Renowned education scholar Gloria Ladson-Billings named Visiting Faculty Fellow at William & Mary
The endowed fellowship will advance national scholarship on the role of education in democratic society
William & Mary’s School of Education has named internationally renowned education scholar Gloria Ladson-Billings as the inaugural Lawrence A. and Margaret C. Hauben Visiting Faculty Fellow within the Center for the Study of Education, Democracy & Justice. The fellowship establishes a new platform for nationally significant research and dialogue on education’s essential role to a healthy democratic society.
Professor Emerita and former Kellner Family Distinguished Professor in Urban Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ladson-Billings is internationally recognized for establishing the concept of culturally relevant pedagogy and for ground-breaking research examining the teaching practices of educators who successfully support African American students. Her scholarship has informed global conversations about educational opportunities, teacher preparation and the relationship between educational institutions and the communities they serve.
As the Visiting Faculty Fellow, Ladson-Billings brings her expertise to William & Mary by engaging with faculty, students, education leaders and the Greater Williamsburg community in examining how research can inform educational practice, strengthen democratic institutions and enhance civic engagement.
“Dr. Ladson-Billings is the ideal inaugural Hauben Fellow because her scholarship has shaped how we understand teaching, fair and just outcomes, and student experiences. Her work exemplifies the rigorous inquiry our center was established to advance,” said Robert C. Knoeppel, dean of William & Mary’s School of Education.
“Her appointment will help bridge the gap between research and practice by bringing faculty, students and practitioners into sustained dialogue about how evidence can inform decisions in schools, districts and policy environments. By pairing high-impact scholarship with intentional dissemination and practical application, we can strengthen democratic institutions, advance justice and reinforce William & Mary’s national preeminence,” said Knoeppel.
Ladson-Billings’ appointment advances that mission by positioning the School of Education to help shape national conversations about public education, democratic participation and justice.
A fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the British Academy, Ladson-Billings has served as president of both the National Academy of Education and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Her honors include the Palmer O. Johnson Outstanding Research Award, the AERA Distinguished Research Award and the 2023 Professor A. Noam Chomsky North Star Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the author of influential books, including “The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children” and “Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms,” as well as more than 100 journal articles and book chapters.
Her appointment builds on an emerging partnership with William & Mary’s School of Education. Last spring, during William & Mary Weekend in Washington, D.C., Ladson-Billings facilitated a discussion with Dean Knoeppel and The Fred Huby Memorial Professor of Education Jamel K. Donnor, Founding Executive Director of EDJ. With the focus on establishing a national agenda for education, their conversation examined pressing challenges in K–12 and higher education and the role of research in developing creative, evidence-informed solutions.
In December, the School of Education will host Ladson-Billings on campus for four events that extend these conversations to audiences across the educational community. Her public keynote, “Why Public Education Remains Essential for a Functioning Democratic Society,” will explore the role of public education in democratic life. Other events will bring her into conversation with preservice teachers about translating culturally relevant pedagogy into practice, graduate students about developing an intellectually serious research agenda, and regional educators and community members about educational excellence.
Together, these engagements illustrate the fellowship’s emphasis on connecting scholarship with practice and public dialogue. By bringing a nationally influential scholar into sustained conversation with emerging researchers, future educators and experienced practitioners, the center will create opportunities to examine consequential questions about education and translate research into insights that inform policy and practice.
The Hauben Visiting Faculty Fellowship will also include a National Convening, as well as white papers, focused research projects, faculty seminars and doctoral colloquia. Over time, the fellowship will build a sustained body of research, publications and public programming that positions EDJ as a national resource for examining the relationships among education, democratic institutions, governance and justice.
The appointment comes as William & Mary celebrates its Year of Civic Leadership in 2026, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of American independence. Through the Visiting Faculty Fellowship, the School of Education is building on the university’s historic civic mission to advance scholarship that addresses pressing educational challenges, informs public discourse and contributes to a more just and democratic society.
The Faculty Fellowship is supported by the Lawrence A. and Margaret C. Hauben Fellowship Endowment. The endowment provides enduring support for an annual visiting scholar whose research aligns with the center’s priorities and whose work contributes to the national conversation on education and democracy.