Generett Appointed Interim Dean of Education at Duquesne
The University has named Dr. Gretchen Givens Generett, a seasoned educator, scholar and administrator, as interim dean of the School of Education.
Generett, professor and chair of the Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership, first joined the School of Education faculty in 2008. In addition, she is director of the University Council Educational Administration’s Center for Educational Leadership and Social Justice at Duquesne and is the University’s Noble J. Dick Endowed Chair in Community Outreach.
“I’m thrilled that someone of Gretchen Givens-Generett’s talent and academic stature is leading our School of Education as interim dean,” said University President Ken Gormley. “Her wealth of experience, dedication to the University over the years and commitment to preparing the very best teachers of tomorrow will serve us well.”
The University will conduct a national search for the next dean of education.
“I am honored to serve as interim dean and to continue working alongside my committed and hard-working colleagues in the School of Education and at Duquesne University,” Generett said.
From 2012-2015, Generett served as associate dean for graduate studies and research, during which she worked to increase the community impact and effectiveness of equity initiatives within the School of Education. As director of the UCEA Center for Educational Leadership and Social Justice, she facilitated ongoing partnerships and networks for academic and community-based educational stakeholders that incorporated equity focused curricular experiences through community learning exchanges.
A qualitative researcher, Generett’s scholarship intersects traditional sociology of education, African-American studies and feminist studies with progressive concepts of justice that examine agency, empowerment and action.
Generett’s research has appeared in Urban Education, Urban Review, the Western Journal of Black Studies and the Journal of Transformative Education, among other publications. She has presented her work nationally and internationally, and has written and co-written numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. She is co-author of the books Five Practices for Equity-Focused School Leadership and The American Dream for Students of Color: Barriers to Educational Success, which are expected to publish in 2021.
“We are delighted to welcome Gretchen Givens Generett as an interim dean at the School of Education,” said Executive Vice President and Provost David Dausey. “In speaking with members of the School of Education faculty, she overwhelmingly emerged as the consensus choice who has the trust and confidence of her colleagues. She is a natural leader, gifted scholar and trusted community partner. She will be a tremendous interim dean and the entire academic team is excited to work with her.”
Prior to her work at Duquesne, Generett taught at Virginia Tech, George Mason University and Robert Morris University. She was also a high school teacher in the Japanese Education and Teaching Program in Shimabara, Nagasaki, Japan. She is a past Barbara A. Sizemore Fellow at Duquesne University; a Community Partnership Fellow-in-Residence at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Urban Education; and, most recently, was a Pennsylvania Fellow for the Education Policy Fellowship Program.
Among her various honors and awards, Generett received the Alan Lesgold Award for Excellence in Urban Education from the University of Pittsburgh; a Faculty Award for Excellence in Service as well as a Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching from Duquesne; and she was selected as an Inspire Speaker by the Green Building Alliance. In 2019, Generett was elected vice president for the American Educational Studies Association. She also is associate editor for Professing Education: The Oxford Encyclopedia of Race and Professing Education. Generett is a member of numerous boards including Catalyst Charter School and 1HoodMedia.
Generett earned a B.A. in English from Spelman College and a Ph.D. in social foundations of education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.