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Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty
Core Faculty
Researches the lived experiences of those working in contexts going through educational reform. By studying varied education stakeholders, I have sought to advocate for educational policies that seek to foster, sustain, and extend the complex educational, sociocultural, and individual goals and aspirations of children, their families, teachers, and school leaders.
Examines collaborative approaches involving community organizations and stakeholders that improve academic achievement and reduce opportunity gaps for students. Also studies chronic absenteeism, the role of high school athletics in school settings, and computer science education.
Focuses on urban school and district leadership, inclusive practices for students with disabilities, and school improvement with an emphasis on addressing inequities in classrooms, schools, and communities.
Examines 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.
Expertise on the intersection of law and educational policies and practices focused on access and equity in higher education, including affirmative action, freedom of expression and inclusion, and the use and influence of research in law.
Interests include higher education policy and planning focused on expanding participation in higher education, improving graduation rates, and ensuring success in the workforce.
Focuses on student governance and involvement in the areas of college student government, the student body presidency, sorority/fraternity life, equity and justice issues, queer students and issues in higher education, and educational crises and emergencies.
Examines principals and school-community engagement/community development and issues of educational equity and opportunity.
Focuses on the politics and implementation of educational policy with an emphasis on school reform, equity and diversity in schools; and the intersection between housing and education policy.
Bringing the experience of 28 years as dean of the College of Education, Justiz shares his expertise in topics of public policy, the politics of education, and providing equal access for minorities in education.
Interests include academic administration, faculty in higher education, and college student development with research on college teaching and minorities in higher education.
Scholarly work has concentrated on understanding the processes related to the supervision of instruction, as well as on instructional leadership.
I study student success for children experiencing poverty. I analyze how school leadership and state policy facilitate student success across the education pipeline.
Prepares school district executives to lead socially just and equitable learning centers focused on academic excellence for all students.
Leads 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 students in secondary and post-secondary education.
Studies how to ameliorate social inequities in the United States through higher education policy; focuses on college pathways at broad-access institutions, including community colleges.
Specializes in urban education from a sociological and multicultural perspective, with a focus on minority youth in schools, particularly at the K-12 level.
Examines issue of power and voice in education policy making and implementation processes, with a focus on public school district superintendents and school boards.
Uses lenses from organizational sociology to study how district leaders, principals, coaches, and teachers implement policy
Faculty Affiliates
Manages and coordinates multiple research and evaluation grants and contracts for the Educational Research Center.
Focuses research on student success and graduation initiatives, including innovative college readiness assignments, student success programs and understanding the completion agenda.
Focuses on preparing school professionals to address legal issues they will be required to consider as administrators based on her significant experience advising and representing public school officials and administrators in legal matters.
Oversees the Centers community college relations and serves as a point of contact for state leaders, funders and national higher education organizations.
Interests include higher education policy and planning focused on expanding participation in higher education, improving graduation rates, and ensuring success in the workforce.
Focuses on policies, practices, and interventions that promote social mobility and reduce socioeconomic stratification in K12 and higher education.
Interests include: student affairs administration, professional staff development, college student development, retention programs for students of color.
Teaches courses that examine the intersectionality of culture, organizations, and systems of privilege, power, and difference in higher education.
Director of Assessment, Office of Admissions
Focuses on social justice leadership as well as specific strategies to create optimal learning environments for students and teachers.
President Emeritus, Huston Tillotson University
Shares her expertise in student affairs, higher education policy, administration and finance, strategic planning, and leadership development.
Examines the experiences of faculty of color at predominantly White institutions; mentoring relationships between faculty and Black students; and work-life balance in academia.
President, Texas A&M University - Central Texas
Centers research on college student identity development, personal branding for student leaders, and work/life integration for student affairs administrators
Supports school leaders in their efforts to implement continuous improvement strategies that promote growth for self, staff, students, and community in his role as an external campus intervention team member, professional service provider and effective school framework facilitator.
Academic technology, technology-enhanced learning, learning technologies, online education, college teaching and learning, course evaluations, design thinking, design pedagogy, learning experience design, and developing expertise in generative AI tools in higher education.
Focuses on university-wide campus climate initiatives such as developing inclusive classrooms, campus climate issues and support, and recruitment/retention of faculty of color at predominantly white institutions.
Serves as the Associate Director for Student Learning and Development and researches post-qualitative and post-structuralist methodologies, discourse analysis, and gender performance.