About DEI

×

Myra Young Armstead

She received her doctorate in history from the University of Chicago where she interned under the late Dr. John Hope Franklin and concentrated in three fields: U.S. urban history, U.S. diplomatic history, and African colonial history. 

She holds a master’s in international relations with a concentration in African affairs, and a bachelor’s from Cornell University, where she majored in government. Professor Armstead’s book publications include “Lord, Please Don’t Take Me in August”: African Americans in Newport and Saratoga Springs, 1870–1930 (University of Illinois, 1999); Mighty Change, Tall Within: Black Identity in the Hudson Valley (SUNY Press, 2003); and Freedom’s Gardener: James F. Brown, Horticulture, and the Hudson Valley in Antebellum America (New York University Press, 2012). Currently, she is completing two research projects: a book-length study of cultural reforms during the Progressive Era, and a study of class divisions and cross-class connections regarding economic issues among evangelical Protestants in North America. In 2014–15 she received a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship to undertake research at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for the Progressive Era project. Her study of economics and religion is supported by a three-year (2015–18) grant from the Louisville Institute.
           
At Bard, Professor Armstead has taught broadly in U.S. history with a concentration in 19th-century social and cultural history.

×

Claudette S. Aldebot

Claudette was born and raised in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and moved to New York in 1995. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and women’s gender and sexuality studies. Her master’s degree is in social justice educational studies with a focus on diversity and inclusion from SUNY New Paltz. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in organizational leadership with a focus on social justice from Northeastern University. 

Claudette’s professional experience has been primarily focused on higher education, where she has led roles in the areas of residence life, student development, college access, teaching, diversity, belonging, equity, and inclusion. Outside of her work in higher education, she has spent time working and volunteering within the legal, corporate, and nonprofit sectors, as well as being a diversity consultant. This allows her to bring an intersectional perspective in all she does. She leads with a holistic leadership approach. She believes in building and strengthening equitable and inclusive spaces and frameworks for students, faculty, and staff. As a first-generation college student, she truly believes that education is the greatest equalizer and that it is our shared responsibility to lead our youth to a more equitable and inclusive future. 

In her free time, she likes to explore the beautiful Hudson Valley region with her husband and two daughters. She loves to dance, sing, and travel. She is passionate about living a good life and being in the moment. She lives by the saying: “Tomorrow is never promised, so make today count.”