Marcelle Haddix is the dean of the UW–Madison School of Education, a position she started on Aug. 11, 2024.
Over the previous 16 years, she held numerous leadership positions at Syracuse University, including most recently as associate provost for strategic initiatives. In that role, Haddix partnered with top university officials to connect academic affairs with the campus and surrounding community. She also served for two terms as chair of the Department of Reading and Language Arts in Syracuse University’s School of Education.
Haddix, who also holds the Karen A. Falk Distinguished Chair in Education, is a leading scholar in literacy and teacher education, with a particular focus on the experiences of students and teachers of color. Her academic home at UW–Madison is with the highly regarded Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Her book, “Cultivating Racial and Linguistic Diversity in Literacy Teacher Education: Teachers Like Me,” received the 2018 Outstanding Book Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
Haddix’s work is highly interdisciplinary and a great fit for the School of Education and its 10 departments, which house a range of programs across the arts, health, and education.
Art, theater, and dance are personal passions for Haddix, and at Syracuse University she oversaw campuswide arts and humanities affiliates and programs. While at Syracuse, Haddix also facilitated literacy programs for adolescent and adult communities, including the award-winning Writing Our Lives project. In addition, Haddix is a 500-hour-trained yoga instructor, a reproductive health doula, and the co-founder of a wellness cooperative in the city of Syracuse, New York.
Serving as dean in the School of Education is a homecoming of sorts for Haddix. She was born in Madison — her parents met as students at UW–Madison — and she grew up in Milwaukee.
Haddix earned her doctorate in education from Boston College, a master’s degree in adult education from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
Haddix is the 10th dean of the highly-ranked School of Education since its founding in 1930.