Dena Simmons, Ed.D., is the Assistant Director of Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Prior to her work at the Center, Dena served as an educator, teacher educator, diversity facilitator, and curriculum developer. She has been a leading voice on teacher education and has written and spoken across the country about social justice pedagogy, diversity, education reform, emotional intelligence, and bullying all over the nation. Dena is a recipient of numerous awards and fellowships. She earned her doctorate degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she now teaches aspiring school leaders in the Summer Principals Academy. Dena’s research interests include teacher preparedness to address bullying in the K-12 school setting, culturally responsive pedagogy, and the intersection of equity and social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions—all in an effort to ensure and foster justice and safe spaces for all. She is the author of the forthcoming book, White Rules for Black People (St. Martin’s Press, 2021).