Education Policy and Higher Education

Dr. Jarrod E. Druery is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the Educational Leadership Program at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Druery’s research utilizes qualitative methods and liberatory theories to explore the collegiate experiences of Black men as well as campus initiatives and cultural practices that support their engagement, belonging, retention, thriving, and graduation. Additionally, his scholarly inquiry interrogates racism, anti-blackness, and other forms of oppression that impact individuals and groups in higher education. Dr. Druery’s scholarly work has been presented at national and regional conferences and published in various academic journals such as the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of Black Studies, Educational Studies, Journal of Negro Education, and Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice. He is a co-editor of the Journal of African American Males in Education (JAAME) and on the editorial board for the Journal of College Student Retention - Research, Theory, & Practice and the Journal of Negro Education (JNE). He teaches courses focused on higher education, qualitative research, diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, anti-oppression, and critical theories.

Amy N. Farley is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies and Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Education. Her current research focuses broadly on equity in P-20 education systems and how consequential policies impact educational opportunity, access, and student outcomes. Since her appointment at UC, Dr. Farley has led multiple research-practice partnerships examining student success, academic supports, and education policy in both legal education and undergraduate studies, yielding over $1.5M in research grant support. She has also collaborated on research examining equity and opportunity in a variety of K-12 settings. Dr. Farley previously served as an Associate Editor for AERA Open and the Division L (Policy and Politics) Secretary for the American Educational Research Association. 

Dr. Kate Kennedy (she/her) is Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Cincinnati. 
 
Dr. Kennedy is a K–12 education policy and leadership scholar, with expertise in school leadership, politics, and policy. Kennedy’s research agenda is broadly focused on three interwoven strands of inquiry that explore organizational management and change in school systems, care, and the politics of education. In all of her work, she examines issues related to equity and access.
 
Dr. Kennedy uses qualitative methods to examine pressing education issues related to equity, politics, and change. She builds on decades of teaching and service to the education profession as a teacher, coach, and professional development expert. 

Dr. Karley Riffe is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of Cincinnati. Her research uses qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the interrelationships between higher education institutions, those who work within them, and the external environment as they affect institutional mission fulfillment. Dr. Riffe has published on the organization and governance of colleges and universities and worked on several grant projects that addressed the administration and decision-making processes within and across colleges and universities.

Dr. Riffe’s work centers around the idea that the collective decisions, actions, and work of individuals within colleges and universities form the foundation of organizational change. Specifically, her work examines the changing academic profession, the influence of university trustees, the roles of support staff members, and updated notions of shared governance across diverse institutional contexts.

Dr. Everrett A. Smith is a tenured Associate Professor of Higher Education in the School of Education at the University of Cincinnati (UC). His expertise is in higher education finance, governance, and policy. This research contributes to a new understanding of topics such as college affordability, philanthropy, and administrative responses to public policy decisions.

Dr. Smith recently led a co-edited volume of New Directions for Community Colleges, which focused on community colleges in urban environments, their role in serving their cities, and the challenges these unique organizations wrestle with while providing access to postsecondary education. He also recently co-authored the first known study to examine the state of Black college students in Ohio, a research report funded by the Joyce Foundation.

In addition to his faculty role, he is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cincinnati Foundation, where he is the Principal Investigator of a grant-funded research collaborative that aims to better understand donor giving patterns, including how and why donors engage in philanthropy with their alma mater and community.

Dr. Smith has held multiple staff and administrative roles, including leading the Educational Leadership & Policy Studies program at the University of Cincinnati, establishing and coordinating the higher education administration program at UC, serving as director of assessment for the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Arkansas, working as an admissions officer at Christian Brothers University, and serving as a research assistant for the University of Rochester School of Nursing. He also taught high school Spanish in the Memphis City School system. He was a Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Award recipient and completed his interdisciplinary doctoral studies in public policy at the University of Arkansas. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he earned his M.S. from the University of Memphis and a B.S. from Middle Tennessee State University.

Research Focus
Suzie’s research focuses on student thriving and well-being in K-12 schools and higher education. Her work explores the neuroscience of social connection and belonging, parent and community engagement, college access for marginalized students, and K-16 education policy.

Education
Dr. Suzie White serves as an Assistant Professor Educator in the School of Education at the University of Cincinnati, where she teaches courses on higher education, educational leadership, and student well-being. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher and Postsecondary Education from New York University (NYU), a master’s degree in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Wake Forest University.

Experience
Prior to joining the University of Cincinnati, Suzie served as Executive Vice President of Leadership Scholars, where she developed and led parent engagement programs serving more than 2,500 parents across 50 schools, churches, and community centers. She previously worked in program development at PeerForward, a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing college enrollment among low-income students. She also served as a high school college counselor and teacher at a Cristo Rey school.

Community Engagement
Suzie conducts professional development for superintendents, principals, teachers, and parents on topics related to student well-being, parent engagement, and the neuroscience of social connection and belonging. She participates as a guest of the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee’s Education Committee, which provides business leadership in support of high-quality education across the region. She serves on the Ohio board of Teach For America and has served on the planning committee for the College Board Forum.

Please view my personal website, which includes additional and more recent publications and information about current projects.

I am a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Cincinnati.  My primary appointment is in Education and I am also an affiliate faculty member in Philosophy and in the Portman Center for Policy Solutions.  As a philosopher of education, I use political philosophy to address pressing problems in schools and democracy. Most recently, those involve matters of censorship, polarization, populism, honesty, and political dissent.  I am especially interested in issues of political agency, youth civic engagement, and educating for democracy in schools.  I craft policies and practices aimed at improving citizenship education and helping citizens navigate contentious political situations across party lines.

I am Senior Editor of the journal, Democracy & Education.  I served as President of the Ohio Valley Philosophy of Education Society and the John Dewey Society.

I have received the University of Cincinnati Distinguished Research Profesor Award, Jack Twyman Award for Service Learning, the Distinguished Teaching Award, and Golden Apple awards.  At my previous university, I earned the University of New Hampshire Outstanding Professor award.  I am also the recipient of the American Association of University Women Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and the National Endowment for the Humanities Teaching Development Fellowship.