EqRC Team

Mission Facilitator (he/him)

Dr. Bishop is a critical qualitative scholar with expertise on college affordability, student debt, anti-racist policymaking, and racialized geography of life opportunity. Dr. Bishop has worked with a variety of postsecondary institutions and organizations on developmental evaluations and is principal investigator of the first national study on Black student debt.

Director of Research (he/him)

Dr. Davis currently serves as Director of Research at EqRC. He identifies as a mixed-methods researcher-advocate with interests in inequitable K-12 schooling conditions that delimit post-secondary choices and opportunities for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. Dr. Davis most recently served as Senior P-12 Research Associate at The Education Trust.

Senior Associate Researcher, (he/him)

Justis Freeman is a mixed-methods researcher bringing several years of applied research experience and expertise in P-16 program evaluation, survey research, data management, and critical quantitative methods. He is interested in studying racial and socioeconomic inequity, particularly within postsecondary admissions. Justis recently served as a Senior Research Analyst at a non-profit educational research organization in Philadelphia.

Director of Operations (she/her)

Kaila studied business finance in her undergraduate and graduate studies. She has several years of experience assisting financial advisors and managing daily operations for large-scale programs and operations. Kaila is passionate about building operational infrastructure and providing resources to others. She most recently used her skills to establish and refine organization-wide policies and processes for a large tech company.

EqRC Core Team (he/him)

Dr. McGuire is scholar-advocate for improving the educational experiences of historically marginalized students and their holistic development at the intersections of race, gender, and class. Dr. McGuire’s research provides strategies and policy implications for how higher education professionals attempting to disrupt marginalization across postsecondary contexts.

Senior Associate Researcher (she/her)

Mrs. López brings over 10 years of experience in qualitative research and evaluation with expertise in labor, immigration, and workforce development. Grounded in equity and social justice principles, her work amplifies the experiences of historically marginalized communities to improve the socio-economic mobility and power of communities of color. Most recently, Mrs. López served as the co-founder of the POWER in Workforce Development unit at the UCLA Labor Center.

Director of Data for Freedom (he/him)

In tandem with his training as a sociologist of higher education, Mr. Mayorga brings 15 years of higher education leadership expertise including his previous position as a Chief Diversity Officer at a small liberal arts college. Mr. Mayorga is a doctoral candidate and leading critical quantitative scholar who specializes in how to build anti-racism into survey design, statistical modeling, and institutional data reporting.

Director of Finance (she/her)

Rashida brings expertise in budget management, operational accounting, and financial reporting. With an accounting and finance background that spans 25 years, she is passionate about integrating financial functions within business operating strategies. Rashida most recently worked in healthcare supporting financial programs and budgets for the senior population.

Director of Strategy and Culture (she/her)

Shanell brings nearly 10 years of organizational leadership, research and evaluation, and project management experience in higher education. Most recently, Mrs. Hagood served as Director of Racial Equity, Strategy and Policy in the Mayor's Office for one of the largest cities in the country.