Dean Michael Feuer, who has led the Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD) at George Washington University since 2010, has announced his decision to step down from his role as dean, effective July 1. He will remain a tenured full professor of education in GSEHD.
Feuer is well-known for burnishing the school’s reputation for research oriented to education practice and policy, and for its culture of camaraderie among faculty, staff and students.
”GSEHD is a beacon of light for the role of evidence in education, and I am honored to have led such a splendid team of professionals striving to make a difference in the complex ecology of teaching, learning and human development,” Feuer said.
Under Feuer’s leadership, GSEHD has significantly expanded its academic offerings. He helped develop and launch a nationally recognized interdisciplinary doctor of philosophy program, with concentrations in comparative and international education, inequality, human and machine learning, and education policy; his commitment to GWTeach has enabled cohorts of GW undergrads to gain graduate level preparation for middle school STEM teaching; his stewardship of the GWU Online High School has helped it earn its international reputation; and his dedication to international cooperation is manifest in collaborations with schools, education systems, universities and research organizations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Feuer oversaw the development and expansion of a unique Israel education program, the first of its kind at a U.S. university to offer graduate certificate and master’s credentials. The Collaborative for Applied Studies in Jewish Education (CASJE) and the Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership for public engagement were brought together as the Collaboratory in 2024.
“Dean Feuer has been a steady and trusted leader of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development for many years, providing valuable historical knowledge of GW, creative thinking around strategic initiatives and keen insight into the evolving global field of education,” Provost Christopher Alan Bracey said. “I look forward to his continued partnership and advancement of educational initiatives as a member of the GSEHD faculty.”
Feuer was active on the local and regional scene, where he helped cultivate new connections with GSEHD and GW. Recently, GSEHD announced a new equity-centered approach for teachers, teacher leaders and instructional coaches in D.C. who earn graduate degrees in educational leadership and administration; and Project EXPAND links GSEHD’s Department of Special Education and Disability Studies with the D.C. Department of Employment Services Office of Apprenticeship, Information and Training to engage educators focused on apprenticeship opportunities for their students.
"On behalf of the university, I want to thank Dean Feuer for leading the Graduate School of Education and Human Development so capably and well over the past 15 years,” said President Ellen M. Granberg. “Dean Feuer has brought dedication, experience and innovation to his role, ensuring that the GW community is inclusive, resilient and prepared for the future, and I am grateful he will continue to contribute his expertise as a member of our faculty."
During his tenure as dean, GSEHD faculty have excelled in research, regularly publishing in top-ranked journals and participating in national and international conferences. GSEHD recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO Chair in International Education for Development, which promotes international collaboration, research, teaching and mentoring the next generation of global educators. So far, two GSEHD faculty have been awarded the prestigious Spencer Foundation-National Academy of Education postdoctoral fellowships.
A thought leader in the economics of education, international comparative assessments, philanthropy, science policy, civics education and more, Feuer hosts EdFix, a podcast that highlights ideas of prominent educators, researchers and policymakers.
Feuer has also been an active fundraiser, helping double the school’s philanthropic endowment to its current level of $6.5 million.
"Under Dean Feuer's leadership, GSEHD has seen the emergence of innovative new programs and exciting collaborations with important local and national partners that have created unique, ‘only at GW’ moments for countless students,” said Titilola Harley, chair of GSEHD’s National Council for Education and Human Development. “Although there is no shortage of successes that could be mentioned, the hallmark of his legacy — and what I believe his council, administration, faculty and students will miss the most — is the people-centered culture he has fostered within the school. GSEHD is a place where students and faculty alike know they can be supported to thrive in their academic endeavors, and I feel privileged to have been part of the school community under his tenure."
In 2015, Feuer co-chaired GW’s Access Committee of the Task Force on Access and Success, which recommended the test-optional policy for undergraduate admissions that GW later adopted. GSEHD later adopted a similar policy for graduate admissions.
In his role as dean, Feuer was prolific in launching partnerships with universities and organizations around the world — collaborations he intends to continue advancing. In 2020, GSEHD welcomed the first cohort of students in the new dual degree program with Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, which advances opportunities for students in a variety of education policy and practice careers. To date over 125 Azerbaijani educators have become proud GSEHD alumni.
Most recently, Feuer was awarded a major grant to support the development of enriched civic education content in teacher preparation programs, based on concepts in his most recent book, “Can Schools Save Democracy?” (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2023).
“A main reason I am stepping away from the dean’s role is to have more time and space, mentally and physically, to focus on the civic education project and other important activities that advance evidence-informed policy in a time of significant political turbulence,” Feuer said. “I hope this work, central to GSEHD’s and GW’s core mission, will make a difference in the world of education and in society generally.”
Prior to joining GSEHD, Feuer was the executive director of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, where he led the shaping of the organization’s prominent role in education. He previously served as a senior analyst at the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and has held faculty positions at Drexel and Georgetown universities. He has been a senior adviser to a number of foundations and educational institutions in the United States, Israel and elsewhere. Feuer was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2003, and as its president in 2013.
In 2014, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to the National Board for Education Sciences. He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Educational Research Association.
Feuer is the author of three books, dozens of peer-reviewed articles, commentaries and poems and is frequently quoted in the professional and popular press.
The university will share information about interim GSEHD leadership as it is available.
