Staff Biographies

Melodie was named executive director of the Roche Center for Catholic Education and faculty member for the Lynch School of Education and Human Development in 2019. Prior to coming to Boston College, Melodie served as an assistant professor and academic director of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program for the Alliance for Catholic Education at the University of Notre Dame. She also has served as president of Nativity Jesuit Academy and director of mission effectiveness for the NativityMiguel Network of Schools in Washington, DC. Melodie presents nationally on topics such as Catholic School Governance and Effective Board Management, Strategic Planning, Development and Enrollment Management Strategies, and Making Schools Culturally Competent for New and Existing Latino Families. Her published work includes Seven Steps to Strategic Planning for Catholic School Leaders (2020) and Responding to the Call for Educational Justice: Transformative Catholic-Led Initiatives in Urban Education (2018). Melodie has a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and master's degrees in educational administration from Marquette University and education from Mount Mary College.

Liz is a passionate advocate for Catholic schools. Having received a Catholic education from kindergarten through a master's degree, Liz enjoys giving back to the institutions that formed her. She has taught at the elementary, middle, high school and graduate levels. Currently, she serves on the Catholic Schools Foundation’s Allocations Committee, and is a board member of the Sacred Heart STEM School. She also is an active member of the Boston College Alumni Association. Liz has undergraduate degrees in psychology and theology from Boston College, and a master's degree in education from the University of Notre Dame through the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program.

Denise is a graduate of the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, where she explored the intersection of faith, justice and education, and served as a graduate assistant for both the Roche Center and the Director of Initiatives for Formative Education. For her thesis, she designed and facilitated the course "Immigration and the Catholic Educator's Response," which is offered through the Roche Center. Before coming to Boston, Denise ministered as a teacher for 14 years in urban Catholic and public schools in Kansas City, Kan. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a master’s degree in Education.

Elena comes to Boston College from Eastern Connecticut University, where she was an assistant professor and director of their online bilingual education program. Throughout her 20-year career as an educator, Elena has served as supervisor of ESL, World Languages, and Dual Language Programs in New Rochelle, NY, and West Hartford, CT; as a board member for Upper-West Success Academy in NYC; and as a board member of New York's Brilla Prep Schools, a charter schools network with a Catholic approach. Sada has a master’s degree in Supervision and Administration of Schools and Districts from Hunter College, CUNY; a master’s degree in Theological Studies from the University of Dallas; and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Bilingual and Multicultural Education from the University of Connecticut.

Cristina's professional experiences range from big four public accounting audit services to private equity, financial consulting, and national advancement team leadership of the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education partner school network. One constant across industries has been Cristina's focus on business turnaround efforts with empathy and support for leaders. Cristina has a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Notre Dame and an M.B.A. with a marketing concentration from Loyola University Chicago. 

Phil is coordinator of Latino Outreach in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. In this position, he works with a select group of Catholic schools to increase Latino student enrollment by developing enrollment management plans that identify and engage new pools of prospective families, create targeted marketing collateral and recruitment events, and empower parent ambassadors to engage in the marketing and recruitment process. Phil has presented his work, titled “Culturally Competent Recruitment of Latino Families,” at the national NCEA Conference.

Having served as a bilingual classroom teacher, reading specialist, consultant and educational researcher, Gloria has extensive experience in developing dual language curriculum. She has her own consulting firm, which provides professional development workshops to school teams and helps districts develop their literacy and dual language programs. Gloria earned a doctorate from the University of Southern California and holds a master's of education degree in language and literacy from Harvard University with a reading specialist credential focused on second language acquisition.

Jeremy has lived in the Boston area for the last 18 years and has been a teacher and department head at a Christian prep school just north of the city. Having studied theology and philosophy (with a master's degree in philosophy from Boston College), Jeremy is researching the ways in which schools, as institutions, shape the lives and identities of students, particularly around issues of democracy and equality. Along with this, he is also interested in the ways actions within school life, particularly religious school life, can be viewed through the lens of ritual or as a kind of practice.

A native of Dublin, Ireland, Carly-Anne taught middle school religion and high school theology in Corpus Christi, Texas, before moving to full-time ministry in higher education as the Catholic chaplain at Stony Brook University. Wishing to return to studies, she earned a master's degree in religious education at Fordham University while serving as the director of religious education at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, New York City. Carly-Anne has a master's degree in ecumenics from the University of Dublin and a master's degree in education from the University of Notre Dame with the Alliance for Catholic Education.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Penn., Kayla obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame. Prior to joining the Roche Center, Kayla was involved in several organizations that work with incarcerated individuals, at-risk youth, and adolescents. At the Roche Center, Kayla assists in research examining pathways to increase the presence and influence of Hispanic teachers and leaders in Catholic schools. In the future, Kayla hopes to work at the intersection of mental health, education and Catholicism.

Michael is an award-winning theatrical producer and music director, has held senior positions at the Charlotte Symphony, Davidson College, and Habitat for Humanity, and earned an MFA in theater from the University of Texas at Austin. His most formative work has come along the frontiers, in Europe and especially in Central America, where he has a long association as guest artist with Teatro la Fragua, the Jesuit theater in Honduras. He hopes his work at Boston College allows him to explore more fully the lessons he has learned from folks in Honduras: about poverty, courage, art, laughter, and faith.