Dr. Brooke Blevins Named Strickland Endowed Chair in School of Education

May 19, 2020
Dr. Brooke Blevins

Brooke E. Blevins, Ph.D., has been named The Conwell G. Strickland Endowed Chair in Education in the Baylor University School of Education. (Robert Rogers/Baylor University)

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SOE Contact: Meg Cullar, Baylor School of Education, 254-710-6435
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WACO, Texas (May 19, 2020) – Brooke E. Blevins, Ph.D., associate professor of social studies education and chair of the Department of Curriculum & Instruction in the Baylor University School of Education, has been named The Conwell G. Strickland Endowed Chair in Education.

Blevins is only the third faculty member to hold The Strickland Chair, following recently retired professor Larry Browning, Ed.D. (appointed in 2012), and the inaugural holder, the late Fred. K. Curtis, Ed.D. (1985).

Highly respected as an exemplary teacher/scholar and a recognized leader in the field of civics education, Blevins’ appointment to the endowed chair places her in the company of Baylor’s most revered faculty. Colleagues describe Blevins as a fully engaged teaching scholar who empowers her students to become transformative and as a leader who serves through a philosophy grounded in care and demonstrated in collaboration.

“Dr. Blevins is an excellent choice for this appointment, because the Strickland gift was meant to endow a scholar and leader who is a strong advocate for public education and the education of preservice teachers,” said School of Education Interim Dean Terrill Saxon, Ph.D. “Dr. Blevins personifies this sentiment in her work in our teacher-education program and in her research on civics education and social justice through education.”

Professor Conwell Strickland taught in the Baylor School of Education for 30 years. His widow, Roma Lee Strickland, established The Conwell G. Strickland Professorship (later named Endowed Chair) in honor of his outstanding service to Baylor University.

“I am deeply honored to be named The Conwell G. Strickland Endowed Chair in Education,” Blevins said. “I am proud to be part of the work that the Baylor University School of Education is doing to prepare outstanding teachers and leaders in their communities. As the Strickland Chair, I plan to continue working alongside our outstanding faculty, students and staff to affirm the important role that education plays in the development of informed and engaged citizens who will transform the world. In addition to my own area of scholarship, I will use this position to promote and empower the outstanding work my colleagues are doing to create more humanizing educational experiences for all students.”

Blevins joined the Baylor faculty in 2011 after earning a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and speech communications and master’s degree in secondary education from Trinity University.

Blevins’ research has been widely published in top-tier journals including Theory and Research in Social Education, Teachers College Record, Journal of Social Studies Research, Teacher Education Quarterly, The Teacher Educator and Democracy and Education. Blevins is a co-founder of the iEngage Summer Civics Institute, a weeklong summer day camp that prepares middle school students to be active and engaged citizens in their communities.

Throughout her time at Baylor, Blevins has worked collaboratively with others to help Baylor become a leading voice in the field of civics education. She was a Baylor Faculty Fellow for 2017-18 and a Senior Fellow for 2018-19. Nationally, she has been chair of the College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA) for the National Council for the Social Studies (2019), board member and treasurer for CUFA for 2016-19 and CUFA program chair for 2016, along with leadership roles for the American Educational Research Association Social Studies Research group. Blevins also is the book and media review editor for Theory and Research in Social Education.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 18,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT BAYLOR SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

For more than 100 years, Baylor educators have carried the mission and practices of the School of Education to classrooms and beyond as teachers, leaders in K12 and higher education, psychologists, academics/scholars and more. With more than 50 full-time faculty members, the school’s growing research portfolio complements its long-standing commitment to excellence in teaching and student mentoring. Baylor’s undergraduate program in teacher education has earned national distinction for innovative partnerships with local schools that provide future teachers deep clinical preparation, while graduate programs culminating in both the Ed.D. and Ph.D. prepare outstanding leaders, teachers and clinicians through an intentional blend of theory and practice. Visit baylor.edu/SOE to learn more.