Sarah L. Hairston

Biography:

Sarah L. Hairston (she/her/hers), Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education. Family, education, fine arts, and cultural exploration are Sarah’s top priorities in life. As an educator, Sarah believes nothing is more important than being a consummate agentic learner. Dr. Hairston has over 20 years of educational experience working with diverse populations in various educational settings that span prek-20.

Dr. Hairston’s research agenda pushes past easily consumable metanarratives regarding schooling, students, and educators. By addressing the effects of dominant discourses and practices she makes present varying possibilities to schooling that are reflective of the diverse needs and sensibilities of our communities and world.

Dr. Hairston’s work has been published in journals including Educational Studies, Leadership and Policy in Schools, Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, Research in Education and Forum of the American Journal of Education. She also is co-author on two chapters in the text Educational Leadership of Immigrants: Case Studies in Times of Change.

Dr. Hairston received her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, a certificate in Qualitative Research, and an Ed.S. in PK-12 Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She received her Bachelor of Science in Speech and Theatre Education from Culver-Stockton College in Canton, MO. She also holds a PK-12 principal certification.