Brandis M. Ansley

Assistant Professor of Special Education, Central Michigan University

Dr. Brandi Ansley is currently an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Central Michigan University and has nearly 20 years of professional experience in education and mental healthcare. Her professional interests center on the personal well-being and professional capacity of educators and human services personnel (EHSP). Brandi earned her Ph.D. in the Education of Students with Exceptionalities from Georgia State University and has authored and co-authored numerous publications about EHSP wellness, burnout prevention, trauma management, working conditions, and interpersonal dynamics. She actively facilitates professional development sessions on these topics and others that are relevant (e.g., addressing student hostility, provoking difficult dialogue) to local and national audiences that include K-12 faculty and staff, university students and faculty, and other school- and community-based EHSPs. Among Brandi's current projects is Fostering Interperonal Skills & Resilience in Educators (FIRED-Up Teacher Candidates), which is a self-care and social-emotional competence training program for student-teachers at Central Michigan University.

Experience

2018–present

Assistant Professor of Special Education, Central Michigan University
2012–2018

Graduate Research Assistant, Georgia State University

Education

2018

Georgia State University, Ph.D, Special Education

Publications

2019

Cultivating positive work contexts that promote teacher job satisfaction and retention in high-need schools. , Journal of Special Education Leadership
2019

Embedding staff self-care into the PBIS framework for those working in juvenile correctional and residential settings, Journal of Correctional Education
2019

School personnel and leadership collaboration model for ideal work contexts, Journal of Educational Research and Practice
2017

Supporting students by maintaining professional well-being in a high stress job. , LEARNing Landscapes
2016

Optimizing special educator wellness and job performance through stress management. , TEACHing Exceptional Children

Grants and Contracts

2020

FIRED-Up Teacher Candidates, Phase II

Role:

Principal Investigator

Funding Source:

Central Michigan University Faculty Research and Creative Endeavors Grant (Type B)

Professional Memberships

Council for Exceptional Children
Michigan Education Association

Honours

Outstanding Dissertation in Special Education (2018; Georgia State University)

1

3