The CWPPP Research Initiative for Women of Color
Overview
The Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy's Research Leadership Initiative for Women of Color has been designed to increase the diversity of its research staff and the scope of its research, in both the short- and long-term. Selected by the National Council for Research on Women, the Center's strategic initiative has focused on promoting women in both junior and senior level leadership roles within the Center’s Research Department. Specific initiative components include the development of a Research Fellows Program and the coordination of several events and activities by Fellows.
The initiative has three main goals:
1. Enhance the research, writing, and leadership skills of women selected as Research Fellows in order to prepare them for taking on leadership roles in academic research settings;
2. Contribute to the personal and professional development of women of color at key stages in their research careers by identifying barriers to advancement and using the resources of the Center and University of Massachusetts Boston to help women overcome these barriers;
3. Incorporate perspectives and approaches to the Center’s research activities that are shaped by the racial/ethnic identities and backgrounds of Research Fellows.
The selected Research Fellows, Charleen Brantley and Billie Gastic, have been actively involved in Center activities and will continue their work to advance women of color in research at the Center.
Initiative Coordinator
Donna Stewartson, MBA
Donna Stewartson is the Principal Investigator on The CWPPP Research Leadership initiative for Women of Color.” She is the Associate Director of the Program for Women in Politics & Public Policy. She received her MBA from the Simmons College Graduate School of Management and a BA in Political Science, as well as a Minor in Black Studies from Boston College. Her interest in advancing women of color in social science research led to applying for the National Council on Research for Women Ford Foundation grant. She presented on the grant at the NCRW annual conference on 6 June 2008 and again at the Conference entitled Igniting Change: Activating Alliances for Social Justice held on 11 June 2009.
Fellows
Charleen Brantley, Ph.D.
Charleen Brantley - a 2008 UMass graduate from the Leadership in Urban Schools - was selected as the Junior Fellow for this Initiative. Dr. Brantley’s doctoral dissertation topic was “Fourth Grade Writing Models in Three Successful Elementary School in Boston Public School System.” Her current research examines students’ writing development. Dr. Brantley is submitting a proposal to receive funds for a Graves book award.
Billie Gastic, Ph.D.
Billie Gastic is currently a faculty member in the Department of Public Policy and Public Affairs, McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston. Dr. Gastic teaches the two-semester research sequence in the Graduate Certificate Program for Women in Politics & Public Policy (Case Study Methodology for Policy Analysis and Case Study Seminar). Her current research focuses on "Race, Gender and School Discipline" and it uses data from Boston Public Schools to examine the role of students' race/ethnicity and sex in the severity of punishment for school-based offenses. This is the first part of a comparative study that will include an analysis of data from New York City public schools.
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN
Learn more about "Diversifying the Leadership of Women’s Research Centers," a two-year Ford Foundation-funded project aimed at promoting the leadership of women of color from historically underrepresented groups in the United States within the Council and within its women’s research, policy and advocacy member centers by clicking here.