My research focuses on the impact of social policies on children's access to services and on the health and well-being of families and children from historically excluded communities. I take a mixed-methods, interdisciplinary, and participatory approach to exploring questions defined in partnership with public service and child/youth advocacy organizations working at the local, regional and national level levels. My approach to these projects engages community partners in a collaborative process of policy learning, prioritizes formal documentation of policy/contextual information, and treats thorough descriptive analysis as a necessary precursor to more complex analysis. My collaborative approach incorporates peer review by intersectoral stakeholders in the report/article production process and prioritizes as direct presentation to stakeholder groups as well as dissemination through open-access platforms.
keywords
Community engaged, research, participatory research, capacity enhancement
Teaching
courses taught
EDUC 4112 - Adolescent Development and Learning for Teachers
Primary Instructor
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Spring 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023
Examines current theory and research about adolescent learning and development and explore implications for secondary teaching. Topics include human diversity as a resource for learning, adversity and agency, connecting instruction to students' everyday lives, and the role of belonging and relationships in positive youth development. This course is appropriate for masters degree students. Degree credit not granted for this course and EDUC 5112.
EDUC 8730 - Advanced Qualitative Data Analysis
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2022
Requires students begin semester with qualitative data already collected (from class project, pilot study, dissertation). Instructors present diverse methods of analyzing data and writing about interpretations. Instructors customize part of course to address specific topic of expertise, e.g., discourse analysis, video analysis, textual analysis, ethnographic analysis. May be repeated up to 12 total credit hours.
EDUC 8731 - Principles and Practices of Community-Based Participatory Research
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2024
The course topics are organized to follow the life cycle of a community-based participatory research project. Topics include: Map the landscape of participatory and community-based approaches to research; Draw on critical social theory to analyze issues of race, power, and coloniality; Examine arguments about rigor, validity, and generalizability; It is recommended that students have a collaborative research project with communities or schools to workshop during the semester, but this is not required. Previously offered as a special topics course.
LEAD 4000 - Leadership in Context and Emerging Challenges: A Capstone
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Spring 2024
Integrates leadership topics and experiences students pursued through the Leadership Studies Minor. Using advanced critical thinking skills, the seminar requires students to evidence their knowledge, competencies and skills related to leadership theory and practice through examining contemporary leadership challenges. Further, the seminar directs students to justify decision-making processes, demonstrating their ability to synthesize prior knowledge to effect desirable, ethical outcomes.
