President Applauds Alum’s Election as Pittsburgh Mayor
Duquesne University proudly congratulates Mayor-Elect Corey O’Connor on his historic victory as the first Duquesne alumnus to be elected mayor of Pittsburgh.
Prepare Here, Impact Anywhere
Follow Us!
Teachers, school counselors, child psychologists and educational leaders play a crucial role in shaping the minds and futures of students. They have the ability to inspire and motivate their students to reach their full potential. Faculty, alum, students and staff in our School of Education are dedicated to providing the highest quality education to future generations. Their hard work and dedication impact anywhere…
Explore Our Programs
Message from the Dean
Welcome to the School of Education at Duquesne University! It is my honor to serve as Dean of the School of Education. We proudly prepare classroom educators, educational administrators, school counselors, mental health professionals and school psychologists.
Our guiding principles of justice, equity, and academic excellence inspire our work to increase student access and opportunities.
The Duquesne mission to serve God by serving students is embedded in all our programs. We work every day to enhance the needs of our professional disciplines and to make people aware of our disciplines' profound impact on our communities' overall well-being. We offer a bachelor’s degree, numerous master’s degrees and three doctoral degree programs in three departments. Our departments include the Department of Counseling Education and School Psychology; the Department of Instruction and Leadership in Education; and the Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership. In each department, we work to inspire and empower our graduates to make a positive impact on the world through teaching, research, leadership and service.
We believe in the transformative power of education. Together, our faculty, staff, students and alumni explore new ideas, challenge assumptions, and develop the skills and knowledge needed to lead in an ever-changing educational landscape. I invite you to learn more about the School of Education.
-Gretchen Givens Generett, Ph.D. | Dean and Professor, School of Education
The Dean's Re-Appointment & Letter to Parents of Future Teachers
We are glad to announce that Duquesne University President Ken Gormley has re-appointed Dr. Gretchen Givens Generett to a second term as dean of the School of Education. Thank you for your leadership Dean Generett! Learn about Dean Generett's Re-Appointment.
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Thank you for the vital role you play in supporting your child as they pursue a teaching career. I’m sure you feel immeasurable pride, though I understand you may feel some concern as you consider challenges facing today’s teachers. It’s our mission in the School of Education to instill professionalism and a greater sense of purpose in our students so they’re prepared to make an impact anywhere they teach.
Teaching has long been described using language of selflessness and sacrifice. Society often celebrates teachers for their passion and patience. While well-intentioned, these sentiments diminish the reality that teaching is not simply a calling—it is a complex, rigorous and intellectual profession that demands not just heart, but skill, preparation and continual growth.
At the School of Education, we move beyond the idea that great teachers are solely defined by their selflessness or willingness to do more with less. Students don’t just need teachers who care—they need teachers who are equipped to challenge them, understand their unique needs, and help them grow intellectually and emotionally. This kind of preparation takes years of study, practice, and dedication, and it’s exactly the type of training and mentorship our faculty provide as they walk alongside students at Duquesne.
We’ll make sure your child gains the professional confidence, impressive teaching experience and powerful networks they need to get a running start on a meaningful career. While School of Education students are aware of challenges facing teachers, they’re even more aware of their goals and potential. When I meet incoming students, I see competent, committed individuals who love learning and inspiring young people.
When you support your child’s decision to become a teacher—not as a selfless act, but as an essential, respected and highly skilled profession—you reinforce their sense of purpose and ambition. Together, we can ensure that teachers are valued not just with kind words during Teacher Appreciation Week, but through systems and structures that support their work year-round. Thank you for raising a future teacher! It is a career worth choosing, and we’re honored to support your student’s professional success.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gretchen Givens Generett
Dean, School of Education Duquesne University
Thank you for the vital role you play in supporting your child as they pursue a teaching career. I’m sure you feel immeasurable pride, though I understand you may feel some concern as you consider challenges facing today’s teachers. It’s our mission in the School of Education to instill professionalism and a greater sense of purpose in our students so they’re prepared to make an impact anywhere they teach.
Teaching has long been described using language of selflessness and sacrifice. Society often celebrates teachers for their passion and patience. While well-intentioned, these sentiments diminish the reality that teaching is not simply a calling—it is a complex, rigorous and intellectual profession that demands not just heart, but skill, preparation and continual growth.
At the School of Education, we move beyond the idea that great teachers are solely defined by their selflessness or willingness to do more with less. Students don’t just need teachers who care—they need teachers who are equipped to challenge them, understand their unique needs, and help them grow intellectually and emotionally. This kind of preparation takes years of study, practice, and dedication, and it’s exactly the type of training and mentorship our faculty provide as they walk alongside students at Duquesne.
We’ll make sure your child gains the professional confidence, impressive teaching experience and powerful networks they need to get a running start on a meaningful career. While School of Education students are aware of challenges facing teachers, they’re even more aware of their goals and potential. When I meet incoming students, I see competent, committed individuals who love learning and inspiring young people.
When you support your child’s decision to become a teacher—not as a selfless act, but as an essential, respected and highly skilled profession—you reinforce their sense of purpose and ambition. Together, we can ensure that teachers are valued not just with kind words during Teacher Appreciation Week, but through systems and structures that support their work year-round. Thank you for raising a future teacher! It is a career worth choosing, and we’re honored to support your student’s professional success.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gretchen Givens Generett
Dean, School of Education Duquesne University
Alumna Isabella Mileo landed a teaching job in NYC. Isabella shares, "Making an impact
in the classroom is the reason I decided to be a teacher. Every child deserves a quality
education—a chance to explore, learn, and dream limitlessly—and as a teacher, I will
be that constant in their lives, guiding them toward a brighter future."
The School of Education has given me a lot of experience teaching in the U.S.
I want to collaborate with Taiwanese teachers to learn about their curriculum and
see how they teach their students...This is a great way for education students to
expand our worldview and teach in different environments.
I am looking forward to expanding how underdeveloped and developing countries
can implement a process for identifying or diagnosing disabilities in students and
adopt evidence-based interventions that are culturally and socially responsive in
their education system.
Duquesne to the NYC Classroom: Isabella Mileo Starts Teaching in Brooklyn Weeks After
Graduating
Fulbright Scholars Preparing to Make an Impact
Prepare Here, Impact Anywhere
KDKA Talk Pittsburgh - Pursuing a Career In Education
School of Education future educator, Zoe Brunick was a guest on KDKA Talk Pittsburgh's Teach Me Tuesday, sharing why she pursued teaching and encouraging others to choose teaching, "choosing a field that gives back the way that it does."
What Would Life Be Like Without Teachers?
Zoe Brunick, an Early Childhood Education/PreK-4 student, asks elementary through high school students to imagine a life without teachers. The students also tell her about their favorite teachers, qualities that make a good teacher, their advice for teachers and more.
Maymester in New Mexico
Our students visited the Tohaali Community School which serves a Navajo population in rural New Mexico. They shared experiences of learning together alongside the middle school students.
Education News
Future Teacher and Running Back Finds His Stride
There's something powerful about playing Division I football in the same city where you played as a teen. As a Duquesne Dukes running back (and 2024 NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year), Shawn Solomon, E'27, can stand on Rooney Field and look across the Monongahela River to George K. Cupples Stadium on the South Side—the site of many Friday-night victories and high-fives with high school teammates. For Shawn, the view represents growth, ambition and years of hard work.
Dr. Gretchen Givens Generett Re-Appointed as School of Education Dean
Duquesne University President Ken Gormley has re-appointed Dr. Gretchen Givens Generett to a second term as dean of the School of Education.
Congratulations to B.S.Ed., Dual Certification in Secondary Education, 7-12 & Special
Education K-12 student Phoebe McNeil who was accepted into the Disney College Program!
Phoebe shares, “I will be living at Walt Disney World’s beautiful Flamingo Crossings
Village and working as a Disney cast member. For six months I will have the opportunity
to fully immerse myself in Disney’s one-of-a-kind culture, discovering what it really
takes to create magic for millions of guests from around the world. I am thrilled
to grow both personally and professionally, building my teamwork and communication
skills while spreading joy every single day. I have visited Disney World countless
times, but this time, I get to be part of the magic...” Stay tuned for spring coverage
of Phoebe's adventures! Congratulations to Dean Generett who will hold the leadership role of Chair Elect
for the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CEPD)! Her decades-long commitment
to educational equity, community engagement and transformative leadership make her
an exceptional choice for this role. CEPD is committed to the preparation of educational
leaders to ensure well-equipped scholarly practitioners who provide stewardship of
the profession and meet the educational challenges of the 21st century. Congratulations to School of Education Assistant Professor Dr. Bridget Green, who
has been named the first Executive Director of Duquesne University’s inaugural Institute
for Disability, Empowerment and Advocacy (IDEA). This pioneering institute will provide
workforce development, assistive technology, advocacy and culture/entertainment to
young people with intellectual disabilities, impacting Western PA and beyond. The
schools of osteopathic medicine, education, health sciences, liberal arts, business
and law will collaborate with this institute, made possible by the Edith L. Trees
Charitable Trust. From shipping donated books before arriving in Kenya to resourcing WhatsApp to spread
digital lesson content amongst students with limited access, Dr. Rachel Ayieko's determination
and her students' tenacity brought effective mathematics education to their classroom
in Jaramongi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology. After returning to
Duquesne and sharing this experience, Dr. Ayieko's students offered technological
resources to improve access to learning. All were inspired and impacted through Dr.
Ayieko's work as Carnegie African Diaspora Fellow. Congratulations to School Psychology Professor Dr. Tammy Hughes, Ph.D., ABPP, recipient
of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Jack Bardon Distinguished Service
Award. APA's Division of Psychology (16) presents this award in honor of Jack Bardon's
work advancing the field of school psychology through his teaching, supervision and
advocacy. This national award is APA's highest level of achievement to honor an accomplished
professional and academic school psychologist who has continued to advance the field
through exemplary volunteer professional service and exceptional program service across
their career. "The thing I'm most proud of is being a servant in all aspects of my life—public service,
education, and not just as mayor or mom or wife or community member. We all don't
get the opportunity to serve and connect or make a difference, so it's important to
show up when you do.” - Dr. Kenya Johns, Ph.D.'21 | Mayor of Beaver Falls Duquesne University's Reading & Literacy Education professor and Reading Clinic Director
Dr. Carla Meyer shared on 90.5 WESA regarding new literacy standards and how reading
instruction is adapting! Duquesne University's School of Education is ensuring our
curriculum aligns with statewide standards based on the science of reading.
Featured content
Expanding Horizons: Phoebe's Disney College Adventure
Dean Generett named Vice Chair of CEPD Board of Directors
Dr. Green to Lead Duquesne's New Institute for Disability, Empowerment and Advocacy
(IDEA)
Solving Classroom Challenges with Creativity
Dr. Hughes Receives APA's Jack Bardon Distinguished Service Award
It's Important to Show Up
Dr. Meyer Leading in Reading Education
The Numbers
Information sourced from Zippia, the Pew Research Center, American Counseling Association, American School Counselor Association, Learn.org, Psychology Today and Duquesne's Graduate Outcomes Survey
Impacting Teacher Preparation & PreK-4 Students
Dr. Reva Mathieu (ABA & BCBA®) & Dr. Kara McGoey (Child & School Psychology) were awarded the Charles Henry Leach II Fund for Duquesne University for their project, "Supporting At-Risk, Marginalized Preschool Children by Training Teachers on Self and Co-Regulation Strategies." Their work will help our graduate students make an impact in the PreK-4 classroom.
100+ Years of Learning & Making an Impact
I know from firsthand experiences how great Duquesne's School of Education is: preparing not just educators, but educators who are leaders serving communities, students and families.
There are many more careers out there that you can choose from. Some more lucrative, some with more flexibility, some that may feel more honored but your choice allows you to impact thousands of students. One lesson at a time! One conversation at a time! One student at a time!
When a school understands a child's needs it can bring in the right services, provide more empathy toward the student and give the best chance for success, even if there are limitations due to chronic illness.
A large part of who I am and where I am today is a result of my experience at Duquesne and my time as a graduate student within the School of Education. I will never take the lessons learned or friends that I made for granted, and I will always be grateful for the career that I have and the privilege of helping others daily. Go Dukes!
I love being able to find ways to best support my students even if they can't always verbally tell me what they need....My Duquesne education has helped me to become not only an advocate for myself, but for others.
I'm looking to go back to my first love, which was education. When I started class, I thought it might interfere with my work and school board responsibilities....I found that it's enhanced everything.
I'm reminded every day of the lasting impact Duquesne has left upon me. Whether it be in my teaching, my research or my service to the profession and community, I approach counselor education from, and for, the mind, heart & spirit. This is what my professors modeled for me...and this is exactly how I continue to serve as a model for the future counselors I currently train.
When I talk to a student who struggles in the classroom, I tell them that they are capable of anything. Every single person learns differently, and that's okay.
After graduation, he "barely had a chance to exhale and was drafted into the U.S. Army" and served two years. After his dedication and service, Alex decided to apply at the Pittsburgh Board of Education, was accepted and worked "teaching exceptional children for about 32 years...it was a great experience and a wonderful time to do it"
Contact Us
Take the Next Step Toward Your Bigger Goals