[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E130-E131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING DR. AMANDA WILKERSON AS A DISTINGUISHED LEADER IN CENTRAL 
                    FLORIDA FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DARREN SOTO

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 17, 2023

  Mr. SOTO. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Amanda Wilkerson is a scholar and social 
reformer who examines academia and analyzes K-20 student achievement to 
better understand enhancing the human condition. She is a tireless 
advocate for equity and excellence in higher education who seeks to 
build a better world for individuals and institutions through 
cooperation, collaboration, and community engagement.
  Currently, Dr. Wilkerson serves as an assistant professor in the 
College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of 
Central Florida. She is also an affiliated faculty member and a 
visiting scholar with the Center for Minority Serving Institutions at 
Rutgers University. A proud graduate of Florida A&M University, Dr. 
Wilkerson has written educational materials and coordinated forums on 
significant civic and scholastic matters. Dr. Wilkerson served as the 
guest editor for the Urban Education Research and Policy Annuals 
Journal-Hillard Sizemore Special.
  As a part of her passion for higher education and her mission to 
create inclusive learning environments, Dr. Wilkerson regularly works 
with instructional leaders to build their

[[Page E131]]

capacity for studying and practicing equity-based pedagogical 
approaches. Her research focuses on explicating affirmative teaching 
practices, educational policies, and community organizing methods that 
improve community partnerships and bolster student success. Dr. 
Wilkerson has been recognized with the Outstanding Service in Education 
award by the Holmes Scholars Association of the American Association of 
Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and the Diversity Scholarship 
with the Adult Higher Education Association (AHEA). She serves as the 
national chair for the Urban Education Topical Action Group for AACTE.
  Dr. Amanda Wilkerson is an innovator and an intellectual who 
continues to work on community initiatives. To date, she is the first 
faculty member in her department to secure a prestigious National 
Science Foundation award. Further, she is an expert with Florida 
ExpertNet, a publicly funded portal of research expertise in Florida's 
universities.

                          ____________________