Dr. Kathleen Taylor
Professor in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership
Department:
Kalmanovitz School of Education | Leadership & Organizational Studies
Email:
ktaylor@stmarys-ca.edu
Office
Filippi Academic Hall - 278
Contact:
Phone: 4510
Email: ktaylor@stmarys-ca.edu
Professional Overview
Kathleen Taylor, Ph.D., is Professor in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, Saint
Mary’s College of California. Her career in the field of adult higher education began in her
mid-thirties, after finishing a long-delayed bachelor’s degree. That life-altering experience
prompted her desire to create similar transformative opportunities for other re-entry adults—
initially, women. This passion continues to inform her four decades as an educational leader
and, for over twenty years, as a dissertation advisor.
Mary’s College of California. Her career in the field of adult higher education began in her
mid-thirties, after finishing a long-delayed bachelor’s degree. That life-altering experience
prompted her desire to create similar transformative opportunities for other re-entry adults—
initially, women. This passion continues to inform her four decades as an educational leader
and, for over twenty years, as a dissertation advisor.
As a practitioner-scholar, Dr. Taylor continues to focus on promoting life-long growth and
development. These research interests have evolved to feature recent neuroscientific
discoveries including the role of emotions in how the brain really learns.
Dr. Taylor’s early experiences creating individualized degree plans now frames her facilitation
of dissertations across a wide range of subject areas (details below). Placing the adult learner’s
passion and commitment in the forefront, she guides the inquiry process toward successful,
timely completion.
In addition to dozens of journal articles, book chapters, and international conference
presentations, Dr. Tayor’s first major book, Developing Adult Learners,* won the 2000
Frandsen award for “contributions to the field.” It explores teaching and learning strategies
designed to encourage developmental growth in mid-life adults returning to college. She
and co-author Catherine Marienau have since published Facilitating Learning with the Adult
Brain in Mind. It describes revolutionary discoveries in brain science and suggests new “best
practices” for teaching and learning.
In addition to a BA in Nutritional Studies, a Master’s in Public Health, and a Ph.D. in
Transformative Higher Education, Dr. Taylor is an alumna of the Harvard Graduate School of
Education’s Adult Development Institute. In 2013, she was awarded a Fulbright grant for
research in Athens, Greece. Dr. Taylor consults internationally and presents professional
development workshops and keynotes on learning and the brain.
*co-authored with C. Marienau and M. Fiddler.
Dr. Taylor’s has advised almost 50 dissertations on a wide range of topics:
- organizational, vocational, or professional development programs in for-profit and non-
profit settings including faculty, staff, and administrators at all educational levels; - with emphasis on special populations: indigenous, international, incarcerated, immigrant,
first-gen, Latinas, Black women, reentry women, performing artists, Montessori students,
nursing students, nuns, white evangelical Christians, sworn public safety officers.