Tricia Niesz, Ph.D.
Biography
Tricia Niesz is a Professor of Cultural Foundations of Education in the College of Education, Health and Human Services at ºÚÁÏÍø. She is co-founder and co-coordinator of ºÚÁÏÍø’s new interdisciplinary graduate certificate in Qualitative Research. Tricia’s research employs anthropological methods and theories to investigate cultural change in the field of education. She is particularly interested in teachers’ participation in social movements and professional movements promoting equity and social justice, and how these movements generate knowledge, learning, identities, and school change. Over the past few years, she has researched educational change efforts promoted by activist educators in the U.S. and South India. Her recent work has been published in Teachers College Record, Anthropology & Education Quarterly, and the Journal of Educational Change.
Education
M.A. in Educational Foundations, Policy, and Practice, University of Colorado at Boulder
B.A. in Elementary Teacher Education, Michigan State University
Expertise
Educational Change and School Reform
Social Movements and Education
Teacher Learning/Teacher Identity
Qualitative Research
Ethnography
Critical Qualitative Research
Awards/Achievements
- Honoree, outstanding advocacy, inclusion and support for students served by the Equity, Identity, & Success pillar of the Division of Student Affairs (2022)
- Nominee, EHHS Distinguished Researcher Award, ºÚÁÏÍø (2021)
- Excellence Award, ºÚÁÏÍø Graduate Student Senate, 2013
- Mothers, Mentors, and Muses Honoree, ºÚÁÏÍø Women's Center, 2013
- Presidential Special Recognition Award, Council on Anthropology and Education, 2010
- Mentorship Excellence Award, ºÚÁÏÍø Graduate Student Senate, 2009
- Honorable Mention: Council on Anthropology and Education Outstanding Dissertation Award, 2004
- Dissertation awarded Distinction, University of Pennsylvania, 2003
- Spencer Foundation Research Training Grant Fellowship in Urban Education Research, University of Pennsylvania, 1997-2001