Assistant Dean for Student Life, Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, Student Development and Campus Life

Dr. Daniel Jean is a proud EOF alumnus who serves as the Associate Provost for Educational Opportunity and Success Programs. He has been featured/mentioned in the LA Times, nj.com, Black Enterprise, Ebony Magazine, the Hechinger Report, Diverse Issues in Higher Education and PBS Newshour. He has published three books and has taught undergrad and grad courses in consulting, student development, transformative leadership and hip-hop culture. He is the founder of three statewide college access/awareness conferences, the Richard Wilson/Jason James Mentorship Program and has established a scholarship fund at his alma mater for EOF Alumni.

Heather R. Edwards, Ph.D., LMSW, BSW is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Social Work & Child Advocacy. She received her Ph.D. and master’s degree in Social Work from Howard University, and she holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Edwards thoroughly enjoys facilitating learning, and she draws from fifteen years of teaching experience to do it in a way that increases the effectiveness of professionals working with vulnerable children and families. Her courses use technology, games, music, and other innovative strategies to promote learning. She believes that professions improving the lives of vulnerable children and families will benefit from a diverse workforce, and she strives to create courses that will foster that diversity.

Dr. Jeannie E. Headley is an Interim Assistant Professor of English Literature at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, specializing in African American, Latin American, and Caribbean literature. Her research focuses on linguistic equity, Black literacy traditions, and educational policy, with a forthcoming book chapter in Speaking Against the Norm: Exposing Linguistic Hierarchies in the Urban Classroom (2025).

Beyond academia, Dr. Headley is a grant-writing and fund development consultant, supporting Black-led initiatives like the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. Her forthcoming articles in Nonprofit Quarterly, The Root, and Colorlines explore the role of language in nonprofit storytelling and the power of fundraising for community impact.

A frequent speaker at national conferences, Dr. Headley holds an EdD from Walden University and is a member of the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE) and the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). 

Dr. Halaby is a Professor of Biology and a Cancer Scientist. Breast cancer is the deadliest malignancy in women globally. However it also kills men, the transgendered, and people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Dr. Halaby's research focuses on investigating lysosomal-mediated apoptosis (LMA) in human breast cancer cells exposed to triptolide (Thunder God Vine). This Chinese herb has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for centuries to treat anti-inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. Dr. Halaby and his team showed that triptolide concentrations, which are 1,000X less than chemotherapeutic drugs, induce cell death in treatment-resistant breast cancer cell lines. This is significant because it suggests that LMA may serve as an effective therapy for tumors that become drug-resistant. Dr. Halaby's research utilizes cellular and molecular strategies that specifically and intentionally target lysosomes to kill cancer cells.