Nancy Kendall

Nancy Kendall is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also directs the African Studies Program and the Development Studies Program, and is affiliated with the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies. Her research examines the impact of international policies and funding on marginalized communities, focusing on education governance, HIV/AIDS, gender equity, and structural adjustment policies in Malawi, Mozambique, and the U.S.

Her academic credentials include a PhD in International and Comparative Education from Stanford University (2004) and a BA in Cultural and Social Anthropology from Brown University (1996). She has held prestigious fellowships such as the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation postdoctoral fellowship and received the Lyle Spencer Foundation Award (2019).

Kendall’s work spans

• Education for All initiatives
• Political democratization’s role in educational governance
• Gender dynamics in schooling
• Sexuality and HIV/AIDS education

Her research combines ethnographic methods with policy analysis, emphasizing marginalized populations’ lived experiences.

Key contributions include the book *The Sex Education Debates* (2012) and influential articles in journals like *Comparative Education Review* and *International Journal of Educational Development*. She has advised numerous grants from institutions like the Fulbright Foundation, Wenner-Gren Foundation, and Lumina Foundation.

Her leadership roles include membership in the 4W Leadership Circle and the Global Health Initiative Advisory Council, reflecting her commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and equity-centered research.