Peter S. Hlebowitsh is Professor Emeritus of Educational Policy and Leadership at The University of Alabama and served as Dean of the College of Education from 2013-2023. As dean, he provided strategic leadership across faculty development, research productivity, accreditation, enrollment management, and advancement, significantly strengthening the College’s financial position, grant capacity, and national profile. His tenure included securing major philanthropic gifts to support Adapted Athletics and programs for students with cognitive disabilities as well as overseeing substantial growth in annual advancement funding.

Prior to joining The University of Alabama, Dr. Hlebowitsh was Professor of Teaching and Learning and Department Executive Officer at the University of Iowa, where he held extensive responsibility for faculty hiring and evaluation, curriculum design, accreditation, fiscal planning, and graduate program development. His academic career also includes faculty appointments at the University of Houston and Long Island University.

Dr. Hlebowitsh earned his Ed.D. and M.A. in social and philosophical foundations of education from Rutgers University and a B.A. in anthropology, along with permanent New Jersey State Teacher Certification (K-8). An internationally recognized scholar in curriculum theory, democratic education, and the philosophical foundations of schooling, he is the author or editor of numerous influential books, including Foundations of American Education: Purpose and Promise, Designing the School Curriculum, and Radical Curriculum Theory Reconsidered. His scholarship has appeared in leading journals such as Curriculum Inquiry, Journal of Curriculum Studies, Educational Theory, and The Social Studies.

In addition to his research and teaching, Dr. Hlebowitsh has held prominent professional leadership roles, including Editor-in-Chief of Education and Culture (the journal of the John Dewey Society), Associate Editor of the Journal of Curriculum Studies, President of the Society for the Study of Curriculum History, and President of the Iowa Academy of Education. He has also served as a guest professor internationally, including appointments in Vienna and Shanghai.

Through his scholarship, leadership, and mentorship of doctoral students, Dr. Peter Hlebowitsh has made enduring contributions to curriculum studies, educational leadership, and democratic education.