School of Education

Education

• Ph.D. in higher education leadership from Capella University
• M.A. in higher education administration from Appalachian State University
• B.S. in sociology from the State University of New York in Buffalo

Research interests

Jenna Lenhardt, Ph.D., integrates more than 15 years of experience in higher education to design student-centered learning environments, lead academic program innovation, and collaborate on research that informs institutional change. Her work spans teaching, curriculum development, and strategic partnerships, with a focus on advancing educational access.

• Leadership development in higher education and PK–12 settings
• Organizational learning and change management
• Curriculum design and instructional innovation
• Access to advanced coursework and college readiness
• Adult learning and professional development
• Cross-cultural and virtual team collaboration
• Strategic enrollment and student engagement practices
• Practitioner-informed research and program evaluation

Career highlights

• Program Coordinator: B.A. in Human and Organizational Development
• Program Coordinator: M.Ed. in Educational Leadership- Leadership Studies and Culturally Responsive Leadership concentrations
• Director, Multilingual Ambassador Program (MAP)
• Member, Multilingual Student Success Advisory Board, Richmond Public Schools
• Coach, Global Gallup Strengths Coach Certified

Recent publications/presentations

• Ellison, M., Naff, D., Moss, P., Lenhardt, J., Meadowes, M., Staylor, J., Wright, L., Parker, L., Bristow, A., Pacer, K., Hope, S., Garofalo, S., Perera, S., Youngquest, G., Hale, R., & Merritte, S. (2024). Career and Technical Education: Historical Insights, Current Impacts, and Policy Implications. Richmond, VA: Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.
• *Ferguson, T., *Naff, D., Lenhardt, J., Jefferson, A., Moore, I., Herndon, A., Ashburn, R., Harris, J., & Conlee, J., & Forstmann, C. (2024). Exploring Perceptions of Advanced Coursework Enrollment Practices: A Multiple Case Study. Richmond, VA: Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium. *denotes co-first authorship
• Naff, D., Parry, M., Ferguson, T., Palencia, V., Lenhardt, J., Tedona, E., Stroter, A., Stripling, T., Lu, Z., & Baber, E. (2021). Analyzing Advanced Placement (AP): Making the nation’s most prominent college preparatory program more equitable. Richmond, VA: Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.
• Palanski, M., Vidović, M., Hammond, M., Olabisi, J., Lenhardt, J., Scrivens, M. (2020). Reflections on using cross-cultural virtual teams in the classroom, RIThink, 9: 1-18, available at: http://www.rithink.hr/index.php?act=archives
• Vidovic, M., Hammond, M., Lenhardt, J., Palanski, M., & Olabisi, J. (2020, November). Teaching virtual and cross-cultural collaboration: Exploring team task effectiveness of Croatia- and U.S.-based undergraduate students. Journal of Management Education.
• Lenhardt, J. (2017). A comparative trend analysis of institutional variables and retention rates in publicly funded institutions (Doctoral dissertation). ERIC database (ED755573)

Bio

With more than 15 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Jenna Lenhardt blends administrative leadership, research collaboration, and innovative teaching to advance student success and drive institutional transformation. Her work spans program coordination, curriculum design, and strategic enrollment initiatives, all aimed at improving access to meaningful learning experiences. She develops and teaches courses in adult learning, organizational development, and leadership, and has led instructional efforts across domestic and international settings. Through collaborative research and practitioner-informed inquiry, Dr. Lenhardt contributes to systems-level change in academic programming, advising, and student engagement—building bridges between data-driven decision-making and human-centered educational practice.

Curriculum Vitae