As a Ph.D. student, Nina has had numerous opportunities to pursue research both domestically as well as abroad. She is an avid traveler, having visited over two dozen countries and conducted academic research in countries such as Ethiopia, Nigeria, Jordan, Turkey, Israel, and Cuba. These experiences have facilitated her broad understanding of the cultural contexts from which students of the African Diaspora are coming, and the educational trajectories that bring them to the U.S.
Nina approaches her research from an intersectional lens, understanding the role that structural barriers such as racism and sexism have on the experiences of students of color. Her work challenges one-dimensional approaches to identity, and considers intraracial diversity as well as the role of that power, privilege, and oppression have in how Black collegians make sense of their identity.
Nina is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including a Channing Briggs Grant from the Student Affairs Professionals in Education (NASPA), a Global Graduate Fellowship from the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Caribbean and African Studies in Education (CASE) Graduate Student Award from the American Education Research Association (AERA), and a Cornell Tradition Fellowship. She holds an M.S.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Biology and Society from Cornell University.
Nina approaches her research from an intersectional lens, understanding the role that structural barriers such as racism and sexism have on the experiences of students of color. Her work challenges one-dimensional approaches to identity, and considers intraracial diversity as well as the role of that power, privilege, and oppression have in how Black collegians make sense of their identity.
Nina is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including a Channing Briggs Grant from the Student Affairs Professionals in Education (NASPA), a Global Graduate Fellowship from the College of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Caribbean and African Studies in Education (CASE) Graduate Student Award from the American Education Research Association (AERA), and a Cornell Tradition Fellowship. She holds an M.S.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Biology and Society from Cornell University.