Linda Banks-Santilli
Clinical Associate Professor (Retired)
Dr. Linda Banks-Santilli is a clinical associate professor (retired) in the Higher Education Administration program of the Educational Leadership & Policy Studies department at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Her interests include diversity in higher education, particularly as it relates to women and people of color, and helping students develop the skills, strategy, and thought leadership needed to transform today’s higher education institutions.
At BU Wheelock, Dr. Banks-Santilli served as associate dean of academic affairs, as well as ex officio on the Academic Affairs Committee and the Academic Review Committee. She also represented BU Wheelock’s interests at the University’s undergraduate and graduate councils and participated in University assessment initiatives.
At Wheelock College, Dr. Banks-Santilli was a faculty member and the dean of education & human development. In that role, she worked closely with the dean of arts & sciences and the director of international programs. She represented Wheelock College at the Colleges of the Fenway, served as a liaison to the faculty senate, and chaired the committee for promotion and tenure.
As a former first-generation college student, Dr. Banks-Santilli is interested in helping other first-generation students achieve their dreams through higher education. A former Golden Apple Award teacher from the Boston Public Schools, Dr. Banks-Santilli is eager to help shape the next generation of higher education professionals.
Pronouns: she/her
Recent News
In the Media
Education
EdD, Harvard University
MA, Lesley College
BS, Wheelock College
Selected Publications
Banks-Santilli, L. & Adelabu, D. (April 20, 2018). Four essential components of a first-generation college student success program. Academic Impressions Webinar. www.academicimpressions.com.
Banks-Santilli, L. (August 17, 2015). What does it take to become an elementary school teacher? Not just passion. www.theconversation.com.
Banks-Santilli, L. (June 3, 2015). Guilt is one of the biggest struggles first-generation college students face. The Washington Post.
Banks-Santilli, L. (June 2, 2015). Feet on campus, heart at home: first-generation college students struggle with divided identities. www.theconversation.com.
Banks-Santilli, L. (February/2014). First-generation college students and their pursuit of the American dream. Journal of Case Studies in Education.
Banks-Santilli, L. & Villegas-Reimers, E. (2013). First-generation students and their struggle to succeed. Profiles in Diversity Journal.
McKibbens, D., Shainker, S., & Banks-Santilli, L. (2008). Wheelock College: Focus Child Assessment Project. In (Eds.) Wise, A., Ehrenberg, P., & Leibbrand, J. It's all about student learning: Assessing teacher candidates' ability to impact P-12 students, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 203-212.
Banks-Santilli, L. & de Almeida, J. (2007). Brazil. Greenwood Encyclopedia of Children's Issues Worldwide, Greenwood Press.
Alkins, K., Banks-Santilli, L., Elliott, P., Guttenberg, N. & Kamii, M. (2006) Project QUEST: A journey of discovery with beginning teachers in urban schools. Equity & Excellence in Education, 39 (1), 65-80.
Banks-Santilli, L. (2003) "Understanding the School Experiences of Six Learning Adaptive Behavior Students in a Boston Public Middle School." Harvard Graduate School of Education (Doctoral Dissertation).
Selected Presentations
Adelabu, D. H., Banks-Santilli, L., Sims, K., Amankwah, R., Hernandez, L., & Castiblanco, M. (2025, November). Building on parents'/caregivers' knowledge of child development to foster rural students' success [Conference presentation]. Annual Conference of the Northeastern Education Research Association on Promoting Social Responsibility in Educational Research, Trumbull, CT.
Hawaii International Conference on Education, Co-Presented Session on “Teaching & and Learning Practices to Affirm and Sustain a Positive Ethnic Identity Among Underrepresented Students of Color,” January 4, 2023.
Hawaii International Conference on Education, Co-Presented Session on “First-Generation Student Success” January 4-7, 2020.
Princeton University 1 Ivy First-Generation Conference, “Guilt: Soaring Past the Hidden Inhibitor of First-Generation Low-Income Success,” Invited Speaker, February 16, 2019.
Academic Impressions Webcast, Co-Delivered Webcast titled, “4 Essential Components of a First-Generation College Student Success Program,” April 20, 2018.