Kat J. Stephens-Peace

Dr. Kat J. Stephens-Peace serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research focuses on neurodivergence, race, and gender intersections, particularly for Black women graduate students. She employs interdisciplinary frameworks combining Critical Disability Studies, Crip Studies, Black Studies, and Women & Gender Studies.

Key contributions include her 2022 dissertation analyzing neurodivergent Black women's experiences with ADHD, autism, and OCD diagnoses. She emphasizes accessible research methods, addressing executive functioning challenges among participants. Her work has been presented at major conferences like ASHE and the 2024 Women and Gender Studies National Conference.

Driven by ethical participant-centered approaches, she navigates pandemic-related research challenges while advocating for cultural stigma reduction in Black communities regarding neurodivergence. Supported by the Alpha Research Grant, her scholarship aims to influence public health, special education, and institutional policy reform.

Dr. Stephens-Peace's creative methods include Poetic Inquiry and visual representation to engage both academic and non-academic audiences. She envisions transformative impacts on educational practices and systemic inclusivity.