Amanda Wilkerson

Amanda Wilkerson is a scholar and social reformer who examines academia and analyzes K-20 student achievement in order to better understand enhancing the human condition. She is a tireless advocate for equity and excellence in higher education who seeks to build a better world for individuals and institutions through cooperation, collaboration, and community engagement. Currently, Amanda serves as an Assistant Professor in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida. She is also an affiliated faculty member and visiting scholar with the Center for Minority Serving Institutions at Rutgers University.

A proud graduate of Florida A&M University, Amanda has always expressed a sincere commitment to promoting the common good by teaching and mentoring young people who face socioeconomic challenges. She has written educational materials and coordinated forums on significant civic and scholastic matters. Amanda served as the guest editor for the Urban Education Research and Policy Annuals Journal-Hillard Sizemore Special Edition, and she has written several articles. As a part of her passion for higher education and her mission to create inclusive learning environments, She regularly works with instructional leaders to build their capacity for studying and practicing equity-based pedagogical approaches. Her research focuses on explicating affirmative teaching practices, educational policies, and community organizing methods that improve community partnerships and bolster student success. 

Amanda has been recognized with the Outstanding Service in Education award by the Holmes Scholars Association of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and the Diversity Scholarship with the Adult Higher Education Association (AHEA). She serves as the national chair for the Urban Education Topical Action Group for AACTE. In that capacity, she creates and manages collaborative partnerships that provide critical services for those who serve underserved urban student populations. Amanda is an innovator and an intellectual who continues to work on research initiatives. To date, she is the first faculty member in her department to secure a prestigious National Science Foundation grant. Further, she is listed as an expert with Florida ExpertNet, a publicly funded portal of research expertise in Florida’s Universities.