Faculty Directory
Education Policy and Leadership
These members of our faculty primarily teach courses and advise students within our programs in Education Policy and Leadership, which includes the K-12 Administrative Licensure program.
Nicola Alexander Nicola Alexander
- Professor; Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, Diversity, and International Initiatives
- 612-626-3256
- nalexand@umn.edu
Policy does not always work in the way we expect or want. My research examines the implications of policy for society as a whole, entire student populations, and specified student groups.
Peter Demerath Peter Demerath
- Professor
- 612-626-0768
- pwd@umn.edu
Demerath completes UMN GPS Alliance-Sponsored outreach trip to Papua New Guinea - Extended write up with pictures [PDF] My research and teaching are guided by a commitment to broaden equitable educational opportunity for all students.
Katie Pekel Katie Pekel
- Executive Director of Educational Leadership; Co-Coordinator, Graduate Programs in Education Policy and Leadership
- 612-625-7002
- kpekel@umn.edu
As the Executive Director of Educational Leadership, Dr. Pekel serves as the department’s direct connection between the fields of research and practice in PK-12 education.
Debra Prenkert Debra Prenkert
- Senior Leader of Scholarly Practice
- dprenker@umn.edu
Dr. Prenkert has been in K-12 education for 28 years. She was a classroom teacher for 12 years at the elementary level.
Gary Prest Gary Prest
- Director, Administrative Licensure; Co-Coordinator, Graduate Programs in Education Policy and Leadership; Co-Director, Urban Leadership Academy
- 612-626-8647
- pres0004@umn.edu
As a University of Minnesota alumni, I am grateful to serve this great institution and its students as the Director of Administrative Licensure and lead in leadership development for educational administrators.
David Quinn David Quinn
- Rodney S. Wallace Associate Professor for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
- dquinn@umn.edu
David M. Quinn is Rodney S. Wallace Associate Professor for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development at the University of Minnesota.
Aditi Rajendran Aditi Rajendran
- Assistant Professor
- araj@umn.edu
My research explores how leadership shifts policies and practices towards more racially just schools and systems.
Christine Sonenblum Christine Sonenblum
- Lecturer; Administrative Licensure Coordinator
- 612-625-8300
- sone0001@umn.edu
Early research projects concerned inclusive education services for students with disabilities, team-decision making in development of Individualized Education Programs, and post-school outcomes for students who had received special education and…
Darrius Stanley Darrius Stanley
- Assistant Professor; Carmen Starkson Campbell Endowed Fellow for Innovation in Teacher Development
- he, him, his
- dstanley@umn.edu
My work centers the political, educational, and philosophical perspectives of Black people to unearth Black genius and possibility in education.
Nathaniel Stewart Nathaniel Stewart
- Assistant Professor; Carmen Starkson Campbell Endowed Fellow for Innovation in Teacher Development
- 612-625-3517
- stewart1@umn.edu
I am a former middle school science teacher and Black liberatory pedagogist, turned educational policy scholar.
Kyla Wahlstrom Kyla Wahlstrom
- Lecturer; Senior Research Fellow
- 612-624-1890
- wahls001@umn.edu
Kyla L. Wahlstrom, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow in the College of Education and Human Development, and also a Lecturer in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development (OLPD). Most recently, Dr.
