Associate Professor of Education
Dr. Wangsness Willemsen’s teaching, research and practice are aimed at ensuring schooling better supports equity and wellbeing for students and educators alike. She serves as Associate Professor of Education and Dissertation Coordinator in the Department of Doctoral Studies in Education. Recently named a Fulbright Global Scholar, Dr. Wangsness Willemsen is on sabbatical for the 2023-2024 academic year, conducting research on climate change and education in Tanzania.
Dr. Wangsness Willemsen is an anthropologist of education whose research is focused on comparative education, international development, education in emergencies, gender, and research methods. Her current Fulbright project, a partnership with Dr. Elly Ligate and ecologist colleagues from Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania, examines the responses of teachers, students, families, and communities to extreme climate variability in northern Tanzania. This collaborative research is intended to reveal the needs of communities affected by climate change as well as educational innovations that may be adapted for other contexts. Dr. Wangsness Willemsen has been conducting research on schooling in Tanzania for over a dozen years. Her doctoral dissertation, an ethnography of a secondary school for girls aimed at empowerment conducted with Judith Merinyo, received the Gail Kelly Award for Outstanding Dissertation from Comparative and International Education Society.
Dr. Wangsness Willemsen recently conducted two US-based, longitudinal studies focused on public teachers’ experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic. The first, together with Dr. Elisheva Cohen of Indiana University, was an examination of elementary teachers’ experiences during distance, hybrid, and in-person phases of the pandemic. This research was awarded an Educational Research Service Project Grant from the American Educational Research Association. She also conducted a mixed-methods study of a school district’s implementation of trauma-informed practices together with Dr. John Braun and CSP doctoral students Kris Scallon and Justin Tiarks. Emphasizing public-facing scholarship during the pandemic, Dr. Wangness Willemsen was published and/or interviewed by diverse media outlets including The Conversation, USA Today, MinnPost, Chicago Sun Times, The 19th, and the New York Times.
Within the Department of Doctoral Studies in Education, Dr. Wangsness Willemsen focuses on supporting Ed.D. students’ dissertation research and teaching courses on research methods and epistemologies, equity and diversity, ethics and educational leadership. She created the department’s Dissertation Dashboard, an interactive website aimed at demystifying the dissertation process and product. She is proud to have advised dozens of Concordia’s Ed.D. students.
As an international education expert, Dr. Wangsness Willemsen has consulted with institutions such as United Nations Girls’ Educational Initiative, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Vision, CARE International, Miske Witt and Associates (MWAI), and Project Zawadi Tanzania. She is currently a gender specialist consultant for Jifunze Uelewe, a USAID activity in Tanzania. She serves on the board of directors of Mwangaza Education for Partnership and, until recently, was on the board of directors of Project Zawadi, organizations which partner with Tanzanian educators to support strengthened educational quality and equity in Tanzanian communities.
Previously Dr. Wangsness Willemsen was at the University of Minnesota, where she taught courses in comparative education and narrative inquiry, worked on issues of educational equity and teacher training, co-led a study of adolescence and gender relations in Tanzania, and led qualitative research for a longitudinal, mixed-methods evaluation of educational initiatives in East Africa. Prior to joining higher education, she worked as an English language teacher and ELL coordinator in diverse high school settings ranging from urban, suburban and rural Minnesota to urban and rural Tanzania.
Academic Credentials
- PhD, Educational Policy and Administration (Comparative and International Development Education concentration), University of Minnesota
- MEd, Second Languages and Cultures (ELL teaching), University of Minnesota
- BA, Anthropology and Philosophy, Luther College
Areas of Focus
Comparative and international education; gender and international development; anthropology of education; qualitative methodologies; narrative inquiry; equity and education; teaching and learning; educational leadership; research ethics.
Professional Affiliations
- Comparative and International Education Society
- American Educational Research Association
- American Anthropological Association
- Gender and Education Association
- Mwangaza Education for Partnership Board of Directors