Dr. Denise Nicole Powell obtained her bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education from Michigan State University and her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Marygrove College. She earned her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education from Oakland University. Her 2012 dissertation, Bridges and barriers: An examination of service coordinator and provider roles and perceptions of family engagement in early childhood intervention services earned the Outstanding Dissertation Award from Oakland University's School of Education and Human Services. She has over 44 years’ experience in public education and has served in the roles of special education teacher and elementary school principal. After the principalship, she worked as an independent educational consultant, research coordinator for the American Institutes for Research, and principal/leadership coach. Dr. Powell began her career in higher education in 2012 and served on the faculty of Marygrove College in Detroit until its closure in 2019. Her research foci are parent engagement, family access to early intervention, and the impact of poverty on young children and their families.