About:

Catherine Voulgarides received her doctorate from New York University (NYU) in Sociology of Education in May of 2015. Both her scholarship and professional training focus on understanding how cultural, linguistic, ethnic and racial differences intersect with special education classification and placement in grades K-6 and, exclusionary discipline in grades K-12. She uses an interdisciplinary lens to critically assess how the production of racialized inequities in special education converge with practice. Her research is focused on understanding how educational practitioners, district, and school leaders use disability law—the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)— to address disproportionality in special education. She has a book contract with Teacher College Press focused on disproportionality and is Co-PI on a William T. Grant Foundation project focused on the intersections between IDEA, social context, and racial inequities.