Joanna Sackel

Joanna Sackel is an assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences. She received her B.A. summa cum laude and both her J.D. and M.S.W from Washington University in St. Louis. Sackel also spent a year pursuing a year-long intensive history course at Keble College, Oxford University.

As an attorney, Sackel focused on commercial leasing, particularly matters involving the communications industry. Additionally, she has represented parties in a range of litigation and rights matters at both the state and federal levels, including assisting victims of domestic violence with petitions under the Violence Against Women Act. After several years in private legal practice, she segued to the field of higher education. Sackel served as student development director at the University of Miami School of Law, working closely with students to navigate the unique personal and professional challenges of law school. She joined Lynn’s faculty in 2015. As a professor, Sackel draws upon the wide variety of her educational and professional experiences

• B.A. Washington University in St. Louis
• Keble College, Oxford University
• M.S.W. Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis
• J.D. Washington University in St. Louis

Joanna Sackel’s role as a professor is to instill passion for the love of learning and to provide students with the skills necessary to become successful in any career. Her philosophy is to stimulate discussion and to engage in debate through a respectful exchange of ideas so that her students can achieve intellectual growth. Her courses emphasize the relevance of foundational texts related to issues impacting students’ everyday lives. In classroom discussions, students apply ideas from these foundational texts to current events. She is a firm believer in the Socratic method of teaching, as it entices students to do more than just read, memorize and recall information; it encourages reflection as well as the ability to listen and ask meaningful questions, all of which promote deeper learning and mutual understanding.

• Justice in American Life
• Constitutional Law
• Women’s History
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Interdisciplinary Studies