Monday, Oct 31, 2022
Dr. Susan Dougherty begins three-year term as department chair
by Keith Fernbach
Dr. Susan Dougherty, an associate professor in Rider University’s Department of Teacher Education, has been named to a three-year term as chair of the department. She succeeds Dr. Sharon McKool, the previous chair who retired in August.
“I am very excited to work with Susan,” says Dr. Jason Barr, dean of the College of Education and Human Services. “She brings years of experience as a teacher, teacher educator and educational leader to her new role as chair. I look forward to working with her on many new initiatives as we enter a challenging time for teachers and teacher preparation programs across the country.”
Dougherty is embarking on her new role during a pivotal period for the education system in the United States, and this is reflected in her goals for the Department of Teacher Education.
“Our department faculty are so dedicated to our students and to ensuring that we graduate highly skilled, passionate and compassionate educators,” she says. “Given the current teacher shortage, one goal I have is to increase the number of outstanding Rider educators that we send out into P-12 schools each year.”
As chair, Dougherty will play a key role in shaping the overall direction of the department and will have a hand in nearly every aspect of the department’s operations, as well as serving as a liaison to the rest of the University.
“I very much appreciate that my colleagues believed that I would be a good choice to lead our department,” she says. “I see it as a big responsibility and a huge honor.”
Dougherty, who has been a faculty member at Rider since 2015, specializes in literacy education. She began her career as an elementary school teacher and had her sights set on earning a master’s degree in math before her experiences in the classroom led her to switch gears.
“I always had a few students who were really struggling with reading and I felt like I didn’t have enough knowledge to help them,” she recalls. “So I jumped into a master’s degree program in reading education and just kept going from there.”
She went on to earn her doctorate in education in literacy and language from Boston University, and has held teaching positions there and at Rutgers University prior to coming to Rider. She also worked for four years as a consultant for Between the Lions, an early literacy program that was broadcast on PBS.
As chair, Dougherty is also focused on filling several faculty positions that are open because of recent retirements, as well as supporting faculty research and scholarship.
"We will need to make sure those positions are filled to best support our students and the increasingly complex demands of teaching P-12," she says. "I would also like to see more support and opportunities for department faculty to engage in research and scholarship, which we sometimes sacrifice to dedicate time and energy to our students."
Dougherty adds that she hopes to continue McKool’s legacy and build on her accomplishments.
“It is possible to succeed Sharon, but not at all possible to replace her,” she says. “Sharon's gifts for leadership and mentoring were incredible. I learned a great deal from working with Sharon during my years at Rider. You can bet I will often think ‘What would Sharon do?’”
As she gets set to take on this challenge, Dougherty is appreciative of those who helped her get there and the impact they’ve had on her career. One mentor in particular stands out.
“My doctoral adviser and dissertation chair at Boston University, Dr. Lee Indrisano, was a long-time department chair," she says. "As I step into this role, I cannot help but reflect on her example. I think she'd be pretty pleased to know what I will be doing for the next three years."