Travis Wright

Travis Wright is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, where he directs the BASES Project, a school and community intervention supporting homeless preschool students, families, and teachers. His work focuses on resilience, emotionally responsive teaching, and addressing adversity in early childhood.

Dr. Wright holds a BA in College Scholars from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (1998), followed by a M.Ed., EDD, and CAS in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University (2002–2006). His career includes roles as a school-based mental health counselor, public school teacher, and early childhood educator in Washington, D.C., and Boston.

His research interests center on resilience in marginalized children, trauma-informed practices, and equity in early childhood education. Key themes include the impact of homelessness on young learners, teacher perceptions of adversity, and reimagining masculinities in early childhood spaces.

Recent publications emphasize trauma-informed pedagogy, disability employment practices, and qualitative studies on poverty and motherhood. His work bridges theory and practice through initiatives like BASES and community-engaged scholarship.

• Awards: Community Engaged Scholarship Award (2017), Beiber Invited Lecture (2016), Mithoff Family Lecture (2014)
• Grants & Projects: BASES Project (ongoing), Wisconsin Idea Baldwin Award-funded initiatives

Labs/Teams: BASES Project leadership, collaborative work with community organizations addressing early childhood adversity.