Dr. Jennifer Adair

Biography

Dr. Jennifer Keys Adair is a Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin. Her work focuses on improving children's learning experiences through qualitative research, specifically targeting inequity in early childhood education. She employs video-cued ethnography to study large-scale qualitative contexts both nationally and globally. As a major grant recipient from organizations such as the Spencer Foundation and Brady Foundation, her research emphasizes civic action, racial justice, and culturally responsive pedagogy. Adair has authored significant publications, including the award-winning 'Segregation Experience: Agency, Racism Early Learning,' and is currently working on a new book on supporting children's agency to be published in 2026. Her expertise spans early childhood education, educational anthropology, and the impacts of social injustices on childhood development. Adair also teaches courses on qualitative research and has served on numerous editorial boards and advisory committees.

Research Interests