Racism in the U.S. is systemic and has relied on centuries of deliberate practice to create a White male hegemonic (White supremacist) power structure. Being systemic, racism is reproduced in all of our defining institutions, including higher education. In addition, White women have consistently contributed to the reproduction of racism by…

This study examines the current state of collegiate athletics through a critical and historical lens. Drawing on examples of activism and social justice in sport, this research seeks to examine the necessary elements for an athletics setting that disrupts oppressive structures. Using a counterspaces framework, it looks at alternative models for an…

In the Fortune 500 organizations, a robust survey illuminates the diverse experiences of women of color, framed within theoretical frameworks such as Critical Feminist Theory (CFT), Social Capital Theory, and Community Cultural Wealth. Of 141 responses, 102 participants, representing various racial backgrounds, provide insights into corporate…

Black women comprised only 1.4% of superintendents leading school districts in the United States as of 2021 (Grogan & Nash, 2021). These professionals face challenges to their leadership driven by systemic inequities deeply embedded in traditional leadership perceptions regarding race and gender, and contend with being undervalued and…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how Latina K-12 school Administrators described their leadership attributes in relation to their career advancement in CO. The attribution theory served as the theoretical foundation for this study. Two research questions guided this study: (1) How do Latina K-12 administrators…

Food insecurity is a global concern and is acute in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa as well as pockets in the global North. In the lush green spaces of "God's Own Country", the state of Kerala in India, about 379,000 women are engaged in farming in about 75,800 groups. Spearheaded by Kudumbashree, the State Poverty Eradication Mission…

Higher education research often defines success as retention and graduation, yet for many marginalized student populations who are the first in their family to attend college, many other identities, and experiences factor into this notion of success. For Chicana/Latina first-generation college students, their cultural backgrounds, multiple social…

Though seldom discussed, the system of higher education has only recently opened its doors broadly to include diverse students. Indeed, the world of advanced learning often appears to be lurching from one embarrassing diversity-related incident to the next. Although institutions have made substantial strides to address the legacy of inequality in…

While suffering from gendered racism experiences, Black women are at a higher risk for developing chronic physical and mental health conditions. Furthermore, Black women in doctoral programs are more likely to experience inadequate support and guidance that can ultimately hinder professional development and progress. The current literature has…

Within this qualitative research, I explore how design pedagogy can be utilized in an art education introductory course to assist pre-service teachers in the construction and awareness of social justice, specifically relating to how students deal with gender image and how it intersects with career choices in the current climate of gender bias in…

This action research study examined the impact of the Historical Thinking Method (HTM) on how students interacted with actual and virtual historical sites and museums. From September 2017 to May 2018, students engaged in analysis and evaluation of online exhibits and actual sites in the Washington, DC, and Columbia, South Carolina, areas using the…

This is a narrative inquiry study that presented types of women's activism during and after the conflict in Aceh, Indonesia (1976-2005). The study sought to explain how divergent women's activism becomes possible against the backdrop of this conflict and how the establishment of peace alters the patterns of their activism. Women's activism here…

Hispanic women majoring in engineering have been a marginalized population for decades in higher education. The study for my dissertation is to evaluate how peer support programs benefit or hinder Hispanic women in their persistence majoring in engineering at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) located on the Southwest border. Identifying how the…

Using creative autoethnographic "testimonio" (CAT), a story is told about the injustices within the learning environment and work environment of higher education toward a person with disabilities: sleep apnea, learning disabilities, negative mental health. The author explores the health difficulties of addressing sleep deprivation while…

Where are the women in computing? This dissertation explores the underrepresentation of women in computing as a cultural issue. After considering the role of women in the history of computing, it examines contemporary interventions to address gender bias and promote gender diversity in the tech sector and Silicon Valley. Not for profit…