Dr. Alaina Jackson

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Alaina Neal-Jackson’s research centers on race, gender, and schooling, focusing on health and welfare for Black students, particularly in underserved contexts. Using sociological frameworks informed by critical race and gender theories, she examines schools and social institutions, exploring how they shape the experiences and opportunities of Black girls and women and how these structures reproduce social inequalities along raced, gendered, and classed lines. Neal-Jackson earned her bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric, Narrative, and Image from the University of California, Berkeley, her master’s with a concentration in Educational Leadership and Policy, and her doctorate in Educational Studies from the University of Michigan's Marsal Family School of Education. Her scholarship has been published in various esteemed journals, including the Review of Educational Research and Teachers' College Record. Throughout her academic career, she has also co-led a school-based restorative justice center, fueled by a passion for expanding the transformative potential of restorative practices within teacher education in P-12 educational settings. Additionally, she served as the Educational Culture Justice Coordinator for the Marsal School's Detroit P-20 Partnership, working closely with school communities to build cultures of social justice that can be seen and felt in policies and everyday practices.

Research Interests

Experience

Clinical Assistant Professor

2018-09-01 — Present

Marsal Family School of Education • Ann Arbor, Michigan

Neal-Jackson teaches courses and conducts research focusing on the intersection of race, gender, and education, striving to enhance educational experiences for marginalized communities.

Educational Culture Justice Coordinator

— Present

Marsal School’s Detroit P-20 Partnership • Detroit, Michigan

Worked closely with school communities to promote social justice through collaborative initiatives and policies.

Requirements for University of Michigan

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Total
Required:84
GRE General
Verbal
Required:155
Verbal Percentile
Required:50
Quantitative
Required:168
Quantitative Percentile
Required:50
Analytical Writing
Required:3.6
Writing Percentile
Required:50
Prerequisites
Bachelor degree in engineering, physics, or mathematics Calculus Physics
Application Checklist
  • Rackham Graduate School Application
  • Official Transcripts
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Personal Statement
  • CV/Resume
Specialization Notes

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science