Gene Fellner

Gene Fellner is an Associate Professor at New Jersey City University specializing in urban education and arts-based research methodologies. He has dedicated his career to improving educational outcomes in underperforming schools, particularly in Newark, while exploring the intersection of art and research to develop innovative approaches for teacher development and educational equity.

Education:

• PhD in Urban Education, Graduate Center, CUNY
• MA in ESL, New Jersey City University
• BA in Political Science, Boston University

Fellner's research focuses on challenging conventional educational paradigms, particularly in urban settings. His work examines the complex intersections of race, disability, and teaching methodologies, often using arts-based approaches to explore these dynamics. A recurring theme is the examination of researcher positionality and complicity in educational systems, with a particular emphasis on how white researchers navigate issues of race and disability. His scholarship consistently advocates for strengths-based approaches that recognize the complexities of teaching in diverse urban environments.

His publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on reconceptualizing educational frameworks, particularly around special education. Rather than viewing 'special education' as a separate category, Fellner argues for understanding education as a unified field that must address diverse learner needs within inclusive frameworks. His work frequently employs innovative methodological approaches, including multilectics and bricolage, to capture the complexity of educational experiences across 15 years of scholarly output.

Awards:

• Distinguished Artist of New Jersey (1986)

Fellner mentors language arts middle school teachers in some of the most underperforming schools in Newark, helping them develop approaches that illuminate and scaffold student strengths. In 2004, he founded Seven Stories Institute (SSI), an organization dedicated to introducing disenfranchised communities to literature that reflects their experiences and facilitating conversations between community members and authors. His activist background, including work with the Attica Brothers Legal Defense and as a brigadista supporting the Nicaraguan Revolution in the 1980s, deeply informs his commitment to social justice in education.