Asif Wilson

Asif Wilson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Education. He leads research initiatives focused on justice-centered pedagogies in P-20 educational contexts, particularly examining historical and contemporary forces shaping educational equity for Black students.

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago

His research explores:

• Rupturing anti-Blackness in preservice teacher education
• Fugitive pedagogies during global crises (e.g., pandemic)
• Intersection of social movements and curriculum design
• Critical Race Theory praxis in education policy
• Black teacher identity in racially hostile environments
• Student experiences in justice-centered educational spaces

Publications highlight trends in:

• Activist curriculum development
• Urban education equity frameworks
• Anti-racist teacher training
• Structural violence in schooling systems
• Healing-centered collective care
• Historical memory in educational reform

Wilson co-leads initiatives with educator Irene Robinson, focusing on symbiotic teacher-Black mother collaboration for educational justice, and teaches courses like CI 402 and EDUC 202 that prioritize diversity and inclusion in middle-grade and social justice education.