Originally desiring to serve as a child psychologist, Dr. Dana Reisboard sought to enhance her expertise by attaining a higher education following her high school graduation. In 1993, she received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The George Washington University. Following this period, she endeavored to pursue credentials in academia and attended New York University. Receiving a master’s degree in applied psychology, reading teacher education and special education in 1995, Dr. Reisboard maintained her determination to remain in the academic sphere and pursued additional coursework to facilitate a professional career in education. In 2008, she obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in education from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Notably, after receiving her doctorate degree, Dr. Reisboard was appointed as an assistant professor at Widener University in 2009. In 2015, she was promoted to the rank of associate professor, where she remains today. While serving at Widener University, Dr. Reisboard has focused her professional efforts on critical literacy and teacher education, preparing prospective teachers to understand American education through themselves and their upbringing, biases and understanding of other populations. Addressing bias on a large scale, Dr. Reisboard also prepares emerging academic professionals for growth and development in the classroom. Although she has achieved many significant milestones, she is particularly proud of revitalizing the undergraduate teacher education curriculum program at Widener University. Earlier in her career, Dr. Reisboard served as a reading specialist, fourth-grade teacher and high school teacher, where she employed cognitive strategy instruction to educate students.
Adjacent to her primary endeavors, Dr. Reisboard is a board member of the Association of Teacher Educators and spends her spare time supporting the Boys and Girls Club of America. She is also a noted member of the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium, the International Literacy Association, the American Education Research Association and the National Association of Multicultural Education. As a testament to her resounding success in the field, Dr. Reisboard was nominated for the Faculty Civic Engagement Award in 2023.
In accounting for her success, Dr. Reisboard credits her passion for her work, her understanding of her students, and her desire to prepare students for the future to enact positive change. Looking toward the future, she aims to continue her advocacy work to ensure that education professionals can teach true, accurate history and literature that represents all populations. Dr. Reisboard looks forward to sharing her messages of unity and equity.
