College of Education and Human Development

Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

Opportunity Gap

research expertise in OLPD

Studying educational outcomes and disparities, our faculty focus on reducing gaps and advancing equity to improve academic performance for all students. Many of our faculty possess significant expertise in these areas. See below for profiles of faculty and their research related to opportunity gaps. 

Faculty with expertise in this area

Nicola Alexander Nicola Alexander

  • Professor; Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, Diversity, and International Initiatives
  • 612-626-3256
  • nalexand@umn.edu

Policy does not always work in the way we expect or want. My research examines the implications of policy for society as a whole, entire student populations, and specified student groups.

Nicola Alexander
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Heidi Barajas Heidi Barajas

Heidi Lasley Barajas is currently serving as the interim Associate Vice President for Public Engagement at the University of Minnesota and is an associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development.

Heidi Barajas
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Gresham Donald Collom Gresham Donald Collom

Dr. Gresham D. Collom is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities' Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development.

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Rashné R. Jehangir Rashné R. Jehangir

  • Professor; Robert Beck Chair of Ideas in Education; Founding Director, CEHD First Gen Institute
  • 612-625-3551
  • jehan001@umn.edu

My academic work is at the nexus of research and praxis shaped by my early career as a student affairs practitioner and advisor in federally funded TRIO programs.

Rashné Jehangir
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Karen Miksch Karen Miksch

My research focuses on the law of higher education and the transition to college. Specifically, I am interested in access to higher education from a legal and policy perspective.

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Walter Novillo Walter Novillo

My education background is in human resource development, business, public administration, and law.

Walter Novillo
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Darrius Stanley Darrius Stanley

  • Assistant Professor; Carmen Starkson Campbell Endowed Fellow for Innovation in Teacher Development
  • he, him, his
  • dstanley@umn.edu

My work centers the political, educational, and philosophical perspectives of Black people to unearth Black genius and possibility in education.

Darrius Stanley
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Michael Stebleton Michael Stebleton

My current studies focus on understanding the experiences of first-generation and immigrant college students, including food insecurity issues and the impact of career courses on career planning and career decision-making.

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Bhaskar Upadhyay Bhaskar Upadhyay

  • Professor; Director of Graduate Studies; Rodney Wallace Professor for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
  • he, him, his
  • 612-625-3286
  • bhaskar@umn.edu

As a former science teacher, I am interested in research and teaching that addresses issues of science teaching and learning in the high-poverty urban schools.

Bhaskar Upadhyay
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