In addition to consulting, I work as a scholar, teacher educator, and public creative. My work highlights culturally-situated education, community leadership, social joy and justice. My scholarship connects historical insight, community engagement, and applied research, demonstrating a commitment to knowledge that serves both communities and clients.

     Learn more about selected projects below. 

Dissertation

The Transcendent Pedagogy of Lincoln High School (19201960)

This sweeping work brought me face to face with Black southern intellectual history and the powerful professional associations that established rigor and protection for Black students throughout the south. My dissertation explores how educators at Lincoln High School cultivated rigorous instruction, professional collaboration, and community-centered learning during segregation and their connections beyond Alachua County, Florida. It frames culturally-situated schooling as a site of resilience, innovation, and empowerment.

Link: https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/E0/04/95/48/00001/HOUCHEN_D.pdf

Exhibition

Lincoln High School  A Metaphor for Excellence

To honor the community of Lincoln High School and the Black educators in Florida that were responsible for this pedagogical form and its excellence, I produced a public three-site exhibition drawing on archival material and oral histories. See the website with this content and lessons plans for teachers here: https://blackeducationalhistory.wordpress.com

Journal Article (Co-Authored)

Why Seek the Living Among the Dead? African American Pedagogical Excellence: Exemplar Practice for Teacher Education

This award-winning article demonstrates that historical culturally-situated teaching practices offer essential lessons for contemporary teacher preparation. It positions educators from historically marginalized communities as innovators in pedagogy and student engagement.

Link: https://ouci.dntb.gov.ua/en/works/4zNBeY14/

Activist History Review 

Beauty, Joy, and Wellbeing: Rethinking Black Southern Women’s Agricultural Labor

This essay, written alongside brilliant Mistinguette Smith centers the voices of culturally-situated women agricultural workers in Florida, emphasizing skill, pride, knowledge, and joy in farm labor. It reframes agricultural work as a site of resilience, cultural continuity, and community agency.

Link: https://activisthistory.com/2019/05/02/beauty-joy-and-wellbeing-rethinking-black-southern-womens-agricultural-labor/

Inclusive Community Building: A Brief Guide with Reciprocity Consulting

Co-authored with community scholars and advocates, alongside Reciprocity Consulting, this guide provides principles and best practices for fostering equitable, collaborative community engagement. It emphasizes trust, relationships, and mutual understanding, offering organizations practical strategies for inclusive and culturally-responsive engagement.

Link: https://reciprocityconsulting.com/wa/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/InclusiveCommunityBuilding_FINALBriefGuide_2022.pdf

Ensuring the Summer Thrive — Youth Development Research-Practice Partnership

I lead an inspiring team of scholars and community researchers as Project Director for this summer needs assessment conducted with the University of Florida and the Children’s Trust of Alachua County. The study identified community priorities for summer programming, informed equitable funding and program strategies, and centered participatory methods to ensure youth and family voices shaped decision-making.

Link: https://www.childrenstrustofalachuacounty.us/communications/page/ensuring-summer-thrive-study-presented-youth-development-research-practice

I loved participating in this rich interdisciplinary panel discussing how race, class, and environmental factors influence food access and choices, particularly in Gainesville. The panel addressed barriers to equitable food access, structural inequities, and community solutions to promote neighborhood wellbeing.

Link: https://humanities.ufl.edu/conversations-in-the-neighborhood/food-access-race-class-and-the-environment/

I was featured on the Reframing History podcast discussing my scholarship, applied research, and community engagement. The conversation explores historically and culturally-situated education, social justice in Florida, and the intersection of land, youth, and pedagogy, demonstrating how research translates into practical guidance for communities and organizations.

Link: https://creators.spotify.com

This exhibition documents the hidden work of Black educators in Florida who advanced equity and social justice before the civil rights movement. It highlights professional organizing, mentorship, and community leadership as crucial forms of advocacy.

Link: https://exhibits.uflib.ufl.edu/FloridaBlackEducators/

My work extends to culturally-rooted agricultural practices, documenting multi-generational family farms that preserve heritage, skills, and community health. This project highlights the intersection of education, land stewardship, and cultural continuity.

Link: https://www.northfloridablackfarms.com/

Articles and presentations on culturally relevant teaching practices, student success, and educational equity (Urban Education, 2012–2013). Conference talks highlighting historically marginalized educators’ contributions to pedagogy and policy.