Vito's introduction

I am Vito Antonio Ferrante. Please feel free to call me Vito or Tony. I am a first year doc student in the L&I program. I have been a high school instructor for twenty years mostly in the Jesuit secondary system but all in catholic secondary school education.

Professional Life

For the last ten years, I have taught mathematics at Jesuit High School, an all-boys catholic school, in Sacramento. Besides math, I have taught Chemistry, Biology, Ethics, and Theology. Before Jesuit, I was at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento for five years, St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco for four years, Mercy High School in San Francisco for a one year stint, and Brophy College Prep in Phoenix for a semester.

In my other life, I am an artist/painter (acrylics on canvas) mostly specializing in still-lifes and California landscapes. I am fortunate to be an artist-in-residence at the Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento for the last few years. My inspirations are Gregory Kondos and Wayne Thiebaud (two northern CA painters residing in Sacramento), and Manel Anoro (Spanish painter residing in Barcelona).


Why a Doctorate

I am committed to Ignatian education. As a former Jesuit, and now lay person, I recognize the need for ongoing collaboration between the Society of Jesus and committed lay people in order to continue to develop the Ignatian educational mission. Jesuits have made a unique contribution to the world of education. By pursuing a doctorate, I hope to formalize some of that training I received and contribute to an ongoing dialogue between Jesuits and laypeople to shape Ignatian education for the future.


Potential Project Topics

Amongst other things, Jesuits are known for their patronage and encouragement of the arts. To that end, I am intrigued by the concept of creativity in learning. Having been a math instructor for a large portion of my educational life, I see the need to develop curriculums and learning styles (especially although not exclusively in mathematics) that encourage the use of creativity in learning. Possible project topics would center upon the use of creativity in the classroom and its impact on cognitive development.

Another possible topic is the exploration of single-sex education both in the private and public sectors.