blog posts

• Minjoo Chong, PhD (She/Her)

  Jun 17, 2024 10:15 am39 views

  • Minjoo Chong is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership with a concentration in Social Science & Education Policy. She adopts a comparative and critical perspective on education policy. Her research focuses on policy recommendations that promote innovation and improvement in higher education policy both within the U.S. and abroad context.
  • Advisor: Dr. Curtis Mason
  • Expected Graduation Year: 2028
  • Academic Background:
  •  - Ph.D., (in progress), Education Policy, Organization and Leadership, 
  •    University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
  •  - M.A., Comparative Education, Yonsei University
  •  - B.A., Education / English Education, Kongju National University  

• Nicole M. DelMastro-Jeffery

  Feb 10, 2023 6:45 am100 views

  Nicole M. DelMastro-Jeffery is a doctoral student in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership. Nicole’s research focuses on the intersection of community determinants of health and educational trajectories of marginalized collegians. Her quantitative approach to mapping proximity of educational institutions to quality basic needs, such as access to clean drinking water, is a genuine passion of hers. Over the past decade she has served in a variety of leadership roles across 2-year and 4-year colleges. Nicole is excited about the future upstream sustainable transdisciplinary approach to ensuring students’ physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing on their way to graduation.

• Gariel Pierce

  May 24, 2022 6:30 pm179 views

  Gariel Pierce is a doctoral student in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership with a concentration in Social Sciences and Education Policy. Her focus of research is on the school to prison pipeline with an emphasis on holistic principles and practices.

  Driven by passion and experience, Gariel believes all students deserve an equitable education in a nurturing environment. Currently she is a joyful fourth grade teacher.

  Graduate Advisor: Dr. Bernice Barnett

  Anticipated Graduation: 2026

  Academic Background:

  Ph.D., Education Policy, Organization & Leadership | University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

  M.Ed., Teaching & Learning | Francis Marion University

  B.A., Elementary Education | Blackburn College

• Paapa Nkrumah-Ababio

  May 9, 2022 1:45 pm97 views

  Paapa Nkrumah-Ababio is a doctoral student in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership with a double concentration in Global Studies in Education and Social Science and Education Policy at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Paapa's research interest lay in the intersections of education and national development in African countries centered around literacy, citizenship, human development, and educational funding issues using quantitative research methods. Paapa is an international student from Accra, Ghana and is driven in his doctoral journey by the desire to bring a world-class education to the doorstep of every African child.

  Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Hinze-Pifer

  Expected Graduation: 2025

  Academic Background:

  Ph.D. student, Education Policy, Organization & Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana Champaign

  M.S. Ed., Higher Education and Student Affairs, Baylor University, Texas

  B.S., Petroleum Engineering, Marietta College, Ohio

  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paapa-nkrumahababio

• Taylor Masamitsu (he/they), Ed.M.

  May 4, 2022 9:15 am127 views

  Taylor is a PhD student in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership. He studies the dislocating rhetoric that affects queer Asian American students. 

   

  PhD, Social Sciences and Education Policy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  EdM, Diversity and Equity in Education, Unviersity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  MA, Vocal Music Education, Columbia University, Teachers College

  BFA, Vocal Performance, California Institute of the Arts

   

  Advisor: Dr. Yoon Pak

  Expected Year of Graduation: 2025

  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-masamitsu-edm-799b6586/

  Website: taylormasamitsu.com 

  Current CV

• 

  Anna Barkley

  Dec 9, 2021 10:15 am264 views

  Anna Barkley is a doctoral student in the department of Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership. Her research interests include the P-16 pipeline, college access, and transitions. Currently, she is interested in student-centered development of college readiness policy.

  Advisor: Dr. Adrienne Dixson

  Anticipated Graduation: 2025

  Academic Background

  • PhD, Education Policy, Organization & Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    • Concentration: Social Sciences & Education Policy
  • EdM, Education Policy, Organization & Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    • Concentration: Social Sciences & Education Policy 
  • BME, Choral Music Education, Winthrop University

  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-barkley-77b219226/

• 

  Danté R. Studamire (he/him/his)

  May 14, 2021 3:15 pm409 views

  Dante Studamire is a scholar-activist who attributes social activism and purposeful scholarship as key motivations. Presently, a doctoral student in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership (EPOL), I also serve as a mentor through the Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA) and a Teaching Assistant within the College of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

  My scholarly research activity engages, troubles, and interrogates experiences in academe across a multiplicity of identities. I bring intersectional framing and a critical theoretical lens to explore the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and education. I aim to contribute counternarratives to dominant discourse and add to an emerging body of literature on African American social and educational resilience, but more largely, to provide visibility to a population that is often pathologically approached, if represented at all, in research concerning Black men in America and education scholarship.

  Advisor: Dr. Adrienne Dixson

  Anticipated Graduation: 2023

  Academic Background

  • Ph.D. Student, Education Policy, Organization & Leadership,University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

           Concentration: Social Sciences & Education Policy

  • M. A., Africana Studies, Georgia State University
  • B. A., Africana Studies, Georgia State University
• 

  Nathan Tanner (he/him/his)

  May 13, 2021 4:30 pm474 views

  Program of Study, Research Interests, & Advisor

  As a doctoral student in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership (EPOL) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign my research critically examines Whiteness in historic and contemporary educational contexts; I seek to document and illuminate its pernicious influence on educational opportunity structures, and the ways racially minoritized students navigate and resist oppressive educational configurations. A major focus of my research agenda is drawing educators and policymakers’ attention to the intersections in place, race, and religion on schools, past and present. I transitioned to doctoral studies and educational research after working as an ESL teacher in Tianjin, China and a public school social studies teacher in Salt Lake City, Utah.

  My advisor is Dr. Christopher M. Span.

  Expected Year of Graduation: 2023

  Professional & Educational Background

  •  Ph.D. Student, Education Policy, Organization & Leadership in Social Sciences & Education Policy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    
    
  • M.Ed., Educational Leadership & Policy, The University of Utah
    
    
  • B.A., History, Brigham Young University

  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-tanner-a5b35439/