Brita Ariel Bookser

Brita Ariel Bookser is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Child Studies at Loyola Marymount University's College of Arts and Sciences. Her work focuses on early childhood education, educational (in)equity, and antiracist and liberatory pedagogies.

• B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Counseling and Family Psychology, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) San Luis Obispo
• M.A. in Infant Mental Health, Mills College
• Ph.D. in Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley

Brita’s research explores critical questions in early childhood contexts, including systemic inequities in education, the impact of pandemic-related disruptions on preschool discipline, and interdisciplinary approaches to pedagogy. She actively collaborates with community organizations such as the Black Cultural Zone, KQED Public Media of Northern California, and the California Arts Council.

As Faculty Director of the Loyola Residential Learning Community, Brita fosters inclusive, transdisciplinary learning environments where students co-create spaces for belonging and critical inquiry. Her teaching includes courses like Antiracist and Decolonial Praxis in Early Childhood Contexts, Cultural Humility with Children and Families, Quantitative Research Methods and Statistics, and Education and Social (In)Justice.