Joy Esboldt
Assistant Professor
Joy Esboldt is an assistant professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. Her interdisciplinary research leverages critical theories of race and learning to examine how teachers, leaders and organizations learn about race, power and equity within local and sociopolitical contexts. She is particularly interested in interactional and organizational processes of teacher learning that lead to social transformation and/or social reproduction. Esboldt employs a range of qualitative methods, predominantly grounded in partnerships with educators and educational leaders with shared commitments to cultivating more democratic and liberatory learning environments.
Dr. Esboldt’s research has received grants and fellowships from graduate division of the University of California Berkeley, The Hass Center for Equity, Gender and Leadership and the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation.
Prior to completing her Ph.D. in Critical Studies of Race, Class, and Gender in Education at the University of California, Berkeley, Esboldt worked as a public school teacher and teacher coach. She holds a B.A. from Carleton College and an M.Ed. in Education Policy from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Educational Background
- Ph.D., Critical Studies of Race, Class, and Gender in Education, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 2024
- M.Ed., Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership, University of Illinois
- B.A., Spanish Literature and Language, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Professional Experience
- Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Delaware, 2024-present
- Executive Assistant, Staff Writer, The Equity Collaborative, 2017-2019, 2023-2024
- DEI Consultancy Qualitative Researcher, 2022-2023
- Racial Equity K-12 Instructional Coach, St. Louis Park Public Schools, 2013-2017
- Teacher, St. Louis Park Public Schools, 2009-2013
Recent Grants
- Esboldt, J. Center for Equity, Gender, & Leadership Research Conference Grant, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, 2023. ($2,000)
- Esboldt, J. Center for Race and Gender Graduate Student Research Grant, University of California, Berkeley, 2021. ($1,000)
- Esboldt, J. Social Science Research Pathways Graduate Student Mentor Grant, Institute for Research on Labor and Development, University of California, Berkeley, 2020-2023. ($3,000)
Recent Professional Awards
- Judith Warren Little Fellowship, 2024
- National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship, 2023
- P.E.O. Scholar Award, 2022
- Teaching Effectiveness Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Instructors, 2022
- Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, 2021
- California Teacher Education and Research Doctoral Fellowship, 2021-2023
- Graduate Remote Instruction Fellowship, 2020
- Marcus Foster Doctoral Fellowship, 2022
- University of California Regents Fellowship for Graduate Study, 2017-2021