School of Education

Research interests

Social foundations of education, including issues of social justice and equality in education — specifically the roles of race, gender, and social class in shaping schools and institutions of higher learning

Bio

Dr. Philipsen serves the School of Education as professor in the Department of Foundations. She is also Co-PI of an NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant geared at increasing faculty diversity at VCU, and a certified coach in the Immunity to Change methodology. Her research interests span the social foundations of education, including issues of social justice and equality in education, specifically the roles of race, gender, and social class in shaping schools and institutions of higher learning. Her publications focus on equal opportunities at both the K-12 and college/university levels, employing primarily a sociological perspective and qualitative methodologies. She has authored four books, the most recent ones analyzing the challenges of the faculty career for women (Jossey-Bass 2008), faculty work-life balance (Jossey-Bass, 2010), and social foundations issues in education (Continuum, 2011). She has presented on social foundations topics for more than two decades, most recently focused on faculty work-life integration and the theory of Immunity to Change (ITC).

Curriculum Vitae