Marguerite W. Penick, Ph.D.

Professor
Leadership, Literacy and Social Foundations

Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Supervision, Minority Education, and Education Foundations | University of Iowa (1993)

Master of Arts in Educational Policy | University of Wisconsin-Madison (1989)

Bachelor of Arts in Speech/Drama Education | Iowa State University (1981)

Vitae

Areas of Expertise:

  • Multicultural Education

  • Social Justice

  • Curriculum

  • Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

  • Multicultural Literature

  • Pk-12 African American Literature

 

Dr. Marguerite W. Penick's teaching is rooted in years of scholarship in multicultural literature, white privilege and social justice—issues she is passionate about. Penick creates change that stretches beyond the classroom and into the realm of service-learning and community engagement. She asks her students to demand of themselves what they would demand of their future students and to strive for lessons grounded in issues of equity and social change. Creating safe classrooms for courageous conversations remains a goal of all her classes and is integrated into her teaching, scholarship and service. Penick always seeks new opportunities to enrich her teaching and at the same time sets a vision and model for other faculty and students. An example is when she worked collaboratively—investing significant personal time—planning the literacy block with College of Education and Human Services faculty. The cohesive block closely resembles what students will face when teaching literacy in the schools, and is now a model of co-teaching at the higher education level. Penick is a founding editor of the online journal Understanding and Dismantling Privilege. She also co-edited the books Everyday White People Confront Racial and Social Injustice and the forthcoming A Guide for White Women Teaching Black Boys. She’s been involved with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) as a participant and mentor and currently sits on the Coretta Scott King Award Committee for the American Library Association, the Social Justice Book Award Committee for the International Literacy Association and is a National Board member of The Privilege Institute.

Penick is also a 2016 recipient of the OshKosh B’gosh Endowed Professorship at UW Oshkosh.

Penick earned a bachelor’s degree in speech/drama education from Iowa State University, a master’s degree in educational policy from the UW–Madison, and a doctorate in curriculum and supervision from the University of Iowa.

Date of First Employment at UW Oshkosh: Ad Hoc in 1996; Full time in the fall of 2001.

Years of P-12 Experience: 6 years

Classes Typically Taught:

  • Multicultural Education
  • Education and the Making of an American Society