Dana Nickson, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of education equity and justice in leadership, policy, and politics at The University of Washington. Dana studies the intersections of racial demographic change, politics of place (e.g. school choice policies, histories of Black placemaking, gentrification), and educational agency in U.S. metropolitan regions. Her research specifically centers Black families and students’ diverse knowledge systems and educational experiences to offer possibilities for justice-centered practices within and across school systems.  Her time as a research coordinator and assistant with CREATE has been integral to her commitments to research that supports Black families and communities’ educational justice efforts.