We are a team of four students at Barnard College and Columbia University studying school closings and its intersection with race and space in New York City. Here is a little more info on us!
Sithara is a junior at Barnard College studying Urban Studies and concentrating in Political Science. She is interested in the links between housing policy and zoning laws and educational and health outcomes. She wants to learn more about immigration and diasporic communities and enclaves and their relationships with the city as a distributor of basic resources. She grew up in Northern California in the middle of two sisters as the daughter of immigrants.
Adrian is a rising junior at Barnard College studying Urban studies and concentrating in Environmental Science. He grew up near New York City and when he is not researching about school closures and the failure of the School Renewal Program, he is studying the environment and sustainability. He is interested in learning more about environmental racism and how that may especially impact students of New York City.
Tina is a student at Columbia University studying Urban Studies and Political Science. As a senior who spent her first two years studying in France, she takes a comparative approach to her urban analysis of cities in the United States and Europe. She finds the school closure programs in various cities across the United States an interesting opportunity to analyze how greater American values are translated into education policies. Through her comparative approach Tina hopes to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of various education systems across the world. To learn more about her research feel free to contact her at th2626@columbia.edu
Nora Salitan is a sophomore at Columbia University studying Comparative Literature and Society. She grew up in New York City and is interested in education reform and creating equitable schools. She sees schools as part of a network of urban institutions that require investment and support and hopes to one day work on the policy side of reform. To learn more about her research into school closure please contact her at nsk214@columbia.edu