LaShanda Harbin
Credentials: Ed-GRS and WCER Fellow
Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, LaShanda Harbin (she/her) is a doctoral student in the Educational Policy Studies program at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. LaShanda graduated from Bowdoin College in 2018 with a BA in both African American Studies and Education. After graduating, she mentored and tutored high school students at Westinghouse College Prep on Chicago’s West Side for two years. Her research primarily focuses on ensuring the safety and well-being of low-income Black queer and transgender K-12 students. LaShanda is also interested in exploring how embodying multiple forms of marginalization affects individuals’ actual and perceived sense of safety.
Awards & Honors
Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) Fellow (2021)
Education Graduate Research Scholar (Ed-GRS) (2021)
Ruth J. Simmons Urban Education Policy Scholarship at Brown University (2020)
ERA Annual Meeting Undergraduate Fellow (2018)
Gates Millennium Scholar (2014-present)
QuestBridge National Match Scholar (2013-2018)
Publications
McQuillan, M., Lebovitz, B., & Harbin, L [non-presenter]. (2024, April 11). The Impact of a Protective Federal Ruling for Transgender Students Across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. American Educational Research Association (AERA), Philadelphia, PA.
Lebovitz, B., McQuillan, M., & Harbin, L [non-presenter]. (2023, November 18). Examining Federal Influence on Local Policy Uptake: Whitaker’s Impact on School Policies Across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. University Council of Educational Administration (UCEA), Minneapolis, MN.
McQuillan, M. T., Lebovitz, B. A., & Harbin, L. (2024). The Disruptive Power of Policy Erasure: How State Legislators and School Boards Fail to Take up Trans-affirming Policies While Leaning into Anti-LGBTQ+ Policies. Educational Policy, 0(0), 1-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048231218206.