Geri Mulligan, Director

Geri Mulligan became the Director of the Center for Literacy Studies in July of 2008.   She came to the University of Tennessee from Newark, New Jersey where she was Director of New Community’s Hispanic Development Corporation for the last 10 years.  Previously she worked among different cultures and age groups by spending time in El Salvador, Mexico, New York and Cleveland as teacher, artist-in-residence, dean of students, and missionary.  

Geri’s first degree was in Education from St. John College in Cleveland, Ohio.  After 4 summers at the Cleveland Institute of Art she went on to receive a Masters Degree from Wesleyan University specializing in Ceramics.   While functioning as Dean of Students at Maryknoll School of Theology she obtained a Masters in Theological Studies.

She learned that life is a journey with many destinations and challenges.  While “walking on” Geri enjoys the special companionship of her husband, Charlie, in gardening, traveling and creating art, in particular stained glass.  They both have broad experience working with Latino immigrants, those detained by the current unjust system of immigration law as well as inmates of jails and prisons.