Gwendolyn Willis-Darpoh

Dr. Willis-Darpoh is a senior research analyst at the American Institutes for Research. She has more than 30 years of experience in the field of education across various settings. Early in her career, she worked with at-risk youth in Washington, D.C. before moving to the US Virgin Islands to work with learning disabled students. Dr. Willis-Darpoh also worked as a Developmental Specialist for the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Before joining AIR, Gwendolyn was employed by the Maryland State Teachers Association as an Organizational Specialist in Education Reform where she provided technical assistance and training to NEA local affiliates. She received gubernatorial appointments to the statewide Maryland Advisory Council on Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, as well as to the Maryland Advisory Council on Mental Hygiene. Dr. Willis-Darpoh has also been recognized for her work in educating Maryland’s teachers about effective strategies to close the minority achievement gap, as well as the impact of ESEA and IDEA on the teaching profession. Prior to moving to back to Maryland, Gwendolyn was a tenured Associate Professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she taught eleven different courses to both graduate and undergraduate students. While there she traveled to Nigeria and Germany as a Fulbright Scholar in Educational Communications and Technology. Gwendolyn earned a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh, a M.Ed. from the American University, and a B.S. from Virginia State University.>