The Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College featured UW–Madison School of Education Dean Marcelle Haddix in an article spotlighting Lynch alumni who are “making an impact” as deans.
Haddix was highlighted along with Afra Hersi, who has served as dean of the school of education at Loyola University of Maryland since 2021.
In the article, Haddix shared her unexpected path to becoming a dean. Haddix, who earned her PhD in curriculum and instruction from the Lynch School in 2008, admitted she hadn’t initially anticipated taking on such a leadership role.
“I did not have the goal of becoming a dean of education. That was not something, if you had asked me a year ago, that was necessarily on my radar,” Haddix said.
Reflecting on her time at the Lynch School, Haddix pointed to foundational experiences, such as a doctoral seminar where she cultivated a network with like-minded scholars. Among those scholars was Gloria Ladson-Billings, a professor emerita at UW–Madison and the former Kellner Family Distinguished Chair in Urban Education.
The article notes that Haddix’s education at the Lynch School helped foster in her a “deep value for formative education,” which continues to influence her leadership approach at UW–Madison.
“I think about the whole person within education, teaching, and learning,” Haddix said. “Being at a school of education that continues to embrace that — and to lead it — comes naturally for me.”
Haddix added: “What excites me about this opportunity is the breadth and range beyond education. It’s a school of education that focuses on the arts, health, and education, and that made me feel that I was uniquely situated to lead here.”
To learn more, check out the full article on the Lynch School’s website.