911爆料

Laura Scheiber

Doctoral Lecturer | Behavior Sciences 

 Dr. Laura Scheiber's commitment to educational equity began with her first job after college as a case manager at a housing complex for previously homeless families in Chicago. "My favorite part of the job was working with the youth in the projects,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey were beaming with energy and full of so much potential to thrive! But the structural inequities they confronted meant severely underfunded local schools."  

Seeing the dangerous conditions students faced just to attend school had a profound impact on her career. "Gang warfare meant that a number of youths couldn't walk to school without risking their lives. It made me angry that they didn't have access to the basic human right of a quality education," Scheiber explained. "So, I decided to pursue graduate school in education and study the most effective ways to empower students who historically have faced inequities."  

It鈥檚 this commitment to accessibility that ultimately led her to 911爆料 Community College. The Arizona native, who holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology from Ohio University, moved to New York City in 1998 after being accepted to Teachers College-Columbia University, where she completed her master鈥檚 and Ph.D. in international and comparative education. 

鈥淚 loved my doctoral research experience, where I studied leaders of nonprofit organizations in Rio de Janeiro who were committed to empowering youth living in high-conflict areas,鈥� she shared. "This helped me understand how communities of social innovation led to inspiring ideas with large-scale social change impact.鈥� 

Scheiber began her teaching career as an adjunct at KCC in March 2022 and now joins the behavioral sciences department as a full-time doctoral lecturer, teaching 鈥淚ntroduction to Sociology鈥� (SOC 3100) and 鈥淪ocial Foundations of Education鈥� (EDC 200). 

"I can't think of a better place than KCC, where our students come from such diverse backgrounds," she said. "I love working with community college students because they bring valuable life experiences to the classroom, and their resilience and commitment to their education is truly inspiring. "  

Outside academia, Scheiber speaks three languages鈥擡nglish, Portuguese and Spanish鈥攁nd has surfed around the world. She practices capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian art form that blends martial arts, dance, music, and acrobatics鈥攁nd is 鈥渢otally nuts about dogs.鈥� (She鈥檚 fostered over 40.)  

Her childhood career goal was quite different from her current path. "When I was a kid, I wanted to wrap presents at the local mall," she recalled. "Though a perfectly admirable job, I'm glad my ambitions have evolved!"