Contact

OCEL Team Members

Elizabeth Cannon, Ed.D., Director of Community Engaged Learning, Teaching and Scholarship

Elizabeth Cannon (she/her) currently serves as the Director of Community-Engaged Learning at Vassar College. Elizabeth received her Ed.D. in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education with research interests that focus on critical feminism within community engagement, the role of power dynamics between institutions and communities, and best practices for centering community voice. At Vassar, Elizabeth works to build equitable partnerships between Vassar and local community organizations. She emphasizes a place-based model that centers community voice by connecting students and faculty to community-identified projects.

Jean Hinkley, Associate Director
Jean Hinkley (she/her) Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, and the Hudson Valley, I’m privileged to call the City of Poughkeepsie home. I engage locally through voting, participating in public art, and deepening my relationship with the land and ecosystems around us. My work is rooted in a strong connection to place, uplifting community voices, and connecting students to the many assets of Poughkeepsie.

Zoë Markwalter, Community Engaged Course Program Associate
Zoë Markwalter (she/they) grew up on the shores of the Hudson, known by the Mohican peoples as the Mahicannituck (river that flows both ways). Zoë supports community engaged courses through the office of Community Engaged Learning. Her non-traditional college journey resulted in 3 degrees, most recently a Master of Professional Studies in Social Justice Education. In her work with the OCEL, Zoë’s passions include epistemic justice, intergenerational learning, student-driven projects, and imagining possibility.

Brianna Evans, Office Coordinator
Brianna Evans (she/her) was born and raised in the City of Poughkeepsie, New York. In her free time, she likes to paint and be creative. She loves keeping organized and bringing a positive, detail-oriented attitude to her job. She is proud of being dependable and friendly, and she is always willing to help others. She also wants to keep growing in her career and as a person, and she values chances to make a difference in a big way.

Tayo Mulholland, Program Coordinator, Exploring College and School-Based Partnerships
Tayo Mulholland (she/her) serves as the Program Coordinator for Exploring College and School-Based Partnerships. Originally from Oregon, Tayo previously worked as a TRiO College and Career Advisor, supporting middle and high school students as they explored college, career, and postsecondary pathways. In her work with OCEL, Tayo is passionate about building meaningful relationships with young people and creating educational spaces that support exploration, connection, and possibility.

Amina Kearney, Assistant Director for VAST & VELLOP
Amina Kearney is an educator, screenwriter, and community program manager who serves as the Assistant Director for VAST & VELLOP. Before joining OCEL, Amina served as Program Manager for PK B.A.Y. (Poughkeepsie Board of Artistic Youth) at The Art Effect, where she worked alongside Poughkeepsie youth through leadership development, project-based learning, creative expression, and community engagement. Drawing on her background in education, media production, and storytelling, Amina is passionate about creating spaces where young people can develop their voices, think critically, collaborate with others, and tell their own stories with confidence and purpose.