Team Members

Raquel Muñiz is an Associate Professor (with tenure) at the Lynch School of Education & Human Development and an Associate Professor of Law (by courtesy) at Boston College. Her research examines how law and policy shape educational equity, with a focus on how the law shapes educational equity and how research use and knowledge brokering shape legal decision‑making, policymaking, and practice in education. She is PI on the William T. Grant Scholars Project on research use in education law.

Shophika is a Ph.D. student in Curriculum & Instruction with a concentration in Educational Leadership and Policy at Boston College’s. She holds a master’s degree in the didactics of mathematics from the University of Montréal. Her research interests lie at the intersection of education policy, politics, and law, with a particular focus on how legislation, litigation, and administrative policies shape everyday practices in public schools. Her interest in this field grew from her brief experience as a mathematics teacher, her experience as a three-time political candidate, and her work as an education columnist for media in Québec.

Sandra is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Higher Education Program at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. Her research examines innovative, community-engaged pedagogical models in legal education and their role in developing students; legal competencies while fostering pathways to public interest careers. Sandra holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Mexico), a Master of the Science of Law (J.S.M.) from Stanford Law School, and a Master of Administrative Science from Tampere University (Finland).

Chantelle is a third-year Ph.D. student in Curriculum & Instruction at Boston College with a concentration in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She holds a bachelor's degree in Biology and a master's degree in Elementary Education and spent nine years as a public school teacher before beginning her doctoral studies. Her professional experiences in K-12 education have shaped her interdisciplinary approach to education research and deepen her commitment to advancing equitable educational opportunities. Her research focuses on education policy, with an emphasis on fairness and equitable outcomes for historically marginalized and underrepresented populations. She aims to examine how policies shape educational opportunities and seeks to identify approaches that foster more inclusive and just educational systems. Outside of academia, Chantelle enjoys traveling and setting personal and professional goals.

Morgan is a sophomore at Boston College studying Applied Psychology and Human Development, with minors in Political Science and Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good. Her research interests lie at the intersection of policy and psychology, with a focus on how policy decisions shape educational and developmental outcomes. She supports a continuous improvement research project focused on K-8 Catholic education, coding qualitative data and contributing to case write-ups, and also works with Dr. Muñiz on editing a higher-ed law textbook. Outside of academics, Morgan is involved with BC's Women's Ultimate Frisbee team, writes as a sports journalist for The Gavel, and is a member of the APLSA Pre-Law Society.

Elyse is a rising junior at Boston College studying International Studies and Transformative Education, and she is originally from Honolulu, HI. She has held four research positions at BC spanning democratic resilience around the world, the psychology behind intercultural adoption, on-campus student wellness, and working with Dr. Muñiz on editing a higher-ed law textbook. She has also held internships with Congresswoman Jill Tokuda and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. She hopes to continue to work in the public sector and with international organizations on human rights, specifically focusing on education. Outside of academics, Elyse loves to stay active by hiking as part of the outdoors club at BC, teaching spin classes, and hanging out with her friends at the beach.