J.J. Andrews

J.J. Andrews has been employed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) since 2014, initially as a Teaching Specialist and presently as an Assessments & Data Specialist. Additionally, Andrews has been involved in various capacities on campus, including membership or co-chairing of the Committee on Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions, and Financial Aid (CURAFA) since 2017. Before this, Andrews amassed nearly 12 years of experience as a print newspaper journalist specializing in investigations into government and public education issues, followed by eight years as a secondary school and post-secondary adjunct instructor.

Their scholar-practitioner work explores how data can become disempowering when solely utilized as value-based metrics (fixed mindset) rather than measurements for personal development (growth mindset). Andrews emphasizes the importance of addressing messaging gaps surrounding the purpose (extrinsic vs. intrinsic) of data and instruction to mitigate student disengagement, particularly among underrepresented and marginalized student populations. Andrews’s notable mantra is, “The humanity of your data is the most important analytic.”

Academically, Andrews completed a Doctor of Education in Leadership | Curriculum & Instruction at American College of Education (2020), a Master of Arts in English | Instruction at Brooklyn College-CUNY (2009) through the New York City Teaching Fellowship program, and a Bachelor of Arts in English | Rhetoric & Critical Theory at The Ohio State University (1998).