Ayodele Aborishade
Doctoral Student
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Ayo Aborishade is a doctoral student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her research explores assessment and how it impacts placement and support provided to students with learning disabilities who come from marginalized backgrounds. By taking a closer look at assessment practices and their impact on placement and support, Ayo hopes to improve educational equity and ensure that students from marginalized backgrounds have access to resources they need to succeed academically. She received her bachelor's degree in Special Education from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and her master's degree in Special Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Dr. Pamela Callahan
Research Fellow
Assistant Research Professor
Center for Educational Innovation & Improvement
University of Maryland

Dr. Pamela Callahan is an Assistant Research Professor with the Center for Educational Innovation and Improvement at the College of Education University of Maryland College Park. Pamela studies the ways federal and state laws are interpreted and applied at the school and district level, with a special emphasis on the intersection of First Amendment and public schools. Her research has been published in Teachers College Record, Theory Into Practice, Education and Urban Society, On Democracy, West's Education Law Reporter, and Action in Teacher Education. Before graduate school, she proudly served as a middle math teacher and department chair in Prince George's County, Maryland. Pamela earned degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park (Ph.D.), Johns Hopkins University (M.S.Ed), George Mason University (M.P.P), and the University of Pittsburgh (B.S.B.A).

Sam Lim
Ed.D. Student
University of Southern Mississippi

Sam Lim, M.Ed., is a second-year Ed.D. student at The University of Southern Mississippi, advised by Dr. Kaity Prieto. They bring extensive experience bridging leadership, policy, and practice across K-20 education, currently serving as the inaugural Deputy Chief Diversity Officer & Deputy Title IX Coordinator for SUNY Westchester Community College. Embracing a comparative, interdisciplinary lens, Sam's primary research explores how constitutional discourse, legal theories, and the law shape academic freedom and campus free expression within higher education, particularly in relation to LGBTQ+ campus climate and presidential decision making. Sam is a member of ACPA, AERA, ASHE, FIRE, and Heterodox Academy, and currently serves on ACPA’s national Strategic Initiatives Working Council.

Dr. Meagan Richard
Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership
University of Massachusetts, Boston

Dr. Richard's research interests are broadly focused on social justice and activism within educational settings. Since 2017, Dr. Richard has investigated justice-centered approaches to school leadership within primarily urban spaces. Her research has led to several published peer-reviewed articles and chapters within high-impact journals. Her work has also merged policy frames to examine how neoliberal policy, in particular, intersects with school leadership. Through this research she seeks to highlight the ways that educational actors can resist, contest, and dismantle unjust policy toward emancipatory ends. Additionally, Dr. Richard also has advanced a line of work related to the preparation of justice-centered leaders. Across her body of work, her research has been recognized by AERA’s Division A and the Leadership for School Improvement SIG within AERA. To learn more about Dr. Richard's research, teaching, and background, you can visit her personal website at: https://meagansrichard.com.