The intent of this study was to understand the experiences of female superintendents, including those of color, serving in public school districts across California as they navigate the politics associated with culturally divisive conflict. The sample comprised 12 female superintendents serving various lengths of tenure in nine counties in…

This study was designed to examine the problem of microaggressions that Black women face within their roles in educational leadership across the following educational settings: (a) school and district administration in K-12, (b) higher education leadership, and (c) non-profit leadership roles. Data was collected from 33 participants across each…

The researcher used qualitative phenomenology to study southern HBCU Black women executives' leadership experiences. The researcher sought to validate Black women's leadership experiences and offer professional advice for aspiring leaders. At HBCUs, Black women are overrepresented in undergraduate enrollment but underrepresented in administrative…

For many years, there have been discrepancies between masculine and feminine populations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The problem was the gender disparity in middle and high school STEM classrooms, in which teachers often lack an understanding of the underlying reasons and measures needed to lessen the gender…

At the highest level, this dissertation is a case study on how bias can become encoded into the tools used to measure a construct and into the very definition of the construct itself. In this case, the construct is spatial ability. This dissertation focuses on the validity and accuracy of spatial tests and illuminates gender bias that is…

Over the past several decades, there has been a shift toward gender parity in enrollment in colleges and universities across the United States. While more women have been enrolling in institutions of higher education, there has been a stagnation in the graduation rates of these women. This mixed methods study sought to understand the role that…

Higher education environments are examples of the institutional manifestations of systems of oppression and dominance found in all other parts of society. Systems of racism, sexism, and heteronormativity present real impediments to marginalized people within higher education but more specifically for women of color. Women of color senior-level…

Black women who serve in administrative leadership roles in higher education do so amidst conflicting experiences wherein they are positioned to exercise authority while being subjugated to conditions, socially and institutionally, that uphold racism and sexism. The manifestations and effects of gender and race-based oppression on Black women…

Women of color who pursue careers in higher education administration face a double bind of navigating institutional barriers wrought by sexism and racism while simultaneously taking on the crucial work of mentoring, advocating, and caring for students of color. This multi-method study drew on organizational support theory (Eisenberger et al.,…

This qualitative study encompasses the voices of five Black middle-class male participants in college on their kindergarten through high school journeys. The field of research often studies Black boys from lower socio-economic status with a deficit lens when examining the achievement gap. Bhattacharya (2017) phenomenology research was utilized to…

This action research project centers the narratives of women and nonbinary students of color as they navigate leadership roles within student government at Ivy League institutions. The overarching aim of the project is to develop an understanding of the barriers to participation for women and nonbinary students of color and collaboratively…

African-American women face substantial career barriers when seeking ascension to educational leadership. Numerous factors contribute to career advancement barriers, such as systemic, institutional challenges, organizational factors, personality, and individual contributors. Various systemic and managerial aspects, directly and indirectly, were…

Despite the increasing number of Latinx students in Upper Midwest schools, Latinx school leaders remain underrepresented. This quantitative study explored the experiences of Latinx principals and assistant principals in K-12 schools across the region, focusing on community perception, stress, coping, and resilience. Data were collected from…

Black women undergraduate STEM students at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) contend with difficult experiences in their academic majors (Charleston et al., 2014; Fletcher et al., 2017; Johnson, 2007; McGee & Bentley, 2017). Black women undergraduate STEM students are battling isolation, microaggressions, chilly climate, and other…

The study aimed to assess how intersectional factors such as race, gender identity, occupation, or other markers of one's identity may contribute to the attrition of Black women special education teachers. More specifically, this study sought to reveal the unique challenges that Black women in special education experience as opposed to the…