Profiles of Students and Alum
Dr. Michael Bermudez is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas. He was Fulbright Scholar who worked with educational technology and occupational therapy in Uganda. His research interests are in the use of wearable technology, 3D printing, and virtual reality in occupational therapy.
鈥淭he faculty members have wholeheartedly supported me and nurtured my specific projects and research related to my specific academic and professional interests. Now, as an assistant professor in a prestigious university, I feel that the doctoral program has prepared me to be a leader and a contributor to the promotion of optimal teaching, research, and service for others in the education of future health care professionals.鈥
-- Dr. Michael Bermudez, OTR/L (MA, 2016; Ed.D. Cohort 4, Class of 2019)
Dr. Katy Blatnick-Gagne is currently an Educational Consultant with the Bureau for Career and Technical Education at the Iowa Department of Education. Previously, she was the Director for The Curriculum Center for Family and Consumer Sciences and as a faculty member of the Family and Consumer Sciences Education program at Texas Tech.
" My experiences in the doctoral program at NJCU allowed me to not only grow in knowledge, but as a person. I was able to accomplish it as a long-distance student because of the support I received by from my cohort, the faculty and the staff. I loved the cohort model and how the courses were distributed in the NJCU doctoral program. Our cohort grew so strong that we still hold yearly reunions!"
--Dr. Katy Blatnick-Gagne (Ed.D. Cohort 2, Class of 2017)
Dr. Matthew Farber is an Associate Professor of Technology, Innovation, and Pedagogy at the University of Northern Colorado. He is the author of several books about game-based learning, as well as blogs for Edutopia on digital learning. Dr. Farber has been invited to the White House and has been interviewed about games and learning on NPR, Fox News Radio, EdSurge, The Denver Post, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. For more, visit
The Ed Tech leadership doctoral program at NJCU prepared me to take the leap from K12 teaching to a path in higher education. The program combined scholarly work with practical applications of educational technologies. Further, the program gave us agency to follow our passions in the field, in my case, game-based learning.
--Dr. Mathew Farber (MA 2010, Ed.D. Cohort 1, Class of 2016)
Dr. Emily Vandalovsky is currently the Dean of Mathematics, Science & Technology division at Bergen Community College. Previously, she served as an Assistant Professor and Academic Department Chair of Computer Science, Engineering & Information Technologies department at BCC.
鈥淭he Ed.D. program has played a vital role in my professional and personal development. It broadened my viewpoints on the current research, deepened my understanding of the field with its challenges, and strengthened my ability to problem-solve innovatively. The program propelled my levels of professionalism and confidence, without which I would not be where I am today. Undoubtedly, it has been a life-changing experience.鈥
--Dr. Emily Vandalovsky (Ed.D. Cohort 6, Class of 2021)
Dr. Martin A. Hoffman, Sr. is the Dean of Learning Resources for Rowan College at Burlington County in New Jersey where he directs the activities of the college library, runs a professional development center and oversees the technical aspects of all online, hybrid and web-enhanced credit courses offered by the College. He is also previous Chair of the New Jersey Community College Distance Education Affinity Group, the former Executive Director of the Consortium for Distance Education, a Board Member of the Instructional Technology Council, and a reviewer for the Quality Matters program and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
"One of the hallmarks of NJCU's Doctoral programs is the real-world applicability of the coursework. During my first Summer Institute in the Educational Technology Leadership program I submitted not one but two assignments simultaneously to my professor, and my boss, because the schoolwork was so similar to existing initiatives at my job鈥.In NJCU's Educational Technology Leadership Doctoral program my dissertation committee chair was both supportive and uncompromising. He held me to high standards but at the same time understood I was a working adult with a family and other obligations."
--Dr. Martin Hoffman Sr. (Ed.D. Cohort 1, Class of 2016)
Student Voices from the Field
School Library Media Specialist MA: Samantha
Assistive Technology Certificate: Janine
School Library Media Specialist MA: Edna
Graduate Highlights
The Department of Educational Technology proudly highlights the profiles of our recent graduates in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology and Doctorate of Educational Technology Leadership.