Overview
Jennifer C. Mann, Ph.D. is a Research Scientist at the Center for Child and Family Policy in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, where she supports education research with a focus on students from immigrant and refugee backgrounds and equity-centered instructional practices. She currently supports research efforts on the BELLA (Bridging English Language Learning and Academics) projects, which are dedicated to designing and testing a professional learning program that integrates an asset-based framework into the use of high-impact instructional strategies for multilingual learners. Additionally, Dr. Mann teaches Child Policy Research courses.
As part of Duke’s Program in Education, Dr. Mann supports the strategic growth of Duke TeachHouse, a living and learning community for early career teachers. In collaboration with TeachHouse leadership, she contributes to program development, funding acquisition, and capacity building—helping to expand the program’s sustainability and impact. Her work focuses on identifying new funding pathways, strengthening long-term planning, and deepening support for equity-minded teacher leaders across North Carolina.
In addition, Dr. Mann serves as an Adjunct Instructor in the Program in Education, where she teaches Instructional Methods for Teaching Multilingual Learners to Master of Arts in Teaching candidates.
With over 19 years of experience as an educator and teacher educator, Dr. Mann has taught high school English, elementary and adult English as a Second Language (ESL), and both undergraduate and graduate pre-service teachers. In 2023, she earned her Ph.D. in Teacher Education and Learning Sciences from North Carolina State University, with a specialization in Literacy and English Language Arts.
Dr. Mann’s research interests include immigrant and refugee students, teacher professional learning, and participatory qualitative methodologies.
- K-12 Education
- ESL Education
- English Language Arts
- Refugee & Immigrant Students
- Teacher Education
- Qualitative Research