Keisha McIntosh Allen

Keisha McIntosh Allen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research focuses on frameworks and policies fostering humanizing approaches to teacher learning, emphasizing Black teachers' and students' full humanity. She holds an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University, and degrees from Hampton University. Prior to academia, she taught high school English in Fairfax County.

Her research interests include teacher education, professional learning, teacher diversity, and humanizing pedagogies. She has published in top journals like Language Arts and Teachers College Record, addressing topics such as pandemic-era professional development and racial literacy practices. Allen serves on the Maryland Professional Standards Board and leads grants totaling over $200k focused on culturally responsive pedagogy and teacher preparation.

• Grants:
  • Hrabowski Innovation Fund Research Award (Co-PI, $24,900) – Interdisciplinary gamification course (2021-2023)
  • US Department of Education (PI, $155,406) – Culturally responsive distance learning (2020-2021)
• Awards:
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, UMBC (2015-2017)
  • NCTE Cultivating New Voices Fellow (2014-2016)

Her work intersects Black feminist theory with pedagogical innovation, advocating systemic changes in teacher preparation to center marginalized voices. Current projects explore anti-racist professional development and leveraging technology to disrupt educational inequities.