Biography

Dana L. Mitra is a professor of education in Penn State’s Department of Education Policy. She holds a doctoral degree from Stanford University in educational administration and policy analysis. She served as a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar in 2012 to student child participation and educational reform in Bangalore, India. Her prior work experience includes teaching elementary school in the Washington, DC area and serving as the coordinator for two White House conferences on character education.

Mitra’s work with the Rock Ethics Institute deals with issues related to leadership and moral literacy. She currently is a Students-at-the-Center “Distinguished Fellow” with Jobs for the Future/the Nellie Mae Foundation. She is the founding editor of the International Journal of Student Voice and the co-editor of the American Journal of Education.

Mitra’s research interests include student voice/participation, youth-adult partnerships, and civic engagement. Among her publications, she recently has published an articles in the American Educational Research Journal entitled “Student voice in elementary-school reform: Examining youth development in fifth graders.” She also has published a book with SUNY Press entitled Student voice in school reform: Building youth-adult partnerships that strengthen schools and empower youth.