Amanda Thein

Amanda Haertling Thein is dean of the School of Education at CU Boulder. Most recently, she was associate provost for graduate and professional education and dean of the Graduate College at the University of Iowa. Before that, she  served as associate dean for faculty and academic affairs in the College of Education at the University of Iowa and is professor of Literacy, Culture, and Language Education. Before coming to the University of Iowa, she was a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh and a high school English teacher in Littleton, Colorado. She earned her PhD in English education from the University of Minnesota and holds additional degrees from the University of Denver (MA, Curriculum & Instruction), and the University of Colorado Boulder (BA, English; BS, Journalism).

As associate dean in the University of Iowa’s College of Education, Thein oversaw faculty, graduate programs, academic affairs, and international programs. Prior to her role as associate dean, she held leadership positions as program coordinator for English education at the University of Pittsburgh, and as program coordinator for Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of Iowa. She has directed 16 dissertations and served on more than 30 additional dissertation committees.

Thein’s research focuses on social justice and equity in high school English language arts instruction and teacher education. She studies social and emotional aspects of high school students’ literary responses; critical approaches to multicultural literature instruction; and the intersection of critical youth studies and young adult literature. She has published nearly 40 journal articles, book chapters, and books. Her scholarship has been supported by grants from the National Council of Teachers of English, the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, and the Iowa Women’s Foundation. Thein has also served as co-editor of an international journal, English Teaching: Practice & Critique and as president of the Iowa Academy of Education.