Melinda Lemke

Melinda Lemke is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy. An interdisciplinary, qualitative educational policy researcher, her body of work focuses on the politics of education and how educational organizations address equity issues and the specific needs of underserved youth. The first area is concerned with how power affects educational policy, programming, and pedagogy. The second examines how neoliberal sociopolitical and normative culture shapes educational actor decision-making and youth schooling experience. Rooted in critical and feminist theoretical traditions, Melinda has researched gender violence and prevention; curriculum policy reform and implementation; trafficking and immigration policy; refugee student trauma and resettlement; and practitioner self-care. Melinda is a UB Community of Excellence in Global Health Equity fellow, Gender Institute affiliate, and editorial board member of Leadership and Policy in Schools. Among other outlets, her work is published in the American Journal of Sexuality Education, Educational Policy, Leadership and Policy in Schools, and Policy Futures in Education. Prior to her position at UB, Melinda was a postdoctoral research associate for the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law, Observatory on Human Rights of Children and Young People at Swansea University, Wales, United Kingdom. Her research and university teaching is shaped by a previous career in U.S. urban public education.

Melinda has taught core and original courses within the Educational Administration and Economics and Educational Policy Analysis program areas. She also teaches in and is the program advisor for the Education Leadership and Policy for Equity (ELPE) minor. Courses taught include:

ELP 200: Foundations of Education Policy & Leadership for Social Justice
ELP 405: Sociology of Education
ELP 652: Leadership and Policy for Inclusion
ELP 687: Introduction to Qualitative Methodology & Design in Educational Administration
ELP 689: Critical Policy Analysis
ELP 695: Education Policy and Economic Justice

• PhD, The University of Texas at Austin, Educational Policy and Planning; Women's and Gender Studies Concentration
• MEd, The University of Texas at Austin, Curriculum and Instruction; Government Concentration
• BSED; BA, Bucknell University, Secondary Education; History

• University at Buffalo Individual Development Award, 2017; UUP;
• Community for Global Health Equity Fellow (Refugee Health and Well-being in Buffalo), 2017-present; University at Buffalo;
• Division B (Curriculum Studies) Outstanding Dissertation Recognition Award, 2016; American Educational Research Association;
• Politics of Education Association Outstanding Dissertation Award, 2016; American Educational Research Association;
• Swansea University Research Grant Enabler (SURGE) Recipient, 2016; Swansea University;
• Graduate School Named Continuing Dissertation Fellowship, 2014; The University of Texas at Austin;
• Faculty in Residence, 2018; University at Buffalo, Graduate School of Education;
• Study Abroad Costa Rica Incubator, “Designing and Implementing Transformative Global Learning Experiences,” Travel Award, 2018; University at Buffalo, International Education;
• Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Fellow, 2014; The University of Texas at Austin;
• David L. Clark National Fellow in Educational Administration and Policy, 2013; University Council for Educational Administration;
• Institute of American History Fellow, 2009; Gilder Lehrman;
• Landmarks of American History and Culture Fellow, 2008; National Endowment for the Humanities;
• James Madison Memorial Master's Fellowship, 2003; James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation;
• J. William Fulbright Foreign Fellowship, 2001; U.S. Department of State;

• Locating the Global within the Local: Understanding School Responses to Refugee Youth Mental Health; Foundation and Research Organization; Community of Excellence in Global Health Equity; Awarded; (01/01/2018-01/23/2019)

• Lemke, M. (2019). The politics of ‘giving student victims a voice’: A feminist analysis of state trafficking policy implementation. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 1-36. Advanced online publication. doi: 10.1080/15546128.2018.1524805
• Lemke, M. (2018). Introduction to the Special Issue - The politics of educational (un)deservedness and (in)visibility: Examining economic justice issues in education. Texas Education Review, iv-x. doi: 10.15781/T2GH9BV67
• Jabbar, H., Sun, W., Lemke, M., & Germain, E. (2018). Gender, markets, and inequality: A framework for examining how market-based reforms impact female leaders. Educational Policy, 32(6) 755-796. doi: 10.1177/0895904816673740.
• Lemke, M. (2018). Educators as the “front line” of human trafficking prevention: An analysis of state-level educational policy. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 18(3), 284-304. doi: 10.1080/15700763.2017.1398337
• Lemke, M., & Zhu, L. (2018). Successful futures? New economy business logics, child rights, and Welsh educational reform. Policy Futures in Education, 16(3) 251-276. doi: 10.1177/1478210317751269
• Lemke, M. (2017). Trafficking and immigration policy: Intersections, inconsistencies, and implications for public education. Educational Policy, 31(6), 743-763. doi: 10.1177/0895904817719528

• Lemke, M. (2017). Addressing violence in schools: Feminist praxis and a pedagogy of risk. In J. L. Martin, A. E. Nickels, & M. L. Sharp-Grier (Eds.), Feminist pedagogy, practice, and activism: Improving the lives of girls and women (pp. 140-157). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Lemke, M. (2016). Building anti-bullying and socially just school spaces: Educational context, dynamics, and research considerations. In A. Osanloo & J. Schwartz (Eds.), Creating and negotiating collaborative spaces for socially-just anti-bullying interventions for K-12 schools (pp. ix-xxi). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
• Lemke, M. (2016). Feminist organizations. In N. Naples, R. C. Hoogland, M. Wickramasinghe, & A. Wong (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia of gender and sexuality studies (pp. 1-3). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
• Lemke, M. (2015). (Un)making the neoliberal agenda in public education: A critical discourse analysis of Texas high school social studies policy processes and standards. In K. M. Sturges (Ed.), Neoliberalizing educational reform: America’s quest for profitable market colonies and the undoing of public good (pp. 53-77). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

• Lemke, M. (2017). Critical educational “alternatives” to foregone neoliberal conclusions: A book review of Imagining education: Beyond the logic of global neoliberal capitalism. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 15(3), 402-409.

• Lemke, M., Nickerson, A., & Saboda, J. (2019). Report. Buffalo, NY: The University at Buffalo.
• Lemke, M. (Ed.). (2018). The politics of educational (un)deservedness and (in)visibility: Examining economic justice issues in education. Texas Education Review, Fall 2018 Special Issue.
• Lemke, M. (2016). Responding to a paucity of educational policy and leadership research on human trafficking. Politics of Education Association Bulletin, 43(1), 1, 4-10. Retrieved from http://www.politicsofeducation.org/uploads/7/6/6/9/76690641/pea_bulletin_fall_2016.pdf

• Lemke, M (2019, April). Networking and mentorship supports for women. Roundtable Chair, Research on Women in Education SIG, American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.;
• Lemke, M (2019, April). Self-care, coping, and teacher retention. Roundtable Chair, Stress, Coping, and Resilience SIG, American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.;
• Lemke, M. (2018, October). Global Health Dialogue: Refugee Health and Wellbeing Panel. Community of Excellence in Global Health Equity, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.;
• Lemke, M. (2018, September). ELP 624 Problems and Paradigms in Educational Research. Course presentation, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.;
• Lemke, M. (2019, April). Social justice leadership, leaders, and disrupting power. Roundtable Chair, Critical Educators for Social Justice SIG, American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.;
• Lemke, M. (2019, April). The politics of ‘giving student victims a voice’: Using feminist analysis to understand trafficking curriculum policy implementation. Presentation, National Sex Ed Annual Conference, Newark, NJ.;
• Lemke, M. & T. Ramming (2017, October). Fostering kindness: Using technology to combat online bullying. Panelist/Facilitator, Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention Annual Conference, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.;
• Lemke, M., Murshid, S., & Pavani, R. (2017, October). Girls education and health equity. Panelist, Community of Excellence in Global Health Equity, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.;
• Lemke, M. (2016, November). Keynote – Addressing child and youth (dis)placement: Some reflections on research, policy, and practice. Lecturer, Children Displaced across Borders: Bridging Policy Practice and Disciplinary Approaches to Further Human Rights Joint Conference (co-hosted by Swansea University and University of Houston), Swansea University, Swansea, Wales.;
• Lemke, M. (2017, April). Crossing borders and bridging communities: Interdisciplinary connections across theory, method, and practice. Chair, Graduate Student Research Symposium, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.;
• Lemke, M. (2017, April). The U.S.-Mexico borderlands: Intersections, inconsistencies, and consequences of trafficking and immigration policies. Lecturer, Global to Local Lecture Series, School of Social Work, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.;
• Lemke, M. (2017, May). Global Innovation Challenge on Improving Refugee Health and Wellbeing, Facilitator, Community of Excellence in Global Health Equity, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.;

• Lemke, M. & Saboda, J. (2019, April). Paper presentation, Stress, Coping, and Resilience SIG, American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.;
• Lemke, M., Nickerson, A., & Saboda, J. (2019, April). Paper presentation, Critical Educators for Social Justice SIG, American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.;
• Lemke, M. & Zhu, L. (2017, November). Global educational accountability reform: A critical policy analysis of Wales’ Donaldson Report. Paper presentation, University Council for Educational Administration, Denver, CO.;
• Lemke, M. (2017, November). Policy actor interpretations of youth marginality: A feminist critical policy analysis of state trafficking legislation. Paper presentation, University Council for Educational Administration, Denver, CO.;
• Lemke, M. (2016, November). Human trafficking dynamics, policy development, and programs: Thinking through implications for U.S. educators. Paper presentation, Research on Women in Education SIG, American Educational Research Association, Burlington, VT.;

• Annual Conference Reviewer, American Educational Research Association, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
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• Annual Conference Reviewer, University Council for Educational Administration, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019
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• Editorial Board, Leadership and Policy in Schools, 2016-present
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• Editorial Board, Global Partner Studio, University at Buffalo, 2018-present
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• Willystine Goodsell Award Committee Member, SIG: Research on Women in Education, American Educational Research Association 2017, 2018
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• Women Educators Member Elect (At-Large), SIG: Research on Women in Education, American Educational Research Association 2015-2018
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• Outstanding Dissertation Committee Member, SIG: Politics of Education Association, American Educational Research Association, 2017
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• Plenary Representative, University Council for Educational Administration, 2017-present
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