Noelle Arnold

Noelle Arnold is a Professor of Educational Administration in the Department of Educational Studies and Senior Associate Dean in the Office of Engagement, Discovery, and Global Education at The Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology. She holds a PhD in Educational Administration from the University of Alabama. With progressive experience leading faculty, staff, and programs across K-12 education, higher education, non-profits, and community organizations, Arnold previously served as Director of the Education Doctorate (EdD) program in Educational Administration at Ohio State. A former teacher and administrator at the district and state levels, she now oversees the Office of Engagement, Discovery and Global Education (EDGE), Office of Information Technology, Human Resources, and Graduate Education. She develops interagency and interdisciplinary collaborations, including international partnerships, and manages agreements with numerous local, state, national, and global organizations. As a consultant, she advises U.S. school districts on crisis leadership, diversity, inclusion, and teaching in urban and rural contexts.

Arnold's research specializations include cultural studies, critical geography, race and gender, rural and urban education, visual studies, education policy, critical leadership studies, disaster and crisis leadership, supervision, equity, health disparities, immigrant students, policy analysis, public health education, P-12 student health disparities, school-community health centers, social and philosophical foundations of education. She has authored or co-authored 10 books published or under contract, including the second edition of Handbook of Urban Educational Leadership and its Companion Guide (2021), and Content Analysis in Education for Oxford University Press. With over 70 publications, key works include “Psychological heuristics and faculty of color: Racial battle fatigue and tenure/promotion” (Journal of Higher Education, 2016), “Spiritual weapons: Black female principals and religio-spirituality” (Journal of Educational Administration and History, 2010), and “A Culturally Responsive School Leadership Approach to Developing Equity-Centered Principals” (Wallace Foundation, 2023). Her grants total over $24 million. Arnold was the first African American woman to serve as President of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), holds leadership appointments in the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and is a Faculty Affiliate at the OSU Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy and a national RRJ Faculty Fellow at Vanderbilt University Peabody College. She received the Mary McLeod Bethune Award and was named to the Columbus CEO Future 50 class of 2022.

Professional Email: arnold.1040@osu.edu