Lisa Kennedy is a researcher, organizer, and advocate focused on advancing equity in rural education. She is a proud first-generation low-income graduate of Georgetown University, where she co-led the Georgetown Scholars Program Student Board and founded the Georgetown Association of Small Town and Rural Students. She also helped expand access for rural applicants as a Laidlaw Scholar, a rural admissions ambassador, and a student worker in Georgetown’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. She has interned at Federal Student Aid, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Rural Schools Collaborative. Most recently, she served as a Campus Compact Rural Youth Voices Fellow where she worked to amplify rural student perspectives on higher education.

Lisa is currently pursuing a Master of Studies in U.S. History at the University of Oxford as an Allbritton Scholar, where her research explores rural ecologies, tribal sovereignty, and identity formation in the upper-Midwest. She later hopes to pursue a JD/PhD in order to continue bridging law and scholarship in service of rural communities. She’s excited to bring these experiences to ResearchEd, working to make sure all students, regardless of zip code, have access to a quality education.