Jennifer Aitken, Director – Ms. Aitken is the Director of the Office of Specialized Services and Project Mentor: Regional Center for Students with Learning Disabilities. Ms. Aitken holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and has over 10 years experience working in disability services in higher education. She has served as the Director of the Office of Specialized Services for Students with Disabilities at NJCU since July 2007. She has served as director of Project Mentor: Regional Center for Students with Learning Disabilities since 2002. Ms. Aitken serves as the chair of NJCU’s ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Compliance Committee and as a member of the University’s Student Assistance Team. Additionally, she serves as an instructor in the First Year Experience program. Ms. Aitken has also served as the Regional Center representative to the Special Needs Advisory Group, and currently serves as secretary to NJ AHEAD.  As Project Director, Ms. Aitken oversees the management and coordination of all Center activities. She is involved in all of its functions including curriculum development, data analysis, and grant report writing. She also serves as a liaison to high school personnel, other post-secondary institutions, potential students and their parents, as well as the University community and community-at-large. Additional responsibilities include reviewing documentation, developing accommodation plans, coordinating outreach activities and academic support services and supervising graduate assistants. She co-chairs the annual conference on NJ Higher Education Opportunities for Students with Learning Disabilities. Ms. Aitken also serves as a mentor to a small population of Project Mentor students. 

 

Leah Jackson, Technical Assistance/Testing Coordinator– Ms. Jackson holds a BA in Human Services/Management and is currently a candidate for the MA degree in Counseling at NJCU. Ms. Jackson is responsible for coordinating on-campus support services such as testing accommodations, assistive technology lending, and outreach to University students, faculty and staff as well as coordinating diagnostic evaluations and testing services for eligible undergraduate college students. Ms. Jackson is responsible for coordinating on-campus support services such as testing accommodations, assistive technology lending, outreach to University students, faculty and staff as well as manages Diagnostic Evaluations for eligible undergraduate college students. Ms. Jackson serves as a mentor for Project Mentor students. She also is the staff advisor to the NJCU chapter of Project Eye to Eye . Ms. Jackson also co-chairs the annual conference (NJ Higher Education Opportunities for Students with Learning Disabilities). Ms. Jackson is responsible for updating the Center’s website and provides administrative and managerial support to the Director.

 

Tracy Amerman Faculty Mentor – Dr. Amerman holds a doctorate in education and has over 20 years experience in the field. She is currently an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at New Jersey City University. Prior to her career at NJCU, she was an inclusion and transition teacher in an urban high school. Her areas of research interests include transition to post-secondary life for students with disabilities, differentiated instruction, inclusion, and assistive technology for success in the general education classroom. Dr. Amerman has authored a number of publications and presents nationally. She is co-coordinator for the NJ Transition Coordinators Network and President of the NJ Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division of Career Development and Transition. She has also been a consultant to the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs primarily working with the Dare to Dream conference series. Dr. Amerman currently serves as a mentor and advocate to Project Mentor students. She also serves as a resource to faculty on campus in promoting best practices for working with students with learning disabilities at the post-secondary level.

 

Brian Barrow, Mentor/Tutor – Mr. Barrow is currently an eighth grade language arts teacher in the Bayonne School District, where he was recognized as the Teacher of the Year for the 2008-2009 school year. He is both an undergraduate and graduate alumnus of New Jersey City University as well as a former graduate assistant for Project Mentor. Mr. Barrow holds a Master’s degree in reading, with a Reading Specialist certification. Mr. Barrow acts as a mentor during the summer orientation program and the fall and spring semesters.

 

Wayne Decker, Instructor/ Tutor – Mr. Decker works as an inclusion teacher in the Mathematics Department at Hillside High School in Hillside, NJ. Mr. Decker holds a Master’s degree from NJCU. He serves as a math tutor for Project Mentor's summer orientation program and tutors students in mathematics during the fall and spring semesters.

 

Allan DeFina, Mentor – Dr. DeFina is currently the Acting Dean of the Deborah Cannon Patridge Wolfe College of Education and has been a full professor at NJCU for over fifteen years. He has aided with the curriculum development for summer orientation program. Dr. DeFina acts as a mentor throughout the academic year and participates in the planning of the annual conference.

 

Karri Digesere, Mentor – Ms. Digesere is currently a School Psychologist in the Mount Holly Township Public Schools. She holds a Professional Diploma in School Psychology and a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology. Ms. Digesere is a graduate alumnus of New Jersey City University as well as a former graduate assistant for Project Mentor. Ms. Digesere serves as a mentor during the summer orientation program and the fall and spring semesters. She is also responsible for reviewing documentation for incoming Project Mentor students.

 

Lily Fulton, Tutor – Ms. Fulton has been with Project Mentor since its inception in 1986. She is an adjunct professor in the History Department at NJCU. Ms. Fulton is also a Reading Specialist and serves as a reading and history tutor during the academic year. 

 

Louis Gallo, Tutor – Mr. Gallo holds a Master’s degree in education and is an adjunct professor in the English department at NJCU. He also works as an English teacher at the University Academy Charter High School in Jersey City, NJ. Also, he has published a writing and grammar textbook, which was implemented as part of the curriculum for the “Language for New Americans” program at Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ and the Best Foods’ corporate training program. He currently serves as a writing tutor for Project Mentor students. Per proposed grant activities, Mr. Gallo will be responsible for conducting a weekly writing workshop for Project Mentor students enrolled in basic skills (non-degree credit) writing courses.

 

Brian Kelley, Tutor – Mr. Kelley is a graduate of New Jersey City University, presently working on his doctoral degree at Fordham University. He is an adjunct instructor in the English and Literacy Education departments. As a reading specialist, Mr. Kelley offers students tutorial support  in the areas of reading comprehension and writing strategies.

 

Kevin McKenna, Mentor/Tutor – Mr. McKenna has been working with students with special needs for the past ten years. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and New Jersey City University and holds a Master’s degree in Experimental Neuropsychology from George Mason University (Fairfax, Virginia). Mr. McKenna acts as a mentor during the summer orientation program and the fall and spring semesters.

 

Cheryl McKay, Consultant – Ms. McKay is an alumnus of New Jersey City University, where she received her Master's degree in Math Education. She is currently teaching advanced and standard level math at Passaic High School in Passaic, NJ. She is also a former graduate assistant of Project Mentor and previously served as the math instructor for the summer orientation program as well as a math tutor during the academic year. Currently, Ms. McKay assists with program data analysis. She will continue in this capacity and will also offer tutorial support in mathematics to Project Mentor students.

 

Joan Serafin, Instructor/Tutor – Mrs. Serafin is a Reading Specialist and earned an Ed.S. in Curriculum and Supervision from Seton Hall University. She has been with Project Mentor for over twenty years. She is currently working as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Literacy Education at NJCU and as a literacy consultant with the Striving Readers Grant Program (a partnership between NJCU and the Newark Public Schools). Mrs. Serafin is the curriculum coordinator for the summer orientation program and the Orientation to College (OTC) class. She is also the primary instructor for the summer program. Mrs. Serafin will continue to serve as a tutor during the academic year and will also conduct a weekly writing workshop for Project Mentor students, which will focus on using assistive technology to guide the writing process. Mrs. Serafin will also be responsible for coordinating and implementing outreach activities to faculty and staff at NJCU and other post-secondary institutions.

Robert Serafin, Instructor/Tutor – Mr. Serafin has been an adjunct professor in the Mathematics Department at NJCU for over twenty-five years and has over 20 years experience working with Project Mentor. Mr. Serafin holds a Master’s degree in Math Education and serves as the math instructor for the summer orientation program. He will continue to serve as a math tutor during the academic year and will be responsible for conducting a weekly math workshop for Project Mentor students enrolled in basic skills (non-degree credit) math courses.

Graduate Assistants - Graduate Assistants who are working toward graduate degrees in related subject areas may serve as mentors to current students and are involved in interviewing potential students. They also provide academic support services, assist with the daily office operation, data entry and are members of the annual conference planning committee.

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