Zoe Higheagle Strong

Research Interests

Dr. Zoe Higheagle Strong (Nez Perce tribe) is an Indigenous scholar who conducts applied research that examines social, emotional, and cultural factors that influence students’ identity, safety, belonging, and learning in educational environments. Her overall research goals are to 1) identify positive strategies to support students from Native American and ethnically diverse backgrounds who experience perceived threats (e.g., peer aggression/bullying, injustice, racism) and resource barriers in schools, and 2) utilize culturally sustaining/revitalizing approaches to support Native American education, aspirations, and preparation for college and/or a career. In her primary position, she serves as the vice provost for Native American relations and programs and tribal liaison to the president. She also directs the Center for Native American Research and Collaboration (see website).

Teaching/Professional Interests

Dr. Higheagle Strong teaches courses related to research methods, qualitative research methods, and indigenous epistemology & methodology.

Selected Publications

Higheagle Strong, Z., Frey, K., McMain, E., & Pearson, C. (2022). How do victimized youth emotionally and socially appraise common ways third-party peers intervene? Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02285-2

McMain, E., & Higheagle Strong, Z. (2021). Troubling dominant understandings of emotion in educational settings: A critical reflection on research and curriculum. Journal of Critical Questions in Education. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1287250.pdf

Higheagle Strong, Z., McMain, E., Sabotta, A., Pinkham, J. B., & McFarland, J. (2020). Nez Perce college and career readiness: “wíiwyeteq’is” growing into an elder. Journal of Indigenous Research, 8(7). https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/kicjir/vol8/iss2020/7/

Dai, S., & Higheagle Strong, Z. (2021). Educational applications using large-scale survey data sets: Opportunities and challenges. In G. Harbaugh and U. Luhanga (Eds.). Basic Elements of Survey Research in Education: Addressing the Problems Your Advisor Never Told You About. Survey Methods in Educational Research.

Frey, K., Onyewuenyi, A., Higheagle Strong, Z., & Waller, I. (2021). Cultural systems and the development of norms governing revenge. In H. Recchia and C. Wainryb (Eds.) Retribution and Revenge Across Childhood Adolescence. Cambridge University Press. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108776684

Higheagle Strong, Z., & McMain, E., (2020). Social emotional learning for social emotional justice: A conceptual framework for education in the midst of pandemics. Northwest Journal of Teacher Education, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.15760/nwjte.2020.15.2.6 

Frey, K., Higheagle Strong, Z., & Onyewuenyi, A., Pearson, C., & Brendan, E. (2020). Third-party interventions influence actors’ self-evaluative emotions and judgements: African-, European-, Mexican-, and Native-American adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 30(3), 633-650. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12542

Torres, J., & Higheagle Strong, Z., Adesope, S. (2020). Reflection through assessment: A systematic narrative review of teacher feedback and student identity. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 64, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2019.100814

Higheagle Strong, Z., McMain, E., Frey, K., Wong, R., Dai, S., & Jin, G. (2020). Ethnically-diverse adolescents recount peer third-party actions that amplify victims’ anger and calm their emotions. Journal of Adolescent Research, 35(4), 461-488. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558419864021

Brady, L., Higheagle Strong., Z., & Fryberg, S. (2020). The mismeasure of Native American students: Using data disaggregation to promote identity safety. In R. Teranishi, B. Nguyen, C. Alcantar, and E. Curammeng (Eds.), Measuring race: Why disaggregating data matters for addressing educational equality (pp. 131-153). Teacher College Press.

Higheagle Strong, Z., Carbonneau, K., & Austin, B. (2018). ‘I plan to attend college’: Gender, parent Education and academic support differences in American Indian and Alaska Native educational aspirations. Journal of American Indian Education, 57(2), 35-57. https://doi.org/10.5749/jamerindieduc.57.2.0035

Frey, K., & Higheagle Strong, Z. (2018). Aggression predicts changes in peer victimization that vary by form and function. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 46(2), 305-318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-017-0306-5

Brady, L., Higheagle Strong., Z., & Fryberg, S. (2020). The mismeasure of Native American students: Using data disaggregation to promote identity safety. In R. Teranishi, B. Nguyen, C. Alcantar, and E. Curammeng (Eds.). Measuring race: Why disaggregating data matters for addressing educational equality (pp. 131-153). Teacher College Press.

Higheagle Strong, Z., & Jegatheesan, B. (2015). School culture matters: Empowering and enabling Native American students in public schools. In P. McCardle & V. Berninger (Eds). Narrowing the achievement gap for Native American students: Paying the educational debt. New York, NY: Routledge.

Selected Grant-Funded Projects

• 2021-2026 NRT: Rivers, Watersheds, Communities: Training an Innovative, Cross-Sector Workforce for Equitable, Multi-Scale Decision-Making Towards Human and Ecosystem Health. Co-investigator with, Bolls, J., Padowski, J., Bugden, D., Crespi, E., Fremier, A., Denney, J., Kraczewski, K., Rollwagen-Bollens, G., & Bishop, P. National Science Foundation. Awarded: $2,999,967
• 2020-2024 — Culturally Sustaining and Revitalizing Approach to Native American Undergraduate Recruitment, Retention and Tribal Nation Building. Principal Investigator with, Lokensgard, Sanders, C., Runninghawk Johnson, S., Austin, B., and Fountain, S. National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA. Awarded: $573,227
• 2017-2022 — Culturally Responsive Indigenous Science (CRIS): Connecting land, language, and culture for Indigenous STEM (ISTEM) education. Principal-Investigator with, Price, P., Christen, K.., & Watson, F. National Science Foundation. Awarded: $2,481,274.
• 2016-2020 — Nez Perce mentoring project.  Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS). Social Development / Youth Development. Principal investigator with, McFarland, J. & Harris, E. Department of Health and Human Services – Administration for Native Americans. Awarded: $762, 000, WSU sub-award: $41,982 (Principal investigator).
• 2016-2019 — Peer influence response to threat: Cultural norms, reciprocity & self-identity. Co-investigator with, Frey, K., & Pearson, C. FY 15 Comprehensive School Safety Initiative. Office of Justice Programs.  Department of National Institute of Justice.  Awarded: $638,040. WSU sub-award: $97,464 (Principal investigator).

Education

Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of Washington

M.Ed., Educational Psychology, University of Washington

B.A., Psychology, Seattle Pacific University