WVXU: Women veterans of color feel out of step in higher ed
A small study by new UC faculty member points out gaps in finding a sense of place
Students who are women veterans of color find support systems off campus for a lack of belonging they feel on campus, says a study by UC’s Rachael Saunders.
This finding, among others, appears in a study which Saunders led while a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina. Saunders is currently an assistant professor of counseling in UC’s School of Human Services, in the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services and was interviewed by WVXU to discuss the study.
The study is called “Bended womanhood bended back: The intersection of race, gender, and culture in women of color veterans and their transition into higher education” and appears in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
"I think that's important to highlight that even though they (study participants) didn't have a sense of belonging, that they really struggled to feel that they were accepted in these places, they showed critical insight and resilience that evolved because those intersecting identities," Saunders told WVXU.
Featured image at top courtesy of Unsplash/Bendjy.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Love it or raze it?
February 20, 2026
An architectural magazine covered the demolition of UC's Crosley Tower.
Social media linked to student loneliness
February 20, 2026
Inside Higher Education highlighted a new study by the University of Cincinnati that found that college students across the country who spent more time on social media reported feeling more loneliness.
Before the medals: The science behind training for freezing mountain air
February 19, 2026
From freezing temperatures to thin mountain air, University of Cincinnati exercise physiologist Christopher Kotarsky, PhD, explained how cold and altitude impact Olympic performance in a recent WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 news report.