Dwight W. Allen - Distinguished Students

Distinguished Students

Bill Cosby was an Ed.D. student when Allen was the Dean of College of Education at UMASS Amherst in the 1960s. The professor and student relationship continued ever since. They are frequently collaborators on research and writing projects. They co-authored a book in 2000: American Schools: The $100 Billion Challenge

Cynthia Shepard Perry, received her Doctorate in Education in UMASS Amherst in 1972. Later on, she became a full Professor and Dean of International Affairs in Texas Southern University, and then she was appointed United States Ambassador to Sierre Leone, and later served as Ambassador to Burundi. Dr. Perry was the chief of education and human resources in the African Bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. director of the African Development Bank.

Dr. Chis Dede received his Ed. D. degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is now a professor in the Graduate School of Education, Harvard University. Dr Dede is an influential figure in research areas such as information technology and human learning capacities.

Steven Gluckstern, recently retired as an executive, entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, and educator, received his Ed. D. from UMASS Amherst in 1974. He gave $1.7 million for two professorships, and Allen was appointed to one of them. This was the first endowed professorship in Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Another of Allen's students was Chris Daggett, who has strong interest in education reform. Chris Daggett went to the University of Massachusetts, where he received a Doctor of Education degree in 1977 when Allen was Dean of Education. Chris Daggett ran for Governor of New Jersey as an independent candidate in 2009.