Nadine Ann Skinner

I’ve always been passionate about education and driven to support my community. I’m a native Californian and I completed my undergraduate degree in Politics and History at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Since then, I’ve had amazing opportunities to teach and work in social justice organizations focused on urban K-12 students in the San Francisco Bay Area. My passion for social justice also led me to pursue a Master of Public Administration degree in Social Policy at Cornell University and work for international organizations in Washington D.C. and Guatemala before coming here to Stanford. My current research focuses on the relationships between universities, nongovernmental organizations, civil society, social movements, and the philanthropic sector. My interest is in how these different types of organizations shape education policy and practice.

What first drew me to the Stanford ICE Program was its interdisciplinary nature and the ability I’d have to take coursework and work with professors and colleagues from across several disciplines both within the Graduate School of Education and throughout the campus. Since I’ve been here, I’ve taken courses in sociology and political science, as well as classes offered at both the law school and business school. There are also a lot of opportunities to be engage with the different centers and institutes on campus, and I have been able to take part in projects at the Clayman Institute for Gender Research.

The most amazing part of the program, however, is the constant support that I’ve received from everyone here--- my advisors, all the faculty I’ve worked with, and my colleagues- both in the ICE program and at the GSE and Stanford in general. Since coming to Stanford, I have had the opportunity to work on a range of research projects and have had diverse teaching experiences. Everyone has been great at providing support and feedback, and there are many opportunities for collaboration.