S-Bye Lab

Jonathan E. Collins, Ph.D. (he/him/his) is the associate director of the Center for Educational Equity. Collins is an assistant professor of political science and education at Teachers College, Columbia University and an assistant professor of political science (by courtesy) at Columbia University. His research focuses on race and ethnic politics, urban politics, state and local politics, education politics and policy, and democratic innovations. As a researcher, Collins has been at the forefront of the study of public participation at school board meetings. His book in progress, Democracy Speaks: School Board Governance through Deliberative Culture, demonstrates how democratic school board governance facilitates urban education policy reform. He has also written on civics education, African American voting behavior, local election reform, and school finance policy. His scholarship has been published in the American Political Science Review, Political Behavior, the Peabody Journal of Education, American Politics Research, the Urban Affairs Review, the Journal of Urban Affairs, and Local Government Studies. His public writings have appeared in the Washington Post, Education Week, the 74, and the Brookings Institute. Collins is also a regular columnist for Phi Delta Kappan. 

He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, the American Political Science Association's Susan Clarke Young Scholar Award, and the Brown University Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Award. His research has been funded by the Spencer Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). 

He holds a Ph.D. in political science and an M.A. in African American Studies from the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) as well as a B.A. in English from Morehouse College.

Shreya Karnik is a sophomore at Columbia College majoring in Political Science, with a research focus on public policy, education, and youth equity. Her passion for systems-level reform began with leading a restorative justice-based youth court in Washington State, where she restructured court operations to prioritize accountability over punishment. She is currently a Laidlaw Research Scholar and has worked as a research assistant with the Columbia Justice Lab, where she explored the long-term impacts of carceral systems. Her public sector experience includes internships with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where she supported data-driven initiatives to reduce firearm violence and expand community-based interventions for at-risk youth. At Columbia, Shreya serves as a Managing Editor at the Columbia Political Review. She is particularly interested in how evidence can be translated into action—and how institutions can be redesigned to serve young people and their communities.

Kiki Leis, Ph.D (she/her) is a Senior Research Assistant at the Center for Educational Equity. Driven by a passion for equity in education and its impact on families and social structures, Kiki brings a wealth of research experience to the Center for Educational Equity. She has previously worked as a research coordinator and project manager at Brown University and as a  diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) researcher at the Center for Creative Leadership. She has also been part of research projects at the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG), the University of Virginia and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Kiki holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from UNCG and a B.A. from Hampshire College. 

Rachel Liazos is a master’s student at Teachers College, Columbia University, specializing in Politics and Education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from Bates College. Originally from the Greater Boston area, Rachel's passion for education policy stems from her experience student-teaching in special education and functional life skills classrooms. She previously worked at the Center for Law and Education, a nonprofit legal organization focused on protecting and expanding the rights of students and their families through targeted litigation strategies. Her research interests lie at the intersection of education politics, policy, and law, with a particular emphasis on the rights of students with disabilities. Rachel is passionate about ensuring all students have access to quality education and empowering communities in local educational decision-making. As a research assistant with the S-BYE team, she is excited to apply data-driven solutions to foster more democratic and inclusive decision-making processes.

Yutong(Alison) Mei is a graduate student at Teachers College, Columbia University, specializing in Educational Technology, focusing on UI/UX design and digital media. With a background in Digital Media Technology, she brings a unique combination of design sensitivity and technical skills to create user-centered digital experiences that support learning, accessibility, and creativity.

Her work blends interaction design, instructional theory, and emerging technologies such as AR/VR and AI to deliver thoughtful and engaging solutions in educational and cultural settings. She has contributed to several impactful projects, including the design of AI-powered learning platforms. Alison is passionate about supporting educators by helping them transform their ideas into practical, user-friendly digital experiences.