NJCU Appoints Dr. Mary McGriff as Interim Dean of the Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe College of Education
JERSEY CITY, N.J. | (NJCU) has announced the appointment of Dr. Mary McGriff as Interim Dean of the Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe College of Education, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. McGriff, who most recently served as Acting Associate Dean, will lead the college as NJCU continues its collaboration with Kean University.
Since joining NJCU in 2011, Dr. McGriff has demonstrated exceptional leadership serving as Chair of the Literacy Education Department and Co-Coordinator of College of Education accreditation and program assessment. Her extensive university service includes membership on the Credit for Prior Learning Policy Committee and the Academic Master Plan Development Working Group, as well as leadership roles as Co-Chair of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Self-Study Working Group and Chair of the Teacher Education Council.
Dr. McGriff brings a unique combination of practical classroom experience and advanced academic expertise to her new role. Prior to her tenure at NJCU, she served as a middle school English language arts teacher and elementary school principal. She earned both her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Ed.D. in Literacy Education from Rutgers University.
Dr. McGriff stated: “My parents, Alfred and Evelyn Crawford, were teachers, and I am grateful for their example. I am also grateful for the opportunity to serve in this new role. Our College of Education is a strong community, fully dedicated to preparing outstanding educators and working with our partner school districts to meet their needs. It is an honor to serve as Interim Dean.â€
Her research interests focus on teacher identity and self-study, the retention of education majors of color, and literacy instruction. Dr. McGriff has contributed significantly to academic discourse through multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and scholarly book chapters. She finds particular professional satisfaction in leading monthly workshops for education majors participating in the Teacher Intern Program and has been active in several grant projects focused on diversifying the teacher workforce.
Dr. McGriff succeeds Dr. Lourdes Sutton, who has served as Acting Dean since Spring 2023. Under Dr. Sutton's leadership, the college achieved remarkable milestones, including successful Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accreditation and CAEP's prestigious Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement. Dr. Sutton also guided the revision of the teacher education curriculum to meet Â鶹´«Ã½ State Department of Education mandates and helped secure recognition for the Teacher Internship Program as a Certified Registered Apprentice Program through the Â鶹´«Ã½ Department of Labor.
Dr. Sutton will transition to a new role as Assistant Professor of Literacy in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Literacy.
Â鶹´«Ã½ NJCU:
Â鶹´«Ã½ is a comprehensive public regional institution committed to providing a high-quality education to a diverse student population. Located in Jersey City, Â鶹´«Ã½, NJCU offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for learning, professional development, and community engagement. Consistent with our mission, NJCU is recognized as a top university for improving upward economic social mobility, ensuring students enrolled in our undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs have access to an affordable, diverse environment, and an exceptionally supportive faculty. This prepares them to go on to become the next generation of workers and leaders who improve their communities and the State of Â鶹´«Ã½.
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Contact:
Ira Thor, Associate Vice President for University Communications and Marketing | ithor@njcu.edu | 201-200-3301