Friends and colleagues in the Union community are mourning the loss of Pat Allen, dean of the School of Education at Union Graduate College. He died Nov. 24, 2013, after a long illness. He was 72.
He joined Union’s graduate program in 1992 as director of Educational Studies, later becoming dean of the School of Education at UGC.
Throughout a career that saw many state and federal plans for education reform come and go, he maintained that well-prepared teachers are crucial to any meaningful and sustained effort to improve schools.
He led efforts to align programs with National Board Certification which sets rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review. Union Graduate College has more than 17 National Board Certified Teachers on staff and more than 40 National Board Certified Teachers among its alumni.
He was a strong advocate of the year-long internship in the MAT program, an experience acknowledged by graduates as a major factor in their teaching success.
“Dean Allen enriched the learning experience and the lives of not only a whole generation of alumni, but also the students they have taught,” said Laura Schweitzer, president of Union Graduate College. “Dean Allen’s guidance of the graduate programs, now part of Union Graduate College, was exceptional during his more than 20 years of service.”
He earned his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Indiana University. He was awarded a National Defense Education Act Fellowship before a teaching career that led him to Coe College, Union College and Shenendehowa High School. He consulted for the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and chaired the Subcommittee of the Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching in New York State.
He was awarded the 2011 Union Graduate College Presidential Faculty Award for his dedicated service. In May 2013, Pat received the NYSUT Award for Excellence in Education in recognition of his efforts on behalf of National Board Certification and NBC teachers in New York State. He retired from UGC in October.
Survivors include his wife, Marie Grace Costa; and a brother, Michael.
A spring memorial is being planned.
Pat’s family asked that UGC establish the Dean Patrick Allen Endowed Scholarship Fund to honor his legacy and to support students who study education. To donate, send checks to:
Dean Patrick Allen Endowed Scholarship Fund
Office of Advancement
Union Graduate College
80 Nott Terrace
Schenectady, N.Y. 12308