2026 Cohort
Patrick Elliot Alexander
Associate Professor of English and African American Studies and Co-Founder and Director of the Prison-to-College Pipeline Program, University of Mississippi, MS
Patrick is Associate Professor of English and African American Studies and Co-Founder and Director of the Prison-to-College Pipeline Program. He is the author of From Slave Ship to Supermax:…
Dale Brown
Director, Higher Education for the Justice-Involved, Western Michigan University, MI
Dr. Dale Brown is a passionate educator and advocate for justice-involved individuals. He leads Western Michigan University’s college-in-prison program, Higher Education for the Justice-Involved. His work centers the humanizing…
Kenneth Butler
Program Assistant, Justice Education Center, Pitzer College, CA
Kenneth Butler is a co-founder of the Pathway to BA program at Pitzer College and currently serves as the Program Assistant for the Justice Education Center at Pitzer College.…
Aminata Cairo
Independent Consultant and Alumna, Berea College, KY
Aminata Cairo "works with people". She is the former research professor in Inclusive Education at The Hague University of Applied Sciences and research professor of Social Justice and Diversity…
Joseph Capdevielle
Operations and Academic Support Coordinator, Moreau College Initiative, Holy Cross College, IN
Joseph Capdevielle is Operations and Academic Support Coordinator for the Moreau College Initiative (MCI) at Holy Cross College. He directs the Writing Center within the college, coordinates research support…
Michael Carriere
Professor of History, Milwaukee School of Engineering, WI
Michael H. Carriere is a professor of history at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), where he also serves as director of the MSOE Honors Program.Through the McNeely Prison…
John Fantuzzo
Director of Penn Prison Education and Reentry Initiative, University of Pennsylvania, PA
Dr. John P. Fantuzzo is the Administrative Director of the Penn Prison Education and Reentry Initiative at Civic House (University of Pennsylvania), where he leads efforts to expand access…
Raylan Gilford
Resource Coordinator, Education Justice Project, University of Illinois/ CEO of Reentry Cafe, Chicago, IL
Raylan Gilford is a published author, professional speaker, and reentry advocate who brings lived expertise shaped by 28 years, 7 months, and 25 days of long-term incarceration. Through his…
Gabi Gobl
Program Advisor and Program Coordinator, Richtungswechsel \ Central European University, Vienna, Austria
I work on the nexus between prison reform, education and civic engagement. In my work at Richtungswechsel - a prison reform NGO - I manage a non-degree pilot education…
Francisco Luis Gonzalez
Native American Chief, Neo-Taino Alliance, Dominican Republic
Alternative Educator (STEAM) and Perennial Philosopher. Native American Chief. Newspaper Columnist, visual artist, memoirist. Bilingual Bicultural (Latino).
Patrick Harris
Assistant Professor of Humanities, Rhodes College, TN
Patrick Harris is an Assistant Professor of Humanities at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where he teaches in the SEARCH interdisciplinary humanities program. Since 2024 he has participated in…
John Henson ’21
Bard Prison Initiative Alumnus
John Henson is a 2021 graduate of the Bard Prison Initiative. He was released in 2022 after serving 25 years in New York State Correctional Facilities. While incarcerated, John…
McGwire Hidden
Program Coordinator, Higher Education for the Justice-Involved, Western Michigan University, MI
McGwire Hidden is the Program Coordinator for Western Michigan University's HEP (Higher Education for the Justice-Involved, or HEJI for short), and teaches philosophy in the program as well as…
Tobi Jacobi
Professor of English, Colorado State University, CO
Tobi Jacobi is an English Professor at Colorado State University. Since 2005, she has been directing the Community Literacy Center which offers weekly writing workshops in system-impacted locations (jail,…
Hannah James
Transitional Programs Associate, Tennessee Higher Education Initiative, TN
Hannah James joined the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative (THEI) as a Transitional Programs Associate in 2025, supporting alumni as they transition back into their communities. Hannah supports individuals in…
Amanda Lloyd
Faculty Director, Virginia Prison Education Program, University of Virginia, VA
Dr. Amanda Lloyd is the Faculty Director of the Virginia Prison Education Program (VPEP) for the University of Virginia’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. She leads the BIS…
Alison Longman
College Bridge Coordinator, Villanova University, PA
Alison serves as the College Bridge Program Coordinator for Villanova University at SCI Phoenix outside of Philadelphia. She received her BA in American Studies from the University of California,…
Juliana Mehrer
Director, Prison Education Project, Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Juliana Mehrer is the Director of the WashU Prison Education Project. She holds a Masters in Public Policy and a Bachelors of Public Policy and Social and Economic Justice,…
Tytianna Pope
Engaged & Public Humanities, Georgetown University, Washington DC
Tytianna Pope is a scholar, educator, and community-engaged practitioner whose work centers collective memory as a living, communal process shaped by place, storytelling, and everyday experience. A graduate of…
Matthew Puffer
Assistant Director Villanova Program at SCI Phoenix, PA
Matthew Puffer joined the Villanova Program at SCI Phoenix as Assistant Director in July 2025. He was previously Associate Professor of Humanities and Ethics in Christ College, the Honors…
Delphia Shanks
Associate Professor of Politics, Director of the Center for Civic Leadership, Hendrix College, AR
Delphia Shanks enjoys a multifaceted career as a professor, scholar, and advocate. After earning a B.A. in Sociology from Grinnell College and both an M.A. in Policy Analysis and…
Tommy Shannon, Jr.
Certified Peer Support Professional/Writing Center Coordinator, Moreau College Initiative, Holy Cross College, IN
Tommy Shannon is the founder of Life After Conviction Inc., an Indiana-based nonprofit focused on reintegration, civic education, financial literacy, and peer support for justice-impacted individuals. After spending 12…
Coming soon! Please check back for details on the 2026 Cohort.