Introducing Dean Blanchett

The Graduate School of Education (GSE) is pleased to welcome Dr. Wanda J. Blanchett who began her duties as Dean and Distinguished University Professor on September 1, 2014.

Already busy representing the GSE on a national level, Dean Blanchett attended the Annual Fall Policy Meeting for members of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Organization of Institutional Affiliates (OIA) on which she serves as a member of the executive committee. Dean Blanchett also attended the fall meeting of the Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions (CADREI) the Executive Committee of which she serves as treasurer.

“For over 90 years, Rutgers Graduate School of Education has been a leader in the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge aimed at improving education for all children, and especially, historically underserved children and families. Being engaged in national educational research policy conversations is essential for the GSE as we have much to add to the national conversation and we are also always seeking to improve our own educational practice and research efforts,” said Dean Blanchett.  “It is truly an honor for me to join the amazing and talented faculty and staff in the GSE at this very exciting and momentous time in its history as Rutgers joins the Big Ten and the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), the athletic conference’s academic counterpart.”

Throughout her administrative career, Dean Blanchett has continued to be actively involved in her academic disciplines of teacher education, special education, and urban education. She is a member of several scholarly and professional associations, including the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education, the American Educational Research Association, and the Council for Exceptional Children.

Dean Blanchett received her B.S.E. and M.S.E. degrees from the University of Central Arkansas before earning her Ph.D. in special education from Pennsylvania State University in 1997. She held special education and teacher education faculty appointments at Syracuse University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Colorado-Denver before becoming associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2004, associate dean for academic programs and curriculum at the University of Colorado-Denver in 2006, and dean of the School of Education and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Endowed Chair in Teacher Education at the University of Missouri – Kansas City’s School of Education in 2009.

 

To learn more about Dean Blanchett view the message from the dean on the Graduate School of Education website.