Aaron Isabelle
Interim Dean, School of Education
Interim Dean, School of Education
Aaron D. Isabelle was appointed as the Interim Dean of the School of Education, effective June 7, 2022, after serving as Acting Dean since April 1, 2022.
As the chief academic and administrative officer of the School of Education, Isabelle mentors and supports department chairs; evaluates and develops faculty and recruits new faculty; supports and initiates regional partnerships; and coordinates with faculty to promote innovative programs responsive to the needs of the region. He also manages the School’s budget and engages in external fundraising, oversees accreditation procedures; and implements SUNY and State Education Department policies.
Isabelle joined the University in 2003 with a focus on preparing educators for teaching and learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). He advanced program curricula by leading the development of the B-6 dual certification program in Elementary Education as well as by spearheading revisions to the M.S.Ed. Childhood 1-6 program. He served as Graduate Coordinator for the Master of Science in Teaching (M.S.T.) and M.S.Ed. programs. Promoted to Professor in 2021, he has served as Associate Dean of the School of Education since 2014, and has previously served as Department Chair (2008-2011).
During his tenure as a faculty member in the Department of Teaching & Learning, Isabelle served as Editor of “The Science Teachers Bulletin,” the official journal of the Science Teachers Association of New York State. He authored and co-authored numerous articles on university-school partnerships, alternate conceptions in science, and inquiry-based teaching methods for improving the teaching and learning of STEM. In addition to frequent presentations of his scholarly work at local, national and international conferences, Isabelle was highly active in forging school-university partnerships and offering professional development workshops for in-service teachers. As Associate Dean and Certification Officer for the School of Education, Isabelle spearheaded the development of an Education Seminar for first-year education students and a mandated training in Health & Safety Education. Other notable accomplishments include facilitating the reorganization of the School of Education and leading a school-wide retreat focused on antiracism.
Prior to his tenure at SUNY New Paltz, Isabelle served as Assistant Professor and Director of the Elementary Education program at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania (2000-2003). He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and a master’s degree in education from Clark University, also in Worcester. Isabelle also holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Science Education from Clark University, which spans the disciplines of linguistics, narratology, cognitive psychology, and the history and philosophy of science.
