Faculty Profile: Stacey Dammann, Dean, School of Behavioral Sciences and Education

There is nothing that is more rewarding for Dr. Stacey Dammann than watching her students succeed. Helping her students succeed means getting on their level and finding strategies that work for them, something she emphasizes in her teaching and leadership.  

Dr. Stacey Dammann came to YCP in 2004. She holds a bachelor’s degree in natural sciences, a master’s in special education and rehabilitation, and a doctorate in education, all from Johns Hopkins University.

She was hired as an Assistant Professor in Education to teach special education courses to teacher candidates in the undergraduate program. She later divided her time between the undergraduate program and the graduate Reading Specialist program. Dr. Dammann has served as a faculty member, supervisor for the Reading Specialist Program, Director of Graduate Programs, Chair of the Department of Education, and in her current position, as the Dean for the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education.

Prior to coming to YCP, she taught middle school for nine years and high school for three months in Baltimore County, MD. She then left for higher education when she received the opportunity to direct a reading program at Johns Hopkins, where she worked with Baltimore City middle school teachers in reading instruction. This experience “fueled” her love for working with adult learners. She left the institution and moved to York to raise her family and work at York College.

As the Dean of Behavioral Sciences and Education, Dr. Dammann oversees the leadership and growth of the school; supports faculty, staff, and administrators; and helps ensure student success. Despite her extensive administrative duties, which take up a considerable portion of her time, she teaches courses in the graduate program, usually Introduction to Educational Research, and practicum courses in assessment and reading intervention for the Reading Specialist candidates. She sometimes teaches Group Processes.

Dr. Dammann’s approach to teaching is simple: Start on their level and be willing to adapt and change depending on your students’ needs.

“Meet your students where they are, plan engaging instructional content, be flexible and prepared to change how you deliver your content, and give students time to talk about their learning,” she explains.

The most important thing she wants her students to take away from her classes is to never stop evolving. Her advice to them: Be patient and take the time to develop your own individual skills in teaching.

“Teaching is a career with many opportunities—plan to evolve. Keep learning new things in the field, because where you start may not be where you end 20 years later. Other than that, be flexible and patient with your students and yourself,” she says. “The field of education needs you. Every one of you will make a difference for someone or many others in your career. Focus on developing your teaching skills and finding the right fit for you. This career is both challenging and rewarding. There is nothing else like it; each year brings a whole new set of students and a new set of rewards and challenges.”

The favorite part of her job is engaging with the different types of people she encounters. It’s never boring working with them, she says. “I have always enjoyed helping others, whether that is in learning something new, solving a problem, or finding new ways to expand our programs,” she adds.

It’s been a rewarding process for Dr. Dammann to see her students succeed. There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing a student overcome their struggles, she says.

“Early in my career it was always rewarding finding the right instruction for each student. There is nothing better than the moment a student who has struggled to accomplish something is successful in that accomplishment,” she adds. “Even now, there is nothing more rewarding than teaching, mentoring, and advising someone toward new goals and seeing them succeed or become independent.”

For Dr. Dammann, her position at York represents the perfect blend of her interests and abilities. She’s grateful that she’s able to work doing what she loves.

“I always wanted to work with children, and I have some natural teaching ability. The two came together initially in this career choice,” she explains. “I have been very fortunate and blessed to work in this field. I love what I do and still look forward to what the next day at YCP will bring.”