Albertus Magnus College Alumna Named Acting Connecticut State Education Commissioner
Charlene Russell-Tucker ’99, Also Recent Appointee to Albertus Alumni Board
New Haven, Conn., March 3, 2021 – Albertus Magnus College is pleased to announce that Charlene Russell-Tucker ’99 M.S. has been appointed by
Governor Ned Lamont to serve as Acting Commissioner of the Connecticut State Department
of Education. The announcement was made just a day after former Education Commissioner,
Dr. Miguel Cardona, was sworn-in as the new U.S. Secretary of Education.
Russell-Tucker has been serving as the Deputy Commissioner of the State Education
Department since November 2019. Albertus recently announced her appointment to the Alumni Association Advisory Board, a group of dedicated alumni volunteers who act as ambassadors to support the mission
of the College and the goals of the Office of Advancement.
“This is a moment of great pride for the Albertus Magnus College family,” said Albertus
President Dr. Marc M. Camille. “Charlene is a deeply experienced educator, and no
doubt she has the strategic vision and thoughtful leadership that is needed to move
our State’s education system forward at this critical juncture. Governor Lamont has
chosen wisely in selecting Charlene Russell Tucker to continue the essential work
championed by Dr. Cardona.”
Prior to her most current roles, Russell-Tucker served as Chief Operating Officer
and Division Chief for the department’s Office of Student Supports and Organizational
Effectiveness. She also served as Associate Commissioner of Education and Bureau
Chief within the department, overseeing a portfolio of programs and services that
included student health, nutrition and safety, family engagement, afterschool efforts,
adult education, special education, as well as Magnet and charter schools. She passionately
supports family and community engagement in education and leads school attendance
and discipline initiatives with an intensive focus on equity and diversity. After
receiving her Master of Science in Management in 1999, Russell-Tucker served more
than 17 years as an adjunct faculty member at Albertus’ Division of Professional and
Graduate Studies. She gives generously of her time on local boards including the
Child Health and Development Institute, The Children’s Fund of Connecticut, United
Way of Connecticut, and the University of Saint Joseph Women Leadership Center Steering
Committee. In 2015, Russell-Tucker was named to the Inaugural Class of 100 Women
of Color in Connecticut.
About Albertus Magnus College
Founded in 1925, Albertus is a coeducational Catholic College in the Dominican tradition. Albertus' values- and liberal arts-based education is recognized by external rankings such as US News & World Report, Money, and The New York Times, and has been named a Top 10 Military Friendly School. For ten consecutive years, at least 95% of Albertus graduates have attained employment or gone on to graduate studies within six months of completing their degrees. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students across its traditional undergraduate, accelerated adult undergraduate, and graduate program levels. Proud to enroll a student body where nearly half of its undergraduate students receive Federal Pell Grants and are first-generation college goers, Albertus is known for its innovative curricular offerings, recently launching new Bachelor's degree programs in Nursing, including BSN and Connecticut's first LPN-to-BSN; General Health Sciences; Interdisciplinary Studies; and Public Health.
Among its graduate offerings is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program, and it is just one of three schools to offer a Master of Science in Human Services. In 2025-26, Albertus is celebrating its historic 100th Anniversary and completing implementation of the Albertus 2025: Lighting the Way to a Second Century strategic plan, with a bold vision to "be a destination liberal arts-based college, distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach to education, rooted in Dominican values, that prepares students for lifelong civic engagement and success." To learn more, please visit albertus.edu.