Consultants / Speakers Network

Bio/Specialty Area(s):

As an Associate Professor in Education Policy Studies and Research Associate in the Center for the Study of Higher Education, Dr. Rankin has constructed an understanding of student affairs within the broader context of higher education. She has worked closely with students, staff, faculty, and administrators on dozens of college campuses to assess campus climate and to create strategic actions for equity and community. Examples of her work include consultations with public and private higher education institutions in Pennsylvania, New York, Oregon, Minnesota, and North Dakota; state agencies in Pennsylvania; and non-profit organizations across the United States. In all of her work, she keeps a social justice mission at the core, working to improve campus and organizational climates for all constituents. Sue recently shifted her professional focus from administrative leadership to academic leadership as a faculty member. Whether in the classroom, as a researcher, or in service activities, Sue's hallmark commitment to social justice shines.

Sue's work is nationally known among scholars and practitioners. We eagerly anticipate her new book, co-authored with Dr. Brett-Genny Janiczek Beemyn, The Lives of Transgender People (forthcoming, Columbia University Press), which is based on the results of the first large-scale, national study of transgender people in the United States. Anthony Kraft, a graduate student at Penn State shared this about Sue: "Sue has been a tireless advocate and activist for a more inclusive, diverse, and social justice oriented Penn State. Her mere presence on campus is a testament to the belief that one individual truly can inspire life changing work." In 2008, Sue was the recipient of the prestigious ACPA Voice of Inclusion Medallion recognizing her contributions to making campus communities a welcoming environment for all. In her spare time, Sue's passion is an invited speaker on issues pertaining to climate assessment and strategic planning for equity and community. Specifically, Dr. Rankin focuses on issues of power/privilege and intersecting identities on college campuses and is widely published in these areas.

Sue can offer trainings, workshops and presentations in the following areas:

• Campus Climate Assessment
• Developing Strategic Initiatives for Equity & Community
• Heterosexism in the Academy
• Heterosexism in Intercollegiate Athletics
• Identity Development of People who are Gender Variant
• Intersection of Multiple Identities and their Implications on College Campuses
• Developing First Year Seminars Focusing on Power/Privilege
• Developing Inclusive Curriculums
• Creating Communities of Difference
• The Power of Language in LGBTQQA...etc. communities
• Intentional Learning in Campus Curriculums