Dr. Xyanthe Neider is a biracial Black woman, first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree, from a working class background. She was a single parent throughout her entire academic career, having been homeless with an 18 month old at one point just prior to starting her educational journey, and served as medical and financial power of attorney for her grandma while completing her master’s degree. She began at community college as a high school dropout, earning an associates of arts transfer degree. At university, she earned a dual bachelor’s in sociology and criminal justice with a minor in political science.

Dr. Neider has worked within higher education institutions as classified staff, exempt staff, and faculty. She does antiracist work in education for the above reasons, for her kids, and the future generations of students yet to enter our educational institutions. She received her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration with a strong focus in Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education from Washington State University in 2010. She has more than 15 years experience educating k-12 elementary and secondary teachers, principals and superintendents, and higher education student affairs professionals. Her research and scholarship explores the systems of power and oppression that exist within higher education institutions and in turn, affect notions of multiculturalism, diversity, and student access and success. Dr. Neider has won several awards; the most notable are the Washington State University Woman of Distinction Student Award and the American Educational Research Association – Critical Issues in Curriculum and Cultural Studies Graduate Student Paper Award. She currently serves as the director for teaching and learning at Whatcom Community College. Prior to coming to Whatcom, Dr. Neider served as the director for writing assessment for Washington State University, overseeing writing placement for first-year students and the university writing portfolio that is a graduation requirement of all undergraduate students.