Mary L. Churchill

Professor of the Practice and Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement, Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Boston University

Chapter Leader: Boston SSN

Areas of Expertise:

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@mary_churchill

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About Mary

Churchill's scholarship focuses on social justice and change management within education. She is the creator of Higher Ed Policy and University of Venus at Inside Higher Ed and has written over 100 op-eds and blog posts. Churchill is a strong advocate for equity in education. She serves on a number of local and national boards, including the Women’s Network Executive Council at the American Council on Education, Franklin Cummings Technology Board of Trustees, the EMPath Board, and Boston Public School’s Universal Pre-K Advisory Board. Internationally, she has worked extensively with government and university partners and is the recipient of two Fulbright awards.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | Member Spotlight | In the News | Publications

Contributions

Massachusetts SB 343/HB 530: An Act Establishing an Education-to-Career Data Center

Testimony, November 2023

In the News

Quoted by in "Harvard and MIT Boost Federal Lobbying Spending amid Trump Administration Scrutiny," Boston Business Journal, May 12, 2025.

Opinion: "Dual Enrollment Can Save College Students Time and Money − but There’s One Risk To Avoid," Mary L. Churchill, The Conversation, October 19, 2023.

Opinion: "‘Direct Admissions’ Could Be Game-Changer for Some Colleges," Mary L. Churchill, CommonWealth Beacon, May 3, 2023.

Opinion: "‘I Didn’t Think Any College Would Accept Me, but I Was Wrong’," Mary L. Churchill, Inside Higher Ed, February 5, 2023.

Opinion: "Fewer Colleges Relying on Standardized Tests," Mary L. Churchill, CommonWealth Beacon, January 26, 2023.

Publications

The Conversation on Higher Ed (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025).

Explores the complicated landscape of academic life in the current era, examining issues ranging from free speech on campus and the implications of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning to the erosion of academic tenure and the profound impact of diversity in academia.

When Colleges Close: Leading in a Time of Crisis (with David J. Chard). (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021).

Written for leaders in both small colleges and larger universities who may find themselves facing mergers and closures, as well as for scholars of higher education who are interested in strategic planning.