Wendy Cavendish

Wendy Cavendish, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development. She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education with a cognate area in Criminology/Delinquency from the University of Miami in 2006, M.S. in Reading and Learning Disabilities from the University of Miami in 2000, M.S. in Gifted Education from Florida International University in 1997, and B.A. in English Literature and Anthropology from Lawrence University in 1990. Cavendish joined the University of Miami faculty in 2007 as Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning, advancing to Associate Professor in 2013 and Professor in 2020. She served as Interim Department Chair (2020-2021), Director of the Graduate Program in Special Education (2016-2023), and Co-Director of a U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs doctoral training grant (2009-2014). Previously, she was research faculty at Florida State University's Center for Criminology and Public Policy Research (2006-2007) and worked as a Reading Coach and English/Exceptional Student Education Teacher in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (1997-2005).

Cavendish's scholarship centers on special education policy, practice, and equity, with emphasis on student and family involvement in educational decision-making, self-determination for youth with disabilities, transitions to postsecondary life, disproportionality in special education identification, and academic outcomes for justice-involved youth. She co-edited the book Intersectionality in Education: Toward More Equitable Policy, Research, and Practice (Teachers College Press, 2021). Prominent publications include "Toward Authentic IEPs and Transition Plans: Student, Parent, and Teacher Perspectives" (Learning Disability Quarterly, 2018), "Academic Attainment During Commitment and Postrelease Education–Related Outcomes of Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth With and Without Disabilities" (Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 2014), "Sharing Power With Parents: Improving Educational Decision Making for Students With Learning Disabilities" (Learning Disability Quarterly, 2018), and "Is a Bridge Even Possible Over Troubled Waters? The Field of Special Education Negates the Overrepresentation of Minority Students: A DisCrit Analysis" (Race Ethnicity and Education, 2019). She received the University of Miami Toppel Award for Distinguished Faculty (2023) and Educational Review's Article of the Year Award (2020). Cavendish developed the Inspire "U" Academy peer mentoring program and has served as Professor in Residence at Booker T. Washington Senior High School since 2011.