Kathryn G. O’Brien, MAEd, LCSW, PhD

Curriculum Vitae

Employment

Solo Psychotherapy Practice

Urban Balance Group Practice

Adjunct Professor, College of Education University of Missouri-St. Louis

Editorial Assistant, Washington University in St. Louis

Adjunct Professor, Education Department Harris-Stowe State University (HBCU)

Graduate Teaching Assistant, College of Education University of Missouri-St. Louis

Director, Adult Outpatient Services, Amanda Luckett Murphy Hopewell Center, St. Louis, MO

Family Reunification Supervisor Great Circle, St. Louis, MO

International Operations Director PPC Worldwide, St. Louis, MO

Clinical Director, EAP, Magellan Behavioral Health Care, Maryland Heights, MO

Education

Ph.D. in Teaching-Learning Processes – College of Education, University of Missouri-St. Louis. Dissertation: Gender Identity Work, Oppression, and Agency as Described in Lifetime Narratives of Transgender and Other Gender Non-Conforming Identified People in the U.S. Advisor: Brenda Light Bredemeier, Ph.D. Dissertation Committee: Brenda Light Bredemeier, Ph.D., Wolfgang Althof, Ph.D., Susan Kashubeck-West, Ph.D., Virginia Navarro, PhD., and Rebecca L. Rogers, Ph.D.

Graduate Certificate, Social Justice in Education, University of Missouri-St. Louis Graduate Certificate, Gender Studies, University of Missouri-St. Louis
M.A.Ed. in Counseling, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri
B.S, Music and Theatre, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

Courses Taught

Action, Advocacy, and Leadership in Education
Examination of the History of Social Justice in Education
Building Socially Just Education Communities (CPED – The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate – Combined Cohorts)

Discourse Analysis in Education

Introduction to Qualitative Research. (CPED – The Carnegie Project of the Education Doctorate – STEM Cohort). Instructor of Record

Advanced Qualitative Research Methods Teacher Action Research
Introduction to Teaching with Technology

Research Interests

Gender identities, language, and social justice
Critical narrative analysis
Meaning making in the research classroom

Professional Credentials

State of Missouri Licensed Professional Social Worker (LCSW #002778)
Crystal Wisdom Codes™ Practitioner

Professional Affiliations

International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine
Professional Member World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) (past)

Additional Qualifications

Usui Reiki Master (Levels 1, 2, and Master)
Pets and Animals Reiki Practitioner

Online Course Development

Introduction to Qualitative Research. Doctoral-level course, hybrid of in-person and online.

Examining the History of Community and Social Justice Education. Developed asynchronous structure from existing synchronous course design and materials in order to assure establishment of community of practice in the online environment.

Discourse and Gender in the Classroom. A four-week, online mini-course for pre-K—12 teachers.

Publications

Books/Chapters

O’Brien, K. G. (2021). Chapter 10. Between two crises: Identity reconstruction through critical action research self-study. In Slapac, A., Balcerzak, P., & O’Brien, K. (Eds.), Handbook of Research on The Global Empowerment of Educators and Student Learning Through Action Research (pp. 219- 244). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Slapac, A., Balcerzak, P., & O’Brien, K., Eds. (2021). Handbook of Research on The Global Empowerment of Educators and Student Learning Through Action Research. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Slapac, A., Coppersmith, S. A., Balcerzak, P., & O’Brien, K. G. (2021). Chapter 2. Resistance in crisis: Developing community through action research. In Slapac, A., Balcerzak, P., & O’Brien, K. (Eds.), Handbook of Research on The Global Empowerment of Educators and Student Learning Through Action Research (pp.23-48). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Doctoral Dissertation

O’Brien, K. G. (2017). Gender Identity Work: Oppression and Agency as Described in Lifespan Narratives of Transgender and Other Gender Non-Conforming Identified People in the U.S. (Publication No. 10681958) (Doctoral Dissertation, University of Missouri-St. Louis). ProQuest.

Peer Reviewed Publications

O’Brien, K. G. (2016). Feedback as a tool of engagement: A student’s perspective. PNRU Journal of Graduate Studies, 1(1), 9-16.

Rogers, R. & O’Brien, K. (2015). Review of T. Bartlett (2014). Analyzing power in language: A practical guide. Discourse & Society, 26 (6).

Rogers, R., Schaenen, I., Schott, C., O’Brien, K., Trigos-Carillo, L., Starkey, K., Chasteen, C. (2016). Critical discourse analysis in educational research: A review of the literature, 2004-2012. Review of Educational Research, 86, 1192-1226.

Awards

Gender Studies Nanora Sweet Research Award recipient, 2015 Gender Studies Writing Awards 2013 – Honorable Mention

Conference Presentations

Solution-Focused Strategies to Counteract Gender Suppression in Transgender and Other Gender Non- Conforming People. Paper presentation at Transgender Spectrum Conference, Washington University in St. Louis. November, 2017.

Stories from the Classroom: Narratives of Gender Expansive People. 12th Annual Educating for Change Conference, “Courageous Teaching and 21st Century Civil Rights.” St. Louis, Missouri. February, 2017.

Identity Work of Gender Expansive People. Paper presentation at Transgender Spectrum Conference, Washington University in St. Louis. November, 2016.

Grace under glass: A lifespan narrative analysis of the sounds of transgender identity construction. Roundtable presentation at 2016 AERA Annual Meeting, “Public Scholarship to Educate Diverse Democracies.” Washington, D. C.

Transgender and other gender expansive students in Pre-K – 12 classrooms: Developing supportive strategies. 11th Annual Educating for Change Conference, “Powerful Educators, Powerful Classrooms, Powerful Schools,” St. Louis, Missouri, February, 2016.

‘Hearing’ transgender identity emergence: A practical workshop for teachers and other professionals from the public and private sectors. Workshop presentation at Transgender Spectrum Conference. University of Missouri-St. Louis. November, 2015.

What to expect in grad school. Panel discussion at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2015 Graduate Student Conference. August, 2015

The Gender Sounds Project. Presentation at Empowering diverse learners, 10th Annual Educating for Change curriculum conference. St. Louis, Missouri, February 2015.

A transgender journey of learning to do resilience in order to be resilient. Paper presentation at Transgender Spectrum Conference, University of Missouri-St. Louis. November, 2014.

What’s that sound? Critical Discourse Analysis of the sounds of the emergence of gender. Paper presentation at 11th International Postgraduate Research Conference: Sharing success through research, Phranakhon Rajabhat University, Bangkok, Thailand. January, 2014.

Grace under glass: One woman’s construction of gender. Paper presentation at QuaRC, University of Missouri-St. Louis. Spring 2013.

Invited Talks

Introduction to Critical Discourse Analysis. Qualitative Interest Research Group, The Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. May 2016.

Transgender Identities and Cultural Discourses. Anthropology class, Sex and Gender Across Culture. University of Missouri-St. Louis. November, 2015.

LGBT and Trans* Introduction. Anthropology class, Sex and Gender Across Culture. University of Missouri-St. Louis. February 2015.

Schizophrenia. Education class, “Examining the History of Social Justice in Education.” College of Education, University of Missouri-St. Louis. October, 2013.

White Privilege. Social work class, “Diversity, Social Justice, and Social Practice.” School of Social Work, University of Missouri-St. Louis. Spring, 2012.

Introduction to LGBT Issues. Social work class, “Diversity, Social Justice, and Social Practice.” School of Social Work, University of Missouri-St. Louis. Spring, 2011 and Fall, 2012.

Service

Transgender Spectrum Conference. Planning and Program Committees. Fall, 2014 to present.

Advanced Qualitative Research Group. Fall, 2013 to Present

Educators for Social Justice, Board Vice President, 2016-2017.

Educators for Social Justice 11th, 12th, and 13th Annual Educating for Change Conferences. Program and Fundraising Committees. 2014-2017.

University of Missouri-St. Louis, College of Education Dean’s Committee for Social Justice. 2014-

O’Brien 8 2016.

University of Missouri-St. Louis, College of Education Graduate Education Council. 2013-2014Invited

reader, Transgender Day of Remembrance University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Education

Dean’s Committee for Social Justice

University of Missouri-St. Louis, College of Education Graduate Education Council

Additional Relevant Experience

Audio and Video Transcriptions for:

Michael Mancini, Ph.D., MSW, Associate Professor of Social Work College for Public Health and Social Justice, St. Louis University

Rebecca Rogers, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Educator Preparation, Innovation, and Research, College of Education, University of Missouri-St. Louis

R. Keith Sawyer, Ph. D., Morgan Distinguished Professor in Educational Innovations School of Education, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Formerly, Professor of Education and Psychology Washington University in St. Louis

2022 - Present

2019 - 2022

2018 - 2023

2018 - 2019

2016 - 2018

2013 - 2017

2010 - 2011

2009 - 2010

1998 - 2008

1993 - 1998

2018

2014 - 2018

2013 - 2014