College of Education > Faculty & Staff > Faculty A-Z > Donna Kiel

Donna Kiel

Donna Kiel brings her experience as a K-12 principal, assistant principal, curriculum director, school counselor, and teacher to the classes she teaches and the research she conducts.  Throughout her career, Kiel worked extensively in the areas of innovative teaching, emotional well-being, and most notably social justice and equity. Her experiences as a leader in both Catholic and public schools led to the development of the RISE: Empathy, Equity, and Equanimity Program, which built on Kiel’s E3 Framework. RISE, which stands for Reflection, Inquiry, Self-Awareness, and Empathy, provides a distinctive and research-driven approach to creating school cultures grounded in equity, empathy, compassion, and belonging.​

Kiel is passionate about supporting schools to become places of belonging for all and providing leaders with the skills of transformational leadership while supporting all educators in creating school cultures grounded in social justice, empathy, equity, belonging, and innovation.

Education
  • EdD in Educational Leadership, Northcentral University
  • MA in Curriculum and Instruction, Concordia University
  • School Counseling Endorsement, Concordia University
  • Type 75 Educational Supervisory and Administrative Certification, DePaul University
  • BA in Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago
Courses Taught
  • A&S 491 Effective Leadership of Schools
  • A&S 492 The Principalship
  • A&S 493 Data-Driven Decision Making
  • A&S 498 Instructional Supervision and Support
  • A&S 499 Planning for Professional Development
  • A&S 673: History, Philosophy of the International Baccalaureate
  • A&S 608: Capstone in Educational Leadership
  • A&S 801 Leadership Theory and Practice
  • International Baccalaureate Educator Certificate

Research Interests
Neuroscience of leadership, educator emotional well-being, global educational leadership, innovative and transformational leadership, equity and racial justice in leadership and education ​