Teresa A. Quackenbush
Dobbs Ferry,USA
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Special Assistant to the Provost for Enhanced Student Outcomes
MERCY UNIVERSITY
New York
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 teams, including PACT, Campus Life, Tutoring & Support Services (CAEI), Office of Accessibility, and Counseling advancing coordinated, student-centered retention strategies.
- Translate institutional priorities into coordinated initiatives that improve student persistence, engagement, and academic momentum across student populations.
- Created and launched centralized communication system on Mercy's LMS, enabling students to access all support services through a single platform, enhancing 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 workflow with the Ellucian team that reduced barriers in resolving incomplete grades, improving efficiency and successfully launching in Fall 2025 with full institutional adoption by Spring 2026.
- Led university-wide task force to restructure and assess effectiveness of Mercy's tutoring supports (CAEI), generating recommendations for institutional improvement and alignment.
- 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 (DFWI dashboards) 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 into Spring 2026.
- 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 implemented $9.5 million grant from Suzanne McGraw Foundation to expand recruitment and retention of pre-service teacher candidates over five years.
Core Faculty Assistant Professor, Department of Childhood Education
MERCY UNIVERSITY
New York
01.2015 - Current
- Taught courses across multiple campuses and modalities, enhancing accessibility for diverse student populations.
- Developed curriculum for science methods course
- 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.
- Revised course syllabi to ensure alignment with accreditation requirements, supporting program integrity and quality.
Adjunct Professor, Department of Childhood Education and Department of Secondary Education
MERCY UNIVERSITY
New York
01.2007 - 01.2015
- Developed and delivered engaging courses across multiple campuses and online formats, enhancing student learning experiences.
- Evaluated and selected effective assessment methods and educational materials to support diverse learning needs.
- Science Methods and Social Studies Methods
- Introduction to Early Childhood Education
- Educational Psychology
- Supervised student teachers across Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester, and Putnam, fostering practical teaching skills in varied educational settings.
Curriculum Support Leader District 75
NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
New York
01.2008 - 01.2010
- Guided thirty classroom teachers through training in differentiated, individualized, academic, and vocational instruction, along with social, emotional, behavioral, and language supports to enhance daily student development.
- Coordinated assessments for Middle School site to ensure alignment with educational standards and support student learning outcomes.
- Led training sessions for new staff on operational procedures and best practices.
- Coordinated communication between departments to enhance workflow efficiency and collaboration.
- Implemented support systems for students and families to address diverse needs effectively.
THE NEW TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAM
New York
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
New York
01.2004 - 01.2010
- Taught students utilizing alternate and standardized assessments to tailor instruction to diverse learning needs.
- Applied ABA, TEACCH, and PECS methodologies to support individualized learning and communication for students with special needs.
Television Producer
01.1995 - 01.2006
- Booked, wrote scripts and produced guests for live, news, entertainment and political programs.
- Responsible for producing breaking news stories, celebrities and political guests.
- NY and Washington, D.C.
Visiting Instructor, New York City Teaching Fellows
PACE UNIVERSITY
New York
01.2010
- Supervised student teachers in clinical practice throughout New York City as part of courses on the essentials of teaching.
Education
Ed.D. - Higher Educational Leadership
Manhattanville College
Purchase, NY01-2023
Master of Science - Elementary Education
Mercy College
Bronx, NY01-2004
Bachelor of Arts - Communication
Villanova University
Villanova, PA01-1995
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
Scholarly Presentations
- Unlocking the Power of Blackboard Ultra: A Faculty-Led Exploration of New Features and Best Practices, 01/25, Mercy University Faculty Seminar Day, Dobbs Ferry, NY
- The Shifting Landscape of American Education: Addressing the Teacher Shortage, 03/24, Critical Questions in Education Conference, New Orleans, LA
- The Power of Literacy for Today's Global Citizens: Creating Informed and Empowered Classrooms, 11/24, AMLE Conference, Nashville, TN
- The Hands-on Fun of STEM Across All Subjects, 03/23, The National Science Teaching Association National Conference, Atlanta, GA
- The Evolving Role of Faculty in online learning: Creating student engagement in discussion posts, 01/23, Mercy College June Intensives, Dobbs Ferry, NY
- Going Beyond the Screen: Increasing Online Student Engagement, 01/21, Mercy College June Intensives, Dobbs Ferry, NY
- Identifying Authentic Assessment: Creating Accountability and Achievement, 01/18, Mercy College Faculty Seminar Day, Dobbs Ferry, NY
- Learning Beyond the Screen: Creating Engagement in Distance Learning, 01/17, The Northeast Connect Conference, New York, NY
- Setting the Stage: Promoting Language and Literacy Development Through the Arts, 01/17, New York State Association for the Education of Young Children (NYSAEYC) Annual Conference, Rye, NY
- The Magic of Inquiry Learning, 01/16, Westchester Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference, Dobbs Ferry, NY
- Keeping It Real in the Early Childhood Classroom: Authentic Assessment, Accountability and Achievement in a Common Core Climate, 01/16, The New York State Association for the Education of Young Children (NYSAEYC) Annual Conference, Rye, NY
- Innovative Technology in Teaching and The X, Y and Z of Blackboard Learning, 01/16, Mercy College School of Education Adjunct Appreciation Dinner, Dobbs Ferry, NY
- Back to the basics: Observation, play and feedback in the early childhood classroom, 04/16, Westchester Association for the Education of Young Children Newsletter
Grants
- Suzanne McGraw Scholars Program, Mercy University, 01/25, $9M+ philanthropic gift from the Suzanne McGraw Foundation.
- Undergraduate Mentoring Program for 5-Year Education Students, Quackenbush, T., Ohseki, A., 01/23, $2,500.00
- Collaborative clinical practice: Connecting the moving parts, Ohseki, A., Quackenbush, T., Nitecki, E., Wasmuth, H., 01/19, $800.
- Early Childhood collective advocacy plan (Pilot): Moving from dialogue to action, Ohseki, A., Nitecki, E., Wasmuth, H., Quackenbush, T., 01/17, $1,740.
- Early Childhood Collective Advocacy Plan: Moving from Dialogue to Action, Ohseki, A., Nitecki, E., Wasmuth, H., Quackenbush, T., 01/17, $2,000.00
- Early Childhood Guided Field Work Pilot: Visiting Preschools Together to Enrich the Field Work Experience, Nitecki, E., Miletta, A., Wasmuth, H., Mages, W., Quackenbush, T., Ohseki, A., 01/16, $2,500.00
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
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
Television Producer
01.1995 - 01.2006
Ed.D. - Higher Educational Leadership
Manhattanville College
Master of Science - Elementary Education
Mercy College
Bachelor of Arts - Communication
Villanova University