Dr. Katrina Bulkley will join the leadership team at Ball State University as dean of Teachers College, effective July 1, 2024, President Geoffrey S. Mearns announced.
Dr. Bulkley currently serves as a university innovation fellow at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., where she collaborates with university leadership on initiatives to further the institution’s strategic approach to utilizing data and analytics to further student success.
“I am excited to welcome Dr. Bulkley as the new dean of our Teachers College,” said Dr. Anand R. Marri, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Ball State. “Throughout our national search process, Dr. Bulkley impressed us with her passion for education, her extensive experience in leading academic initiatives, and her commitment to data-driven and equity-focused leadership. I look forward to working with her to build on the strengths of our Teachers College and to advance our University’s mission and strategic plan.”
At Montclair, where she also serves as a professor of educational leadership, Dr. Bulkley led initiatives to enhance the role of universities in addressing New Jersey’s educator shortages and partnering with the Newark Board of Education to build a collaborative school principal pipeline program. She also served as interim dean of the university’s College of Education and Human Services from July 2021-July 2023, leading the creation of two new colleges: the College of Education and Engaged Learning and the College for Community Health.
“I am honored to join Ball State as the new dean of its nationally-recognized Teachers College,” Dr. Bulkley said. “I am excited to bring my experience in educational leadership and my dedication to innovative and impactful educational practices and partnerships, and I look forward to collaborating with the talented faculty, staff, and students to further our shared goal of transforming education and supporting student success. I am grateful to the Ball State Board of Trustees, President Geoffrey Mearns, Provost Anand Marri, and the entire Ball State community for this incredible opportunity.”
Throughout her career, Dr. Bulkley’s research has focused on policy and leadership in education, particularly the use of market-linked practices and data-driven accountability. She was the lead author of “Challenging the One Best System: The Portfolio Management Model and Urban School Governance,” funded by the Spencer Foundation, examining governance changes in education systems in Denver, Los Angeles, and New Orleans.
Currently, Dr. Bulkley is a research partner with the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice, studying state policy, school choice, and the role of charter school authorizers. Her work, supported by organizations such as the Spencer Foundation and the National Science Foundation, is published in top education journals.
In her teaching, Dr. Bulkley emphasizes the use of data and rigorous research methods to enact impactful educational change. She is passionate about the transformative power of education, especially for historically marginalized communities.
Dr. Bulkley holds a doctorate from Stanford University, a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University.
Ball State’s Teachers College is committed to excellence in P-12 and adult/higher education through its student-centered and community-engaged preparation of outstanding professional educators and human service providers, supporting their induction and continuing education, promoting research and development, and influencing policy that enables high-quality educational outcomes.
The largest educator preparation provider in Indiana, Teachers College aspires to transform entrepreneurial learners into educational leaders who are sensitive and responsive to diversity and the contextual foundations of teaching, learning and human development.
For more information, visit the
Teachers College website, email
tcdeanst@bsu.edu, or call 765-285-5251.