2025 Faculty First-Look Scholars

Tim Herd is currently a 4th year PhD Candidate and Wasserman Fellow in the Higher Education & Organizational Change (HEOC) program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Tim earned his BA in Elementary Education from Michigan State University (MSU) and his MSEd in Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania. In his role as a creative consultant, Tim partners with different non-profits and other organizations around the areas of governance, culture, and student success. Some of these organizations have included the Posse Foundation, North Carolina State University (NCSU), and the Equity Research Cooperative (EqRC). Along with co-founding the Doctoral Student Writing Collective, an organization focused on supporting over 350 historically underrepresented doctoral students in navigating their program through writing sessions and professional development, he also has launched independent organizations. Tim is the founder of two organizations, Rising Black Men and the Grosse Pointe Black Alumni Association, the latter non-profit in which he currently serves as President.

Jane Y. Jeong is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Equity and Diversity Program within the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a 2024-25 LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) Fellow and a recipient of the 2025-26 University of Texas at Austin Graduate School Continuing Fellowship. She earned her B.S. in Child Development and M.S. in Special Education from California State University, Fullerton. As a 1.5-generation Korean-American immigrant, she grew up serving as a cultural and linguistic broker for her family while also navigating the special education system as the older sibling of an individual with autism. Before pursuing her doctorate, she worked as a special education teacher at a public Title I elementary school, collaborating with students and families from historically marginalized communities. These lived and professional experiences inform her commitment to interrogating the systemic inequities that shape family-school relationships and reinforcing deficit-based narratives in special education policy and practice.

Cristina Nader is a dedicated advocate for marginalized students in higher education, particularly first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students. As a Chicana and first-generation college student, Cristina brings a unique perspective to her career. Beyond personal experience, Cristina has had the privilege of working with students from similar backgrounds, which solidified her commitment to advocating for equitable educational environments. Throughout her professional journey, she has observed the determination and persistence of FGLI students, motivating her to do everything possible to help them succeed.

Cristina is a doctoral candidate at Texas A&M University. With a robust academic foundation, Cristina holds a Master of Public Administration from Rutgers University, specializing in International Public Service and Development, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Marketing from Texas Christian University (TCU). 

Professionally, Cristina has amassed a wealth of experience through various roles that emphasize her commitment to student success and development. Before pursuing her doctorate, she was the Director of TRIO Student Support Services, where she managed a significant grant budget and provided tailored support services alongside a team of colleagues. As Program Director for The Posse Foundation, she and her team focused on student retention and academic performance. As an Educational Adviser for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, she created personalized learning plans for scholarship recipients, leading to a high persistence rate. Earlier, Cristina was the Student Success and Outreach Coordinator at TCU, developing mentorship and cultural awareness programs. She also served as a Municipal Development Volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps in El Salvador, where she helped establish computer labs and a municipal library, showcasing her commitment to community development and social equity.

Driven by a passion for equity and inclusivity, Cristina’s multifaceted experiences have shaped her into a well-rounded leader in higher education. She is committed to advocating for marginalized populations and implementing data-driven strategies that enhance student experiences. As she continues her journey through academia, Cristina seeks to contribute innovative approaches to education that foster growth, learning, and success for all students. Her trajectory is characterized by a strong commitment to excellence, service, and transformational leadership in the educational landscape.

In her free time, Cristina likes to stay active by going on walks with loved ones, practicing yoga, and dabbling in high-intensity interval training. She is also an aspiring anthophile and has a love for podcasts and audiobooks, always open to new recommendations to expand her circle of knowledge.

Emerald Green received a B.A. from San Jose State University (SJSU) in Child and Adolescent Development (CHAD), and an M.A. from the University of San Francisco (USF) in Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA). Emerald is an equity-minded educator with a 10+ year journey in Higher Education and Student Affairs, and brings with her direct experience and leadership in the following functional areas: Orientation and Transition, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Conduct, and Cultural and Affinity Space work, as well as partnerships with Student Athlete Development and Study Abroad units. 

Emerald currently serves as the Assistant Director of African American Student Development (AASD), working alongside the Fannie Lou Hamer Black Resource Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to coming back to Berkeley, she served as the Program Director for the Black Leadership and Opportunity Center (The BLOC) at San Jose State University (SJSU), directly advancing Black student success and elevating Black excellence through identity and cultural programming, student leadership development, pre-matriculation programs, Annual Black Graduation, and Black History Month programs and initiatives. Through this role, she led the transition and re-opening of the BLOC during COVID, and strengthened campus-wide and community partnerships with key organizations such as the Black Alumni Network (BAN), and the African American Community Service Agency (AACSA), a San Jose family resource center that awarded the BLOC with the Excellence in Education Award in 2023 during her tenure.

Javania Michelle Webb, Ph.D is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Riverside. Dr. Javania Michelle earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies with an emphasis on Social Justice & Women & Gender Studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). As a Black Feminist researcher, Dr. Javania Michelle utilizes qualitative analysis and draws on a range of interdisciplinary methods such as life history, community and youth participatory action research, and ethnographic methodologies. She is currently working on a landscape analysis of BlackQueer organizations in the Midwestern part of the United States. Her research interests are Black Queerness, Social Justice, Women Studies, and Youth Empowerment. One of her aspirations is to change the conversation for BlackQueer People, especially youth. Also, Dr. Javania Michelle is the founder of You Are Worthy, Incorporated, an organization committed to providing mentoring and leadership opportunities for BlackQueer Youth. This organization gives an array of experiences in different visualizations by keeping diversity and inclusion at the forefront. Currently Dr. Webb is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Riverside, she’s the project manager for the Family Housing and Me Project working with Dr. Brandon A. Robinson. This project is a longitudinal study following LBGTQ youth ages 16-19 in the Inland Empire and South Texas about their experiences with their nuclear family and other family members.

Kourtney Kawano (she/her) is a wahine ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian woman) scholar specializing in critical inquiries into race, ethnicity, and culture across K–16 schooling pipelines. She is a PhD Candidate in Social Sciences and Comparative Education at UCLA School of Education and Information Studies. The proverb “ʻAʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi (all knowledge is not taught in the same school)” grounds her research on Indigenous learning and resistance in schools, homes, and communities. Her current project comparing Kanaka ʻŌiwi families’ experiences navigating culture-based and assimilationist schooling models builds upon her previous work on Kanaka ʻŌiwi ethnic-racial socialization and identity formation in contemporary multiracial societies. A proud first-generation college graduate, Kourtney is deeply committed to advancing community-engaged and family-centered research and normalizing Pacific Islander pedagogies in higher education.

Vanessa Anyanso (she/her) is a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She is currently a University of Minnesota Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellow and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. She holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Columbia University. Broadly, her work uses qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the structural, societal, and individual level factors that affect the psychological well-being of Black and other marginalized populations. Her first line of research in graduate school specifically focused on the impact of the Minneapolis Unrest on mental health in a diverse university community and factors, such as interpersonal communication and engagement in activism, that moderated that relationship. She currently is a graduate research assistant on a NIH-funded, community-based intervention that seeks to increase sleep and physical activity in Black, church-going adults. 

Clinically, Vanessa is passionate about providing culturally appropriate care to individuals holding marginalized identities and has worked in college counseling, community mental health, VA hospital, and private practice settings. In 2024, she received the University of Minnesota’s Graduate & Professional Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity Award in recognition of her long-standing commitment to advancing equity and social justice and centering marginalized individuals in her research and clinical work. She currently is a Member-At-Large for the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS), the Student Representative for the DC Psychological Association (DCPA), and the Eastern Graduate Representative for the Association of Black Psychologist’s (ABPsi) Student Circle. Above all, she is the proud daughter of Nigerian Immigrants and was born and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. In her free time, she enjoys powerlifting, traveling, reading, writing, playing video games, watching women’s basketball, and spending time with family and friends. 

Samantha D. Aguilar is a doctoral candidate in the Educational Psychology Department at Texas A&M University, holding a B.A. in Psychology from Texas State University. With over five years of experience in both quantitative and qualitative research, her work focuses on identity development, STEM learning, and the role of cultural and social-emotional resources in overcoming academic challenges.

As a graduate research assistant on an NIH-funded study, Samantha analyzes longitudinal data to assess the impact of undergraduate research experiences (URE) and faculty mentorship on the long-term success of underrepresented students in biomedical fields. Her research informs strategies to enhance diversity and retention in STEM by examining how mentorship quality and URE exposure influence career outcomes and well-being for Black and Hispanic scientists.

She also served as the lead graduate researcher on an NSF-funded project for two years, exploring how advanced educational technologies—such as augmented reality (AR) and generative AI—using embodied learning pedagogy impact spatial thinking and mathematical skills.

Honored as an Avilés-Johnson Fellow and a Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholar, Samantha actively engages in leadership roles within her department and university. These roles include serving as president of her department's graduate student organization, a representative on the College of Education’s graduate student advisory council, and chair of external relations for Texas A&M's Latinx Graduate Student Association.

These roles have shaped her interests and led to her dissertation, “Cultural Congruity for Latino Students in STEM: Fostering STEM and Ethnic Identity.” This research employs a mixed-method design to investigate the cultural experiences of Latino STEM undergraduates at an R1 Hispanic Serving Institution in Texas.

On track to graduate in May 2026, Samantha is actively pursuing tenure-track faculty positions at research-intensive universities. Her ultimate goal is to leverage her research, teaching, and service to cultivate the next generation of resilient and culturally affirmed scientists and researchers, empowering them to make significant contributions to the STEM workforce.

Halito! Sa hohchifo yut Halito! Sa hohchifo yut Tiffani Kelly, Chahta Sia Hoke. 

Hello! My name is Tiffani Kelly, I am a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. I am currently a third year PhD student at the University of Oklahoma, which is located on Hasinai (Caddo Nation) and Kirikirʔi:s (Wichita & Affiliated Tribes) lands. I am in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program, with an emphasis on Indigenous Higher Education. My research interests are focused around working with and supporting Indigenous populations in higher education, and understanding the policies and practices that influence and center land-based practices and Indigenous epistemologies.

I attended Colorado State University (CSU) and earned a B.S. in Natural Sciences in 2012 and a M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education in 2014. After graduation, I served as the Assistant Director in the Native American Cultural Center at CSU for 8 years. I am a first-generation college student, student affairs practitioner, aspiring Critical Indigenous scholar, and an Indigenous woman who believes that education can be a transformational experience with the potential to change communities for the better. 

My doctoral research will center the stories and relationships of Indigenous upper-level administrators working in Tribal Relations roles, and their experiences of Indigenizing higher educational spaces. This research will be rooted in Indigenous methodologies and critical analysis practices, contributing to building more relations and accountability within the institutions, as well as outside the institution with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities. By centering Indigenous knowledges/expertise, this research has implications on institutional policy and practices, and provides guidance for the future of Indigenous focused administrative positions, as well as relationships with Tribal Nations.
, Chahta Sia Hoke. 
Hello! My name is Tiffani Kelly, I am a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. I am currently a third year PhD student at the University of Oklahoma, which is located on Hasinai (Caddo Nation) and Kirikirʔi:s (Wichita & Affiliated Tribes) lands. I am in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program, with an emphasis on Indigenous Higher Education. My research interests are focused around working with and supporting Indigenous populations in higher education, and understanding the policies and practices that influence and center land-based practices and Indigenous epistemologies.

I attended Colorado State University (CSU) and earned a B.S. in Natural Sciences in 2012 and a M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education in 2014. After graduation, I served as the Assistant Director in the Native American Cultural Center at CSU for 8 years. I am a first-generation college student, student affairs practitioner, aspiring Critical Indigenous scholar, and an Indigenous woman who believes that education can be a transformational experience with the potential to change communities for the better. 

My doctoral research will center the stories and relationships of Indigenous upper-level administrators working in Tribal Relations roles, and their experiences of Indigenizing higher educational spaces. This research will be rooted in Indigenous methodologies and critical analysis practices, contributing to building more relations and accountability within the institutions, as well as outside the institution with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities. By centering Indigenous knowledges/expertise, this research has implications on institutional policy and practices, and provides guidance for the future of Indigenous focused administrative positions, as well as relationships with Tribal Nations.

Amira Nash is pursuing a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning in the Literacy, Culture, and Language Education program from the University of Iowa. Her research interests include sociolinguistics, educational policy, and educational equity related to Black English and Black students identified as ELLs. Amira is also the associate director of School Partnerships and Global Education Initiatives at the University of Iowa College of Education. Prior to this role, Amira taught high school social studies and students identified as English Language Learners (ELL) for four years. She earned both her B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Teaching, Leadership and Cultural Competency from the University of Iowa.

Dora D. Onwumere is a PhD candidate and Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Under the mentorship of Dr. Kristie Patten, Counselor to the President, she contributes to several National Science Foundation (NSF) projects, including Developing Abilities and Knowledge for Careers in Design and Engineering for Students on the Autism Spectrum by Scaling Up Making Experiences and Making Mentors: Empowering Autistic High School & College Students in STEM.

Dora’s dissertation explores how autistic-to-autistic peer mentoring influences self-advocacy skills and identity development among secondary and postsecondary students. She examines perceptions of self-advocacy, the barriers autistic students face, and the skills necessary for navigating education. 

Her research also investigates how shared autistic experiences shape mentor-mentee relationships and the identity changes mentors experience. By integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, she aims to assess the impact of peer mentoring on self-advocacy and personal growth.

Dora is dedicated to empowering autistic individuals and marginalized students with disabilities by co-authoring presentations and publications with them and actively involving participants throughout the research process. Her work amplifies underrepresented voices and promotes inclusivity in education and beyond, offering valuable insights into strengthening self-advocacy and identity development for autistic students.

Before pursuing her doctorate, Dora earned a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the New York Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science from Stony Brook University. With over 18 years of clinical experience, she has worked with New York City Public Schools’ (NYCPS) Nest and Horizon programs, the largest autistic inclusion initiatives in the country. As a former Senior Instructional Therapist and a current Supervisor of Occupational Therapy in the Bronx, Dora has collaborated with therapists across all five boroughs and at NYU, developing workshops and training programs on inclusive education and evidence-based practices.

Dora has presented at national and international conferences and contributed to publications such as the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. She was the first practicing occupational therapist in NYCPS to receive Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, leading to a quasi-experimental research study published in the Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention. Dora has also been featured in news articles and podcasts. Additionally, she co-wrote and secured a federal grant for the Sensory Exploration, Education, and Discovery (SEED) program, supporting its development and implementation in NYCPS across 80 school locations.

Recently, Dora was accepted into the ReproRehab Learner Program, which trains rehabilitation researchers in foundational data science skills to improve research reproducibility. She remains committed to advancing the field of occupational therapy and has been invited to support many major projects. Moving forward, Dora aims to drive progress in education and occupational therapy by fostering collaboration, producing impactful scholarship, and shaping policies that support students with disabilities in both K-12 and higher education settings.

James Asare is in the final stages of his Ph.D. in Mathematics and Science Education at Washington State University, specializing in Mathematics Education with a cognate in Special Education. As a first-generation student, his academic journey has been shaped by personal experiences with mathematics education, particularly the challenges of the “not a math-person” rhetoric. His dedication to empowering underrepresented students as math learners and encouraging those who struggle with the subject to embrace its opportunities has earned him several educational accolades, including the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Distinguished Service.

James currently serves as a Graduate Research Associate on a joint grant between the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Teaching and Learning, working to humanize mathematics teacher preparation and education across the state to make math more accessible to students from underserved backgrounds through an asset-based approach. Prior to his doctoral studies, he earned a B.S. in Mathematics and an MPhil. in Pure Mathematics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, followed by an M.S. in Applied Mathematics at Washington State University. 

James’ interdisciplinary interests span mathematics education, special education, and computational social science, focusing on equity, and culturally responsive teaching. James is dedicated to bridging research and practice and welcomes opportunities for collaboration. Beyond his professional engagements, James enjoys the outdoors and is a passionate reader and poet, using writing as a creative outlet.

Xue Wang is a Ph.D. candidate at Johns Hopkins University School of Education. Born and raised in northern China, She obtained her BA in English Language and Literature from Shantou University, followed by an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Hong Kong. After completing her Master’s degree, she worked as a research assistant at the Education University of Hong Kong for two years, investigating effective instructional leadership among China’s K-12 school principals. As a first-generation student, Xue’s educational path inspired her research interests. She personally experienced how developing a sense of ownership and control over her own education transformed her learning journey. This experience inspired her research interest on learner autonomy. Her work has been published in the Regional Language Centre (RELC) Journal, International Journal of Educational Research, and Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, among others. Beyond her primary research on learner autonomy, Xue has developed expertise in meta-analysis methodology. She has led and contributed to multiple meta-analysis projects. Additionally, she co-developed MateMate, an AI tool for automated data extraction in educational meta-analyses, available at https://metamate.online/

Camille Ungco-Santos (she/her) is a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington - Seattle, College of Education in Language, Literacy, and Culture. She is the child of Kapampangan and Tagalog immigrants who settled in Lenape lands or New Jersey. Her research and teaching interests focus on Asian Critical Race Theory and anti-colonial pedagogies in teacher education as well as multilingual education policies and practices. She has published in the Journal for Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, Northwest Journal of Teacher Education, and The Reading Teacher. A former 4th grade Title I public school teacher in Las Vegas, Nevada's Clark County School District, Camille was recently awarded a Fulbright research grant to study Philippine multilingual teacher education at the University of the Philippines - Diliman.

Chandler K. Hawkins is a critical qualitative researcher and educator whose work examines the intersections of race, gender, and belonging in higher education. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education at Indiana University Bloomington, where her research centers the experiences and material lives of Black women. Guided by Black feminist perspectives, her work examines the interconnection of belonging and desirability, understanding the ways Black women navigate campus spaces, resist dominant discourses, and cultivate self-definitions within postsecondary environments. 

Chandler has conducted in-depth studies utilizing a variety of qualitative methodologies to amplify historically marginalized voices. Her research has been recognized at multiple national conferences and publications, including work on student-athlete well-being, participatory action research in governance, and digital media’s influence on identity formation. She has contributed to scholarly conversations in outlets such as the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), Personal Relationships, and New Directions for Student Services. 

Beyond research, Chandler is a dedicated educator and believes education is a site of liberation. She adopts pedagogical approaches that prioritize critical engagement and the creation of inclusive learning spaces where students are empowered to bring their holistic selves into the classroom. As an emerging scholar, Chandler is committed to actionable change in higher education, seeing research as a tool for truth and storytelling. 

Proudly from Queens, New York, Elizabeth Aritonang is a first-generation Indonesian American doctoral candidate in the Education Policy and Planning Program at The University of Texas at Austin. Her family is Batak, hailing specifically from North Sumatra. During her doctoral program she also completed a fellowship with the Center for the study of Race and Democracy, where she compared New York and Texas’ school funding mechanisms. Currently Elizabeth is the Communications & Programs Assistant for the Association for Education Finance and Policy and Graduate Research Assistant for LONESTARP3, a Texas Education Research-Practice-Policy Partnership Network. 

Prior to attending UT Austin, Elizabeth served as the Senior Legislative Budget Analyst for the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee, where she primarily worked on the elementary and secondary education, as well as public libraries budget. A proud alumna of the Educational Opportunities Program, which supports economically and historically disadvantaged students, she holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in education administration and policy studies from the State University of New York at Albany. Elizabeth also completed a fellowship with the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society during her graduate studies. Her fellowship placement was with the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, where she worked on research and advocacy impacting children and families living in poverty.

Celine Norman (she/her) is a 4th year doctoral student in the Cultural Studies in Education program at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She earned her M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from UT Austin and her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Ethnic Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno where she was a McNair Scholar and Dean’s Future Scholar. As a first-generation college student and product of youth-mentoring, her research interests are at the intersection of critical pedagogies, critical youth-work practices, and the politics of emotions in education. Her dissertation project is a qualitative case study that bridges theories of coloniality and decoloniality, critical pedagogy, and women of color feminist epistemologies in order to explore the affective and embodied dimensions of teaching and learning within a youth-mentoring program for boys of color. This work examines the ways that racially minoritized youth narrate their experiences with critical, affective and embodied pedagogies, and seeks to reimagine how the body and emotions can be engaged pedagogically beyond popular frameworks like Social Emotional Learning (SEL) that largely neglect a broader politics of emotions.

Ebenezer Kobina Mensah is a scholar-practitioner, storyteller, and educator whose work focuses on African Indigenous models and epistemologies, assessment, and social transformation within higher education. He is a Ph.D. candidate in the Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy program with a concentration in Student Affairs at the University of Maryland (UMD). He holds a Master of Philosophy in Guidance and Counseling and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, where his early research interest in student affairs, decolonization, and teaching was fostered. Ebenezer is a recipient of the Dean’s Fellowship award, the DO GOOD Accelerator Fellow, and the Gold Public Health Innovation Accelerator Fellow at UMD. Currently, he serves as a Resident Director at the University of Maryland’s Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life, where he acts as the liaison between the university, chapter houses, contractors, and stakeholders to ensure the proactive maintenance and improvement of a $5 million university-owned residential building. In the department, he serves as a graduate assistant for assessment.

Ebenezer has developed a diverse perspective throughout his academic trajectory, influencing his scholarly work by referencing African and Indigenous epistemologies, decolonial theories and practices, and critical race theory to impact systems and uplift marginalized voices. His educational and professional trajectory demonstrates a dedication to bridging the gap between theory and lived experience, as well as academic excellence. He brings a wealth of professional experience in pre-tertiary, higher education, research, teaching, and community engagement. He is aware of the difficulties professionals encounter when integrating theory into practice for African students due to his background working in teaching and research, resident life, academic advising, and counseling at various levels of educational institutions in Ghana and the United States. His work, consistently grounded in the principles of justice, African epistemologies, community, and collective transformation, demonstrates a dynamic interplay between scholarly research and real-world application.

As a Ghanaian, he is the founding chair of True Community’s organization’s Black Stars Wellness Initiative, which aims to extend public health impacts globally, explicitly focusing on establishing multiple training centers across Ghana and other African countries within the next five years to expand access to lifesaving skills and boost health literacy in marginalized communities, where cardiovascular diseases and cardiac incidents are far more likely to end in death than in the Global North. He also serves as the Nation Builders Club project coordinator, facilitating the implementation of mindset education programs in basic and senior higher schools in Ghana and promoting personal development in Ghanaian higher education institutions.

Ebenezer has a strong interest in music and sporting activities. As a music lover, his voice is melodious, euphonious, dulcet, honeyed, and comforting, epitomizing an ethereal quality that relieves tension and commands attention. He uses music listening and singing as a therapy and self-care activity. As an athlete, Ebenezer has participated in cross-country and track athletics throughout various levels of education in Ghana and is ardently supportive of Manchester United FC in England and Ebusua Dwarfs FC in Cape Coast, Ghana.  

Daisy Rodriguez (ella, she, her) is a fourth- year doctoral candidate in Higher Education in the Department of Education Policy Studies at Pennsylvania State University. She holds a master's degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs (SAHE) from Miami University, Ohio, and dual bachelor's degrees in Public Administration and Political Science with an option in Legal Studies from California State University, Chico.

Daisy’s research is grounded in Critical Race Theory and Chicana feminism, both of which guide her commitment to interrogating and challenging systemic inequities in higher education. She draws from her lived experience as a Latina, daughter of Mexican immigrants, and first-generation college student to examine how structures of power and exclusion operate within academic institutions. These intersecting identities inform her daily praxis and scholarly orientation as she seeks to center the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous and more racially minoritized People of Color. 

Her dissertation employs a Critical Race Feminista Methodological approach, bridging Critical Race Theory and Chicana feminist epistemologies, to examine how educational gag order laws influence institutional compliance at four-year public universities in Florida and Texas. Daisy’s study focuses on the impact of these laws on Women of Color faculty, particularly their ability to engage in critical pedagogies, exercise academic freedom, and build affirming intellectual spaces. By attending to the emotional, political, and professional consequences of these restrictive policies, she advocates for more equitable, liberatory, and care-centered academic environments.

Daisy’s scholarship is driven by a deep commitment to social justice and coalition-building. Critical Race Theory pushes her to critique the racialized structures embedded in higher education, while Chicana feminism calls her to center relational knowledge production, community accountability, and the everyday acts of resistance enacted by Women of Color. Together, these frameworks enable her to reimagine the possibilities of academic life beyond institutional constraint.

Stacy Reid Seward is a doctoral candidate in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, specializing in Community and Applied Social Psychology. She holds a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Psychology and Counseling and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in School Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in History and Social Science from North Carolina Central University. Drawing from her experience as an executive director and community organizer, Stacy bridges the gap between activism, community, and the academy. Her work connects theory and practice by fostering transformative, community-centered and community-driven scholarship that acknowledges the intersections of place, power, and identity.

Natosha Daniels is an artist as well as a partner and mother of three children in public schooling systems. Born of two cultures, one violently cleaved from the other and separated by the Middle Passage, both equally influence her identity as a community organizer. She has worked in education for almost two decades at all levels, from Pre-K to an early college/community college model. Currently, she is an education policy doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at Austin. She co-led a Black parent organization for eight years, holding roles focused on parent systems navigation, co-director of communications, and Black parent education policy. She is also a member of several local education organizing groups and policy consortiums. She is a 2023 Washington, DC Archer Fellow and recipient of the UT Austin Ellis Alexander Fellowship.

I, Christina Hewko, have worked in the field of education in various roles for over fifteen years, including tutor, substitute teacher, high school Social Studies and Humanities teacher, teacher educator, and researcher. Teaching high school increased my awareness of the constraints and challenges within our education system, specifically enacting a culturally relevant and justice-oriented pedagogy. My interest and desire to improve anti-racist and justice-oriented PK-12 teacher learning and development in service of student learning led me to pursue a PhD in Education at UC Santa Cruz. While pursuing my PhD, I worked as a teacher educator and supervisor to keep my research grounded in the work of teachers and students. As a teacher educator, I have grappled alongside Ethnic Studies teachers to reimagine new ways of being in community with students that disrupt punitive classroom practices. Indeed, I hope to contribute to a body of research and movement that transforms society—one that goes beyond reimagining and reforming by actively dismantling the prison industrial complex.

Roger Davis, Jr. (he/him) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Higher Education in the School of Education at the University of Mississippi. Roger, a rural, first-generation student, was born and raised in the Mississippi Delta. He earned his B.S. in Biochemistry and M.S. in Educational Leadership with a focus on student affairs and higher education, both from Mississippi State University. 

As the Program Director for Access and Engagement at the University of Mississippi, he has dedicated himself to inspiring and empowering students, educators, and staff by cultivating an environment where all individuals feel supported and motivated to reach their fullest potential.

Roger’s research agenda, shaped by his experiences as a Black, rural, and first-generation student, explores two key areas. First, he examines the intersection of race and rurality in shaping students' higher education experiences, focusing on how rural Black students leverage cultural capital to navigate challenges and persist in academic environments. Second, he investigates the racialized experiences of Black student leaders in higher education, exploring how race influences their leadership roles and the challenges they face. Roger is committed to advancing the access, success, and support of students in higher education.

Hannah K. D'Apice is a PhD candidate at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education. Prior to her doctoral studies, Hannah managed multi-state randomized controlled trials evaluating K-12 education curricula and programming. She also worked professionally as a classroom teacher in Texas and Singapore, with additional volunteer teaching in rural Indonesia. Her students have ranged in age from pre-k to adult, and have come from a variety of backgrounds: multiply-marginalized youth, vocational students, domestic migrant workers, and internally displaced refugees. As a former teacher, the core values of Hannah's work are rooted in servant leadership. She decided to transition from teaching to research with the intent of building a career focused on advancing our collective knowledge about the relationship between education and social inequality. Hannah has an M.A. in Sociology and an M.A. in International Education Policy Analysis, both from Stanford University, as well as a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University.

Asuka Ichikawa (she/her) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Higher Education program at Boston College. As an international scholar originally from Japan, her research explores international student migration, transnational identity/mental health, and human security in the context of international higher education. 

Beyond empirical research, her work explores digital storytelling and the integration of creative nonfiction writing into academic writing to democratize knowledge-making processes. For example, she produces and hosts an audio interview series/podcast for the Research with International Students (RIS) network. Moreover, to promote the mentorship opportunities and well-being of graduate students and early-career scholars, she has been involved with the WES-CIHE Summer Institute at Boston College as part of the organizing committee, and as a team lead for the Dissertation/Publication Mentorship Workshops for the New Scholars Committee at the Comparative International Education Society (CIES) conference.

Santiago Ojeda-Ramírez is a Ph.D. candidate in Education at the University of California, Irvine. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, he holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and an M.A. in Digital Humanities from Universidad de los Andes. Early in his career, he worked across disciplines—ranging from biosignal analysis in biomedical labs to designing digital cultural archives and educational tools. These projects helped him see the value of combining technical skills with storytelling, creativity, and cultural relevance.

After completing graduate studies, Santiago became a science and computer science teacher in elementary and middle schools in Bogotá. His experience in the classroom made a deep impact, particularly around how young people—especially those from under-resourced communities—are often positioned as users rather than creators of technology. That realization led him to pursue doctoral training in education to explore how computing and AI could be taught in more inclusive and empowering ways.

At UC Irvine, Santiago has contributed to multiple NSF-funded projects at the intersection of technology, equity, and learning. His work is informed by his cross-disciplinary background and by navigating educational systems in both Latin America and the U.S. He is especially interested in how design, cultural practices, and storytelling can help students explore complex technologies like AI.

Santiago is committed to mentoring Latinx students and building learning environments that connect technical knowledge with students' lived experiences. Outside of research, he enjoys fiction, poetry, and staying grounded in his cultural roots through creative practice and community work.

Erica S. Anderson (She/Her) is a dual PhD/MPH candidate at the University of South Florida. She’s pursuing a doctorate in Behavioral and Community Sciences with a specialization in Cultural Competence and Health Disparities. At the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Erica decided to pursue an MPH to better understand the potential impact of the pandemic on mental and behavioral health disparities. Before matriculating at USF, Erica earned her B.S. in Psychology and Minor in Philosophy at the University of Tampa, and a M.S. in Counseling from Bethune-Cookman University. As a first-generation college graduate, education and sharing resources to empower individuals to make informed decisions is at the foundation to her trajectory. 

As a practicing mental health professional, Erica weaves a common thread across her professional, teaching, and research experiences. Her research interests include racial/ethnic physical and mental health disparities, culturally adapted mental/behavioral health treatment/interventions, and exploring ways to enhance the existing behavioral health workforce (focus on Community Health Workers). Erica has taught courses on behavioral health and cultural diversity, mental illness, and addictive disorders. She has contributed to various research projects, including the Black Women’s Mental Health Initiative, the evaluation of the This is My Brave platform, a book chapter on Physical Health Disparities Facing Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the United States Today, and more. 

Armando Lizarraga is a doctoral candidate in the Program in Higher Education Leadership and Policy (PHELP) at The University of Texas at Austin. His work with Project MALES, the Texas Prison Education Initiative, and Texas Appleseed has deeply shaped his research, teaching, and practice. These experiences have reinforced his commitment to advancing diversity and equity in higher education.

Armando, a local of Inglewood, California, has an academic background shaped by the California Community College system, the University of California system, the Ivy League, and the University of Texas system. His experiences growing up in a working-class, Black, Brown, and immigrant community and navigating higher education from the margins have shaped his research agenda, which focuses on incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, financial aid, and postsecondary education access in carceral facilities. His dissertation examines the economic and systemic barriers incarcerated women face in accessing higher education, with a particular focus on a state-funded loan program in the U.S. Southwest that ties tuition assistance to parole-based repayment. Through a qualitative case study, he explores the policy’s impact on access, student debt, and reentry outcomes from the perspectives of formerly incarcerated women. By centering on their experiences, his work seeks to provide a more nuanced understanding of the intersections of gender, incarceration, and higher education while advocating for policies that humanize and reimagine educational opportunities.

Armando’s work has been supported by organizations such as The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), the Bard Prison Initiative, the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE), the ECMC Foundation, and the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE). He holds an Associate of Arts in General Studies from El Camino College, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Chicana/o Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master of Arts in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Beyond academia, Armando embraces many heartfelt roles as a son, brother, tío, grandson, friend, mentor, and educator. These roles anchor his work and highlight his commitment to the communities he serves.

Rogelio Salazar is a first-generation Chicano, P-16 critical policy scholar, and fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Higher Education & Organizational Change program at UCLA, with a cognate in Public Policy. A native of Oceanside - North County San Diego, he is the son of Mexican immigrants from Oaxaca and Guanajuato, Mexico. Rogelio earned his B.A. in Human Development with a concentration in Counseling from Cal State San Marcos and holds two master’s degrees, one in Educational Counseling and another in Education from UCLA. Prior to pursuing his Ph.D., Rogelio dedicated nearly a decade to working in North County San Diego schools — from elementary to alternative education — where he led independent mentorship efforts for at-promise youth and college access work through TRIO programs. He has also held positions within California’s Cal State, Community Colleges systems, and the University of Michigan, including roles at the Public Policy Institute of California and The Education Trust–West. Currently, he serves as a Doctoral Researcher with the CCHALES Research Collective at San Diego State University, led by Dr. Eric Felix, and as a Graduate Researcher in Dr. Cecilia Rios-Aguilar’s lab at UCLA.

Born and raised in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Laura Assanmal Peláez is an educator, youth worker, urban ethnographer, community organizer, and doctoral student. In her work, Laura explores the experiences of asylum-seeking South and Central American youth in the New York City public school system, as well as students experiencing housing insecurity. Currently, her participatory action research explores how immigrant, unhoused, & mixed-status family students exercise agency and develop strategies to navigate a city and school system where they encounter oppressive geographies.

Laura is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology of Education at NYU Steinhardt’s School of Culture, Education and Human Development. Prior to joining NYU Steinhardt, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Research and Public Policy with a minor in Political Science from NYU Abu Dhabi in 2021.

Prior to starting her doctoral journey, Laura has been part of Engaging Latino Communities for Education (ENLACE) at the Bronx Institute at CUNY Lehman College, and has served as a volunteer teaching assistant at Brooklyn International High School. In addition, Laura helped co-found the New Neighbors Network, a mutual aid collective dedicated to uplifting, welcoming and advocating with newcomer, unhoused youth living in city shelters in Manhattan Valley. Through the NNN, Laura designed accompaniment training and Know Your Rights curricula, interpreted legal screenings, and built, from the ground up, a neighborhood accompaniment program that provides grassroots support to newcomer families as they navigate the education, healthcare, and the immigration legal system in New York City.

Laura is currently a member of the adjunct faculty at the Education Studies Program at NYU Steinhardt, an adjunct instructor at NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study, and a researcher at the Metropolitan Center for the Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools. She is also the recipient of the 2024-2025 NYU Gallatin's Doctoral Fellowship in Urban Practice, through which she is spending a year supporting The Brotherhood Sister Sol’s community organizing and immigrant youth support work.