As CEL Scholars, Wigger and Kleintop will develop open-access resources, including teaching guides, annotated bibliographies, and blog posts to bridge disciplines and promote equity.
Cora Wigger, assistant professor of economics, and Amanda Kleintop, assistant professor of history, have been named the joint 2025-27 Center for Engaged Learning (CEL) Scholar. Together, they will focus on advancing data literacy in engaged learning, developing interdisciplinary resources to help faculty and students critically analyze and apply data across fields.
Wigger, who holds a doctorate in human development and social policy from Northwestern University, teaches statistics and data-focused courses in the Love School of Business. Her research centers on the intersections of education and housing policy, with a focus on racial inequality and desegregation. Wigger’s work with the “Quant4What? Collective” and the Data Nexus Faculty Advisory Committee underscores her commitment to advancing equity through quantitative methods.
Kleintop, who earned her doctorate in history from Northwestern University, specializes in digital humanities and data-intensive history courses. Her forthcoming book, “Counting the Costs of Freedom: The Fight over Compensated Emancipation after the Civil War” (UNC Press, 2025), highlights her expertise in uncovering historical data related to slavery and emancipation. She is a leader in developing digital tools and methodologies for historical scholarship at Elon, having been trained at the Enslaved.org’s National Endowment for the Humanities Institute and by the University of Richmond’s Digital Scholarship Lab.
As CEL Scholars, Wigger and Kleintop will develop open-access resources, including teaching guides, annotated bibliographies, and blog posts to bridge disciplines and promote equity. The committee praised their collaborative approach, noting its alignment with CEL’s mission and institutional goals of fostering interdisciplinary connections. Wigger will lead in year one, followed by Kleintop in year two.
Wigger and Kleintop join an esteemed group of CEL Scholars, including David Buck, Caroline Ketcham, Ketevan Kupatadze, Buffie Longmire-Avital, Phillip Motley, Amanda Sturgill and Aaron Trocki. Applications for the 2026-28 CEL Scholar will open in Fall 2025.