Below is a list of College of Education faculty whose research specifically focuses on equity, inclusion, social justice, and diversity topics. Note that as stated in our commitment, the College of Education aspires that all research, teaching, and service embrace social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion tenets.
Curriculum and Instruction
 Paty Abril-GonzalezAssistant ProfessorStudies long-term relationships with Latinx bilingual students and teachers using arts-based biliteracy approaches to affirm and amplify silenced perspectives. |
 Jennifer K. AdairAssociate ProfessorResearch interests focus on inequities in early schooling and the intersection of immigration, race and early childhood. |
 Doris BakerAssociate ProfessorDevelops and evaluates interventions and assessments using technology to support the academic success of Latinx students and other students whose home language is not English. |
 Keffrelyn BrownProfessor, Program AdvisorCreates scholarship based around teacher education, especially relating to race and culture. |
 Adam CrawleyAssistant ProfessorResearches the inclusion and censorship of LGBTQ+ representation in elementary contexts, particularly via literacy and literature. |
 Denise DavilaAssistant ProfessorStudies children’s literature and researches the home literacy practices of families with young children in under-resourced communities. |
 Noah De LissovoyProfessorExamines effects of race, class and capital in schools and society; investigates and extends traditions of critical pedagogy and philosophy. |
 Tracey FloresAssistant ProfessorInterests include family literacy, specifically family writing and practices for Latina mothers and daughters, as a springboard for advocacy and empowerment of families and teachers. |
 María FránquizProfessorExamines ethnographic language and literacy practices in K-12 classrooms, specifically focusing on how Latinx critical race theory explains the relationship between heritage language and culture and the evolving identities of future teachers. |
 Carlos Nicolas GomezAssistant ProfessorInvestigates intersections of race, language and mathematics through the experiences of Latinx students learning and doing mathematics. |
 María González-HowardAssistant ProfessorResearch explores the intersections of multilingualism, scientific sensemaking, and teacher education, with a specific focus on the ways multilingual students engage in science practices through translanguaging. |
 Joan HughesAssociate ProfessorResearch focuses on school contexts and teacher knowledge and experiences that support the establishment of digital equity for learning in K-12 schools, classrooms, and communities. |
 Grace MyHyun KimAssistant ProfessorStudies literacy, language, and multicultural education, especially involving new media and globalization. |
 Eric KnuthProfessorExplores how to democratize access to algebra for students who historically have had limited access to the STEM pipeline due to algebra’s gatekeeper role. |
 Min LiuProfessorDesigns and researches interactive learner-centered environments for all ages with emerging technologies; examines inequities in digital spaces and focuses on creating technology-enhanced learning opportunities for socioeconomically disadvantaged students. |
 Tia MadkinsAssistant ProfessorEngages humanizing research approaches to examine equity-focused PK-16 STEM teaching and learning across urban contexts with a focus on Black girls. |
 Katherina A. PayneAssociate ProfessorResearches civic education, early childhood/elementary education, and teacher education to examine the role of relationships, community, and justice to make classrooms democratic and equitable spaces. |
 Michelle S. PerezAssociate ProfessorResearch centers on reframing how minoritized young children are constructed in early childhood studies through the use of women of color feminist perspectives. |
 Catherine Riegle-CrumbProfessorFocuses on gender and racial/ethnic inequality in educational experiences and student achievement in STEM fields. |
 Cinthia SalinasProfessor, Department ChairRuben E. Hinojosa Regents Professor in Education Research focuses on inclusive citizenship narratives in diverse, bilingual and/or ESL K-12 social studies classroom settings. |
 Victor SampsonAssociate ProfessorStudies ways to make STEM learning experiences more equitable and inclusive, focusing on creating instructional materials that give learners more opportunities to participate. |
 Allison SkerrettProfessorFocuses on secondary English and literacy education in urban contexts, including among transnational youth. |
 Luis Urrieta, Jr.Professor, Program CoordinatorFollows trends around cultural and racial identities, agency, migration, and social movements in education. |
 Melissa WetzelProfessorFocuses on how preservice teachers integrate critical literacy and culturally relevant practices into field-based literacy teaching. |
Educational Psychology
 Ricardo AinslieProfessorM. K. Hage Centennial Professorship in Education Explores the intersection of psychology and culture through such topics as the psychological experience of immigration, ethnic conflicts and the impact of violence within communities, and the relationship between individual and collective identity. |
 Germine AwadAssociate ProfessorStudies the effects that acculturation and identity have on discrimination, specifically in populations of Arab/Middle Eastern and African American women. |
 Stephanie CawthonProfessor, HDCLS Area ChairElizabeth Glenadine Gibb Teaching Fellowship in Education Explores individual, school, community, and system level factors that affect education, employment, and quality of life outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. |
 Kevin CokleyProfessor, Department ChairOscar and Anne Mauzy Regents Professor for Educational Research and Development Researches themes related to understanding the psychological and environmental factors that impact African American student achievement, and the impact of the impostor phenomenon in academic and mental health outcomes. |
 Karen HaasAssistant Professor of Instruction, CE Director of TrainingSupports the clinical training of graduate students in the Counselor Education program, teaches courses related to counselor skill development primarily in educational settings, and supervises students in their practicum experiences. |
 Michael ParentAssociate Professor, Counseling Psychology Area ChairFocuses on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and behavioral health in topics of men’s health, gender roles, and muscularity; conducts outreach with gender and sexual minority communities. |
 Erin RodriguezAssociate ProfessorStudies family, linguistic, and sociocultural influences on children’s adaptation to stress, to better understand how family coping, language and communication, and sociocultural context impact children’s mental and physical health outcomes. |
 Marie-Anne SuizzoAssociate ProfessorResearch interests are centered around how parent-child relationships, parental involvement, and child socialization shape children's and adolescents' development and learning across cultures and ethnic groups. |
Educational Leadership and Policy
 Aileen BumphusAssistant Professor of Practice, Associate Vice President for Academic Diversity Initiatives in the Division of Diversity and Community EngagementResearch interests include educational leadership, emotional intelligence, and resiliency. |
 Norma Cantú, J.D.Ken McIntyre Professor for Excellence in School LeadershipWith a background as assistant secretary of education for Civil Rights in the Clinton Administration, she teaches topics in civil rights and the intersection of law and policy in education. |
 Joshua ChildsAssistant ProfessorExamines collaborative approaches involving community organizations and stakeholders that improve academic achievement and reduce opportunity gaps for students. |
 Gerardo De Los SantosSenior Fellow, Civitas Learning |
 Stella FloresAssociate ProfessorExamines the effects of state and federal policies on college access and completion outcomes for low-income and underrepresented populations including immigrant and English Learner students. |
 Denisa GándaraAssistant ProfessorExplores higher education policy and finance, focusing on college access and success for populations historically underserved in higher education. |
 Liliana GarcesAssociate ProfessorStudies educational inequality, higher education equity and access policies for underrepresented populations, use and influence of research in Supreme Court cases. |
 Michael Anthony GoodmanAssistant Professor of PracticeFocuses on student governance and involvement in the areas of college student government, sorority/fraternity life (SFL), equity and justice issues, experiences of new professionals, queer students, social justice, and social media in SFL, and bias-response in SFL. |
 Terrance GreenAssociate ProfessorExamines principals and school-community engagement/community development, and issues of educational equity and opportunity. |
 Jennifer Jellison HolmeProfessor, Graduate AdvisorFocuses on the politics and implementation of educational policy with an emphasis on school reform, equity and diversity in schools. |
 Huriya JabbarAssociate Professor, EPP Doctoral Program CoordinatorExamines the social and political dimensions of market-based reforms and privatization in education, including school choice and decision-making in K-12 and higher education contexts. |
 Michael NavaExecutive Director, Student Success InitiativesProfessor of Practice |
 Colette Pierce BurnettePresident, Huston-Tillotson University |
 Soncia Reagins-LillyProfessor of Practice, Vice President for Student AffairsShares her expertise in higher education policy, administration and finance, strategic planning, and leadership development as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. |
 Richard J. ReddickAssociate Dean for Equity, Community Engagement, and OutreachExamines the experiences of faculty of color at predominantly White institutions; mentoring relationships between faculty and Black students; and work-life balance in academia. |
 Pedro ReyesAshbel Smith Professor of Education PolicyFocuses on school conditions that foster high academic success for children of poverty, stratification of learning opportunities for children of color, and on state policy that facilitates student success across the education pipeline. |
 Victor B. SáenzProfessor, ChairLeads the Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success Initiative focused on Latino males in education; seeks to advance research-informed policy solutions that enhance educational outcomes for underserved students in secondary and post-secondary education. |
 Lauren SchuddeAssociate ProfessorStudies the impact of educational policies and practices on college student outcomes using quantitative methods. |
 Patricia SomersAssociate ProfessorServes as a faculty affiliate in Women’s and Gender Studies and Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies. Researches topics such as campus safety, higher education law, academic freedom, and higher education in Brazil. |
 Betty Jeanne TaylorAssistant Professor of PracticeAssistant Vice President, Division of Diversity and Community Engagement Focuses on university-wide campus climate initiatives including bias incident reporting and response as well as implementing best practices for inclusive classroom climates and faculty recruitment and retention. |
 Angela ValenzuelaProfessorSpecializes in urban education from a sociological and multicultural perspective, with a focus on minority youth in schools, particularly at the K-12 level. |
 Aaron VoylesAssistant Professor of PracticeServes as the Associate Director for Student Learning and Development and researches post-qualitative and post-structuralist methodologies, discourse analysis, and gender performance. |
 Evelyn WaiwaioleAssistant Professor of PracticeExecutive Director of CCSSE As Executive Director of the Center for Community College Student Engagement, Evelyn specializes in evidence that informs change and improved outcomes at community colleges. |
Kinesiology and Health Education
 Darren KellyAssistant Professor of InstructionAssociate Vice President, Div. of Diversity & Community Engagement Research focuses on race and sport, leadership, and community building via sport. |
 Lara LatimerAssistant Professor of InstructionStudies mental health, stress reduction, and tobacco prevention among college students. |
 Liesl NydeggerAssistant ProfessorFocuses research on reducing sexual health risk behaviors in women with multiple vulnerabilities, ethnic minorities, and illicit drug users. |
 Miguel PinedoAssistant ProfessorFocuses on how migration-related factors contribute to health disparities related to substance abuse, HIV risk, and related harms among Latino populations in the United States and Mexico. |
Special Education
 North CoocAssociate ProfessorExplores how family background, culture, and school contextual factors influence decisions and trajectory outcomes within special education. |
 Audrey SorrellsAssociate Professor, Associate Dean of Students for ResearchExplores topics in ethnically diverse students with disabilities, veteran students with resulting trauma issues, and professional development for disabled students. |