An educator for more than 20 years, Dr. Marc Brasof, associate professor of Education and director of Secondary Social Studies and English Education, received the 2020-23 Rosemary and Walter Blankley Endowed Chair in Education.

The award will support Arcadia’s Social Action and Justice Education (SAJE) Fellowship, a new program that will prepare aspiring educators of color to teach in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms. The fellowship will provide significant academic and financial support, including full and partial scholarships, preparatory programs, and leadership training. 

As Blankley Chair, Dr. Brasof will address the nationwide shortage of educators of color by recruiting and retaining fellows who lead schools, programs, and educational opportunities geared toward diversity, equity, and social justice. Recognizing financial barriers as the primary concern for students of color who want to become teachers, Dr. Brasof will use a portion of the funding to grant University-subsidized scholarships to 10 SAJE fellows. Three scholarships will cover tuition and housing completely, while seven will provide a 70 percent discount on the cost of attendance.

In addition to receiving scholarships, SAJE fellows will work closely with academic advisers, take courses on cultural competency and social justice, engage in educational leadership opportunities and field work, benefit from subsidized Preview costs, and be guaranteed job interviews and career placement advantages in the School District of Philadelphia.

Through this fellowship, Dr. Brasof hopes to encourage diversity across all departments on campus, including Arcadia’s Secondary Education program. The Blankley Chair gives Dr. Brasof the “space, time, and support to rethink what secondary education could look like.” 

Dr. Brasof believes that the project will culminate in a research paper, completed alongside SAJE co-director Dr. Priscella Jeter Illes, director of Field Experiences and Outreach in the School of Education. The paper will focus on how universities can overcome institutional racism, using Arcadia as a case study.

The Rosemary and Walter Blankley Endowed Chair in Education is designed to support the research and projects of selected faculty members and enhance the experience of students within the School of Education. Previous recipients of the chair were Dr. Kira J. Baker-Doyle (2017-2020) and Dr. Ellen Skilton (2014-2017).