College Readiness

I’m interested in college readiness and access. One of the questions I’m curious about is

Who NEEDS to be college ready?

I think the term “college readiness” is used to blame the victim—to blame students in marginalized, under-resourced schools. In my work, I examine the relationships and policies that either inhibit or facilitate college access.

Black Campus Life

One of my central research questions right now is:

How can we support Black students and communities in a society that is permanently racist?

In order to learn how to support Black students, however, we must first learn from them and take their social worlds seriously. I examine Black students’ social worlds by studying Black places, Black joy, and how Black students navigate predominantly White institutions of higher education.

Learning about Black student life is important to support Black student life. I also think we can learn about student life, in general, by examining Black student life, in particular.