NAME
Akila Raoul, Ph.D.
ROLE
Principal Researcher
BIO
Akila received her Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology from Loyola University Chicago where her dissertation research explored the intersection of social hierarchies and health determinants, and their influence on health beliefs and behaviors. Her journey in education research began during her graduate studies, where she worked on an National Science Foundation funded project investigating the combined effect of exclusionary disciplinary practices, restorative justice, and police presence in schools on high school students’ perceptions of safety, fairness, and belonging.
Building on this foundation, Akila served as Research Coordinator and later as Director of Research & Evaluation at an edtech company specializing in social and emotional learning. There, she developed her skills in developing assessments and platforms geared toward enhancing educational outcomes.
Akila's passion lies in leveraging mixed methods research and data analysis to advocate for equitable education—a commitment she brings to her role as Principal Researcher at Leanlab Education.
WHY I GRAVITATE TOWARD THIS WORK…
My gravitation towards edtech research stems from my commitment to advancing educational equity. Throughout my academic and professional career I have been driven to explore how societal structures can impact individual outcomes and at Leanlab I’m able to apply my research background to support innovative solutions that aim to address disparities in educational access and outcomes.
I was also drawn to Leanlab because of the focus on codesign research and the emphasis on uplifting the voices of educators and students. This aligned with my previous goals of maintaining a participatory approach to research, and ensures that we’re able to help support effective and equitable educational tools that actually address the needs of the communities they serve.
FUN FACT
I have been golfing since middle school and I played on my high school’s varsity team as the only girl my junior and senior year.