Dr. Imandeep Kaur Grewal
ਡਰ. ਅਮਨਦੀਪ ਕੌਰ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ

Assistant Professor of Teacher Education; Director of Office of Place-Based Education and NEXT Scholars Program

Dr. Imandeep Kaur Grewal is a distinguished scholar and educator dedicated to justice, joy, healing, and liberation. She thrives in the intersectional spaces between research, teaching, practice, and healing, working to empower herself and others to live lives they value. As a path-creator, Dr. Grewal is committed to purposeful struggle, constructive disruption, deep love, joyful celebration, radical hope, and brave dreaming.

Dr. Grewal serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Director of the Office for Place-Based Education at Eastern Michigan University. Over decades of teaching, she has inspired countless students to be authentic, develop strong identities, and teach with love for community. As a practitioner-scholar, she founded Sikhya, a program supporting girls exiting poverty, and produced the documentary “Bridge Over Destiny” on girls’ education in India. She also directs the NEXT Scholars and Hope Partners programs, which support students from historically marginalized communities through mentoring and innovative learning experiences.

An experienced community-engaged educator, Dr. Grewal has partnered with organizations like Neutral Zone, 826michigan, SEMIS, and United Way of Washtenaw, and serves on the Board of MaiFamily Services. Her proudest joy is her two sons, and she delights in dancing, storytelling, and bringing people together.

Educator, researcher, and champion for pre-service teachers have been the most impactful roles during Johnnetta’s (Ms. J’s) professional journey. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Michigan State University, a Master of Arts in K-12 Curriculum and a Specialist of Arts in Educational Studies with a concentration in urban education; both graduate degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University (EMU). Ms. J is a proud certified place-based math teacher with the goal of creating accessible pathways for future placed-based educators.

In addition to the various leadership roles that Johnnetta holds, she is grateful for opportunities to learn as much as she loves to educate. Educational reciprocity is the future and she is grateful to support NEXT Scholars as they lead the way. Her career goal is to make teaching an amazing career choice again.

Ms. J’s most recent research areas include place-based mentoring programs grounded in wellbeing, teacher leadership development, and international STEM education.

Hannah Bollin

Doctoral Fellow of Educational Studies

Hannah Bollin is a doctoral fellow in the Educational Studies department at Eastern Michigan University and a Site Coordinator for the after school mentoring program Project BIG. Her research interests include intersectional mentorship, queer pedagogy, and the experiences of LGBTQIA+ students in educational spaces. Being a first generation high school graduate from rural Appalachia, Hannah’s work in education is very personal to her and her passion stems from the many great mentors who supported her along the way.