By Laurel White
A School of Education faculty member has been selected to join a year-long national program aimed at helping scholars effectively share health equity research with policymakers.
Mollie McQuillan, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, was selected for the 2023-24 cohort of the Scholars Strategy Network’s Health Equity Scholars Program.
The Scholars Strategy Network is a national organization of academic researchers who work to effectively communicate their relevant research to policymakers, civic leaders, and journalists.
Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the current, 18-member cohort of the Health Equity Scholars Program consists of early-career scholars conducting research on social determinants of health. Over the course of 2023 academic year and summer 2024, cohort members will gather in person and virtually for networking and training sessions aimed at bolstering their ability to share research with peers, senior scholars, policymakers, and practitioners in clear and accessible ways.
McQuillan says they are looking forward to learning more about the best ways to connect decision makers on the local, state, and national levels with high-quality research about health equity.
“The goals of this program very much align with the Wisconsin Idea,” they said. “I am looking forward to continuing to develop my ability to conduct translational research and influence public discourse concerning LGBTQ+ people in schools.”
McQuillan’s research examines the intersection of educational policy, social relationships, and health of LGBTQ+ students and educators.
Earlier this year, McQuillan received the Emerging Scholar Award from the American Educational Research Association’s division focused on administration, organization, and leadership. McQuillan also received the organization’s 2023 Outstanding Policy Report award in the educational policy and politics division for a paper that examined the efficacy of a Wisconsin school district’s programs for supporting LGBTQ+ students.
Other recent publications from McQuillan found training elementary school teachers in inclusive practices for LGBTQ+ students leads to lower disciplinary rates for all students and that moves to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic may have mitigated some mental health challenges for LGBTQ+ students.
Additionally, a law review article published last summer in partnership with fellow School of Education faculty member Suzanne Eckes, the Susan S. Engeleiter Chair in Education Law, Policy, and Practice, shed more light on the legal, social, and political discussions surrounding transgender students’ participation in elementary and high school athletics.