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Scenes from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies

Annemarie Vaccaro

Annemarie VaccaroEducation:
Ph.D., Higher Education Administration, University of Denver, 2005
M.A., Sociology, University of Denver, 2005
M.A., Student Affairs in Higher Education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1996

Curriculum Vita (PDF)

Research Interests:
Dr. Vaccaro's research interests focus on the intersections between college student development and gender, race, class and sexual orientation. Her work is inspired by critical and feminist perspectives which call attention to underlying inequalities embedded in society and social structures such as higher education. Dr. Vaccaro primarily uses qualitative inquiry.

Teaching Interests:
Dr. Vaccaro is passionate about helping students become skilled, reflective and multiculturally competent student affairs professionals.
safe spaces cover

Selected Publications:

Vaccaro, A., Kennedy, M. S., & August, G. (2012). Safe spaces: Making schools and communities welcoming to LGBT youth. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.

Vaccaro, A., & Mena, J. (2011). It’s not burnout, it’s more: Queer college activists of color and mental health. The Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health, 15 (4), 1-29.

Vaccaro, A. (2011). The road to gender equality in higher education: Women's standpoints, successes, and continued marginalization. Wagadu: Journal of Transnational Women's and Gender Studies, 9, 25-53.

Vaccaro, A. (2011). Challenging privileged paradigms through service-learning: Exposing dominant ideology, unlearning deficit thinking, and debunking the myth of meritocracy. In N. Webster, & T. Stevens, (Eds.), Exploring cultural dynamics and tensions within service-learning (pp. 45-62). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishers.

Vaccaro, A. (2011). The divisions among us: Women staff, faculty and administrators speak about hierarchy, privilege, and sisterhood. Journal about Women in Higher Education, 4 (1), 26-49.

Vaccaro, A. (2011). Using feminist and critical race lenses to analyze the motivation, empowerment, and self-investment of adult women learners. In P. Pasque, & S. E. Nicholson (Eds.). Empowering women in higher education and student affairs: Theory, research, narratives, and practice from feminist perspectives. (pp. 104-120). Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Vaccaro, A (2010). Effective service learning reflection: Harnessing the power of Bloom's Taxonomy. In M. A. Cooksey & K. T. Olivares (Eds.), Quick Hits for Service-learning: Successful Strategies by Award-winning Teachers (pp. 154-156). Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

Vaccaro, A. (2010). Still Chilly in 2010: The Climate Experiences of Women from Diverse Backgrounds. On Campus with Women. Washington, D.C.: American Association of Colleges and Universities.

Vaccaro, A. (2010). Toward inclusivity in family narratives: Counter-stories from queer multi-parent families. Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 6 (4), 1-22.

Vaccaro, A. (2010). What lies beneath seemingly positive campus climate results: Institutional sexism, symbolic racism, and male hostility toward equity initiatives. Journal of Equity and Excellence in Education, 43 (2), 202-215.

Vaccaro, A., Wilson, N., & Harper, R. (2010). Microaggressions on campus: Experiences of non-traditional age women of color. In R. Harper & N. L. Wilson (Eds.), More than listening: A casebook for using counseling skills in student affairs work (pp. 227-252). Washington, D.C.: NASPA.

Vaccaro, A. & Lovell, C. D. (2010). Inspiration from home: Understanding family as key to non-traditional women's undergraduate engagement. Adult Education Quarterly, 60 (2), 161-176.

Vaccaro, A. (2009, March). Third wave feminist undergraduates: Avoiding ivory tower bureaucracy by fighting for social justice off campus. Journal about Women in Higher Education, 2, 1-25.

Vaccaro, A. (2009). Intergenerational perceptions, similarities and differences: A comparative analysis of lesbian, gay, and bisexual millennial youth with generation X and baby boomers. Journal of LGBT Youth: Special Edition on Millennial Teens, 6 (1-2).

Vaccaro, A. & Summers Thompson, S. (2009). Qualitative and quantitative methods as complementary assessment tools. In C. Schreiner (Ed.) Handbook of Research on Assessment Technologies, Methods, and Applications in Higher Education. (Chapter VII). pp 121-134. Hershey, PA: IGI Global Publishing.

Vaccaro, A. (2009). Racial identity and the ethics of service learning as pedagogy. In S. Evans, C. Taylor, M. Dunlap & D. Miller (Eds.). African Americans and Community Engagement in Higher Education. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

Vaccaro, A. (2006). Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students: Special issues and developmental concerns. In L.A. Gohn, & G.A. Albin (Eds.), Understanding College Student Subpopulations: A Guide for Student Affairs Professionals. Washington, DC: NASPA.

Selected Service to Profession and URI Community

NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education

  • Hardee Dissertation of the Year Award Committee Appointment (2011-2013)
  • Invited Keynote Presenter - NASPA New Professionals Institute (2010, 2011, 2012)
  • Coordinator of Research - NASPA IV West Region (2007-2008)

Campus Pride

  • Inaugural Year: LGBT Campus Advisor Bootcamp (Co-creator and Co-facilitator, 2011)

University of Rhode Island

  • LGBT Faculty Fellows Initiative, HSS (Co-facilitator, 2011-2012)
  • Equity Council & LGBTQ Subcommittee (2010-Present)
  • President's Commission on the Status of Women (2010-2011)
  • Diversity Week Planning Committee, Multicultural Affairs (2009-2010)
  • President’s Blue Ribbon Commission on the Future of the University, URI (2009)

Selected Honors

  • 2011 Leadership Educator Award. Omicron Delta Kappa Society, URI chapter
  • 2010 Alex Charter's Research Award, Association of Continuing Higher Education
  • 2008 Making a Difference in an LGBT World. Queer GALA Committee, University of Denver