Ashley Gaskew

Ashley Gaskew is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Affairs at the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, City University of New York (CUNY). Her work focuses on higher education policy, faculty culture, and equity in postsecondary education.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, an M.S. in Education: Curriculum and Instruction, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.A. in Public Policy from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Gaskew's research explores the impact of socioeconomic policies on faculty culture across societal levels and within higher education. She has published extensively on for-profit and community colleges, critical theory in education, and the experiences of Black women at HBCUs. Her work emphasizes equitable and transformational analysis lenses through publications like her co-edited book on critical theory and qualitative data analysis.

Her recent publications demonstrate consistent focus on institutional equity, with recurring themes in for-profit higher education structures, community college pathways, and critical race perspectives on faculty and student experiences across 12 publications from 2018-2025.

Scientific awards include:

• Phenomenal Woman Award, Baruch College (2024)

Dr. Gaskew secured a PSC-CUNY grant titled "The Great Debaters: The Socialization of Contingent Faculty at For-Profit Institutions" (2023-2024, $6000). She serves on multiple institutional committees including as Chair of the Critical Race Speaker Series Committee and Social Affairs Committee, while also contributing to scholarly communities as a journal reviewer and Amadou Diallo Foundation board member.

Her active research portfolio examines contingent faculty dynamics at for-profit institutions, HBCU programmatic alignment, and mission analysis of for-profit colleges within higher education ecosystems.