Wanda J. Blanchett, Ph.D.

On June 17, 2025, the Rutgers Board of Governors appointed Wanda J. Blanchett, who has served as a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Learning and Teaching at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, since 2014 and in numerous leadership roles at Rutgers over the past decade, as University Professor. University Professorships are awarded to senior faculty members by the Board of Governors upon recommendation by the president. The title is awarded to a faculty member who has made exceptional contributions in academic or administrative service or who has earned academic distinction across disciplinary lines.

Wanda J. Blanchett served as Dean of the Rutgers Graduate School of Education for a decade concluding her service on June 30, 2024, and Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Equity. Previously, Blanchett served as the Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Rutgers University—New Brunswick. An accomplished and leading authority on the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, the disproportionate representation of Black and other students of color in special education, urban education, teacher preparation, and higher education leadership. She has made over 150 national/international presentations, published numerous articles and book chapters as well as co-edited three books and monographs. Several organizations and entities have recognized Blanchett for her significant contributions to education, teacher education, research, higher education, leadership, and community service. Blanchett is a 2015 Inductee as a Pennsylvania State University Alumni Fellow (the highest honor bestowed upon alumni) and a Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE) among other elected and appointed professional and community service roles.

• Expertise & Research Interest

  Dr. Blanchett’s expertise centers on the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, the disproportionate representation of Black and other students of color in special education, urban education, teacher preparation, and higher education leadership.

• Research Work With Students

  Dr. Blanchett is the lead co-editor of Multiple Voices for Ethnically Diverse Exceptional Learners (the premier journal of the Division of Ethnically Diverse Learners DDEL of the Council for Exceptional Children-CEC). Dr. Blanchett is the co-author of two edited textbooks including Research in Urban Educational Settings: Lessons Learned and Implications for Future Practice (Information Age Publishing) and Universities and Global Diversity: Preparing Educators for Tomorrow (RoutledgePublishing, Research in Education Series) and has published a number of scholarly articles in some of the leading education journals and presented extensively at major education conferences.

• Recent & Selected Publications

  Selected Recent Referred Articles and Book Chapters

  Blanchett, W. J. & Zion, S. D. (Eds.) (in press, 2026). Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education: Resistance, Accomplishments, and the Work that Remains in Urban Education. Special Issue, Urban Education.

  Blanchett, W. J. & Zion, S. D. (Eds.) (in press, 2026). Special Issue Introduction. Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education: Resistance, Accomplishments, and the Work that Remains in Urban Education. Special Issue, Urban Education.

  Blanchett, W. J. (in press, 2026). Brown at 70: The Experiences of Black and Other Marginalized Students. Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education: Resistance, Accomplishments, and the Work that Remains in Urban Education. Special Issue, Urban Education.

  Hyland, N., McLean, C., Lobman, C., Blanchett, W. (in press, 2026). Structuring Urban School/University/Community Partnerships as a Tool for Advancing the Legacy of Brown. Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education: Resistance, Accomplishments, and the Work that Remains in Urban Education. Special Issue, Urban Education.

  Blanchett, W. J. (in press). The Reason Universities Don’t Have More Black Women in Higher Education Academic Leadership is Because, They Don’t Want Them. In (Eds). O. M. Welch & C.R. Hodges), Navigating Careers in Higher Education Book Series tentatively titled: From Navigating the Glass Cliff to Reimagining Higher Education Leadership: Black Female Voices Pushing Back to Move Forward, Purdue University Press.

  Blanchett, W. J. & Zion, S.D. (2023). Black Youth Activism Was Pivotal to the Civil Rights Movement: How Black Lives Matter Is Inspiring Education Activists of Today. In Rivers, I. & Lovin, C. L. (Eds.). Young People Shaping Democratic Politics, Springer Nature, Switzerland: AG.

  Blanchett, W. J. & Shealey, M. W. (2018). Digging Deeper: Examining Conceptualizations of “Culture” and “Culturally Responsive,” Bilingual Teachers and Children Use of Technology, and Culturally Responsive Self-Regulated Strategy Development. Editor’s Introduction. Multiple Voices for Ethnically Diverse Exceptional Learners: Spring 2018, 18, (1), 1-2.

  Blanchett, W. J. (2018). Race and Ethnicity and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Historical Perspective. In E. Braaten, (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of intellectual and developmental disorders. SAGE Publishing, CA: Thousand Oaks.

  Zion, S. & Blanchett, W. (2017) On the Purpose of Schooling: Inviting in, or Locking out? Hughes, M.T. & Talbot, E. (Eds.). Handbook of Diversity in Special Education. Wiley Publishers, New Jersey: Hoboken.

  Selected Publications

  Blanchett, W. J., & Shealey, M. W. (2014). Responding to the Needs of Ethnically and Culturally Diverse Learners with Exceptionalities and Their Families: It’s a High Calling but One We Must Accept! Editor’s Introduction. Multiple Voices.

  Blanchett, W. J. (2013). African American and Other Students of Color in Special Education. Lomotey, K. & Milner, R. (Eds.). Handbook on Urban Education, Routledge Publishers, England: London.

  Zion, S. & Blanchett, W.J. (2011). [Re] Conceptualizing Inclusion: Can Critical Race Theory and Interest Convergence be utilized to achieve Inclusion and Equity for African American Students?Teachers College Record, 113(10), p. 2186-2205.

  Blanchett, W. J. & Zion, S. (2011). Asking the Right Questions in Urban Education Research: The Role of Privilege. In Scott, K. & Blanchett, W. J. (Eds.). Research in Urban Educational Settings: Lessons Learned and Implications for Future Practice. Information Age Publishing, NC: Charlotte.

  Lindsay, B. & Blanchett, W. J. (2011). Preface to the New Decade. In Lindsay, B. & Blanchett, W. J. (Eds.). Universities and Global Diversity: Preparing Educators for Tomorrow. Routledge Research in Education Series. Routledge Publishers, England: London.

  Lindsay, B. & Blanchett, W. J. (2011). Universities and Global Diversity: Preparing Educators for Tomorrow Introduction. In Lindsay, B. & Blanchett, W. J. (Eds.). Universities and Global Diversity: Preparing Educators for Tomorrow. Routledge Research in Education Series. Routledge Publishers, England: London.

  Scott, K. A. & Blanchett, W. J. (Eds.). (2011). Research in Urban Educational Settings: Lessons Learned and Implications for Future Practice. Information Age Publishing, NC: Charlotte.

  Lindsay, B. & Blanchett, W. J. (Eds.). (2011). Universities and Global Diversity: Preparing Educators for Tomorrow. RoutledgeResearch in Education Series. Routledge Publishers, England: London.

  Blanchett, W. J. & Lindsay, B. (2011). Universities and Global Diversity: Movement toward Tomorrow. In Lindsay, B. & Blanchett, W. J. (Eds.). Universities and Global Diversity: Preparing Educators for Tomorrow. Routledge Research in Education Series. Routledge Publishers, England: London.

  Sobel, D.M., Gutierrez, C., Zion, S., & Blanchett, W. (2011). Deepening culturally responsive understandings within a teacher preparation program: It’s a process. Teacher Development, 15(4), 437- 454.

  Blanchett, W. J. (2010). Telling It Like It Is: The Role of Race, Class, & Culture in the Perpetuation of Learning Disability as a Privileged Category for the White Middle Class. Disability Studies Quarterly, 30 (2).

  Shealey, M. W. & Blanchett, W. J. (2009). Guest Editors of Special Issue, Students with Disabilities: A Missing Component in the Urban Education Agenda, Urban Education, 44, (4).

  Blanchett, W. J. (2009). Retrospective Examination of Urban Special Education: From Brown to Re-segregation in Special Education—It is Time to “Go for Broke,” Urban Education, 44, (4), 370-388.

  Blanchett, W. J., Klingner, J., & Harry, B. (2009). The Intersection of Race, Culture, Language and Disability: Implications for Urban Education, Urban Education, 44, (4), 389-409.

  Blanchett, W. J. (2006). Disproportionate Representation of African Americans in Special Education: Acknowledging the Role of White Privilege and Racism. Educational Researcher, 35(6), 24-28.

  Blanchett, W. J., Brantlinger, E. A., & Shealey, M. S. (2005). RASE Special Issue: Brown 50 Years Later: Exclusion, Segregation, and Inclusion. Guest Editors’ Introduction. Remedial and Special Education, 26(2), 66-69.

• Honors & Awards

  2025 American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education’s (AACTE) Edward C. Pomeroy Award Recipient for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education.

  2015 Pennsylvania State University Alumni Fellow Inductee, The Pennsylvania State University, Alumni Association.

  2014 Columbia University, Teachers College, Julius and Rosa Sachs Distinguished Lecturer.