Jennifer Mueller was appointed dean of the College of Education in August 2023, coming with thirty-five years of service as an education professional. Previously she served as the Dean of the College of Education and Learning Design at St. Cloud State University (SCSU) since 2017, and associate professor and program chair of early childhood education at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. In her new position, Mueller will oversee one of the largest preparers of teachers, leaders, and counselors in the Chicago area.
DePaul’s College of Education offers degree programs in early childhood education; elementary and secondary education; art education; physical education; special education; world language education; bilingual/bicultural education; curriculum studies; value creating education; educational leadership, human services and counseling; and language, literacy and specialized instruction. The College is also home to the Stockyard Institute and the Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education.
A professor of teacher education and early childhood education, Mueller is the co-author or editor of three books and several articles and chapters. She has presented locally, nationally, and internationally. She has been the principal or co-investigator on fifteen grants including two federal Department of Education grants (Office of Indian Education and Office of English Language Acquisition professional development grants). Her research interests include identity development of teacher candidates particularly related to equity and social justice approaches, teacher preparation design, and early childhood curriculum. During her time in Minnesota Mueller co-facilitated the Minnesota State Education Dean Alliance, served on the governor’s appointed Advisory Council for Early Care and Education, and served as the Executive Director of the Lindgren Early Learning Center on the SCSU campus. She was very active with community collaborations and founded the Future Teacher Academy in partnership with the local school district.
Mueller began her career as a classroom teacher in Madison, WI. She earned her doctoral degree in Educational Studies/Teacher Education from the University of Michigan in 2004.