From Roots to Wings: Grounded Yet Transformative Resilience in Higher Education Leaders of Color

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Leadership at Equity Intersections: Minoritized Identity, Gender, Resilience, and Advocacy

Abstract

This qualitative study explores how leaders of color in higher education cultivate and sustain resilience amid systemic challenges. Grounded in Kathy Charmaz's Constructivist Grounded Theory, it centers participants' lived experiences within personal, cultural, and organizational contexts. Through in-depth interviews, the research investigates somatic, emotional, spiritual, and cognitive strategies leaders use to navigate adversity and find meaning in setbacks. Rather than imposing predefined frameworks, the study emphasizes participant-generated understandings of resilience. It considers how cultural wealth, spiritual leadership, and embodied wisdom shape participants’ responses, while remaining open to discovering new strengths. The ultimate goal is to develop a grounded theory of embodied resilience that informs how institutions can more effectively support and nurture leaders of color in higher education.

Author

• Dulce Elizabeth Caldino DeNovellis, University of San Diego