AERA Graduate Students

✨ To another outstanding GSC leader we are proud to spotlight today! ✨
John Diaz, Division L – Educational Policy & Politics Junior Representative
John is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Education Studies Department at UC San Diego. John’s research focuses on issues of equity within education policy, school finance, and culturally responsive and equitable systems development. John will be serving as the Junior Representative for Division L this year.
John Diaz, MPA Diaz
L Jr. Rep

✨ Spotlighting another exceptional leader in our AERA GSC Know Us Series! ✨Michaela Pernetti, Division L – Educational Policy & Politics Senior Representative

Michaela Pernetti (she/her) is a doctoral candidate in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on educator well-being and the teacher labor market, and she is particularly interested in understanding the racialized and gendered norms of teaching that influence educators’ professional experiences and retention decisions. On campus, Michaela is a graduate researcher and evaluator at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, co-coordinates the University Writing Center’s Graduate Services, and is the Managing Editor of the Texas Education Review. She is excited to be back on the AERA Graduate Student Council serving as the Senior Representative for Division L, Educational Policy & Politics.
Michaela Pernetti

✨ Continuing our AERA GSC Know Us spotlight with another outstanding leader, Nallely Gecik ✨Division K – Teaching and Teacher Education Junior Representative
Nallely Gecik is pursuing a Doctorate in Education for Social Justice at the University of San Diego, focusing on fostering academic success for first-generation college students of immigrant backgrounds. She currently serves as adjunct faculty dedicated to advancing equity in education and fostering academic success for diverse student populations and is the AERA Division K Junior Graduate Student Representative in Teaching and Teacher Education. As a San Diego native, raised in this border town, she has a unique perspective that allows her to deeply connect with her students through shared bicultural experiences, understanding the challenges of navigating life between cultures to nurture their paths. Her research examines how building a culture of support for marginalized students is essential to their success in graduating college, recognizing that without it, they face systemic barriers rooted in epistemic injustice, coloniality of power, and the erosion of cultural capital.
Nallely Gecik

Welcome back to the AERA GSC Know Us Series! 🌟
Today, we are highlighting an amazing leader, Martha Lorena Hernández Flores! ✨Division K – Teaching and Teacher Education Senior Representative
Martha Lorena Hernández Flores (she/her/ella) is a doctoral candidate in Teaching and Learning at Florida International University. Martha engages qualitative methodologies and a de/colonial sensibility to explore the intersections of Latinidad, education, and dis/abilities in the field of special education. She currently serves as the Senior Representative for Division K - Teaching and Teacher Education on the AERA Graduate Student Council.
Welcome, Martha! 🌟
We are so glad to have you with us this year.
Martha Lorena Hernández Flores
K Senior Graduate Student Representative
K AERA

Today's the day! Take advantage of early bird rates on registration by 11:59 PM Pacific tonight! https://www.aera.net/Events-Meetings/AERA-2026-Annual-Meeting/Registration-Housing-and-Travel/Registration-and-Rates

✨ Another amazing AERA GSC leader to celebrate! ✨
Janay Crosland, Junior Graduate Student Representative
for Division J – Postsecondary Education:

Janay Crosland is a second-year doctoral student in the Higher Education, Opportunity, Equity, and Justice program at North Carolina State University. She currently serves as the Junior Representative for the Postsecondary Education Division J. Janay holds a BA in Psychology from Clemson University and an MEd in Student Affairs Administration from UNC Greensboro. Her research explores the well-being of high-achieving Black women at Historically White Institutions using Sister Circle methodology and arts-based methods. Janay is excited to connect with graduate students in Division J!

Welcome aboard Janay!
We truly appreciate the care, insight, and intentionality you bring to graduate student representation.
So glad to have you with us this year! 🌟🚀

Janay Crosland, M.Ed.
Division J Junior Graduate Student Representative

Welcome with me ✨ Another outstanding AERA GSC leader to celebrate! ✨Gaurav Harshe (तो / he / him)✨ Senior Graduate Student Representative for Division J Postsecondary Education

Gaurav Harshe (तो/he/him) is a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education Administration at the University of South Carolina and a Graduate Affiliate for the Center for Civil Rights History and Research (CRC). His research critically examines the intersectional experiences of Indian international graduate students and the minoritization of religious, spiritual, and secular identities in higher education through the lens of white Christian supremacy. Drawing from his experience as a racialized international student, Gaurav also leads initiatives to build community and increase South Asian representation in academia. An advocate for interfaith dialogue, he co-founded the 'Interfaith A to Z' student organization to foster religious, spiritual, and secular exchange on campus and has implemented several grant-funded programs. Passionate about graduate student advocacy and inclusive leadership, he works to challenge dominant narratives and amplify marginalized voices within higher education.

We are grateful for your critical insight, advocacy, and commitment to transformative scholarship.
So glad to have you with us this year! 🌟🚀
Gaurav Harshe (तो / he / him)
Division J Senior Graduate Student Representative

✨ Another incredible AERA GSC leader to celebrate! ✨
Welcome with me: Kyoungjin “Jin” Jang-Tucci
Junior Graduate Student Representative for Division I – Education in the Professions.

Kyoungjin “Jin” Jang-Tucci is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research and teaching explores college students’ transition to working adulthood, and the social, cultural, and technological influences on this critical phase. She is the AERA GSC’s Junior Graduate Student Representative, Division I.

We truly appreciate the insight, care, and scholarly commitment you bring to Division I and to the AERA Graduate Student Council.
So glad to have you with us this year! 🌟🚀

Kyoungjin Jang-Tucci
Division I Junior Graduate Student Representative

🌟 AERA GSC 2026 “Know Us” Series Is Back!
One more amazing leader to celebrate
🌟Anike Olufunke Adeoyenike🌟 Senior Graduate Student Representative for Division I – Education in the Professions

Anike Olufunke Adeoyenike is a PhD candidate at the University of Staffordshire, UK. Her research explores the impact of educational policies and funding on higher education quality. As the Senior Graduate Student Representative for Division I, she works to amplify the voices of graduate students and encourages inclusive, policy-oriented discussions within the academic community. She is committed to educational equity, leadership, and advocating for research that guides practice.
We are grateful for your leadership, advocacy, and critical insight, and for the care you bring to representing graduate students within Division I.

So excited to have you with us this year! 🌟🚀
Anike Olufunke Adeoye
Division I Senior Graduate Student Representative

One more AERA GSC amazing leader to celebrate 🌟
Division H – Research, Evaluation, & Assessment in Schools:
Junior Graduate Student Representative
Omaya Horton (she/her)

Omaya Horton (she/her) is a 2nd-year doctoral student in the Research, Educational Measurement, and Psychometrics program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research sits at the intersection of assessment, creative arts, and community engagement, focusing on the development of reparative and justice-oriented assessment frameworks. This work directly addresses the harmful eugenic origins of psychometrics, advocating for community-defined approaches to assessment design. Omaya is also dedicated to making research accessible, developing creative methods for communicating data and academic literature to broader audiences. She currently serves as the AERA Division H Junior Representative.

We truly appreciate the care, critical insight, and justice-centered perspective you bring to Division H and to AERA.
So glad to have you with us this year! 🚀🙌

Omaya Horton
Division H Jr. Rep

📊✨

AERA GSC amazing leader to celebrate 🌟

Division H – Research, Evaluation, & Assessment in Schools:
Senior Graduate Student Representative
Hanhui Bao

Hanhui Bao is a PhD student in the Learning, Design, and Technology program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research interest lies in robotics in education and educational data science. She’s currently serving as the senior graduate student representative of Division H at AERA GSC.

We truly appreciate the insight, dedication, and forward-looking scholarship you bring to Division H and to AERA.
So glad to have you with us this year! 🚀🙌

Hanhui Bao
Division H Sr. Rep

📊✨

📣 Know Me: AERA's GSC Council 2025-2026 – Post #2 📣
Let’s welcome our GSC’s Chair-Elect, the wonderful Edith P. Middleton!
She’s ready to bring her vision and voice to support graduate students across campus. Stay tuned as we continue spotlighting the amazing leaders shaping our GSC this year.