Sarah A. Robert (she/her)

Professor Sarah A. Robert is an interdisciplinary expert in global education policies, global gender policies, and school food politics. Of particular interest in her ethnographic studies is how policy and politics shape and are shaped by the intersectional qualities of gender and other context-specific dynamics. Prof. Robert is the author of the award-winning books Neoliberal Education Reform: Gendered Notions in Global and Local Contexts (Routledge, 2017) and School Food Politics (P. Lang, 2011). She is a trained Latin Americanist, who has pivoted to global comparative research, as demonstrated by her recent co-edited volume with Dr. Jennifer E. Gaddis, Transforming School Food Politics Around the World (MIT Press, 2024). Additional edited special issues for global audiences include Intersectionality and education work during COVID-19 transitions (Gender, Work, and Organizations, 2023) and Neoliberalism, Gender, and Education Reform (Gender & Education, 2016; Routledge, 2018). She also has written extensively for transdisciplinary academic and popular audiences in multiple languages and forms. As a fellow at the University at Buffalo’s Community of Global Health Equity, she collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to address challenges in developing sustainable and equitable food systems that prioritize small-holder farmers in the Global South, responding to climate change and global trade agreements. Currently, she leads a multinational research team comparing government and teacher responses to COVID-19 in Argentina, Chile, the UK, and the USA. And, she co-leads a multinational research team with Gaddis for the Rockefeller Foundation's Big Bet program, developing comparative case studies of the relationship of regenerative/agroecological farming practices and school food programs.

• PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Educational Policy Studies
• MA, University of California, San Diego, Latin American Studies
• BA, University of Rochester, History and Political Science

• Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award; UB Graduate School of Education; 2019-05-03;
• 2016 Critics’ Choice Book Award; American Educational Studies Association; 2016-11-11;
• 2012 Critics’ Choice Book Award; American Educational Studies Association; 2012-11-09;

• Robert, S.A., Yu, M., & Sauerbraunn, F., & Özkazanç-Pan, B., Eds. (2023). Special Issue: Intersectionality and education work during COVID-19 transitions. Gender, Work, and Organizations 30(2). Video short: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t1R8gQiphEy3Bkbe6CpXvoiCrKz1Q_Ir/view?usp=sharing

• Gaddis, J., & Robert, S. A. (Eds.). (2024). Transforming School Food Politics Around the World. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Open access https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-edited-volume/5789/Transforming-School-Food-Politics-around-the-World

• Moreau, M.P., & Robert, S.A. (2023). Re/definitions of teachers and teaching work in UK and US policy discourses under Covid-19 and their implications for social justice. International Studies in the Sociology of Education (ISSE).
• Robert, S.A., Yu, M., & Sauerbraunn, F., & Özkazanç-Pan, B. (2023). Starting a dialogue in difficult times about intersectionality and education work. Gender, Work, and Organizations. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12896

• Gaddis, J. & Robert, S. A. (2024, June 4). Organic cheese and free lunch for all: what the US can learn from other nations about better school meals. The Guardian, School Food Fights. https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/article/2024/may/31/free-healthy-school-lunches?CMP=share_btn_url

• Robert, S. A. (2024, September 27). “Policy protagonism for transforming politics and their analysis.” Alumni Speaker Series. University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Education, Educational Policy Studies Department.;
• Robert, S.A. (2023, March 29). ‘¡Vení a ver cómo trabajo!’ Género, políticas educativas y trabajo docente. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina.;

• Robert, S. A. (2024, April 11). An Integrated Perspective on Apple’s Contributions to the Sociology of Education and Education Policy Analysis. A paper presented as part of the symposium, Celebrating Five Decades of Curriculum Theorizing and Praxis: The Enduring Impact of Michael Apple’s Contributions. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.;
• Robert, S. A., & Gaddis, J. (2024, June 5-8.) The global right to food in schools: Policy protagonism in support of universal school meals that support children, communities, and the environment. [Paper presentation.] Joint annual meeting of Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society and Association for the Study of Food and Society, Syracuse, NY.;
• Robert, S.A., & Gaddis, J.E. (2024, April 11-14). School Food Politics for Social Justice, Human Rights, and Sustainability [Working roundtable]. American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA.;

• Investigating pathways for scaling regenerative/agroecological school meals: Case studies of Brazil and South Korea; Foundation and Research Organization; The Rockefeller Foundation; Awarded; (04/01/2025-11/03/2025)
• STEMcyclists: Black and Brown Youth Transforming STEM via Bikes; Federal Government; National Science Foundation ($1,990,555); Awarded; (01/08/2024-12/18/2026)
• Gender, Teachers, and (Covid) Policies; Foundation and Research Organization; Gender Institute, Faculty Research Grant ($5,000); Awarded; (05/29/2023-05/19/2025)
• Teaching, Gender, & (COVID-19) Policies Project.; Foundation and Research Organization; Associate Professor Fund for Global and International Research. Office of International Education. ($20,000); Awarded; (08/22/2022-05/23/2025)

• Robert, S. A., Chair. (2025). 2025 George and Louise Spindler Award Committee. American Anthropological Association, Council on Anthropology and Education.
  04/07/2025-11/21/2025

• International Editorial Board Member; Pensamiento Educativo Latinoamericano (PEL).
  09/12/2022-08/26/2024
• Associate Editor; Gender, Work, and Organizations
  08/22/2022-03/18/2024
• Associate Editor - Special Issue; Gender, Work, and Organizations
  07/06/2020-05/27/2022
• Editorial Board Member; Policy Futures in Education
  09/03/2018-05/24/2024