Education Policy Seminar Fall 2026 Series
WHEELOCK EDUCATIONAL POLICY CENTER FALL SEMINAR 2026
Boston University’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and The Wheelock Educational Policy Center are excited to host three leading scholars this fall for an Ed Policy Seminar Series. Education policy shapes every community, so we are happy to open this series to those outside of BU who would like to attend.
All are welcome. The seminar series is geared towards an academic audience and will include detailed and technical discussion about methods used in the research, in addition to the policy context and implications.
Register for one or all. Events are in-person. Reception to follow. Space is limited, please RSVP.
If you require parking or other logistics support, please email the Wheelock Policy team.
Dominique J. Baker (University of Delaware): Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026 @ 3pm - 4:30pm
Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Location: Rajen Kilachand Center Colloquium Room 101
Bio: Dominique J. Baker is an Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy with a joint appointment in the College of Education & Human Development and the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware. Her research focuses on the way that education policy affects and shapes the access and success of minoritized students in higher education. She primarily investigates student financial aid/finance, admissions policies, and policies that influence the ability to create an inclusive & equitable campus climate.
Seth Gershenson (American University): Tuesday, October 6th, 2026 @ 3pm - 4:30pm
Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Location: Location: BU Computing & Data Sciences (CDS) Building, Room 1101
Bio: Seth Gershenson holds a PhD from Michigan State University in Economics with a primary focus on education policy. While at Michigan State, he taught several courses and received an Outstanding Teaching award. Professor Gershenson has also been honored with the New Scholar Award by the American Education Finance Association. His approach to teaching and scholarship is to apply economic approaches to practical, policy-driven questions in public education, specifically teacher behavior. Professor Gershenson teaches Quantitative Methods, Managerial Economics, and Economics for Policy Analysis to MPA and MPP students.
Christina Weiland (University of Michigan): Tuesday, October 20th, 2026 @ 3pm - 4:30pm
Time: 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Location: Location: BU Computing & Data Sciences (CDS) Building, Room 1646
Bio: Christina Weiland is a professor at the Marsal Family School of Education at the University of Michigan and (by courtesy) the Ford School of Public Policy, where she is affiliated with the Educational Studies department and the Combined Program in Psychology and Education program. She serves as co-Director of the Education Policy Initiative at the Ford School of Public Policy and as Director of the University of Michigan’s Predoctoral Training Program in Causal Inference in Education Policy Research. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Learning Policy Institute and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Urban Institute. Dr. Weiland’s research focuses on the effects of early childhood interventions and public policies on children’s development, especially on children from families with low-incomes. She is particularly interested in the active ingredients that drive children’s gains in successful, at-scale public preschool programs. She is also interested in quantitative research methods, educational measurement, and developmental processes research. Her work is characterized by strong, long-standing research collaborations with practitioners, particularly the Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood.