Professor in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies and Program Director for the College Student Personnel Program at the University of Rhode Island
About
Dr. Annemarie Vaccaro is a professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and the program director for the College Student Personnel Program at the University of Rhode Island. She earned her bachelor's degree in social sciences from Castleton State College and a master's degree in student affairs from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She also has a master's degree in sociology and a PhD in higher education administration from the University of Denver.
Vaccaro primarily uses qualitative methods to study the post-secondary experiences of historically minoritized student, faculty, and staff populations. Her research can be found in higher education, psychology, education, and human development journals. Vaccaro is also the proud co-author of three books: Centering Women of Color in Academic Counterspaces: A Critical Race Analysis of Teaching, Learning, and Classroom Dynamics (with Melissa Camba-Kelsay); Decisions Matter: Using a Decision Making Framework with Contemporary Student Affairs Case Studies (with McCoy, Champagne & Siegel); and Safe Spaces: Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT Youth (with August & Kennedy). Dr. Vaccaro recently received the 2017 NASPA George D. Kuh Award for Outstanding Contribution to Literature and/or Research Award.
Current Work:
Project 1: LGBTQ Students in STEM: The purpose of this study is to document how students with minoritized sexual and/or gender identities experience postsecondary STEM learning environments-with a particular emphasis on environmental and interpersonal microaggressions.
Project 2: Purpose and Identity Development for College Students with Disabilities: This multi-institutional constructivist grounded theory study of 59 college students with disabilities focuses on the intersections of purpose development, career decisions, and intersecting social identities.
Project 3: Student Affairs Professionals Working with Students with Disabilities: This qualitative study explored if, and how, student affairs professionals were prepared to support the growing population of college students with disabilities. The project utilized action research methods to simultaneously educate and study 31 student affairs practitioners.
Project 4: Women of Color in Academic Counterspaces: This five-year qualitative study examined the experiences of women of color inside (and outside) of academic counterspaces. The project used critical race feminist and intersectional lenses to analyze student counter-narratives about gendered racial oppression on and off campus. Since the setting for the study was a unique undergraduate course about the historical and contemporary experiences of women of color in the US, the study also offered insight into teaching and learning processes related to social justice.
Research Area Keyword(s):
Social justice, microaggressions, campus climate, inclusive pedagogy
