Who We Are

Mneesha Gellman is the founder and director of the Emerson Prison Initiative, which brings a Bachelor’s degree pathway to incarcerated students in Massachusetts. She is the author of numerous books and articles on democratization, human rights, and education politics, and is the editor of Education Behind the Wall: Why and How We Teach in Prison , and co-editor of Unlocking Potential: Education in Prison Around the World . Dr. Gellman is associate professor of political science in the Marlboro Institute of Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies at Emerson College.

Cara Moyer-Duncan is assistant director of the Emerson Prison Initiative. She is responsible for academic planning, as well as recruiting, hiring, and coordinating faculty. Dr. Moyer-Duncan is an associate professor of Africana Studies in the Marlboro Institute of Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies. Her chapter, “The Logistics of Teaching Inside,” is featured in Education Behind the Wall: Why and How We Teach in Prison .

Stephen Shane is site coordinator and interim assistant director of the Emerson Prison Initiative. He is responsible for coordinating classes and study halls, as well as advising faculty, teaching assistants, students, and peer tutors. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Writing, Literature, and Publishing at Emerson College where he teaches courses focused on writing, pedagogy, and community engagement.

Betsey Chace joined EPI in 2023 as Reentry Coordinator, EPI’s first full-time staff person. In this role, she supported EPI alumni and students with reentry upon their release from prison and supported EPI faculty leadership with program administration. In 2024, when EPI was able to hire a second staff person, Betsey became Program Manager, with a focus on taking more administrative tasks from faculty leadership, growing program structures, and working closely with the new Program Coordinator. 

Charles Rosario is the new Program Coordinator for the Emerson Prison Initiative. Rosario passionately advocates for higher education in carceral spaces as well as for creating more pathways for returning citizens to have access to higher education in traditional college campuses. Rosario also works to connect returning citizens to reentry services, provides direct one-on-one case management, and works to help expand EPI and its reentry program. As an alumnus of EPI, it is Rosario’s experience as a formerly-incarcerated person that fuels his commitment to empowering others to pursue their educational and personal growth.

Since Provost Socarides’ arrival at Emerson College in July 2024, EPI Director Mneesha Gellman reports directly to her. More broadly, Dr. Socarides leads domestic and international academic programs at Emerson; oversees faculty support and success initiatives; manages faculty hiring and promotions; and initiates academic program reviews, launches, and changes. Dr. Socarides is a scholar and teacher of nineteenth-century American poetry.

Amy Ansell provides academic oversight to the EPI Bachelor’s degree in Media, Literature and Culture, a Marlboro Institute degree. EPI leadership also reported administratively to Dean Ansell from the initial EPI program launch in 2017 up through 2024. Dr. Ansell has been an instrumental advisor and supporter to EPI throughout these years. Dr. Ansell is a tenured Professor of Sociology and her scholarly interests revolve around the intersection of race and ethnicity, political sociology, cultural studies, and human rights.