The Alphabet Kids Our Experts

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	THE CREATORS
	Allegra Joyce Kassin is the creator of the Alphabet Kids concept. She is a devoted mother of five and grandmother of seven. With a strong belief in family values and deeply committed to multicultural understanding, she brings unique vision, clarity, continuity and extraordinary leadership to the Alphabet Kids team. She is involved in every aspect of development of the Alphabet Kids characters and their stories. She has brought them to life to share with the children of the world! Allegra Joyce has been engaged in wide ranging philanthropic activities from childhood well-being and health to community development and educational enrichment for over thirty years.
	Patrice Samara is co-author of the Alphabet Kids books and Executive in Charge of Development. An Emmy Award-winning producer and United Nations NGO Representative, she has with over twenty years expertise in communications and entertainment. She has won over fifty awards for creativity and excellence including two Parent’s Choice Awards and the 2010 Global Citizenship Award for Helping Humanity from Orphans International. Patrice combined her dedication to educational equality, literacy, and multiculturalism utilizing her global resources to make the Alphabet Kids a virtual celebration of diversity.
	THE EXPERTS
	Neme Alperstein, author of Isaac’s Zoo; Subject matter expert; Educational Advisory Committee Neme Alperstein, born in Israel, has been leaving her mark on education for more than two decades. A teacher of Gifted and Talented Students at a New York City Public School since 1987, she has worked on numerous educational initiatives for organizations throughout the world. In honor of her relentless service to pupils and teachers in New York and beyond, she has received scores of honors, awards, grants, and global recognition, most notably NYC Teacher of the Year 2000, NTTI-WNET Thirteen’s Teacher of the Year 2000, Bertelsmann Innovative Teacher of the Year 2003, and numerous ThinkQuest International Website Competition awards. Neme's extensive work with student website development has earned her international recognition as an early adopter and noted authority of collaborative learning. A true educator of the twenty-first century, she has taken full advantage of how technology and the internet can positively affect the minds of our future.
	Abed Awad, Esq, co-author of Umar’s Magic Oven; Middle Eastern subject expert Mr. Awad is a true renaissance man. He is a business and civil litigation attorney focusing on entertainment law, commercial law, complex matrimonial law, Islamic law, and international law. He has been awarded multiple honors and distinctions for both his extensive community involvement, compelling interpretation to historical and current events, and superior legal acumen. In 2002, he was selected as one of ten Lawyers of the Year by Lawyers Weekly (USA). In addition to his international reputation in the legal profession, he is a sought-after lecturer, professor, author, and television commentator as an expert on Middle Eastern law, politics, and culture. A devoted husband and father, Mr. Awad celebrates the value of multiculturalism on a daily basis with his cherished wife and three children.
	Michelle Bodden, co-author of Oni’s Good Hair Day; African-American expert; Educational Advisory Committee Michelle Bodden brings a wealth of practical experience to the Alphabet Kids team. An award-winning author of three other children's books, Obara and the Merchants, Obara the Gatekeeper, and her most recent publication, Well My Teacher Said…, she holds a Master's degree in Elementary Education and has taught in both New York City and Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1991, Michelle began working for The United Federation of Teachers, a union representing more than 200,000 teachers and other employees of educational institutions throughout New York City. She worked for eleven years as a liaison for educational issues, focusing on school-based management and shared decision-making. In 2002, after years of stellar service for the UFT, she was elected Vice President of Elementary Schools, becoming the first African-American to hold the position. In 2006, Michelle was also elected to serve as a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers, an AFL-CIO-affiliated international union. Mrs. Bodden is a member of the AFT Human Rights and Community Relations Committee, has served on the New York State United Teachers’ Task Force on Minority Involvement, and is the officer liaison to the UFT African Heritage Committee. She is a member of the NAACP, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, the Coalition of Labor Union Women, and the National Black Child Development Institute. Her exemplary awareness of the importance of multiculturalism is a cornerstone for the mission of the Alphabet Kids. Currently she is School Leader of the UFT Charter School Elementary Campus in Brooklyn, NY
	Dennis D’Amico, Music Director With over 36 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Dennis D'Amico has played an active role in every corner of show biz. Beginning his career as an actor on network soap operas, he soon shifted to the production end of theater, film, and television. Dennis cast many Broadway shows such as Singin’ in the Rain, Fiddler on the Roof, It’s a Wonderful Life, Miss Firecracker Contest, Three Musketeers, and Into the Light, and has also written, directed, and produced many television commercials and Off Broadway shows. He has contributed his talents to Strange Interlude, starring Glenda Jackson, and Aren’t We All, with Rex Harrison and Claudette Colbert, and also produces annual charity events that raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. He has also produced a world premiere ballet at Lincoln Center for classical composer Robert Rines. Impressive in itself, this is all before sharing what Dennis means to music, his first love. He has composed over 200 songs and has contributed his work to several television commercials, theatrical productions, and films. Dennis has performed with many great artists and served as executive producer of The Garland Music Series, which commemorates the life of Linda McCartney and fights cancer through the healing power of music, a project supported by Sir Paul McCartney. Recently, Dennis produced the world premiere of Sir Paul’s classical composition NOVA, at the famous Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires to sold-out performances and 5-star reviews. As a jazz producer, Dennis has worked with some of the world’s greatest artists, such as Roger Kellaway, Dorado Schmidt, James Carter, Fabrizio Sotti, Cassandra Wilson, Ludovic Beier, Stefan Harris, and Pablo Ziegler, and he also produces the music and the DVD of the annual The Django Reinhardt NY Festival Live at Birdland, a jazz festival. Currently VP and Executive Director of DreamMakers Music, talent like Dennis' is second to none, and the music produced for the Alphabet Kids are a clear product of his mastery.
	Sam Glyn, Educational Advisory Committee Born and raised in the heart of New York City, Sam Glyn cherishes and understands the true value of multiculturalism. Educated at New York’s United Nations International School, she completed high school at the Leysin American School in Leysin, Switzerland. Highly trained in drama, she actively participated in the New York arts scene throughout her youth. She received degrees in Elementary Education and Spanish from the University of Miami and is a certified teacher of English as a Second Language (ESOL). Formerly a teacher of the 3rd Grade at H.M. Flager Elementary School in the Little Havana area of Miami, where she was voted 2006 Rookie Teacher of the Year. She has a Masters of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology and works with children with special needs. Sam brings a mix of professionalism, vibrancy, and real-world experience to the Alphabet Kids team.
	Dr. Nancy Goldman, Educational Advisory Committee Dr. Nancy Goldman is a highly regarded teacher with decades of experience in shaping the future of how we learn. She holds a double major in English and Journalism and a minor in French from Syracuse University, a MA in Teaching the Gifted from Teachers College of Columbia University, and an Ed.D. in Curriculum, also from Teachers College. Dr. Goldman began working in education in 1969, where she worked for fourteen years as a teacher and supervisor in East Harlem. During her tenure, she and a colleague founded the East Harlem Performing Arts School, the first alternative school in the district. She also served as Director of the Gifted, setting up the first preschool gifted program in the district, as well. For ten years (1981-1991), she worked as a consultant for Teachers College, sharing her expertise with educational institutions throughout the New York Metropolitan Area and as far away as the Republic of Singapore, where she collaborated with the country's Ministry of Education in 1985. In 1995, after serving as Nursery Director of the Early Childhood Learning Center in Spring Valley, NY and then Assistant Director of Instructional Services for Rockland County BOCES, Dr. Goldman became Director of Curriculum for the Pearl River School District, in the suburbs of New York City. While there, the district earned the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award in Education in 2001, the first in the nation to earn the distinction. In 2002, she began teaching as an adjunct professor at the Rockland Graduate Campus of Long Island University, where after only two years she was appointed Program Director of Curriculum and Instruction, a position that she currently maintains. In addition to overseeing various Masters Degree Programs in Education at LIU, Dr. Goldman teaches at the campus, training students to become quality educators that incorporates the latest educational research and technology to the classrooms. The author of several educational publications, Dr. Goldman continues to make extraordinary contributions to educating our children.
	Gladys Hedaya, Activity & Scrapbooking Expert Gladys is a graduate of New York University, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Creative Writing. She is a mother of three who enjoys devoting her limited free time to the art and design of scrapbooking, which she teaches to adults and children alike. Gladys creates in-demand, unique cards and handmade mementos, and her designs are regularly published in scrapbooking magazines. “The world is ready for the Alphabet Kids,” she says. “It will influence them positively by helping them to learn how to accept, celebrate, and find interest in different cultures and diverse ways of life.”
	Dr. Jingyi Hong, Co-author of Yang’s New Dance, Chinese subject expert and cross-cultural communications expert; Educational Advisory Committee Dr. Hong is an internationally renowned expert on Chinese culture and politics. She is a lecturer, educator, television and film producer, simultaneous interpreter/translator, published author, consultant, and businesswoman. She has spoken, written, reported, and taught on all aspects of Chinese life and how it relates to the Western world. Since 1979, she has interpreted for numerous major federal and non-profit organizations, covering a wide range of subjects including economics, politics, environmental protection, and minority issues. She has provided simultaneous translation for major world leaders, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, US Supreme Court Justices Stephen G. Breyer and Anthony Kennedy, and Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang and Vice Premier Wan Li during their visits to the USA. Her distinct international outlook and interpretation of both the historical and contemporary perspectives of Chinese culture brings distinctive insight to the Alphabet Kids. The Yang’s New Dance book will be released in September 2010.
	Dr. Lynn Hunter, Educational Advisory Committee Dr. Lynn Hunter is an innovator, leader and pioneer in the education industry. With over thirty years of experience in the field, she has worked as an elementary school teacher, writer, and producer for a variety of children’s entertainment projects in both video and print. Formerly, Dr. Hunter was the Distance Learning Coordinator for the NYC Department of Education, which serves over 1.1 million school children. Recognizing that successful learning must begin with a strong foundation of skills and strategies, she is dedicated to providing educators with the proper tools to motivate their students to become lifelong learners.
	Andrew Johnson, Entertainment Editor; Educational Advisory Committee Andrew Johnson received both his B.A. and M.A. in Speech and Theatre from Brooklyn College. He has taught a legion of subjects at both the high school and university levels, including Drama, Theatre, Film and TV, Discussion Techniques, Journalism, Writing, and American & English Literature with a specialty in Victorian Literature. For the past 28 years, he has also written Media, a film review and related entertainment page for a local New York newspaper. He has also written film review for a Toronto-based magazine, North American Film Review, and is doing film and video reviews plus travel critiques for The Black Cat Review, blackcatmedia.com online. He has performed and directed off-Broadway,and at Brooklyn College with the Theatre Arts Alumni Affiliate. Andrew and his wife have a son and a daughter, both graduates of Brooklyn College. Mr. Johnson has served as a lay minister at his local church, where he still sings in the choir.
	Krista Jurisich, Arts in Education; Educational Advisory Committee Krista is an artist and school teacher based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She earned her Masters of Fine Arts degree from the University of New Orleans and has been creating professional artwork for over 25 years. In addition to being exhibited throughout the United States and beyond, her work is prized in many collections. Also a successful graphic designer, Krista has been teaching art in New Orleans Public Schools for several years. Under her leadership, her art students have won a number of awards and scholarships for their work.
	Isaac J. Kassin, Co-author of Alphabet Kids Go to the Planetarium Isaac J. Kassin is a sixteen year-old high school honors student attending York Prep in Manhattan. His priorities are performing well in high school in preparation for university admission and executing a philanthropy movement to make an everlasting change on the earth. Isaac has joined seven academic clubs and teams over his high school career, while keeping his average above a ninety-six earning him Principals List and Honor Roll every year of high school. He is the Founder of The Isaac J. Kassin Fund and The Charity Crew, organizations he set up to encourage children to participate in philanthropic activities from a young age. Isaac has hosted multiple fundraisers and charity events raising substantial funds for global organizations such as The Luce Foundation, Orphans International Worldwide, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Isaac has also contributed significantly to his local community by hosting food drives, books drives, volunteer days at thrift stores, old age homes, food pantries, and Hospitals for organizations like Sephardic Bikur Holim, Sephardic Food Fund, and Ahi Ezer. Isaac has been mentioned in the media including the New York Post, has been published in The Stewardship Report and Daily KOS on philanthropy, and participated in World Read Aloud Day in Times Square. He is the co-author of The Alphabet Kids Go to the Planetarium, a book encouraging interest in science. The book is part of the Alphabet Kids' Buy-One-Give One Literacy Program donating a book to a child in need for each book sold. Isaac's motto is "Philanthropy is the precious gift of giving that results in priceless pleasure in return."
	Gerard Mohammed, Design Gerard was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and was educated in both the United States and Canada. He holds a Master's degree in Visual Communication from the Pratt Institute in New York. With more than fifteen years of experience in graphic design, Gerard currently runs a cutting edge design studio, G-Mo Design, providing graphic design, web design, corporate identity, and marketing strategies for a powerful client base. A new father, he takes special pride in raising his own little “Alphabet Kids”.
	Liana Pérez, Co-author of Elena’s Birthday Surprise; Hispanic subject matter expert; Educational Advisory Committee Born in Cuba and raised and educated in Venezuela, Liana Pérez is a publisher and journalist by profession. In 2003, she moved to South Florida. Her passion for the arts led her to her to found and publish the Art Circuits Guide, a unique guide to South Florida's art fairs, galleries, museums, and artists. Five years later, Art Circuits has expanded to include a powerful website and digital newsletters. Combining her art world expertise with previous experience in the Public Relations field as a partner of Estima, a successful Venezuelan PR agency, Liana became the PR and Communications Director for arteaméricas, a Latin-American Art Fair, and did the same for Pinta, the Latin American art fair held in NY and London. Liana brings her love and passion for cultural diversity that she shares with her own children and grandchildren; one that drives to very heart of Alphabet Kids.
	Mara Purl, Advisor Mara Purl is an accomplished author, producer, actress, composer, musician, and educator that brings a wealth of know-how to the Alphabet Kids team. She grew up in Tokyo, Japan and holds a performing and literary degree from Bennington College in Vermont. She is the author of the popular Milford-Haven Novels, What the Heart Knows, Closer Than You Think, Child Secrets, Cause and Conscience, and Nobody’s Fault. She is also the co-author, with Erin Gray, of Act Right, the well-known and indispensable book for actors. Mara has been a professional producer, completing sixty episodes for the BBC, scores of radio commercials, and numerous videos, including one for the Native American Sports Council. She is the 1999 recipient of the Women's Peace Power Award, which she received for co-producing the anti-domestic violence public service announcement Step Forward. A former regular on the TV soap opera Days Of Our Lives, Mara is also a composer and musician who performs with the New York City Ballet. She plays the koto (Japanese harp) on numerous albums and has released two CDs of her own. She is the creator of STAR – Student Television And Radio©, a complete teaching curriculum for which she has received grants from AT&T, The Kennedy Center, and Communities in Schools, whereby she is able to teach both gifted and underprivileged students. Mara has taught in high schools in California and Colorado, and is a guest professor at the Colorado College, the University of Colorado, and at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Summer Fine Arts Camp. She is an advisory board member for both Haven House, the oldest shelter for battered women in the United States, and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In 2002, Mara was named Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
	Anna Quinn, Advisor Anna is a Medical Technologist, earning a BS in Laboratory Science from the University of New Hampshire. In addition to her career in the clinical laboratory, Anna has taught at a local community college. Her volunteer work includes teaching in an interactive way that make the sciences fun to young teens, such as Health Adventures focused towards children at risk, and Women in Science and Engineering, a program for teenage girls. Anna’s love for children’s music started, well, when she was a child. She had quite the collection of classics as a little girl, singing and dancing along to songs by Burl Ives, Gene Autry and Shirley Temple. Luckily, Anna never lost the ability to enjoy children’s music and continues to acquire a collection of her favorite songs that she loves to share. She can often be caught listening to children’s songs, either on her iPod or her favorite weekend radio show, The Playground. Anna is persistent in her quest to share her love of children’s music, and has managed to convert a few skeptics. The joy and laughter of a child is contagious.
	Mickie Quinn, Creative Director Mickie has always been a child at heart. A life-long lover of animation, children's books and theater has prepared her to be fully immersed in the Alphabet Kids project. Mickie earned her BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in book design from Ithaca College. She went on to become a graphic designer working for many musicians, clubs and theaters in the Northeast. In 1995 she built her first website and began her journey into digital media. She moved to New York City to work for Sidewalk.com which later became a part of MSN. From there she was the senior designer for Snowball.com, a prominent youth-oriented portal site where she developed projects for Britney Spears, Claire's, Cheez Whiz to name a few. In 2001, she decided to take her experience into the classroom and became a Digital Art teacher for George Washington High School in NYC. While teaching, she was recruited by ThinkQuest New York City to help develop a teacher training program to bring project-based technology lessons into inner-city schools. Also serving as Art Director for TQNYC, Mickie found a balance of her love of teaching and love of creating. Mickie now runs her own company, Mighty Productions, where she produces websites, graphic design, illustration, Flash animation and also develops Instructional Technology workshops for students, teachers and the general public. All the while, she continues finding ways to inspire others through whimsy, creativity, and the joy of learning.
	Dr. Terence W. Rogers, Educational Advisory Committee Graduated from Cambridge University, Dr. Rogers holds a BA in Natural Sciences and a Ph.D. in the Theory of Particle Physics. He was also named a Research Fellow at Cambridge, and a Harkness Fellow in Physics at Berkeley and Princeton. He began his career at Lotus Development, where as Vice President, he directed the company’s transformation to an industry leader in the workgroup computing market and more than doubled the division’s revenue from $40 million to $100 million. From 1970 to 1990, at IBM, he was responsible for developing mid-range and workstation computing systems, including the VM Operating System, and initiating many product developments such as relational databases. After IBM, Dr. Rogers went on to hold a variety of executive positions in the computer networking and software industries, including serving as CEO of Online Business Associates, an Internet start-up. In 1993, he joined Hyperion Software as Executive Vice President, successfully growing the company into a brand-recognized, multi-product financial solutions provider. From 1998 to 2000, Dr. Rogers was Project Director of the Abilene Network at Internet2, creating the most advanced Internet Protocol network in the world. He was charged with defining the network, creating and implementing the business plan, negotiating private and public sector partner agreements, and launching the program. From 2000 to 2005, Dr. Rogers was President and Chief Operating Officer of Advanced Network & Services, a non-profit leader in Internet research and education, responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of the corporation’s award-winning programs which focus on Advanced Internet Technologies (Internet2), Tele-Immersion (remote presence) and Education (K-12 access to technology). The core program of Advanced Network & Services was ThinkQuest, an international program involving 100,000 students who competed in teams for educational scholarships by developing educational websites. Over a period of seven years, ThinkQuest teams designed and published over 5,000 websites, and continue to be used today for information and study.
	Paris Treantasfeles, Technology Advisor Paris is a global authority on website creation and design. After earning a BA in Mathematics and Physics with a minor in Teacher Education from UC San Diego, he worked as a web developer for seven years before heading east. He has since settled in New York, where in addition to running his own web development company, Paris Graphics, he also served as Webmaster to the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Paris has given lectures on computer graphics at Bucknell University, Yale University, Arizona State University, and at the yearly Piksel Convention in Bergen, Norway. On the educational front, he offers workshops for teachers and students in Website Creation, Graphic Design, and Audio and Video Production.
	Vivian Treves, Co-author of Allegra’s Apple Tree; Italian subject matter expert; Educational Advisory Committee Vivian Treves is a producer, business executive, writer, and interpreter specializing in Italian and European Culture. With over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry, she has worked with major film celebrities, producers, television stations, and corporations in both the United States and Europe. She has written feature articles for publications such as Harper's Bazaar Italy/France and CIGA Hotels Magazine, including pieces on the arts and interviews with the likes of Sydney Pollack, Barbara Streisand, Gene Hackman, Telly Savalas and Carlo Rambaldi, to name a few. Vivian recently published In the Shadow of the Eclipse, a book of poetry memorializing her experience with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. As she continues her work, she shares her rich cultural background, family history, and appreciation for the arts with not only her beloved daughter, but with the entire Alphabet Kids community at large.
	Eric Vinson, Advisor Currently Executive Vice President of Ad Tech, an Atlanta based security and surveillance solutions firm, Eric Vinson, Esq. has held executive positions in private banking with Fortune 500 financial service institutions, including JP MorganChase and US Trust. He also served the New York Stock Exchange and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as a securities litigator. His entrepreneurial ventures are diverse and have included leading a sports and entertainment management and marketing firm representing world-class professional athletes and entertainers, and co-producing an acclaimed hip hop musical on the history of hip hop at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. The musical starred rap icon Curtis Blow and was featured on television, in Time Magazine, Vibe Magazine, and The New York Times. He served on the board of Triumph Entertainment, a Tribeca entertainment firm representing numerous entertainment properties and producer of corporate events. He was one of the founders of Vedero/CTG Athletics out of the South Bronx, NY, currently the largest minority-owned manufacturer and supplier of baseball equipment to Major League Baseball. Mr. Vinson was one of the co-founders, along with the late Arthur Ashe Jr. and Ed Lewis, chairman of Essence Publications, of Amistad Press, a book publishing joint venture with Time Warner. Amistad published over 100 books, including a number of best sellers, such as Arthur Ashe’s A Hard Road to Glory, and Dorothy Dandridge: A Biography, by Donald Bogle. Eric graduated with honors from Princeton University and holds a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown Law School. He is a member of the American Bar Association.