Rouhollah Aghasaleh, PhD

Rouhollah Aghasaleh (Ph.D., The University of Georgia) has served in the School of Education since Fall 2020. An award-winning scholar and writer, their work lies at the intersection of critical pedagogies, cultural studies of curriculum, and feminist queer studies, with a sustained focus on equity and its impact on education systems. Rouhollah’s research directly supports efforts for teachers to meet the needs of increasingly diverse student populations.

They are the editor of the award-winning Brill volume, Children and Mother Nature: Storytelling for a Glocalized Environmental Pedagogy. In addition to editing a special issue on Curriculum Theorizing in the Post-truth Era (Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, 2019), Rouhollah has co-edited Phronetic Science: Morally Guided and Praxis-oriented Science Education (with Drs. Sara Tolbert, Kathryn Scantlebury, and Bhaskar Upadhyay, Peter Lang, 2025) and the forthcoming Handbook on Foucault and Education: Exploring Perspectives and Practices (with Drs. Tristan Gleason, James Burns, and Chris Kirchgasler, Bloomsbury, 2026). Their scholarship has appeared in leading journals such as African American Studies, Curriculum Theorizing, Curriculum and Teaching Dialogues, Research in Science Teaching, Activist Science and Technology Education, and Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology. They have also made important contributions to Science and Technology Studies (STS), extending their influence across disciplines.

Rouhollah was named a 2024 Who’s Who in America Honored Listee. They currently serve (2025–2030) as Editor of the Journal of Curriculum Theorizing and as President of Foundation for Curriculum Theory alongside Dr. Tristan Gleason.

As an anti-genocide peace activist and community organizer, Rouhollah is deeply committed to building just and equitable educational spaces. Their activism and scholarship have been featured in local and international media, amplifying their voice on pressing social and political issues.

As a leader in professional organizations such as Society of Professors of Education, Foundation for Curriculum Theory, and American Educational Research Association, Rouhollah actively collaborates with fellow educators to advance social justice and to create environments conducive to the success of historically underrepresented, oppressed, and misrecognized students. Their work exemplifies the convergence of emancipatory theory, activism, and pedagogy, making teaching the site where scholarship and justice meet.