Brandy Quinn, Ph.D.

Brandy Quinn is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at Texas Christian University. Prior to earning her Ph.D. in Education at Stanford University, she taught high school religious studies and elementary special education in Southern California. In her current research, she investigates whether and how school communities foster in youth the desire and drive to contribute to society through their own gifts and talents. Her goal is to generate research that helps schools educate young people who are academically, morally, socially and emotionally prepared to be contributing members of their communities.

Education

Ph.D., Education
Stanford University
2013

M.Ed., Teaching
California Lutheran University
2005

M.A., Theology
Loyola Marymount University
2003

B.A., English
Whittier College
1998

Academic Areas

• Human Development
• Educational Psychology

Research Areas

• Positive Youth Development in Schools
• Social Emotional Learning
• Purpose Development in Schools
• Yoga, Mindfulness and Self-Compassion in Schools

Selected Publications

Jimerson, J. B., Kyzar, K. E., & Quinn, B. P. (2024). Strategies for leading schools with compassion. In Compassionate leadership in response to vulnerability: Opportunities for school improvement and renewal: Vol. Leadership for School Improvement (LSI) Book Series. Information Age Publishing.

Stark, M. D., Ayala, C., Quinn, B. P., Guerra-Stella, L., Gomez, J., & Cunningham, L. (2023). Solution-Focused Mentoring with College Students Diagnosed with a Learning Disability. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability (Print), 36(3), 225–240.

Quinn, B. P. & Maddox, C. B. (2022). The body doesn’t lie: Yoga and embodiment in the higher education classroom. Teaching in Higher Education: Critical Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2022.2066467.

Bauml, M., Quinn, B. P., Blevins, B., Magill, K. R., & LeCompte, K. (2021). "I really want to do something": How civic education activities promote thinking toward civic purpose among early adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 74355842110067. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584211006785

Stark, M. D., Quinn, B. P., Hennessey, K. A., Rutledge, A. A., Hunter, A. K., Gordillo, P. K. (2019). Examining resiliency in adolescent refugees through the tree of life activity. Journal of Youth Development.

Quinn, B. P., Stark, M. D., Hunter, A. K., Evans, A, Hennessey, K. A. (2019). Purpose in adolescents diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Adolescence, 73, 53-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2019.03.001

Quinn, B. P., Heckes, S. L., & Shea, M. L. (2019). Classroom practices that support the development of purpose. Journal of Character Education.

Quinn, B. P. (2018). Purposeful explorers. Adolescents finding their purposes in a Catholic high school. Journal of Catholic Education, 21(2), 53 – 75. doi: 10.15365/joce.2102032018

Quinn, B. P. & Bauml, M. (2017). Cultivating a mindset of civic engagement among young adolescents. The Journal of Social Studies Research, 42(2), 185 – 200. doi:10.1016/j.jssr.2017.05.003

Quinn, B. P. (2017). Supporting generous purpose in adolescence: The roles of school climate and spirituality. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 22(3-4), 197 – 219. doi:10.1080/1364436X.2017.1373077

Quinn, B. P. (2016). Learning from the wisdom of practice: Teachers’ educational purposes as pathways to supporting adolescent purpose in secondary classrooms. Journal of Education for Teaching, 42(5). doi: 10.1080/02607476.2016.1226557

Quinn, B. P. (2016). The beyond-the-self dimension of adolescent purpose: Absence and change. The Journal of Positive Psychology. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2016.1209543 

Quinn, B. (2015). International School of the Americas: Social emotional learning and social justice education for the 21st century. Stanford, CA: Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE). Retrieved from SCOPE website.

Malin, H., Reilly, T. S., Quinn, B., and Moran, S. (2014). Adolescent purpose development: Exploring empathy, discovering roles, shifting priorities, and creating pathways. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 24(1), 186 – 199. doi: 10.1111/jora.12051

Quinn, B. (2014). Other-oriented purpose: The potential roles of beliefs about the world and other people. Youth and Society, 46(6), 779-800. doi: 10.1177/0044118X12452435.

Quinn, B. P. & Geiser, K. E. (2013). PASS-2: Putting youth contribution at the center of positive youth development in Oakland high schools. John W. Gardner Center, Stanford, CA.

Quinn, B. (2011). The school as democratic community. Applied Developmental Science, 15(2), 94 – 97. doi: 10.1080/10888691.2011.560812.

Benninga, J. & Quinn, B. (2011). Enhancing American identity and citizenship in schools. Applied Developmental Science, 15(2), 104 – 110. doi: 10.1080/10888691.2011.560816.

Tirri, K. & Quinn, B. (2010). Exploring the role of religion and spirituality in the development of purpose: Case studies of purposeful youth. British Journal of Religious Education, 32(3), 201 – 214. doi: 10.1080/01416200.2010.498607.