Jesslyn Hollar

Jesslyn Hollar is the Department Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK). She joined UNK in 2024 and focuses on teacher education, education policy, and social/cultural foundations of education. Her work emphasizes research-practice partnerships and knowledge mobilization in educator preparation.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction (2018), University of Washington (Focus: Educational Policy, Teacher Education, Social/Cultural Foundations of Education)
• M.A. in Education (2011), Edgewood College
• B.A. in English and International Affairs (2006), Lafayette College

Research Interests: Dr. Hollar investigates pathways for educator preparation, policy impacts on teaching practices, and historical contexts of education. She prioritizes bridging academic research with practical applications in K-12 settings.

Professional Contributions: As Department Chair, she oversees teacher education programs and collaborates on initiatives to strengthen educator training. Her work integrates cross-disciplinary approaches to address systemic challenges in education systems.