Vanessa Na

As an eldest daughter of Khmer refugees, Vanessa is invested in imagining more caring and just futures, particularly within institutions of higher education. She is a PhD student in education studies, where her research focuses on the interrogation of systems of power on college campuses and centers the formation of solidarities and care networks through college social movements. Her scholarship and research in higher education is guided by the philosophy of co-creating knowledge that is accessible, representative of, and applicable to the communities that she serves. She hopes to honor the work of her communities by cultivating liberating and inclusive campus environments for historically minoritized communities. Vanessa enjoys spending much of her time with her partner and her dog seeking boba/coffee shops and stanning BLΛƆKPIИK.  Prior to her doctoral program, she worked in the division of equity and inclusion at the University of Oregon. Vanessa received her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Denver.