Jay Brandenberger, Ph.D.
Professor of the Practice
Professor of the Practice
Jay Brandenberger serves as the director for assessment and engaged scholarship at the Institute for Social Concerns, director of academic community engagement, and as concurrent associate professor in the department of Psychology at Notre Dame. He directs research initiatives at the institute, working with colleagues to examine the developmental outcomes and best practices associated with institute courses and programs. He is the editor of the institute’s research report series and facilitates ongoing longitudinal research focusing on the impacts of community engagement. Brandenberger also coordinates—with institute colleagues—various academic initiatives at the institute, fostering partnerships with academic units on campus. He teaches interdisciplinary courses incorporating community-based learning and research. He is also a fellow of the Institute for Educational Initiatives, and a past recipient of the Notre Dame Frank O’Malley Undergraduate Teaching Award. He has been at the institute since 1991.
Brandenberger’s research interests include social cognition, moral and ethical theory and development, and assessment of student outcomes in higher education. He serves on the review boards of various journals and has collaborated on national research initiatives examining means to enhance social responsibility, leadership, and moral development. His work has appeared in a variety of publications, including the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, the Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, and the Journal of College Student Development.
Prior to his work at the institute, Brandenberger helped to found Guadalupe Azlan school in Texas for children from Mexico and taught at Waynesburg College, Pennsylvania, and the University of Pittsburgh.
Brandenberger earned his Ph.D. in educational and developmental psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a 1978 graduate of Notre Dame, with a B.A. in English.