Fifteen U.S. high school teachers have been selected to participate in the 2025 GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program. The two-phased program includes a 10-day intensive professional development training in Armenia, after which the GenEd Teacher Fellows will lead their own teacher training workshops in their home regions over the 2025-2026 school year.
The 2025 GenEd Teacher Fellows are from 15 different U.S. states, bringing the total number of states covered by the program since its inception in 2022 to 34. During their July 2025 trip to Armenia, they’ll spend much of their time at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute (AGMI) in Yerevan, where GenEd and AGMI scholars team up to provide in-depth academic sessions, including examination of the museum’s exhibits, archives, artifacts, and scholarship on the Armenian Genocide and its continuing effects. They will also spend a day at the American University of Armenia learning about contemporary Armenia, and they will take field trips aligned with their coursework.
Heather Bagdoian (Worcester, MA) is a department head and history teacher at Claremont Academy. She teaches US History and AP US History and designs curriculum for her district.
Tara Ann Carter (Los Angeles, CA) is an English teacher at Milken Community School tucked away in the hills of Bel-Air. Bringing with her fifteen years of classroom expertise and having participated in numerous study tours around the globe, Tara infuses her classroom instruction with cross-cultural understanding and global citizenship.
Thomas Courtney (San Diego, CA) is a sixth grade teacher at Millennial Tech Middle School. As a former San Diego Unified School District teacher of the year, guide teacher of the year, and Teach Plus Senior Policy Fellow, Thomas writes for educational periodicals and is currently working on a Global Practices Project for students and a book on education.
Kris Hart (Hartsdale, NY) has brought nearly two decades of passion for teaching history to students in New York City and Westches. With a commitment to fostering critical thinking and historical inquiry, Having taught US history and Political Science, Kris currently specializes in World History. She also sponsors the Fuller Center Club, which builds sustainable housing for local families.
Joanne Heidel (Eugene, OR) has been teaching International Baccalaureate (IB) History, Global History, and Civics at Eugene International High School for 21 years. She has held numerous leadership positions designing engaging and culturally responsive curriculum and is a long-standing advisor for Oregon Model United Nations. In 2022, Joanne led a team that created her school’s Global Civics course, including a Genocide Studies unit.
Stephanie Krzeminski (Oswego, IL) has taught high school social studies for 18 years, including Honors World History, Contemporary Human Geography, Sociology, and AP Seminar. With a Ph.D. in Holocaust & Genocide Studies, Stephanie has developed high school curricula and travelled internationally for deeper knowledge of genocide history.
Genée Ciurus Major (Oak Park, IL) teaches middle school English language arts. Her students engage in global book clubs and Project Wonder, a yearlong student-led inquiry study. Genée has a PhD in Educational Leadership and has published articles in English Journal and Illinois Reading Council Journal. She has led teaching enrichment courses all over the world.
Sandra Makielski (North Kingstown, RI) teaches 7th grade geography with an emphasis on global citizenship, engaging her students in activities that foster empathy and empowers them to take action. Sandra has participated in international study trips to Asia, Africa, and Antarctica, and networks with educators on four continents. She teaches at the University of Rhode Island
Lisa Murphy (Euless, TX) is an AP Human Geography teacher at Carroll High School. Now in her twenty-fifth year of teaching, she has also taught World Cultures and World Geography. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, as well as a master’s degree in American History and Government. She also sponsors her school’s Geography Club.
Tyler Oesch (Troy, MO) teaches social studies at New Horizons High School and is adjunct professor of history at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. With a MA in history, he develops humanities curriculum for a leading teacher certification preparation company. With a particular interest in highlighting underrepresented historical events, he teaches about the dangers of cultural prejudice.
Jennifer Reeder (Grain Valley, MO) teaches U.S. History and World History, as well as a semester-long course on the Holocaust. She is a 2022 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow and received further training at the Advanced Teacher Seminar at Yad Vashem in 2023. One of Jennifer’s goals iis to teach the human story so that the victims aren’t just statistics to her students.
Alex Riddell (Falls Church, Virginia) teaches World History 2 Honors, U.S. Government, and Women’s History at Marshall High School. A Mount Vernon Teacher of the Year Runner Up, she has also taught at the university level in Poland. Additionally, shechelped create the Women’s History course for Fairfax County and helped develop her school’s girls wrestling team.
Marie Sarnacki (Farmington Hills, MI) teaches high school history and English in South Lyon, Michigan. She holds Masters in education, history, and sociology. She uses literary and cultural sources in history courses and vice versa. Marie is a 2024–2025 Fellow in the Engaging Eurasia Teaching Fellowship (EETF) Program and will begin working on a PhD in history at Wayne State University in fall, 2025. She coaches her school’s Mock Trial team and sponsors the Scholastic Competition Society and Activism Club.
Sharolyn Stauffer (Afton, WY) teaches history and government in Afton, Wyoming at Star Valley High School. A mother of three, she’s also an avid reader, outdoors enthusiast and traveller, all of which she infuses in her classroom curriculum. Having studied the Ottoman Empire in detail, Sharolyn is eager to expand her teaching about the Armenian Genocide as part of the end of the Ottoman Empire.
Karen Tyler (Boise, ID) designed and teaches genocide studies and Eastern Geographic Perspectives at Mountain View High School. A 24-year teaching veteran, Karen received the 2021 Idaho Human Rights Educator of the Year award. She is a Wassmuth Human Rights Fellow, participated in the 2024-2025 U.S. Institute of Peace Teachers Program, and is an active participant in Wassmuth Human Rights Education Center programs in Boise, Idaho.
Joining the 2025 GenEd Teacher Fellows is Elizabeth Hudson, GenEd Curriculum Specialist and long-time collaborator with GenEd on professional development projects. Beth has been a high school history teacher, college instructor (University of Texas, Austin and TX State University), and journalist (Washington Post). She holds a master’s degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Gratz College, a B.A. in Journalism from Ohio University, and M.Ed. from Texas State University. She writes a regular column on using history books and literature in the classroom for the Texas state social studies magazine. Beth received the Armenian Genocide Education Award from the Armenian National Committee of America, Western Region and the Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award from Humanities Texas.
