In this study, a Black scholar in the midst of understanding his neurodivergence and his identity as someone who has been dis/abled reacts to the prodding of white peers by creating a course on decentering whiteness. The scholar then interviews ten of the participants in said class to understand how they came to select such a course and what they…

This critical autoethnographic study explored my multifaceted journey of being Black and female in administration within a predominately white higher education institution. I drew upon personal narratives and reflections from 25 years of experience in higher education. This study explored the intricate intersections of race, gender, and power…

This qualitative constructivist grounded theory study used an integrated intersectional lens and Chicana feminist epistemology to examine how nine queer Latina leaders in higher education experienced their racialized and heterogendered positioning within higher education structures, how this shaped the everyday experiences of their work, and how…

Historically, Black women have been underrepresented in top-level leadership positions in colleges and universities in the United States (Parker, 2015). Despite the fast-growing diverse student population and initiatives aimed at diversifying leadership programs and addressing pay equity gaps (Bartman, 2015; Chance, 2022; Patton & Croom,…

Positive mentoring experiences are crucial for retaining and advancing those who hold marginalized identities in STEM, as they foster a greater sense of belonging and self-efficacy that encourage these students to persist in their fields. Marginalized identities in STEM include, but are not limited to, women, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People…

Muslim women are portrayed with a dichotomous image: on one side, as the victims of the patriarchal Muslim men and, on the other, as the violent associates of the Muslim terrorist (Maruoka, 2008). The act of head covering, the most visible Muslim-identified marker, has thus assumed an outsized space in research of Muslim women. However, while…

This study sought to document the lived experiences of women who teach in rural Iowa secondary schools. It aims to bring light to the ways in which rural women teachers experience power, marginalization, and oppression in their personal and professional lives. Additionally, this project hopes to provide insight for rural school leaders into how…

The study aimed to assess how intersectional factors such as race, gender identity, occupation, or other markers of one's identity may contribute to the attrition of Black women special education teachers. More specifically, this study sought to reveal the unique challenges that Black women in special education experience as opposed to the…

Coloniality permeates across realms and leaves no systemic stone unturned in its path. As such, coloniality manifests in our education system through a variety of practices, policies, and procedures that center Western-European modern rationality and White supremacy. To disrupt and decenter these unilateral paradigms within our schools is to…

Diversity and inclusion are well regarded as beneficial and advantageous for communities, organizations, institutions, and societies. Equity or fairness is commonly understood as necessary for democracy. Public perception about what institutions can and should be doing to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, (DEI), continues to change as…

In this project, I examine the emotional and lived experiences of women of color (WOC) graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and how they embody and negotiate racism, classism, and sexism in academia, particularly in White, men-dominated STEM spaces. I utilize critical race theory and intersectionality to…

Social justice-oriented teacher education is a way for prospective teachers to learn and practice taking critical perspectives and use reflection for their future teaching practice (McDonald & Zeichner, 2009). Despite preservice teachers' interest and effort in engaging with racially and culturally just educational work, their approaches often…

The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges and barriers that exist for recent college graduates with multiple historically marginalized identities in their early career development as they worked through occupational attainment, newcomer adjustment, and person-organization. Furthermore, the study aimed to learn about the strategies…

My dissertation, titled "Walking the walk: How Writing, Rhetoric, and Composition doctoral programs prepare their graduate students for intersectional Writing Studies research," responds to recent, repeated calls for a large-scale review of the doctoral programs in Writing, Rhetoric, and Composition Studies (de Mueller and Ruiz, 2017;…

Despite more historically underrepresented students pursuing STEM degrees, their likelihood of remaining in STEM fields has been stalled compared with their White peers. It has been argued that developing inclusive programming and environment can significantly impact the retention and persistence of underrepresented undergraduate STEM students in…