Ann M. Ishimaru
Associate Professor, the University of Washington College of Education
Dr. Ann M. Ishimaru is an associate professor of educational policy, organizations, and leadership at the University of Washington College of Education. Her scholarship focuses on the intersection of leadership, school–community relations, and educational justice in P–12 education. Her community-based research seeks to leverage the expertise and leadership of nondominant students, families, and communities to realize equity in education. She is a principal investigator of the Family Leadership Design Collaborative (with Dr. Megan Bang), a national transdisciplinary research project aimed at co-designing research and practice with nondominant families and communities, practitioners, and scholars to transform educational systems. Dr. Ishimaru also co-leads a national study of district-level equity leadership and a research-practice partnership examining racial equity teams as a catalyst for equitable instructional and organizational practices. She is the recipient of the 2017 AERA Exemplary Contributions to Practice-Engaged Research Award and the 2016 UCEA Jack A. Culbertson Early Career Award in Educational Administration. Prior to becoming a faculty member, Dr. Ishimaru earned her doctorate at Harvard Graduate School of Education and her master’s at Stanford University School of Education. She has worked as an environmental educator, middle and high school science teacher, and director of a community-based cultural arts organization. She lives with her husband, three children, and two cats in Seattle, Washington.
