Meet the Researchers
Dr. Lynnette Mawhinney
Lynnette Mawhinney, Ph.D. is Professor of Urban Education and Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Academic Initiatives at Rutgers University-Newark. She was a former high school English teacher in the School District of Philadelphia and transitioned into teacher education. She has conducted teacher trainings in the U.S., Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, South Africa, Bahrain, and Egypt. As a secret artist, she applies her craft of visual-based approaches to her research and scholarship on the recruitment and retention of teachers of Color. Dr. Mawhinney is the Founder and Director of the Visual Studies in Education Lab (ViSE), a consortium of community members and scholars that aims to amplify community voices, challenge traditional research methods, and foster creativity through the power of visual and arts-based research.
Dr. Carol R. Rinke
Carol R. Rinke is Professor of Science and Mathematics Education and Assistant Provost for Student Success at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. A former science and math teacher, she returned to graduate school to study the challenges of recruiting and retaining educators. Dr. Rinke teaches interactive courses in STEM methods that partner with local schools and community organizations. Dr. Rinke also maintains an active research agenda, exploring the intersection of the personal and the professional in teachers’ career trajectories. She is a founding member of the Creating and Inclusive Community dialogues on addressing race and racism in the college classroom as well as the Marist Center for Social Justice Research (MCSJR).
Dr. Laura Porterfield
Laura is an educator, Black femme-inist, poet, mama, and auntie. Laura loves young people and wants to hold the best of the world up for them. In a professional capacity, she does this through her work at the university and through consulting. Laura is an Assistant Professor of Urban Education at Rutgers University-Newark. Her fundamental belief and philosophy is that education is a human and civil right. She believes that in order to hold the best of the world up for young folx, every one of them must have equal access to high-quality, life-affirming educations. As a founding member of Derute Consulting Cooperative, she believes that a collective and cooperative-oriented approach to justice work means more minds stretched and more hearts opened. Her particular areas of research, teaching, and consulting expertise include visual sociology, Black girlhood studies, Black feminist theory, race and representation, culturally-sustaining pedagogies, and participatory youth research.
Dr. Christina Wright-Fields
Christina Wright Fields, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Education at Marist College. She is a diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) educator, activist-scholar, and researcher, who broadly explores the issues of race, gender, and equity in education and administrative practices. Additionally, through use of critical qualitative methodologies, she centers the experiences of Black educators, administrators, and students in both K-12 and postsecondary educational spaces. She has published work exploring culturally responsive pedagogy, cultural competence, global education, African-centered education, and faculty-led equity work in teacher education. She is a co-chair for the Global Diversity committee for American Association of Colleges of Teacher Educators (AACTE).
Dr. Nicole Auffant
Nicole Auffant, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Associate and Research Lab Manager for the Visual Studies in Education (ViSE) Lab at Rutgers University-Newark. As an activist scholar, she employs critical race feminist and decolonial lenses in her work, believing that scholarship should prioritize the voices and stories of its participants. Much of her research involves working with youth through participatory action research, centering their experiences to drive meaningful change. Dr. Auffant earned her Ph.D. in Urban Systems and is deeply committed to social justice, both within and beyond academia. In addition to her academic work, she organizes in her community and leads anti-racism workshops, striving to create more equitable spaces through education and action.