About

Michelle D. Young, Ph.D., is the Dean of the Berkeley School of Education. Throughout her career, she has developed and sustained a reputation as an innovative, civic-minded, ethical leader with a strong commitment to diversity and social justice. Young has served in a variety of leadership positions in higher education, the nonprofit sector, and for the US government, including almost 20 years as executive director of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), an international consortium of more than 100 research institutions with master’s and doctoral level programs in educational leadership and administration. As Executive Director of UCEA, Young worked with universities, practitioners, and state and national leaders to improve the preparation and practice of school and school system leaders, and to develop a dynamic base of knowledge on excellence in educational leadership. She provided leadership for the development of the Professional Standards for Educational Leadership and the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards, which guide the development and accreditation review of educational leadership programs, and led reviews of educational leadership development programs at state and institutional levels. Her work has significantly increased research focus on leadership preparation and connected research to policy-making. A scholar of educational policy and leadership, Young has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles on how university programs, policies, and school leaders support exceptional experiences for students and professionals. She has received multiple awards for her scholarship, including the JRLE and William J. Davis Awards, an Emerald Literati Award for Excellence, and the Edwin M. Bridges Award, among others. Her work in Critical Policy Analysis in education has contributed to new frameworks for understanding power dynamics and structural inequalities in educational policy, examining both theoretical and practical aspects of policy implementation. Young has served on numerous boards, including policy, foundation, and state education reform boards, and currently serves on the boards of WestEd, PACE, CADREI, and SOAR. She is co-founder and co-director of the INSPIRE Leadership Collaborative, focusing on evaluating educator preparation programs. Young has co-edited or co-authored 11 books, including recent titles on educational leadership and critical education research.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Sociology
• Computer Science
• Public relations
• Engineering
• Business
• Economics
• Pedagogy
• Environmental resource management
• Finance
• Geography
• Natural resource economics
• Marketing
• Accounting
• Ecology
• Economic growth
• Psychology
• Medical education
• Environmental planning

Selected publications

• Echoes of Becoming

  CSUSB ScholarWorks (California State University, San Bernardino) · 2026-05-01

  article1st authorCorresponding

  I create illustrative works that deal with criticism and appreciation in parallel ways; addressing facets of society, government, the self, and the influence of social media. My art ranges from digital illustration to narrative paintings, fluctuating to the flow and response of a piece. A blend of cheekiness and empowerment, I play around with uncomfortable subjects and heavy topics to bring attention to those that are misrepresented or overlooked. I am interested in the intersection of consumable media, its history and the disregarded context behind it all. Rooted in my experience as a descendant of generational immigrant-refugees, my work reflects the contradictions of growing up Asian in the Western world, caught between cultural inheritance and cultural resistance. I explore how identity is shaped through misrepresentation, internalized expectations, and systemic power, as well as how these forces are reinforced or challenged through contemporary media. My approach to illustration and figure drawing emphasizes gesture and dynamic line by design, taking influences from calligraphical mark-making, as seen and found in East Asian paintings. This is in combination with my interest in consuming Asian-made media as a child, such as Japanese and Chinese animated shows, pulling comical expressions and action-based motions. By reframing heavy topics through illustrative language, my work aims to prompt reflection, disrupt passive consumption, and create space for dialogue around visibility, appreciation, and belonging. I aim to invite critical reflections, especially in times where critiquing can be seen as “too overt”. My work seeks to make a space for dialogue in regards to visibility, appreciation, and belonging. It is important that my works encourage viewers to reconsider premade notions of narratives the system has provided them to easily consume.

  Publisher

• Two Birds, One Test: Off-gas Testing for Assessing Scope 1 and Scope 2 Emissions

  Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation · 2025-09-16

  article
  PublisherDOI

• The politics of institutional neutrality: ambiguity, fear, and the effort to silence higher education in the USA

  Frontiers in Education · 2025-10-31 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  In this paper, we use critical policy analysis to examine the strategy of institutional neutrality and its relationship to the longstanding agenda of US conservatives to limit the societal and political influence of higher education within society. Specifically, we posit that policy ambiguity creates fertile ground for fear-based narratives to shape institutional meaning making and steer policy direction. As Stone, a political theorist, pointed out, ambiguity is an inherent part of political decision-making because policy goals, problems, and solutions are open to multiple interpretations. We examine ambiguity surrounding institutional neutrality for higher education institutions, interrogating its contours, functions, and implications. Drawing on Giroux's concept of the disimagination machine and scholarship on the politics of fear, we examine how political actors have reframed the public's thoughts about higher education and attitudes toward their proper role in society. As part of this analysis, we investigate the role of fear in the recent widespread adoption of institutional neutrality policies by universities across the U.S. and critically engage the range of critiques of institutional neutrality as an organizational strategy for higher education institutions. We conclude with a discussion of alternatives to institutional neutrality and their relationship to academic‘freedom.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Feminisms in education: struggles and solidarities in a time of regressive social change

  International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education · 2025-08-01 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Evaluation of Pilot Implementation of Nutritional Standards for Vending in Local Councils and Wider Public Sector

  FSA research and evidence. · 2025-09-19

  articleOpen access

  This evaluation assessed the implementation of nutritional standards for vending machines across three public sector pilot sites. The intervention aimed to improve the nutritional quality of vending products, focusing on cold drinks and ambient snacks. Pilot Site 1 (PS1), managed by Vending Machine Operator A (VMO A), demonstrated high implementation fidelity through strategic planning, early VMO staff engagement and the substitution of products with lower calorie alternatives that were similar in type and appeal to the original offerings. This resulted in a 26% reduction in average calories and a 35% reduction in average sugar per unit sold, with drinks showing the most significant nutritional improvements. Importantly, these changes did not negatively impact sales or revenue, and consumer satisfaction increased. This approach demonstrated that nutritional standards can be effectively operationalised when product changes are carefully managed. In contrast, Pilot Sites 2 and 3 (PS2 and PS3), managed by VMO B, faced compressed implementation timelines, limited VMO staff involvement, and logistical challenges, which led to delayed product updates. Furthermore, replacement snack products were not similar in type to the original offerings, resulting in reduced consumer appeal. Although drinks at these sites achieved some nutritional improvements and sales of drinks were less impacted than snacks, overall implementation was compromised, resulting in declines in sales and consumer satisfaction. Vending machine operators (VMOs) varied in their implementation success, influenced by operational capacity and prior experience. The study highlights the need for VMOs and implementation sites to work closely on product selection to achieve successful implementation. The study demonstrates that nutritional standards can be operationalised effectively, but outcomes depend on site context, product selection and VMO engagement early in and throughout the implementation process. Limitations included short post-implementation periods, variability in implementation, and self-reported consumer survey data.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Pitfalls and Promise of Equity Audits

  2025-08-07

  book-chapter

  Though increasingly popular, educational equity audits are not the panacea for equity change. Without careful consideration, equity audits can become just another equity practice that can perpetuate inequities. This chapter provides guidance on evaluating and determining which equity audit tools and processes will ensure that equity will be advanced and that the tools and methods we select will not inadvertently perpetuate inequities. The chapter then outlines a four-phase process for completing equity audits that aligns with this guidance.

  PublisherDOI

• Understanding the Relationship Between Educational Leadership Preparation Program Features and Graduates’ Career Intentions

  Education Sciences · 2025-05-05 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Globally, many school systems face leadership shortages and challenges in building strong principal pipelines, making career intentions to pursue school leadership a critical area of study. This study examines how key features of educational leadership preparation programs (ELPPs) influence graduates’ intentions to become school leaders. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), we analyzed data from 2994 graduates across 51 U.S.-based ELPPs collected between 2016 and 2020, using structural equation modeling and estimation thinking to assess direct and mediated relationships among program features and career outcomes. Findings reveal that internship quality plays a pivotal role as both a direct predictor of career intentions and a mediator for other program features, including faculty quality, program rigor and relevance, and peer relationships. Faculty quality influences intentions primarily through rigor and relevance, while cohort participation contributes indirectly by fostering peer relationships and internship quality. Graduate attributes, including prior leadership experience, also shape career aspirations. This study extends SCCT by demonstrating how ELPP features shape candidates’ career intentions through interconnected pathways, offering insights that inform policy and program design aimed at strengthening pathways into school leadership.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Extended Chalcones: Synthesis, In Vitro Analysis, and In Vivo Testing Against a Drosophila melanogaster Alzheimer’s Disease Model

  Chemistry · 2024-11-22 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in individuals over the age of 65. There is no known prevention for the progression of the disease, although the FDA recently approved two drugs for AD. The exact etiology of AD is still under debate; however, it is commonly associated with the aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques in the brain. Recently some extended chalcones were reported to be potential anti-amyloidogenic agents. In this study, a larger library of extended chalcone analogs were synthesized with modifications on both rings. These were tested using the Thioflavin T fluorescence assay to measure their anti-Aβ aggregation properties. Three notably active compounds were further evaluated for potential neurotoxicity and neuroprotection using an MTT cell viability assay. These compounds were non-neurotoxic and displayed a trend toward neuroprotection. These were further assessed in a Drosophila melanogaster animal AD model. A forced climbing assay revealed statistically significant changes in flies’ movement by ~30% when fed these anti-amyloidogenic agents.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Full Wafer Spalling and Cell Processing of Devices Grown on GaAs(100) Substrates

  2024-06-09

  article

  Controlled spalling has proven to be a promising substrate reuse technology for III-V photovoltaics due to its potential for high throughput, relatively low cost, and ability to fabricate high-quality devices. However, previous studies have only demonstrated the ability to produce small-scale, single-cell devices on a small area of a substrate. In this study, we show the ability to spall a full 2” GaAs wafer and process multiple 1-J GaAs cells across its surface. Completing full edge to edge spalls and processing thin films into high-quality cells are still in the early stages of development, and more optimization work needs to be done to maximize yield. A preliminary attempt at a full wafer spall and thin film processing produced 18 cells with an efficiency >=15% out of a total 43 cells.

  PublisherDOI

• The Vital Necessity of Critical Education Policy Research

  Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis · 2024-03-25 · 15 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Critical education policy research has a deep-rooted history, evolving over four decades to challenge traditional positivist approaches. Reimagining epistemology, theory, and methods, scholars pioneered critical policy analysis (CPA), examining power dynamics and contextual influences on educational experiences. In the ensuing paragraphs, we explore how the articles in this volume exemplify critical approaches to policy analysis, examining topics such as racial inequalities in college recruitment, platform technologies’ impact on policy, and racialized discourses in corporal punishment policies. Embracing critical theories and methodologies, scholars reveal how language, hierarchy, and privilege construct realities, perpetuate inequities, and reinforce power structures, and they advocate for equitable policy solutions, challenging the status quo to envision a more just educational future.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Kathleen M. W. Cunningham

  University of South Carolina

  19 shared

• Sarah Diem

  University of Missouri

  17 shared

• Ann O’Doherty

  Health Service Executive

  16 shared

• Linda Skrla

  12 shared

• Caleb Leduc

  University College Cork

  12 shared

• Gary M. Crow

  10 shared

• Colleen A. Capper

  8 shared

• Meredith Mountford

  8 shared

Education

• Doctorate of Philosophy, Educational Policy and Planning

  University of Texas - Austin

  1997

• Masters of Education, Special Education & Bilingual Education

  University of Texas - Austin

  1993

• Bachelor of Arts, Sociology & Political Science

  Southwestern University

  1989

Awards & honors

• JRLE Award for Most Outstanding Articles
• William J. Davis Award for Most Outstanding Articles
• Emerald Literati Award for Excellence
• Edwin M. Bridges Award
• AERA Excellence in Research and Lifetime Achievement Award