Blayne D. Stone Jr.

PhD Candidate in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a focus in Higher Education and a minor in Counseling Psychology

Blayne D. Stone, Jr. is a PhD candidate in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a focus in Higher Education and a minor in Counseling Psychology. As an Army soldier’s son, Blayne has lived in multiple states and abroad. He earned an MA in Human Development Psychology from Cornell University, and a M.Ed. in Higher Education and BA in Liberal Arts, both from Florida International University. Before starting his PhD, Blayne has worked in student affairs positions and within support placement positions for youth and adolescents in need. He has worked on the Career Readiness portfolio team as a summer intern for the Education Strategy Group (ESG) in 2023, focusing on projects related to social capital development and middle school career exploration. Currently, he serves as a Research Associate in Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory where he designs, conducts, and disseminates research that informs policymakers, practitioners, and concerned citizens on how to best promote equitable and inclusive learning and work environments in higher education.

Blayne’s research interest focuses on advocating for educational equity and justice for Black college students with foster care experiences. His research explores the ways Black youth transition from foster care and through higher education institutions. He utilizes qualitative methodological approaches to heighten the awareness of the educational stories of students who have experienced time in the foster care system. Through his work, he examines the systems (e.g., foster care, child welfare, higher education) that continue to harm Black and brown bodies and explores strategies to improve their experiences. His dissertation explores the college-going process of Black students who were formerly in foster care. More specifically, his dissertation research examines how and why Black students formerly in foster care selected a specific institution and academic major.