard Learning. Mercy College School of Education Adjunct Appreciation Dinner. Dobbs Ferry, NY.
  • Quackenbush, T. (April 2016). Back to the basics: Observation, play and feedback in the early childhood classroom. Westchester Association for the Education of Young Children Newsletter. 17-18.

HIGHLIGHTS OF LEADERSHIP SERVICE TO MERCY UNIVERSITY

  • Leadership & University Service (Mercy University / Mercy College)
  • Secretary, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) (6-year term completed 12/2024), providing leadership in curriculum review, program development, assessment, and Middle States compliance across academic units
  • University Senator (at-large), contributing to shared governance, institutional policy development, and academic decision-making
  • Participated in multiple university-wide committees advancing teaching excellence, retention, equity, and institutional effectiveness, including:
  • Teaching and Learning Advisory Committee (TLAC), supporting faculty development and Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) initiatives
  • University Retention Taskforce, analyzing retention trends and recommending student success strategies
  • Learning Environment Committee (LEC), contributing to classroom modernization and renovation priorities
  • College Rebranding Committee, supporting institutional transition from Mercy College to Mercy University
  • Served on multiple leadership and search committees, contributing to institutional hiring and strategic selection processes, including:
  • Center for Teaching and Learning Director Search Committee
  • Catalyst Search Committee (Bronx campus revitalization initiative leadership role)
  • Multi-Year Contract Review (MYCR) Committee (confidential faculty evaluation and renewal process)
  • Contributed to academic program design and institutional assessment initiatives, including:
  • Undergraduate General Education Technology Competency Subcommittee, developing shared rubrics for technology competencies
  • School-wide and university-level assessment initiatives aligned with accreditation and student learning outcomes
  • Executive Board, Phi Delta Kappa (PDK), supporting awards, scholarships, and academic programming
  • BranchEd Grant Working Group, supporting data collection and development of faculty workload and support frameworks
  • PPOHA-funded Grad-Pro initiative, supporting Ed Scholars through field supervision and professional development
  • Coordinated Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Teachers program with 17 students from New Rochelle High School for a semester

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

Finalist Mercy College Online Teacher of the Year, Nominated for Teaching in Excellence, Mercy College Adjunct in Spotlight, 2010, 2006 recipient of the VSA Arts of New York City Award

RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS

  • Developmentally Appropriate Assessment in Early Childhood Early Childhood Curriculum Design
  • Qualitative Research in Childhood Education
  • Educational Leadership and Policy
  • Sociology of Education
  • Higher Educational Leadership

Timeline

Special Assistant to the Provost for Enhanced Student Outcomes

MERCY UNIVERSITY
01.2025 - Current

Core Faculty Assistant Professor, Department of Childhood Education

MERCY UNIVERSITY
01.2015 - Current

Visiting Instructor, New York City Teaching Fellows

PACE UNIVERSITY
01.2010 - 01.2010

Curriculum Support Leader District 75

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
01.2008 - 01.2010

Adjunct Professor, Department of Childhood Education and Department of Secondary Education

MERCY UNIVERSITY
01.2007 - 01.2015

THE NEW TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAM
01.2007 - 01.2010

General Education, Inclusion and Special Education Teacher, District 75

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
01.2004 - 01.2010

Previous Leadership Experience

Television Producer
01.1995 - 01.2006

Master of Science - Elementary Education

Mercy College

Bachelor of Arts - Communication

Villanova University

Ed.D. - Higher Educational Leadership

Manhattanville College
Teresa A. Quackenbush