Tyler Hook

Tyler Hook is a Lecturer in the International Educational Development Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE). He holds a joint Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.S.Ed. in International Educational Development from UPenn, and an M.Sc. in Africa and International Development from the University of Edinburgh.

Education:

• Ph.D. (Joint): Educational Policy Studies and Cultural Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (with African Studies certificate)
• M.S.Ed.: International Educational Development, University of Pennsylvania
• M.Sc.: Africa and International Development, University of Edinburgh

Research Interests: His research focuses on the political economy of international educational development and global governance in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly examining the corporatization of education systems. Key projects include analyzing Liberia’s education reforms outsourcing public schools to for-profit firms, Sierra Leone’s results-based funding programs, and the racialized dynamics of venture capitalist investments in K-12 education and edtech during the pandemic. He also studies corporate social responsibility in West African agricultural/mineral concessions and alternatives to privatized schooling.

Awards:

• Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship
• Spencer Foundation Collaborative Research Grant
• Wenner-Gren Dissertation Fieldwork Grant
• National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship

Advising & Grants: As a Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative (WEC) Fellow, he researched racial bias in STEM education, teacher training, and community school programs. Current projects include preparing a book manuscript on Liberian education reforms and collaborating with Cambridge University on edtech venture capital analyses.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with Penn GSE and collaborates with WEC and Cambridge University scholars on interdisciplinary projects.