Curriculum Vitae (abridged)

employment

Associate Professor (w/ tenure) and Department Chairperson, 2022-Present
Department of Education Leadership, Management, and Policy
College of Education and Human Services | Seton Hall University

Associate Professor (w/ tenure), 2018-2022
Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership
The School of Education | St. John’s University

Assistant Professor, 2012-2018
Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership
The School of Education | St. John’s University

education 

Ph.D., Urban Education Policy, University of Southern California
Concentration: Public Policy and Sociology, July 2012

MSEd, School Administration and Supervision, Johns Hopkins
University, July 2008

B.A., English, University of Maryland at College Park
Concentration: American and British Literature, August 2004

research interests

Equity, Access, and Readiness for Minoritized Students
Social and Cultural Contexts of Urban Education for Policy and Practice
Qualitative Research and Education Policy
Qualitative Research and Emerging Methods

articles

Clemens, R. F., & Tierney, W. G. (2020). The role of ethnography as ethical and policy-relevant scholarship. Cultural Studies <=> Critical Methodologies, 20(5), 389-401.

Clemens, R. F. & Lincoln, Y. S. (2020). Introduction to the special issue: Ethnography and public scholarship: Ethical obligations, tensions, and opportunities. Cultural Studies <=> Critical Methodologies, 20(5), 383-388.

Clemens, R. F., & Tierney, W. G. (2020). The uses and usefulness of life history. In S. Delamont & M. R. M. Ward (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research in education (2nd ed., pp. 268-282). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Corwin, Z. B. & Clemens, R. F. (2020). Analyzing fieldnotes. In Michael R.M. Ward & S. Delamont (Eds.) Handbook of qualitative research in education (2nd ed., pp. 409-419). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Clemens, R. F., & Tooms-Cyprès, A. (2020). The politics of Trump’s anti-immigration discourse and opportunities for educational leadership. In R. Papa & F. English (Eds.), Encyclopedia of educational administration. New York: Oxford University Press.

Clemens, R. F. (2018). “College for All? These Kids Can’t Dig Ditches”: Confronting the leadership challenges for justice-based reform in “failing” schools.  Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 1-17.

Relles, S. R., & Clemens, R. F. (2018). "Do it yourself" scholarship. Forthcoming to International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 31(4).

Clemens, R. F. (2016). Transitioning from high school to college: Examining the sources and influences of social capital for a first-generation Latina student. The Qualitative Report, 21(11).

Clemens, R. F., & Tierney, W. G. (2016). The utility of qualitative research for public policy. In V. Luchega & P. Pasque (Eds.), Qualitative methods for public policy and organizational research. New York: Routledge.

Clemens, R. F. (2014). Friends, lovers, and social media experimentation: The need for new ethical guidelines. In K. Woodfield (Ed.), Social Media in Social Research: Blogs on Blurring the Boundaries. London: Sage.

Clemens, R. F. (2014). The shape of neighborhood ethnography to come: Blurred spaces, elastic time, and shareable culture. In K. Woodfield (Ed.), Social Media in Social Research: Blogs on Blurring the Boundaries. London: Sage.

Clemens, R. F. (2014). The lives of Black and Latino teenagers in a low-income neighborhood: Examining methodological issues when conducting a neighborhood ethnography. In P. Brindle (Ed.), Sage cases in methodology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Tierney, W. G., & Clemens, R. F. (2012). The uses of life history. In S. Delamont (Ed.), Handbook of qualitative research in education (pp. 265-280). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Corwin, Z. B., & Clemens, R. F. (2012). Analyzing fieldnotes: A practical guide. In S. Delamont (Ed.), Handbook of qualitative research in education (pp. 489-502). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Tierney, W. G., & Clemens, R. F. (2011). Qualitative research and public policy: The challenges of relevance and trustworthiness. In J. Smart & M. B. Paulsen (Eds.), Higher education: Handbook of theory and research (Vol. 26, pp. 57-83). New York: Springer.

presentations

Parnther, C., & Clemens, R. F. (2022). A critical discourse analysis of senior administrative leaders’ responses to anti-Blackness. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Diego, CA.

Gil, E., Kotok, S., Clemens, R. F., & DiMartino, C. C. (2021). Immigrant parents’ agency in navigating the New York City school choice process. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Orlando, FL.

DiMartino, C. C., Kotok, S., Gil, E. & Clemens, R. F. (2020). "Everybody has to do their homework": Parental responsibility in a mature choice market. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Francisco, CA. (In-person conference canceled due to COVID-19)

Gil, E., Clemens, R. F., Kotok, S. & DiMartino, C. C. (2020). How immigrant parents navigate the New York City School choice process. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). San Francisco, CA. (In-person conference canceled due to COVID-19)

Clemens, R. F. (2019). Old dilemmas and new possibilities for ethnography and evidence-based policy. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Toronto, ON.

Clemens, R. F. (2017). Pathways to college and career: Understanding the role of resource brokerage for young men of color. Paper presented at the Twelfth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI), Champaign-Urbana, IL.

Clemens, R. F. (2017). (Re)framing young men of color: The role of neighborhood-based research for socially just public policy. Paper presented at the Twelfth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI), Champaign-Urbana, IL.

Clemens, R. F. (2017). A framework for using social media for qualitative research. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Antonio, TX.

Clemens, R. F. (2016). Examining the uses of qualitative research for socially just public policy: Evidence from a study of low-income Black and Latino teenagers. Paper presented at the Eleventh International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign-Urbana, IL.

Clemens, R. F., & Tierney, W. G. (2016). The role of ethnography as ethical and policy-relevant scholarship. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Washington, D. C.

Relles, S. R., & Clemens, R. F. (2016). “Do it yourself” scholarship. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Washington, D. C.

Clemens, R. F. (2015). Triangulation 2.0. Using hybrid data to improve the quality of research. Paper presented at the Eleventh International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, Champaign-Urbana, IL.

Clemens, R. F., & Relles, S. R. (2015). Data are people too: Ethical issues related to social media research. Paper presented at the Ethnographic and Qualitative Research Conference (EQRC), Las Vegas, NV.

Clemens, R. F. (2014). The role of organizational ties to improve college access in a low-income neighborhood: Evidence from a summer bridge program. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Philadelphia, PA.

Clemens, R. F. (2014). Creative possibilities: Social media and ethnographic research design. Paper presented at the 35th Annual Ethnography in Education Research Forum, Philadelphia, PA.

Clemens, R. F. (2013). Improving College Access for African American and Latino Male Teenagers: Policy Recommendations from a Neighborhood Ethnography in South Los Angeles. Paper presented at annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Council for Public Policy in Higher Education (CPHHE) Pre-Conference Forum, St. Louis, MO.

Clemens, R. F. (2013). Developing a college-going identity to improve college access. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Francisco, CA.

Clemens, R. F. (2013). Examining the relationship between after-school activities and college access among teenagers in a low-income neighborhood. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Francisco, CA.

Clemens, R. F. (2013). Something a little nearer to the truth: Ethical representations of African American and Latino male teenagers in ethnography. Paper presented at the 34th Annual Ethnography in Education Research Forum, Philadelphia, PA.

Clemens, R. F. (2012). The role of neighborhood capital on teenagers’ education outcomes. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Vancouver, BC.

Corwin, Z. B., & Clemens, R. F. (2011). Teaching qualitative methods: Examples from the field. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), Charlotte, NC.

Clemens, R. F. (2011). Disrupting bureaucracy and the public good: The exploration of a case study to renegotiate the social contract between state and citizenry. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, LA.

Corwin, Z. B., & Clemens, R. F. (2011). Analyzing fieldnotes: A practical guide. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, LA.

Tierney, W. G., & Clemens, R. F. (2011). Re-visioning the relationship between public policy and qualitative research: Perspectives from the field. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, LA.

Zeehandelaar, Z. B., & Clemens, R. F. (2011). Shifting landscapes: Identifying portfolio reform efforts in Los Angeles Unified School District. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New Orleans, LA.

Clemens, R. F. (2010). Examining the first-year college experiences of urban youth. Paper presented at annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Denver, CO.

Clemens, R. F. (2010). Philanthropy in an age of capitalism: Rethinking the public good. Paper presented at annual meeting of AERA, Denver, CO.