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The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) honored Dr. Mary Jane Krebbs, who is an associate dean at St. John’s University and a longtime educator in the Archdiocese of New York, with its President’s Award.
The honor was presented at the 25th anniversary Seton Awards Gala held in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 5.
Dr. Krebbs has served since 2009 as associate dean for graduate studies in the School of Education at St. John’s. She is executive director of the university’s Institute for Catholic Schools.
Dr. Krebbs, in an interview with Catholic New York, said her love of Catholic education and teaching began with her own Irish-Catholic upbringing. “I always believed that graduates from Catholic schools should look at the world differently—its issues, its concerns and its questions,” she said. “We are incarnational. We believe that God is alive and well in us, and in the world. With that perspective, we make different decisions.”
She began her career as a teacher at St. Margaret’s School and St. Gabriel’s School, both in Riverdale. She then taught at Our Lady of Victory Academy, Dobbs Ferry, 1973-1990. From 1990 until 2009, she served as the archdiocese’s associate superintendent of schools for curriculum and staff development.
NCEA President Brother Robert Bimonte, F.S.C., said Dr. Krebbs’ “lifelong dedication to Catholic education has enhanced the education of students and the professional development of teachers and administrators in our nation’s Catholic schools.”
She has been an adjunct professor at Fordham University and Long Island University. She is a national presenter on curriculum issues and Catholic identity, values and integration.
Dr. Krebbs received her bachelor’s degree in history from College of Mount St. Vincent, her master’s degree in social studies education from Lehman College, and her doctorate in administration and supervision from Fordham.
—Juliann DosSantos
