Our Featured Fellow for September 2022 is Dr. April Davison, who successfully defended her dissertation in the department of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware in August!

April Davison joined the Bill Anderson Fund as a Fellow in 2016. She served as secretary of the BAF Student Council from 2016 to 2017 and earned the Norma Doneghy Anderson Award for Dedication to Excellence during her tenure. She also worked with various student committees, including the Disaster Dash and social media committees. Through the BAF, April received mentorship from Dr. Patrick Roberts and was chosen to participate in the Virginia Tech Future Faculty Diversity Program. At the University of Delaware April worked for the Center for the Study of Diversity, where she helped create a scholarship that drives diversity dialogues in academia and society.

Her dissertation, entitled Resident Perceptions and Interactions: Studying the Impact of Microaggressions in a Gentrifying Community, focused on understanding the everyday lived experiences of residents in a gentrifying community. Her dissertation used narrative analysis and rephotography. The study assessed how microaggressions impact a person’s perception of the community, whether gentrification exacerbates these interactions, and what this means for the area’s overall social cohesion. Using a qualitative narrative analysis approach combined with rephotography, her dissertation explored perceptions of community changes, resident interaction, and effects on perceptions of the space. The findings of April’s research contribute to academic conversations related to the unseen indications of gentrification, the importance of looking at microaggressions in a community setting, and how these interactions may be used in planning and governance to promote equitable development.

April is thankful to BAF for providing an affirming environment for her to engage with other graduate students. The workshops, webinars, conferences, and mentorship via BAF assisted April in navigating the dissertation process and expanding her career interests. Through BAF she met friends who encouraged her through all the ups and downs in addition to the spirited Norma Anderson, who cheered April on throughout the process. She would like to expand upon her dissertation to include how these interactions can be studied through a disaster gentrification lens. April continues to be inspired by BAF and hopes to pass the baton as a mentor to emerging scholars and practitioners.

April is on the job market! To learn more about her research or inquire about potential collaborations, you can contact her via the following links:

Connect with April on LinkedIn | Collaborate with April on Research | View April’s Citations

RESEARCH INTERESTS: Urban Governance, Community Planning, Neighborhood Change, Diversity Science, Intersectional Social Identities in Public Policy, Public Administration