Dr. Rachel Kamnkhwani joined Boise State University in 2024 and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Denver and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from East Tennessee State University.

Dr. Kamnkhwani’s research focuses on school leadership and educational leadership preparation, with particular emphasis on instructional leadership, teacher leadership, and professional learning systems. Her work also investigates communities of practice in school leadership and how collaborative learning models strengthen educator growth, school improvement, and systemwide leadership capacity. Her international research explores comparative and global education, the internalization of higher education, and gender and leadership across diverse sociocultural contexts. She also studies newcomer and immigrant communities, as well as school–university partnerships that promote supportive educational policy and practice.

Dr. Kamnkhwani employs qualitative, narrative inquiry, and mixed-methods approaches to examine the lived experiences of educators and leaders as they navigate organizational change, community engagement, and transformative leadership practices. In addition to her research, she is actively engaged in program development, graduate student mentorship, and cross-institutional collaborations that bridge local educational priorities with global perspectives on leadership and community development. She is a member of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

2024 - Ph.D. Student of the Year - Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department, Morgridge College of Education, University of Denver

2021 - PEO International Peace Ruth Freeman Scholarship Named Scholar

• School leadership and educational leadership preparation
• Professional learning systems and communities of practice for educators
• Internalization of higher education
• Gender and leadership
• Newcomer and immigrant communities
• School-university partnerships
• Supportive educational policy and practice
• Qualitative, narrative inquiry, and mixed-methods research