Research That Matters

Investigating Equity-Oriented Leadership, Crisis Response, and Educational Transformation

My research agenda centers on a fundamental question:

How can school leaders respond to crises in ways that advance equity rather than perpetuate harm?

This question drives four interconnected lines of inquiry:

1. Crisis Leadership in Education

I study how school leaders navigate unprecedented challenges—pandemics, natural disasters, political turmoil, and systemic crises—while centering the needs of marginalized students and communities. My framework for equity-oriented crisis leadership provides practical guidance for leaders facing difficult decisions under pressure.

2. Educational Reform Policy & Marginalized Communities

Educational policies don’t impact all communities equally. My research examines how reform policies shape school leaders’ equity orientation and affect districts serving marginalized populations. This work illuminates the often-hidden ways that well-intentioned policies can perpetuate inequities.

3. Hope, Resilience & Leadership Dispositions

Leadership isn’t just about what we do—it’s about who we are and how we sustain ourselves and our communities through challenge. My work on critical hope, hopeful leadership, and leadership dispositions explores how leaders cultivate resilience without falling into toxic positivity or ignoring systemic injustice.

4. Equity-Oriented Leadership in Practice: Portraits, Traps, and Transformations

This line of inquiry focuses on how equity-oriented leadership actually unfolds in schools: how leaders disrupt “equity traps,” how they interpret and respond to crisis in real time, and how they work alongside communities to reimagine systems. This includes empirical studies that trace leaders’ sensemaking, the tensions they face, and the concrete moves they make to advance justice in their contexts, as illustrated in recent publications such as my work on equity traps and leadership sensemaking during crisis, and studies of how leaders navigate anti-racist practice and accountability in complex systems.

Current Research Projects

Theory of Educational Leadership Amid Polycrisis (TELAP)

We’re living in an era of overlapping crises—what I call polycrisis. School leaders are simultaneously navigating pandemic recovery, climate disasters, political polarization, racial reckoning, economic instability, and more. Existing leadership theories weren’t designed for this reality.

TELAP bridges these gaps, providing a theoretical framework for understanding and supporting leadership when crises compound and intersect. This work will be published in the Cambridge Elements series as TELAP: Bridging the Gaps.

The Hopeful Leader

Hope isn’t naive optimism—it’s a critical practice that sustains leaders and communities through genuine struggle. My forthcoming book with Bloomsbury Academic explores how educational leaders cultivate and practice critical hope, distinguishing between aspirational hope (which can ignore systemic barriers) and critical hope (which acknowledges injustice while working toward liberation).

Food Insecurity in Schools as Crisis Manifestation

Examining how chronic crises like food insecurity affect school communities and how leaders can respond with equity-oriented solutions.

Youth Activism & Social Media in Educational Contexts

Investigating how young people use social media to advocate for change in their schools and communities, particularly in Puerto Rico and other colonial contexts.

Geographic Focus

Puerto Rico

Much of my research centers on Puerto Rico, examining the impacts of colonial history on educational leadership, youth activism, and crisis response. This work illuminates how historical and ongoing colonialism shapes contemporary educational challenges.

New Jersey & Urban Education

Research on urban school leadership in New Jersey provides insights into how leaders navigate complex policy environments while serving diverse student populations.

National & International Perspectives

Examining polycrisis impacts on schools across the United States and internationally, identifying patterns and promising practices.

Methodological Approaches

I use qualitative methods to center lived experiences and uncover nuanced realities:

Portraiture Methodology

Capturing the complexity of leadership through narrative and thick description

Grounded Theory

Building theory from the ground up, based on what leaders actually experience

Case Study Analysis

Deep examination of specific contexts and situations

JBI Scoping Reviews

Systematic approaches to understanding what we know across existing research

Interview Protocol Design

Creating research instruments that elicit meaningful insights

Policy Briefs & Practitioner Resources

I’m committed to translating research into accessible tools that practitioners can use immediately. My policy briefs and practitioner guides bridge the research-practice gap.

Research Impact

My work has been cited by researchers and practitioners seeking to understand equity-oriented leadership during challenging times. The Crisis as Catalyst framework has been adopted by school districts, leadership preparation programs, and professional development initiatives nationwide.

Funded Grants

Educating Leadership for Equity and Social Justice and Paterson Public Schools – $43,500 (2022)

Computer Science Standards Program grant – Co-Principal Investigator -$333,333 (2022)

Computer Science Education Hub grant – Co-Principal Investigator – $333,335 (2022)

FY2023 SGPD award $4,000

“Disrupting Inequity: From Equity Audits to Equity-Oriented Transformation”
– CEHS Faculty Research Award $996 (Summer 2022_

2020 AERA Division A Foster-Polite Travel Scholarship – Awarded $500

2020 AERA Leadership for Social Justice SIG Travel Scholarship – Awarded $500

New York State Department of Education and My Brother’s Keeper – Teacher Opportunity Core – Awarded $659,000 (2015 – 2020)