Wendy Cavendish

Wendy Cavendish, associate professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the School of Education and Human Development, has been selected as Visiting Research Scholar at the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute for the 2015-16 academic year.

Affiliated with the City University of New York, the Roosevelt House honors the distinguished legacy of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt by focusing on a three-fold mission: to educate students in public policy and human rights, to support faculty research, and to foster creative dialogue. The institute provides opportunities for students to analyze public policy and experience meaningful civic engagement; for faculty to research, teach, and write about important issues of the day; and for scholarly and public audiences to participate in high-profile lectures, seminars, and conferences.

Cavendish will collaborate with Roosevelt House Faculty Associate Jennifer Samson on a project analyzing the legislative impacts of improving inequality. Their project, Intersections of Inequality: Legislative Legacies of Poverty, Race, Language, and Disability in Educational Policy, examines the enduring effects of legislation intended to address structural inequalities. Samson and Cavendish will analyze data on implementation outcomes, as well as the intended and unintended consequences of these educational policies. Their work will culminate in a policy report and a symposium that brings together researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.