MEET ORIANA

Dr. Oriana Leach’s passion for equity in education was born from her own experiences as an “only”—the only Black student in many of her classes at predominantly White schools. As an Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) student, she often navigated feelings of isolation, separated from her same-race peers. These early experiences ignited a lifelong mission: to ensure that culturally and linguistically diverse students, often overlooked for gifted and talented programming due to biased testing and low teacher expectations, are recognized and supported in reaching their full potential.

This passion culminated in Dr. Leach’s doctoral dissertation, which explored the academic and social experiences of gifted Black female adolescents in predominantly White schools using narrative inquiry and youth participatory action research (yPAR) methods, a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework, and documentary filmmaking as a methodological tool for counterstorytelling. Her research is both personal and purposeful, reflecting her unwavering dedication to creating inclusive educational spaces.

With over 15 years of experience as an artist-scholar and practitioner, Dr. Leach has dedicated her career to fostering educational equity. She is the founder and Board President of The Obsidian Institute, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides out-of-school enrichment programs in STEM, Humanities, and Art/Artivism for gifted and talented youth from historically underrepresented communities. Her commitment to empowering students of color remains at the core of her work.

Dr. Leach’s academic journey began at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production. As a filmmaker, her first short film was purchased by HBO, and she continued to write, direct, edit, and produce several more. However, her calling to address inequities in education led her to pursue a Master of Science in Education at St. John’s University, graduating with highest honors. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Educational Psychology from North Carolina State University.

Her career includes a diverse range of roles in education, research, and advocacy. Dr. Leach has served as:

• Program Director of Academic Year Programs for gifted and talented K-12 students at Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP).
• Assistant Director of Assessment, Evaluation, and Advancement at Duke University’s Kenan Institute for Ethics and DukeEngage programs.
• Data Scientist and DEI Consultant at The Diversity Movement.
• Senior Researcher at Zearn and Research Manager on the Research and Product Marketing teams at Curriculum Associates, where she not only published several national research briefs for K-12 educators and policymakers, but also co-led a nationally recognized study on schools that "beat the odds" during the pandemic, featured in Education Week.

At NC State University’s William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, Dr. Leach contributed to a multi-million-dollar National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, collaborating with scientists and educators to create authentic science experiences for middle school students. She also played a key role in securing and managing multi-million-dollar research grants, conducting educator and student focus groups, and leading teams of researchers, digital artists, and computer scientists to develop game-based learning environments that centered on improving computational thinking skills in K-12 students and using intelligent tutoring systems with college students across the nation while at the Center for Educational Informatics in NC State's College of Engineering. 

Currently, Dr. Leach is a researcher at Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, where she leads qualitative research efforts for a multi-million-dollar child welfare prevention initiative funded by the Doris Duke Foundation. Using innovative methods such as arts-based and community engaged, culturally responsive approaches, her work addresses systemic inequities in child welfare policies, particularly the overrepresentation of Black and brown children in foster care.

Dr. Leach is also the founder and CEO of The Center for Research, Equity, and Training in Education, LLC (C.R.E.a.T.E.). Through C.R.E.a.T.E., she provides consulting, equity audits, and research and evaluation services for PK-12 and higher education institutions. Her expertise in culturally responsive teaching, equitable research practices, and community-based participatory action research makes her a sought-after partner for organizations striving to achieve meaningful change.

As a certified K-12 classroom teacher, Dr. Leach taught in North Carolina and New York City before transitioning to higher education. She has taught university courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels as an Adjunct Faculty member for several years and published extensively, with book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, and presentations at prestigious national conferences such as American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Association for Gifted Children, (NAGC).

Beyond her professional work, Dr. Leach is deeply connected to her community. She has served on numerous committees, including:

• The Equity & Innovation Committee with Durham Public Schools Foundation
• Built2Last Innovation Lab’s Board of Advisors
• The Gifted Racial Accountability Committee on Equity (G.R.A.C.E.) with the National Association for Gifted Children

Dr. Leach’s work is grounded in a commitment to creating systemic change in education and beyond. She is an advocate for policies and practices that uplift communities furthest from opportunity and celebrate the strengths of diverse learners.

Dr. Leach’s journey is one of resilience, creativity, and purpose. Her story inspires her work every day, driving her mission to ensure that all children, particularly youth of color, have access to educational environments that honor their identities, nurture their talents, and empower them to succeed.

Dr. Leach resides in Durham, North Carolina with her husband and two small children. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling to new countries, writing fiction, and exploring new eateries in town.