Scholarship Portfolio 

This page outlines my research agenda, which centers on race, disability, and systemic power within educational institutions. My work is grounded in justice-centered theoretical frameworks, driven by critical and community-informed methods, and designed to generate public impact and institutional transformation. My research is designed to inform scholars, educators, policymakers, and community stakeholders committed to equity-centered reform.

The materials that follow are organized into three connected components: 

• Theoretical Groundings, which outlines the frameworks that guide my scholarship

• Methods, Projects, and Collaborations, which highlight selected studies, methodological approaches, and institutional partnerships

• Future Scholarship, which details forthcoming projects that extend my impact in areas such as educational technology, special education equity, and public scholarship.

These sections reflect on how my work aligns with Xavier University’s mission to promote a more just and humane society. Additional sections highlight my national conference presentations and professional fellowships, which demonstrate the reach, relevance, and public impact of my scholarship.a reflection on how my research aligns with Xavier University’s mission to promote a more just and humane society. Additional sections highlight my national conference presentations and professional fellowships, both of which demonstrate the reach, relevance, and impact of my scholarship across academic and policy contexts.  

The subsequent pages detail my productivity at Xavier which include: my research statement, publications, conference presentations, lectures, fellowships and grants.  

Please use the interactive buttons below to jump directly to a specific section of this portfolio, or click the 'Next' button at the bottom of the page to navigate to my research statement.

Theoretical Groundings & Research Focus

My research examines how race, disability, and institutional power intersect to shape inequity in education, particularly in special education and disciplinary systems. I use Critical Race Theory (CRT), DisCrit, and my original White Power Theoretical Framework to analyze schools as sites of both harm and possibility.

At the core of my work is the belief that systemic disparities: such as the overrepresentation of Black students in high-incidence disability categories and their exposure to exclusionary discipline, must be seen not as isolated outcomes, but as expressions of anti-Black racism, carcerality, and ableism operating through policy and practice.

These frameworks guide not only my critique, but also the design of responsive, community-engaged interventions.

Methods, Projects & Collaborations

To bridge theory and practice, my research methods include ethnography, QuantCrit, and policy/institutional analysis.

Sample Key Projects and Collaborations:

• QuantCrit study on disproportionality – With Dr. Stephanie Grant (Xavier-Psychology), we developed a racialized equity metric that challenges traditional risk ratio calculations in hypersegregated schools.

• Ethnographic study of HBCU residency program – In collaboration with Dr. Larkin Page (Xavier-DOEC), I examined how culturally sustaining pedagogy and alternative certification impact teacher diversity at Xavier University.

• Theorizing Governmental Censorship & white Power – developed my white Power Framework to analyze how legislative bans on critical race theory function as racialized censorship, shaping both K–12 and higher education contexts.

These collaborations demonstrate how my research is both relational and systemic, connecting institutional critique to justice-driven solutions.

My research outputs span peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, technical reports, and public writing.  For a detailed overview of each publication, including summaries of research focus, methods, and key findings, please visit the Publications page. This companion page explains how each piece connects to my broader research agenda.

Future Scholarship & Xavier's Mission

My research advances justice not only through critique, but through design, dialogue, and sustained community engagement.  Through interdisciplinary inquiry, collaborative practice, and public scholarship, I strive to reshape educational systems for historically marginalized youth, especially Black students and students with disabilities.

At Xavier University, my scholarship reflects the institution’s mission to promote a more just and humane society. I aim to prepare future educators, influence public policy, and model how equity-based research can drive systemic change.

My future research will examine:

• Extend my white Power Framework to further analyze governmental censorship of curriculum, academic freedom, and higher education governance.

• Critically evaluate AI-powered special education platforms for racial and linguistic bias.

• Develop equity-focused evaluator training modules for special education practitioners.

• Investigate philanthropic influence on HBCU governance.

• Expand cross-state policy analyses of disproportionality and discipline frameworks.
  
  

This trajectory will continue to guide my work as I grow my research program in service of justice, access, and educational  transformation.