College of Education and Human Development

Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

Education Policy K-12

research expertise in OLPD

Policy and governance affecting public, private, and charter schools that serve students from kindergarten to 12th grade. We work to enhance the educational equity and effectiveness of our youth. Many of our faculty possess significant expertise in these areas. See below for profiles of faculty and their research related to education policy K-12. 

Faculty with expertise in this area

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.

Nicola Alexander
Please specify content to reference

Gresham Donald Collom Gresham Donald Collom

Dr. Gresham D. Collom is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities' Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development.

Please specify content to reference

Joan DeJaeghere Joan DeJaeghere

As the oldest daughter of parents who had to leave secondary school due to financial needs, I am committed to concerns related to educational equity and wellbeing.

Joan DeJaeghere
Please specify content to reference

Heather Dorsey Heather Dorsey

I have been a faculty member of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota for 17 years. I teach in the First Year Inquiry program which involves multidisciplinary team teaching and learning communities.

Heather Dorsey
Please specify content to reference

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.

Katie Pekel
Please specify content to reference

Elizabeth Sumida Huaman Elizabeth Sumida Huaman

OLPD 5122 Indigenous Education: Research, Policy, and Practice OLPD 5080 (Special Topics) Qualitative research design: Applied Indigenous methods DSSC 8111 Ways of Knowing OLPD 8101 International development and education OLPD 5132 Intercultural…

Elizabeth Sumida Huaman
Please specify content to reference

Andrew Furco Andrew Furco

My primary research and teaching interests focus on the measurement and assessment of experiential education, community-engaged learning, and community-engaged scholarship in fulfillment of the public purposes of education.

Andrew Furco
Please specify content to reference

Walter Novillo Walter Novillo

My education background is in human resource development, business, public administration, and law.

Walter Novillo
Please specify content to reference

Debra Prenkert Debra Prenkert

Dr. Prenkert has been in K-12 education for 28 years. She was a classroom teacher for 12 years at the elementary level.

Debra Prenkert
Please specify content to reference

Aditi Rajendran Aditi Rajendran

My research explores how leadership shifts policies and practices towards more racially just schools and systems.

Aditi Rajendran
Please specify content to reference

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.

Nathaniel Stewart
Please specify content to reference