Robin Brandehoff

Robin Brandehoff, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in Educational Foundations at the School of Education & Human Development, University of Colorado Denver. A first-generation graduate from Hawai’i and East LA, she specializes in Urban Ecologies, Hānai Pedagogy, and diversifying the teacher workforce through mentorship and social justice practices.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Education, University of Colorado Denver (2020)
  • M.Ed. in Secondary Education, Whittier College (2007)
  • B.A. in Theatre Performance, Whittier College (2005)
  • B.A. in Dramaturgical Critique, Whittier College (2005)

Her research focuses on the impacts of systemic oppression on non-dominant communities of the Global Majority, utilizing mentorship, performance, and narrative to educate at-promise youth and their leaders. She integrates Hānai Pedagogy (2023), a framework rooted in Hawaiian cultural practices, to foster liberation through education.

Recent publications highlight trends in equity-driven education, mentorship for marginalized youth, and decolonizing pedagogy. Key themes include the carceral education pipeline, culturally responsive Response to Intervention (RTI), and Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher programs.

Scientific Awards:

• SEHD Excellence in Teaching (IRC) Award (2023)
• Mentorship & Mentoring Practices SIG Dissertation of the Year Award, AERA (April 2022)

Robin actively advises Doctoral Students of Color and co-leads the national Grow Your Own Collective, promoting community-grounded recruitment of Teachers of Color. She also contributes to Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed, Inc., emphasizing critical thinking through performance in marginalized communities.