Dr. Z Nicolazzo
  • About Me
  • Trans* College
  • My Work
    • Research Interests & Methodological Areas
    • Publications | Interviews & Media Contributions
    • Teaching Philosophy Statement
    • Subject Areas & Courses Taught
    • Selected Syllabi
    • Service
    • Awards
  • Consultations & Keynotes
  • Contact Me
  • Trans* Resilience Blog

About Me

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My name is Dr. Z Nicolazzo, and I am an assistant professor of Trans* Studies in Education in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Arizona.  

​I graduated with my Ph.D. in Student Affairs in Higher Education and a Graduate Certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Miami University (2015), my M.S. in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University (2006), and my B.A. in Philosophy from Roger Williams University (2004).  Previous to being at UA, I was an assistant professor in the Adult and Higher Education program and a faculty associate in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Northern Illinois University (2015-2018). 

I have five years of full-time work experience as a student affairs educator, which included time at both Dartmouth College as a Complex Director with a collateral assignment in the Co-ed Fraternity and Sorority Office (2006-2007) and The University of Arizona as a Violence Prevention Specialist in Campus Health Services (2007-2008) and a Coordinator in the Fraternity and Sorority Programs Office (2008-2011).  

My research agenda focuses on mapping gender across college contexts, with particular attention paid to trans* collegians.  My work is also focused on affirmative- and resilience-based approaches to working alongside trans* collegians as well as promoting the (un)learning of normative gender constructs in higher education.  ​

My dissertation study was an 18-month critical collaborative ethnography in which I am working alongside nine trans* college students to explore what strategies they use to successfully navigate their collegiate environment, which I recently had published as my first solo authored book.  The book is titled, Trans* in College: Transgender Students' Strategies for Navigating Campus Life and the Institutional Politics of Inclusion, which was published by Stylus Publishing.  I am also the curator of the #TransingHigherEdSyllabus.  My future research agenda includes exploring the intersections of race, gender, and disability as well as interrogating how postsecondary educators conceptualize and deploy understandings of gender throughout their professional practice.

I have had my work published in the Journal of LGBT Youth, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs, Journal of College and University Student Housing, and TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly.  I am also a reviewer for the NASPA Journal About Women in Higher Education and the Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs, was a co-editor for a special issue of TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly focused on Trans*Formational Pedagogies (Volume 2, Issue 3) and am a Guest Associate Editor for a special issue of the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education titled, "What's Transgressive About Trans* Studies in Education Now?"  

I also consult and speak at colleges and universities about trans* collegians and identities, gender, intersectionality, and issues of equity, inclusion, and access for marginalized populations in higher education.  If you are interested in discussing my research, or scheduling a consultation/keynote, you can contact me by filling out the form linked to the "contact me" button below.  

When I am not teaching, researching, or writing, I enjoy spending time with my Westie Grrtrude, cycling, listening to music, cooking and baking, reading, catching up on my favorite television shows, and spending time with friends.  You can also follow me on Twitter at @trans_killjoy. ​
Contact Me
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  • About Me
  • Trans* College
  • My Work
    • Research Interests & Methodological Areas
    • Publications | Interviews & Media Contributions
    • Teaching Philosophy Statement
    • Subject Areas & Courses Taught
    • Selected Syllabi
    • Service
    • Awards
  • Consultations & Keynotes
  • Contact Me
  • Trans* Resilience Blog