Mike Klein

Mike Klein is an Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Justice and Peace Studies at the University of St. Thomas. He also serves as Program Director and holds roles in American Culture and Difference and Diversity Leadership. His expertise spans leadership for social justice, critical pedagogy, art and social justice, and peacebuilding. Klein has authored/co-authored over 15 books and numerous peer-reviewed articles, focusing on democratizing leadership, counter-hegemonic democracy, and peace education. He received the 2007 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellowship and the 2017 Aquinas Scholars Professor of the Year award.

Education: Ed.D., with undergraduate degrees in studio arts and theology, and a master’s in education emphasizing service-learning. His research integrates community-based projects, including murals with diverse groups like youth farms and HIV/AIDS support networks. Klein teaches courses on qualitative methods, leadership for social justice, and pedagogy rooted in Paulo Freire’s critical theory.

Research emphasizes intersectionality, institutional ethnography, and collaborative work with Indigenous communities. Recent publications explore unsettling whiteness in academia, folk schools for peacebuilding, and preventive peacebuilding strategies. He consults with the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation’s Neighborhood Leadership Program and has led international immersion programs through Campus Ministry.

• Key Awards: Bush Foundation Leadership Fellowship (2007), Aquinas Professor of the Year (2017)
• Grants: Lilly Foundation grant for Social Justice Vocation work (2002-2007)
• Labs/Initiatives: Sustainable Communities Partnership Projects (e.g., PLACE, Metro Transit collaborations)