Kristen Smigielski is a doctoral candidate in the Curriculum, Instruction, and the Science of Learning PhD program at the University at Buffalo, where she specializes in teacher preparation and inclusive education. In addition to earning her PhD, she will also graduate with a Qualitative Methodology Advanced Certificate. Kristen is the Project Manager for the IES-funded National Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI (CELaRAI), contributing to research at the intersection of education, technology, and equity.

She holds a Master of Science in Education in Childhood Education from Buffalo State University, a Master of Music from the University at Buffalo, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Buffalo State University. Kristen is a New York State Professionally Certified teacher in Early Childhood, Childhood, and Music, with over five years of elementary school teaching experience. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Education and a Clinical Experience Coach for teacher residents at the University at Buffalo.

Kristen’s research is driven by a commitment to social justice and disability rights, focusing on how in-service general educators’ social-emotional learning (SEL), emotional intelligence (EI), and soft skills influence their ability to create inclusive classrooms for students with disabilities. Her studies delve into educators’ perceptions of their own biases and identities, their teaching practices, and the perceived gaps in their preparation programs, with the goal of advocating for systemic changes that promote equity and inclusion.

Her work bridges research and practice, advancing disability rights and social justice in education while shaping the future of teacher preparation and inclusive pedagogy. Her work has been published in Teaching Music to Students with Differences and Disabilities (2nd ed.) (Hammel & Yee, 2024, Oxford University Press), where she contributed the Resources chapter providing practical tools for inclusive music education. She has also been published in American Journal of Education Forum, and Kappa Delta Pi’s Teacher Advocate. Kristen has presented at national conferences, including the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Winter Conference, State University of New York AI Symposium, University of South Florida’s Interdisciplinary Symposium on Qualitative Methodologies, and University at Buffalo’s Graduate School of Education Student Research Symposium. She serves on the AERA Qualitative Research Special Interest Group Mentoring Committee and Graduate Student Committee, and is a Student Board Member of the American Journal of Education.