Rana Yaghmaian, PhD, CRC, named Researcher of the Year for interdisciplinary research project: "Interrogating college student support spaces: Examining the experiences of disabled students of color using critical disability race spatial analysis."
Dr. Rana Yaghmaian, associate professor and department chair of Counselor Education, has been named 2024 College of Education Researcher of the Year at Portland State University (PSU).
Yaghmaian’s research focuses on the psychosocial experiences of people with disabilities at the intersection of race, gender, disability and sexuality. She is recognized for this award based on a research project funded by the Spencer Foundation's prestigious Racial Equity Research Grant.
The interdisciplinary research project titled "Interrogating college student support spaces: Examining the experiences of disabled students of color using critical disability race spatial analysis" was done in collaboration with Molly Siuty, associate professor of inclusive teacher education, and colleagues in PSU’s Department of Geography.
The team studied how disabled college students of color at PSU experience campus support spaces and whether or not their needs are being met in these spaces. The aim is to use their research findings to design improved services, improve student retention and build a stronger sense of belonging and community among disabled students of color at PSU.
“This project is important to me because higher education is frequently a space where ableism, white supremacy and racism are perpetuated, and institutional pressures can exacerbate these forces,” Yaghmaian said.
The research looked at students’ experiences across PSU campus support spaces including the Disability Resource Center, Queer Resource Center, Women's Resource Center, TRIO Services, Basic Needs Hub and Cultural Resource Centers.
“One of our findings was that while universities tend not to favor disabled students of color on a systemic level, individual people and spaces could disrupt their negative experiences on what we called an ‘ad hoc’ basis,” Yaghmaian explained.
David Banis, Department of Geography GIS lab manager and associate director of the Center for Spatial Analysis and Research at PSU, along with graduate student Rachel Cheyney, have been working on the presentation and visualization aspect of the research project with Yaghmaian and Siuty for nearly a year.
“The experience has been far better than most collaborative projects I’ve worked on in my 18 years at Portland State,” Banis said. “We have felt part of a team and empowered to make decisions, even though we are working with subject material beyond our usual disciplinary boundaries.”
Yaghmaian’s hope is that their research findings encourage university faculty and staff to create physical and interpersonal environments with disabled students of color in mind, and that eventually, their work will impact university environments on a more systemic level.
“I feel so honored to receive this award, and I want to acknowledge that this research wouldn’t have been possible without my colleague, Dr. Siuty,” Yaghmaian said. Though the pair were nominated together, only one faculty member is able to receive the award. “So I’m symbolically sharing the honor with her, as her vision and methodological expertise was integral to the success of this work.”
Earning one of PSU’s annual research awards is a high honor. The awards recognize the outstanding work of PSU faculty and staff who excel in research, scholarship, creative endeavors, and dedication to their students.
“As a professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, I commend Rana's scholarly approach to understanding the psychosocial realities of disabled students of color,” said Tina Peterman, professor and interim dean of the College of Education. “Her work is foundational to fellow scholars as we persist in our efforts to enhance inclusivity and belonging within campus communities.”
Yaghmaian and Siuty’s research was accepted for a national presentation at the prestigious American Education Research Association's (AERA) 2024 annual conference in April. The research will be shared within the PSU community to improve services for disabled students of color, support retention of these students and increase feelings of belongingness and community.
PSU will celebrate this year’s awardees at the Research Awards Ceremony & Reception at the close of Research Week on Friday, May 10. All PSU faculty, staff and graduate students are welcome to attend the award ceremony.