Dr. Dana Mitra

Dana L. Mitra has researched voice and leadership as a Professor of Education Policy Studies at the Pennsylvania State University for the past 15 years. In her work as a professor, she was named as a Student at the Center “Distinguished Fellow” with Jobs For the Future/the Nellie Mae Foundation in 2016. She is the founding editor of the International Journal of Student Voice and Co-Editor of The American Journal of Education.

Dana has published over 30 papers and two books on the topics of student voice and civic engagement. Her books include Civic Education in the Elementary Grades: Promoting Engagement in an Era of Accountability, Student Voice in School Reform: Building Youth-Adult Partnerships that Empower Youth, and a textbook entitled Educational Change and the Political Process. She also has published a memoir entitled French Fries and Banyan Trees: American Kids Explore Bangalore and Beyond.

Dana holds a Ph. D. from Stanford University in Educational Administration and Policy Analysis. She has served as a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar in 2012 to study child participation and educational reform in Bangalore, India. Her prior work experience includes teaching elementary school in the Washington, DC, area and being the coordinator for two White House Conferences on Character Education.