Morgan State Faculty and Doctoral Students Share Equity-Centered Research at AERA 2025

In a national landscape where educational justice is increasingly urgent, faculty and doctoral students from Morgan State University’s Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership & Policy brought powerful, equity-centered scholarship to the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), held this spring in Denver, Colorado.

This year’s AERA conference, themed “Research, Remedy, and Repair: Toward Just Education Renewal” aligned deeply with the ASLP department’s mission to challenge systemic inequities and advance transformative research and practice.

Many Morgan faculty and doctoral students contributed to conversations on educational leadership, student development, AI ethics, urban schooling, and STEM equity, including:

• • Dr. Camika Royal, Associate Professor and Program Director of Urban Education Leadership, served as an esteem panlist in a session titled, “Two Decades Deep in Disaster: How the Civilizers’ Charter School “Remedy” Failed New Orleans (2005-2025)—Repairing Racial Harms”. She also served as the discussant for the paper session "Black Educators' Enduring Fight for Educational Equity," highlighting her leadership and insight in advancing racial justice in education.
  • Dr. Virginia Byrne, Associate Professor in the Higher Education & Student Affairs program, and Keshiyena Pieters, doctoral student in Science Education, presented work from the NSF-funded TRAILS Institute, calling for AI literacy education for teachers, parents, and policymakers on the impact of deepfakes on youth.
  • Dr. Elizabeth Morgan, Associate Professor, Urban Educational Leadership & NCEED, presented her recent work on exploring anti-Blackness and misogynoir in Special Education.
  • Dr. Jordan Harper, Assistant Professor in the Higher Education & Student Affairs program, presented his paper proposing new directions for institutional higher education public good practices by advancing liberation.
  • Sunni L. Solomon, doctoral student in Higher Education, presented findings with his research team on the value of Hip Hop pedagogy among Black male community college students.
  • Michelle Mondrey, doctoral student in Higher Education, presented findings from the IES-funded mixed methods study of trauma-informed online teaching in higher education.

• Wanda Debrewer, doctoral student in Urban Education, presented with her research team on literacy professionals' (LPs) perceptions of their strengths, challenges, and professional development needs amid state policy changes related to the Science of Reading (SOR).

• Juana Hollingsworth, recent graduate from the Higher Education PhD program, presented with her research team on how campus spaces are racialized and how such racialized spaces shape Black students’ experiences on a predominantly White campus.

“Our presence at AERA 2025 reflected not only the scholarly excellence of Morgan’s faculty and students, but also our deep-rooted commitment to advancing equity, justice, and innovation in education,” said Dr. Frim Ampaw, Chair of the Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership & Policy.

In addition to our scholarly contributions, the National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities (NCEED) at Morgan State hosted a well-attended reception that fostered connection and celebration among researchers, students, and institutional partners. The reception provided an opportunity to spotlight NCEED’s growing network and its commitment to equity and excellence in education.

From nationally funded projects to deeply personal narratives of transformation, Morgan State’s presence at AERA 2025 exemplifies the department’s vision: to cultivate equity-oriented leaders and scholars committed to meaningful change. As institutions nationwide reckon with their commitments, Morgan faculty and students continue to lead grounded in research and community.

For more information about the Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy, visit: www.morgan.edu/seus/aslp