Staff

Nadine Bryce received her Ed.D. in Reading and Language Arts from Teachers College, Columbia University. She teaches undergraduate and graduate literacy education courses in the Childhood Education program and the Graduate Program in Literacy. As the Literacy Space Coordinator, Nadine works closely with faculty members and families to ensure children are engaging in interest-based, innovative literacy activities designed to meet their academic needs. Innovations include the annual October celebration of the National Day on Writing when children share originally authored stories, poems or informational writing with their families and peers. An online writing gallery, “Literacy Space at Hunter College” was established to showcase some of the children’s work. Her research interests include nonfiction reading and writing, arts-based literacy instruction in science and social studies, and literacy teacher education.

Jody Polleck is an Assistant Professor in Adolescent Literacy at Hunter College. She is also a 10th grade English teacher at a small high school in the Lower East Side in New York City. Jody began her work with urban youth in 1994 when she was a counselor for runaway teenagers in Washington, D.C. In 1999, she received her Master’s degree in English education and worked as a high school reading and English teacher in a dropout prevention program. In 2002, she was awarded National Board Certification, and in 2003, she received a fellowship to New York University where she completed her doctoral degree in English education. Her research focuses on urban adolescents and their experiences in student-led book clubs, as well as culturally responsive instruction in English language arts classrooms.

At the Literacy Space, Jody guides and supports teacher candidates as they tutor adolescent students who struggle with reading and writing.

Mallory Locke is an adjunct lecturer at Hunter College who teaches within the Childhood Education (QUEST) program and the Adolescent Literacy program. In the classroom, Mallory taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade English Language Arts. Her passion for supporting her striving readers and writers led her to Hunter College's Adolescent Literacy program, which she graduated from in 2014. Since 2014, she has served as the literacy coach at P.S. 171 Patrick Henry Preparatory, a grades 3K-8 public school in East Harlem, where she team teaches in grades 4-8 and oversees the development of the school's culturally-sustaining, project-based curricula. Currently, Mallory is a doctoral candidate in Hunter College's Instructional Leadership Ed.D. program. Her research explores how general and special educators' histories and perspectives toward race and disability impact their development of inclusive curriculum and instruction.

Alexis Hernandez is an adjunct lecturer and full-time New York City public school teacher. Alexis attended college at New York University where she received a Bachelors of Science in Elementary and Special Education. She also has a Masters in Literacy from Hunter College and completed the exact program that she now teaches in. Alexis began her teaching career at a small private school in Greenwich Village where she taught kindergarten and 1st grade. After two years, Alexis made the transition to NYC public schools, where she has remained. She is a founding member of PS 118- The Maurice Sendak Community School in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Here she has taught kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade, as well as acted as a teacher mentor, School Leadership Team member, and curriculum developer. At PS 118, Alexis has also launched an alternative, project-based homework approach called 'Exercise Your Brain,' a Character Education program, and she has even been selected as a nominee for the Big Apple Teacher Award in the 2018-2019 school year. At Hunter, Alexis works to help graduate teacher candidates assist struggling literacy learners find personal success and a love for learning in the Literacy Space.