Julia Ballenger, Ph.D.

Regional Professor, Educational Leadership Senator

Julia Warren Ballenger, Ph.D., has been an educator for more than forty years in public and private education. She has served as a teacher, principal, counselor, consultant, central office administrator and at the Texas Education Agency as Regional and Program Director throughout her career. Ballenger teaches in both the doctoral and master's program in the Department of Educational Leadership. She teaches Qualitative Research Methodology, Research Design, Administration of Instructional Practices, Doctoral Professional Writing and Dissertation Writing. She has attended TCPEA meetings and the Graduate Research Exchange for 17 years. Ballenger's research agenda consists of leadership for social justice, democracy, and school improvement, intercultural competency, the efficacy of principal preparation programs, and mentoring female administrators in higher education.

Ballenger serves in a variety of editorial roles at the international, national, and state levels. She currently serves as co-editor of the Research on Women and Education Book Series, Information Age Publishers. Ballenger is also an associate editor for the Advancing Women in Leadership Journal (AWL). She also serves as a peer reviewer and assistant editor for several professional journals and conferences. Three of the journals are the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, the International Journal of Organizational Innovation, and TCPEA's School Leadership Review. Two of the conferences are the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the University Council of Professors of Educational Administrators (UCEA).

Ballenger serves as president of the Faculty Senate. A&M-Commerce President Mark Rudin named Ballenger as one of the university’s civility ambassadors. Ballenger has served as chair of the Sam Rayburn Student University Director Search committee. She served as chair of the Department of Educational Leadership Clinical Teacher Search committee, member of the Vice President for Student Engagement, and on the search committee for the current president. At the College of Education and Human Services, Ballenger served as chair of the CoEHS Tenure and Promotion Committee. Also, she serves on the Fall Symposium Planning Committee. She serves on scholarship and curriculum committees—research and Scholarly Works at the department and program levels. Ballenger has co-edited eight published books with one additional book in press (third editor) and another book in progress (first author). She has published over 55 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Ballenger's recent book, where she serves as the first editor, is titled “Women of Color in STEM: Navigating the Workforce” (2017). Two other recent publications, where she was the second editor, are “Standards-Based Leadership: A Case Study Book for the Principalship” (2015) and “Standards-Based Leadership: A Case Study Book for the Superintendent” (2016). Three other collaborated research projects resulted in these three new books.

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Educational Administration, The University of Texas at Austin, 1996
• M.Ed., Elementary Education and Special Education, East Texas State University, 1973
• B.Ed., Special Education and Psychology, East Texas State University, 1970

Academic Positions

• Professor, Educational Leadership Masters and Doctoral Programs, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2015-present
• Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership Masters and Doctoral Programs, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2012-2015

Honors and Awards

• Awarded as the 2021 International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership (ICPEL) Living Legend
• Nominated for the Regents Professor Award- 2020-2021
• Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education-Ronnie Brooks Mentoring in Education Award, 2020
• Reception honoring Drs. Julia Ballenger, David Brown, Joyce Miller, and Derryle Peace, 2019
• Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education- Madeline Justice, Excellence in Teaching Award, 2019
• Texas A&M University, Commerce, for Outstanding Service on the TAMUC Presidential Search Advisory Committee, 2018-2019
• Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education President's Award, 2018-2019
• March Eminent Faculty Scholar-The Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education, 2019
• Dr. Julia Ballenger, Professor, Texas A& M University-Commerce; Sam Rayburn Memorial Student Center, Conference Room A. Topic: “Education is not Preparation for Life. Education is Life” John Dewey, 2017
• Your work as a member of the Review Board of the Mentoring and Tutoring: Partnerships in Learning Journal is critical to mentoring of the scholars who submit to the journal. You excellent feedback moves the authors to improve the papers and to enhance their world. You are one of five reviewers selected by a committee of the Editorial Board for the Reviewers of the year 2016. Thank you for your excellent work on the journal manuscript reviews for 2016. Dr. Beverly Irby, Editor, Mentoring and Tutoring Partnership in Learning, Texas A&M University-College Station, 2017
• Life Member of the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education, 2017
• Ivory Moore Legacy Award, 2017
• Julia Ballenger Humanitarian Award, 2016
• Dr. Talbot Outstanding Professor of the Year Award, 2016
• Information Age Author Legacy Award, Research on Women and Ed., 2015
• Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administrators- Educator of the Year, 2015
• Faculty for Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Service Award; Sponsored by the Office of President, Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs, 2015
• Texas A&M University-Commerce, Professor of the Year; Sponsored by the Hunt/Hopkins County African American Leadership Conference, 2015
• Phi Delta Kappa Local Chapter Service Key Award, 2015
• TAMUC Faculty Senate Service Award, 2015
• Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education Certificate of Appreciation, 2015
• Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administrators – Advocacy Award, 2013

Professional Organizations

• Texas Association of School Administrators
• University Council of Professors of Education Administrators
• Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA)
• Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education, State, Life Member, V.P. Membership, Chair of Membership Committee
• Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education, Commerce Chapter, V.P. Special Events
• Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK)
• Phi Delta Kappa International, Commerce Chapter V.P. for Projects
• Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association
• Texas Council of Women School Executives
• Member-at-Large Southwest Educational Research Association
• Member, American Education Research Association (AERA) SIG and Learning Teaching in Educational Leadership (L-TEL); Action Research SIG, RWE, Stress and Coping

Selected Publications

• Polnick, B., Ballenger, J, Irby, B., Abdelrahman, N. (Eds.) (2020). Girls and women of color in STEM: Navigating K-12 schools. In B. J. Irby, J. Ballenger, & J. Koch RWE Series Editors, Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing Inc.
• Abdelrahman, N., Polnick, B., Irby, B. J., & Ballenger, J. (Eds.). (2020, in press). Women of Color in STEM: Journeys in higher education. In B. J. Irby, J. Ballenger, & J. Koch RWE Series Editors, Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
• Irby, B., Abdelrahman, N., Polnick, B., & Ballenger, J. (Eds.). (2020, in press). Women of Color in STEM: Navigating the Double Bind in Higher Education. In B. J. Irby, J. Ballenger, & J. Koch RWE Series Editors, Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing Inc.,
• Ballenger, J., & Kemp-Graham, K. (Eds). (2020, in progress) Executive school leadership and acing the new 268 TExES exam. Joseph L. Eckenrode, Publishing Director DEStech Publications, Lancaster, PA. USA, www.destechpub.com Contract accepted. Target date: Spring 2021
• Ballenger, J., Polnick, B., & Irby, B. (Eds.). (2017). Women of color in STEM: Navigating the double bind in the workforce. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, 28271. ISBN, 1681237067, 9781681237060, 208 pages.
• Harris, S., Ballenger, J., & Mixon, J. (Eds.). (2016). Standards-Based leadership: A case study book for the superintendent (2nd. ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
• Harris, S., Ballenger, J., & Cummings, C. (Eds.). (2015). Standards-Based leadership: A case study book for the principalship (2nd. Ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.