Tara-Marie D
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of Southern California (USC)
Expertise
Education, Public Policy, Racial Inequality, Math
Bio
I earned my PhD in Urban Education Policy from the University of Southern California, where my research focused on the intersection of educational equity, mathematics education, and culturally relevant pedagogy. I study educational policy through a social justice lens, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods to better understand how policies shape teaching and learning. My work is particularly focused on racial inequities in education and the experiences of teachers and students of color in mathematics classrooms. Before pursuing my doctorate, I earned bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Education from Duke University. While at Duke, I mentored high school students, volunteered in local classrooms, and participated in educational experiences in Kenya and India. I also worked as a math teacher and after-school instructor with a nonprofit organization before becoming an eighth-grade math teacher in Brooklyn, New York. Today, I serve as an Assistant Dean at Hofstra University School of Law, where I support student success and lead initiatives that expand access and opportunity in legal education. I have more than 10 years of experience mentoring and tutoring students and enjoy helping young scholars develop strong research, writing, and critical thinking skills. Whether students are exploring education, psychology, public policy, or the social sciences, I am passionate about guiding them through the research process and helping them turn their ideas into meaningful projects.Project ideas
Education Experiences
Why do some students have positive school experiences while others face obstacles that make learning harder? In this project, we’ll explore the factors that shape students’ educational journeys, from classroom teaching styles to school resources to cultural and racial dynamics. Students will design interviews or surveys to gather perspectives from peers, teachers, or community members, then analyze the results to identify patterns. The final product could be a research paper, a presentation, or even a toolkit of recommendations to improve student experiences.
Predictors of Academic Success
Numerous data sets exist related to how students from different backgrounds (racial, gender, income etc.) perform on standard metrics of academic success (test scores, graduation rates etc.). Depending on the area of interest, we would work with the data set to determine how various student characteristics can predict certain outcomes as well as how different variables interact.
