Molly

Dunn

School of Education

Education

• Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, University of Maryland, 2017
• M.Ed. in Early Childhood Literacy, University of Notre Dame, 2000
• B.A. in History, Latin American Studies, University of Notre Dame, 1998

Bio

Dr. Molly Dunn joined Notre Dame of Maryland University in 2018. Prior to her doctorate, she taught and held leadership positions in diverse school settings from rural parochial in south Texas to urban public in Chicago with some international teaching in Venezuela. Such diverse educational assignments have prepared her to reach a myriad of students in a myriad of environments. Because of her seven years in a high-needs Chicago public school, Dr. Dunn became committed to urban education as well as preparing educators for the various challenges and opportunities they will encounter in such settings.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education and a former program director at the National Catholic Educational Association, Dr. Dunn is also committed to helping Catholic schools identify and retain the next generation of Catholic school leaders. Across all types of educational genres, she is interested in pinpointing and disseminating what makes good schools work, what makes good teachers stay, and what makes students of all backgrounds and ability levels eager to want to learn. A firm believer in educational opportunity as both a social justice issue and socioeconomic equalizer, Dr. Dunn strives to prepare educators in recognition of this ideal.

Recent Publications and Presentations

• Dunn, M. S. (2019). Case study research: Of artists, athletes, and engineers. International Journal of Teaching and Case Studies.
• Dunn, M. S. (2019). Zen moments: Using mindfulness to engage and heal classrooms. In Dannielle Davis (Ed.), United we stand: The role of spirituality in engaging and healing communities. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
• Dunn, M. S. (2019). Teaching compassionately: Teacher professional training and impact. In Jing Lin & Tom Culham (Eds.), Contemplative pedagogies for transforming teaching, learning, and being. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
• Davis, D. J., Jones, M., Dunn, M. S., Graff, C. S., Hauwadhanasuk, T., Mayer, L., Schein, D. (2018, April). United we stand: The role of spirituality in k-12, university, and community settings. Panel presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, New York, NY.
• Dunn, M. S. (2018, April). Compassion and community: Results from a mindfulness-based intervention for teachers. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, New York, NY.
• Dunn, M. S. (2018, November). Can you teach compassion? Paper presented at the International Organization of Social Sciences and Behavioral Research (IOSSBR) International Meeting, Boca Raton, FL.
• Culham, T., Lin, J., Dunn, M. S., & Fiore, A. (2018, March). A workshop/retreat to practice, learn, and contemplate: The application of meditation and contemplative practices in post-secondary education. Workshop presented at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Annual Meeting, Mexico City, Mexico.
• Edwards, S., Dunn, M. S., & Busacca, C. (2018, March). Contemplative actions for social justice: Reflective practices for students, communities, and educators. Paper presented at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Annual Meeting, Mexico City, Mexico.
• Dunn, M. S. (2017, October). Habits of hearts. Paper presented at the Bergamo Conference for Curriculum Theory and Classroom Practice Annual Meeting, Dayton, OH.
• Dunn, M. S. (2017, October). Habits of mind: A case study of three teachers’ experiences with a mindfulness-based intervention. Paper presented at the Association for the Contemplative Mind in Higher Education (ACMHE) Annual Meeting, Scotts Valley, CA.

Professional Memberships

• American Educational Research Association (AERA)
• Comparative and International Education Society (CIES)
• Association for the Contemplative Mind in Higher Education (ACMHE)
• History of Education Society (HES)

Honors and Awards

• Education Reform Leader, University of Notre Dame, Institute for Educational Initiatives (2018)
• Contemplative Social Justice Scholar, Association for the Contemplative Mind in Higher Education (2017)
• Dean’s Fellow, University of Maryland, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership (2011-2013)
• Educator Exchange to China Winner, National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (2010)
• Washington Ambassador Finalist, U.S. Department of Education (2009)
• Fund for Teachers Fellow, Chicago Foundation for Education (2007)