2026 Alumni Hall of Fame Spotlight | Dr. Daniel Blake

Dr. Daniel J. Blake is a tenure-track assistant professor of higher education in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at Georgia State University. He attended CBGS from 2005-2007 at the Warsaw campus and is a graduate of Rappahannock High School. After graduation, he majored in Government at Cornell University. Dr. Blake earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education in 2020 and was a Provost Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania until 2023.

Dr. Blake’s research focuses on organizational culture, policy, and practice in higher education, with particular attention to how race, gender, and disability shape career experiences in the academic workforce.

His research has been published in leading education journals and includes solo-authored articles in The Journal of Higher Education, The Review of Higher Education, Race Ethnicity and Education, and the Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education. Dr. Blake serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability and was lead guest co-editor of a special issue titled, “Disabled, Racially Minoritized, and Invisible: The Intersectionality of Race and Disability in Higher Education.” Dr. Blake’s publications include recommendations for practice that have implications for equity, wellbeing, and belonging across higher education.

Dr. Blake’s work is nationally recognized and he has been featured as an expert for articles in The Atlantic, Inside Higher Ed, and Diverse Issues in Higher Education. He received the 2026 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Coalition for Disability Intersectionality Award, which is given to a scholar and/or practitioner who promotes awareness of the intersectionality between disability and other identities.

Dr. Blake resides in Gwinnett County, Georgia, with his wife, Dr. Ivette Planell-Méndez, and their three children. A former second-team Northern Neck All-District basketball player, Dr. Blake saves what is left of his knees for chasing after his kids.

Join us in celebrating our incredible alumni at Linden Manor!

Date: November 14th, 2026
Time: 5:00 - 9:00
Location: Linden Manor: 11770 Tidewater Trail, Champlain, Va

Purchase Tickets or Sponsorships

If you would like to join in celebrating these outstanding alumni on November 14th at Linden Manor, or if you would be interested in sponsoring the event, you can do so by clicking on the button below: