Dr. Kari Vogelgesang is a Clinical Associate Professor of elementary education in the College of Education at the University of Iowa. She also serves as the Director of Professional Development for the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health and for the Baker Teacher Leader Center.

Dr. Vogelgesang began her career in education over 20 years ago as an elementary classroom teacher. In 2015, she graduated from the University of Iowa with her Ph.D. in special education with an area of focus on social, emotional, and behavioral disorders in school-aged children. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in social, emotional, and behavioral interventions for the classroom teacher; characteristics of disabilities; individuals with exceptional needs; and introduction to IEPs, professional practice, and educational technology. Over the last 10 years, Dr. Vogelgesang has focused much of her work on partnering with school districts across the country to develop evidence-based, relevant, and accessible teacher professional development opportunities. More recently, Vogelgesang has obtained additional educator wellness certifications to develop, execute, and research the importance of system wellness in our school communities.

Some of Vogelgesang’s work has been highlighted through professional organizations such as the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the National Education Association, and the Iowa Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Dr. Vogelgesang has been a member of numerous research projects focusing on best practice teacher professional development implementation, and evidence-based social, emotional, and behavioral interventions for students with challenging behaviors. Publications of this research can be found in numerous peer-reviewed journals and has been presented at national and international professional organization conferences.