Teresa Boyer, EdD

Founding Director, Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership; Associate Professor, Education and Counseling Villanova University

  • Villanova PA

Teresa Boyer, EdD, is an innovative leader in economic and social equity for women.

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Spotlight

2 min

Villanova Expert Reflects on Historic Number of Golden Globe-Nominated Female Directors

For the first time in the Golden Globes Awards’ history, three women were nominated for best director. "We went from barely getting one in a category to a majority," said Teresa Boyer, EdD, founding director of Villanova University's Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership. But why are we seeing this change in narrative in 2021? "One wonders if this is in response to the pushback from so many past years, a growth in dogged pursuit of success of the women in the field or a change in both how we may have viewed movies and television in the past year," said Dr. Boyer. "While likely all of the above, one would think that the way we viewed our screen-based entertainment, with the majority being streaming activities, might have allowed audiences to explore films they would not have been as likely to pursue in the traditional 'group-goes-to-a-theater' method." Not only is there more to watch using streaming services, but online platforms could also allow for more diversity in options. "When we have the opportunity to choose anything we like, without being beholden to others in our social groups, we may find that the directors’ lenses are a better match to those of their audience." Increased options could also help more people see themselves represented on screen. "There is a reason why we say, 'representation matters.' For young women and people of color with an interest in the field, being able to see people who look like them lauded in the most highly prized mainstream award ceremonies sends the message that they too are welcome... and their leadership potential is not limited. It may also open the eyes of their peers and others in the field who previously discounted the value of their work and potential based solely on their perceptions of who should be making films."

Teresa Boyer, EdD

2 min

Kamala Harris Is First Woman, and Woman of Color, Elected Vice President

History was made on Saturday, November 7, when Kamala Harris was elected vice president of the United States, 100 years after women first won the right to vote. "Although our new president will look like almost all the others we have had in our history, the fact that we will have a woman of color in the second highest position in our executive branch for the first time ever has an importance that cannot be understated," says Teresa Boyer, EdD, director of the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership at Villanova University. "When it comes to our highest office, Americans have been famously resistant and behind other countries in selecting a woman for the role. Perhaps having a woman in the vice presidency could shift that barrier that we haven't seemed to get past." Dr. Boyer adds, "We will also have a record number of women in this congressional delegation. Although Democrats have historically sent the most women to Congress, this year, the Republicans are the ones who set a record, with at least 32 women in the House and Senate—two more than their previous record of 20 in 2006. Democrats still have the greater representation of women, though, with at least 102." "Themes of gender and race have been threaded throughout this election, as they underlie many of the crises we are currently facing as a nation. The tight races mixed with progress on women's representation indicate a national culture on the cusp of change—one exploring openness to diverse identities in the role of public leader. Not so much a wave as a slow inching forward—but forward nonetheless." "Many have said Biden will be a transitional president—due to his age, and his role as a party elder—but perhaps he would be better noted as a potentially transformational president, or a conduit to the diverse America reflected in our leadership."

Teresa Boyer, EdD

2 min

The Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

"With her passing, feminist icon and jurist Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves a legacy in both her formal role as a Supreme Court justice and author of some of the most important legal opinions during her service as well as her advocacy for gender equity," says Teresa Boyer, EdD, founding director of Villanova University's Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership. In her personal and professional life, Ginsburg created a map for women to be the equals of the most powerful leaders in our nation. "By all accounts she was a brilliant legal mind, and from the start of her career she leveraged that mind to fight for the rights of those she felt were denied them, especially women," says Dr. Boyer. "Despite her decidedly liberal stance, she held a close personal friendship with her strongest conservative opposition on the Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia. Even with their intellectual differences, they held each other as equals, respecting each other's work. In a time when cross-gender friendships were rare, especially where a woman was as powerful as a man, Ginsburg once again showed that gender needn't dictate one's status in life." "Although Sandra Day O'Connor was the first woman to sit on the nation's highest court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the one that became a literal feminist icon," notes Dr. Boyer. "Ginsburg was unapologetically fierce in her opinions, both legal and otherwise. It is this ferocity which earned her the status 'Notorious RBG.' Especially in the early days of Ginsburg's career (and some would argue even today), women could hold opinions, but to be fierce and unapologetic about them was distinctly unfeminine." The images of Ginsburg wearing her lace collar, lipstick and jewelry were a deliberate contrast, owning her femininity at the same time she owned her power. "That iconic image will be upheld for decades to come—and I suspect a run on black robes and lace collars for Halloween this year," says Dr. Boyer.

Teresa Boyer, EdD

Social

Areas of Expertise

Equity in Education
Work-Life Balance
Women's Advancement
Pay Equity
Gender Equity
Women in the Workforce
Women's Leadership
#MeToo

Biography

The founding director of the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership at Villanova University, Dr. Teresa "Terri" Boyer is a go-to media source on issues of gender equity, women in the workforce, work-life balance, women's education and leadership development.

Dr. Boyer is an accomplished author who has published widely on educational and workforce equity, institutional reform for equity, women's education and leadership, the effectiveness of equity programs and assessment and teacher training. Prior to Villanova, she served as executive director of the Center for Women and Work and as an assistant research professor at Rutgers University.

Dr. Boyer regularly speaks nationally on topics related to advancing women in education and the workplace and has worked with dozens of major companies and institutions on gender initiatives.

Education

University of Alabama

EdD

Education

University of Alabama

MA

Higher Education Administration

Villanova

BSc

Secondary Education

Affiliations

  • National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE): Executive Board
  • US Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE): Moderator, Advancing Equity in Adult, Community College, and Career and Technical Education Online Community
  • National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE): Member, Human Subjects Research Internal Review Board
  • National Science Foundation: Panel Reviewer
  • Next Steps Working Group: US Department of Education, Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education

Select Media Appearances

Leadership Faces the "Good Kind" of Identity Crisis

U.S. News & World Report  

2023-12-12

Leadership is in the midst of an identity crisis—but it's a good kind. Terri Boyer, the founding director of the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership at Villanova University, said, "I think we're really beginning to rethink all of these things... What does it mean to lead? Who is a leader? What does a leader look like?"

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Cherelle Parker Made History as the First Woman Elected Philly Mayor. Now Comes the Hard Part.

The Philadelphia Inquirer  

2023-11-12

Last week, Cherelle Parker became the first woman to be elected mayor of the City of Philadelphia. According to interviews with more than a dozen women who are mayors, CEOs and leadership experts, she will have to overcome unique obstacles that only women face, in addition to the inherent obstacles of the job. "That hyper-scrutiny that she's going to have as the first Black woman in the role means that people are going to be watching everything," said Terri Boyer, director of Villanova's McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership.

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Women Dominate Golden Globe Directing Category for First Time

KYW Newsradio  

2021-02-21

For the first time in its 77-year history, the Golden Globe Awards have nominated a majority of women in the category of Best Director of a Motion Picture... "This year is a real record breaker," said Terri Boyer, director of the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership at Villanova University. "Many people have termed it as a big crash through the glass ceiling in the film industry, in that for the first time ever, women are the majority of the nominees in the Best Director category."

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Research Grants

Advancing Equity in Career and Technical Education

US Department of Education, Office of Career Technical and Adult Education

2015-17

Technical Assistance for Implementing Career Pathways Systems Initiative

US Department of Education

2015-17

Select Academic Articles

Advancing Equity in Career and Technical Education: A Review of the Literature

Report to the US Department of Education, Office for Career Technical and Adult Education

Boyer, T., Robinson, M., Gracia-Rivera, G.

2016

Creating Pathways to Leadership: An Academy Model for Leadership Development in Career Pathways Implementation for Career and Technical Education

White paper commissioned by the US Department of Education, Office for Career Technical and Adult Education

Boyer, T., Robinson, M.

2016

Men in Women's Jobs

Sociology of Work, SAGE

Boyer, T.

2013

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