Faculty - Social Sciences

Education:
· B.A. in English, German, and History from Orel State University, Russia; MA in Russian Studies, and Ph.D. in History from University at Albany, SUNY

Courses Taught:
· Her course offerings include World Civilizations, Western Civilization, Survey of American History, and History of Russia. She also taught Introduction to African American History and Elementary Russian.

Experience:
· Prior to joining FM’s faculty, she had taught all levels of Russian and Russian Literature at Union College for six years, taught Russian for seven summers at Upward Bound at University of Maine at Farmington, and various history courses at the University at Albany and Schenectady County Community College.
· Her publications include her dissertation, Sacrifice in the Name of Sacred Duty: The Representations of the Decembrist Wives in Russian Culture, 1825-Present, the article “Nikolai Nekrasov’s Representation of the Decembrist Wives” published in the peer-reviewed journal Australian Slavonic and East European Studies, and a book review of Pamela A. Jordan’s Stalin’s Singing Spy (2016) published by the Coordinating Council for Women in History.
· She is a member of several professional organizations, including the New York State Association of European Historians, the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, the Coordinating Council for Women in History, the American Association of University Women, the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Women’s Consortium, and the Association of Phi Theta Kappa Chapter Advisors. She is also a board member of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Hometown Association.

Other information:
· Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2023.
· Besides teaching history, one of her most fulfilling roles on campus has been that of a co-advisor of the Alpha Alpha Upsilon chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), a national Honor Society for community college students. She has served in this capacity since 2015 and truly enjoyed seeing students from all walks of life grow as student leaders, getting involved in campus and community projects, connecting with peers at regional and international conferences, moving closer to realizing their academic and professional goals, and achieving recognition for their hard work. During her tenure as a PTK advisor, she received the Paragon Advisor Award, the Distinguished PTK Advisor Award, and the Five Star Advisor Award. Reach out to her if you want to learn more about PTK.

Erica holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from SUNY New Paltz. She also holds two Master of Science degrees, one in Literacy (Birth-6th grade) and another in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology, both from the University at Albany. Erica has a Permanent Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education (Nursery-6th grade) and a Literacy Specialist Professional Certificate (Birth-6th grade).

Experience:

Erica, an experienced educator with a strong commitment to community service and professional development, brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our faculty. Her journey in the field of education is characterized by a passion for empowering students and a dedication to supporting her fellow educators.

Prior to joining FMCC, Erica started her career in education by teaching preschool in 1990. She then spent 24 years as an educator in the City School District of Albany. Her roles included serving as a classroom teacher and a reading specialist. During her tenure in Albany, she took on the role of mentoring and supervising student teachers from Hudson Valley Community College and the College of Saint Rose.

Erica's educational journey continued with her training at the Child Research and Study Center at SUNY Albany, where she honed her skills as a Teacher Leader. During this time, she provided valuable staff training in the Interactive Strategies Approach.

As a Wilson Reading Teacher, Erica has been instrumental in instructing students with learning differences, both in clinical and group settings. Her commitment to inclusive education and her ability to adapt teaching methods to diverse learning needs have made a lasting impact on her students.

Erica's involvement in the community extends beyond the classroom. Her dedication to community service projects, one of which was highlighted in The Leader Herald, exemplifies her commitment to making a positive impact outside of her professional role. Her work in the community demonstrates her belief in the value of education beyond the traditional classroom.

Erica is an active member of several professional associations, including:
· Associate Degree Early Childhood Teacher Educators
· National Association for the Education of Young Children
· New York Association of Early Childhood Teacher Education
· New York Association for the Education of Young Children

Erica's passion for education is reflected in her diverse course offerings.
 Her areas of expertise include:
· Introduction to Early Childhood/Childhood Education
· Foundations of Education
· Safety, Health, and Nutrition
· Early Childhood Curriculum
· Infant and Toddler Care and Education
· Children's Literature, Language and Literacy
· Creative Arts for Early Childhood
· Exceptional Learners
· Child Psychology

Julie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has worked in the field of Social Work, mostly in Child Welfare, for over 20 years. In her last position at Northeast Parent and Child Society, she was the Director of Recruitment for the Foster Care department. She currently provides Clinical Supervision to Mental Health Clinicians seeking their licenses in the fields of Mental Health Counseling and Social Work. Julie has extensive training in the area of Trauma Informed Care and enjoys speaking and training on this topic. Students appreciate that her classes are engaging and filled with examples and the application of skills.

Paula has been in a classroom either as a student or as a Professor since she was five years old, and there's no place she'd rather be, except maybe hiking a mountain. While in high school, Paula took her first Psychology class and fell in love with the subject and the idea of helping others as a career. As a first-generation college student, Paula appreciated the guidance and encouragement her Professors showed her and she in turn tries to be that mentor and supporter her students need. Her favorite style of teaching is story telling, and if you take classes with her, in addition to learning about "what makes you tick", you will learn all about her two daughters, her love of the Red Sox and her passion for hiking, especially the high peaks.

Paula enjoys getting to know her students both in and out of the classroom. She's known to invite students to her house for dinner and take them hiking. You can often find her on the sidelines cheering on FMCC's student athletes, in the audience of drama productions or celebrating with her students as they are inducted into PTK, receiving an award or graduating!

Paula received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2011 and she looks forward to being a part of your educational journey and helping you achieve your dreams!