PhD Student, Special Education
Advisor: Catherine Corr
Alexandra received her Bachelor’s from Clark Atlanta University in English Education and later received a Masters in Special Education from Purdue University. She worked for Chicago Public Schools as a special education teacher, case manager, and teacher coach at an elementary school. She attributes her success in the classroom to her ability to build positive and lasting relationships with students and their families. She also worked for the district as a Teacher Ambassador. In this role, she worked on recruitment and commercial campaigns to recruit and retain teachers in hard-to-staff schools in Chicago’s most underserved communities. All of these roles led her to discover her passion for equity within special education.
Alexandra’s research interests include equity in special education hiring practices within urban school districts and culturally responsive teacher preparation programs for special education. She enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and trying new restaurants.