Our Team

Jamelia Morgan (she/her)

Faculty Director

Jamelia Morgan is the founding Faculty Director of the Center for Racial and Disability Justice and a Professor of Law at Northwestern Law. Professor Morgan is an award-winning and acclaimed scholar focusing on issues at the intersection of race, gender, disability, and criminal law and punishment. Her scholarship and teaching examine the development of disability as a legal category in American law, disability and policing, over-criminalization, and the constitutional dimensions of the criminalization of status. She received a B.A. in Political Science and a Master of Arts in Sociology from Stanford University, and her J.D. from Yale Law School.

Kate Caldwell (she/they)

Director of Research & Policy 

Dr. Kate Caldwell is the Director of Research & Policy, a role she tackles with gusto as a disabled researcher committed to ensuring policy decisions are informed by marginalized and disenfranchised voices. Kate is known for her work on participatory intellectual disability research methods, knowledge translation, and inclusive curriculum and program design. As a leading expert on disability-entrepreneurship, Kate works with policymakers at all levels. She received a B.A. in Psychology from Colby College, a M.A. in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Disability Studies from UIC.

Jordyn Jensen (she/her)

Executive Director 

Jordyn Jensen is the Executive Director of CRDJ. She is someone with multiple disabilities and chronic illnesses. Her personal experience with disability contributes greatly to her interest, leadership, and service in this area. Jordyn’s interdisciplinary research involves critical disability studies, disability policy, the history of urbanization for people with disabilities in the U.S., and the criminalization of disability. She received a B.S. in Applied Learning & Development, a M.Ed. in Special Education, and a master’s portfolio in Critical Disability Studies from The University of Texas at Austin. She is also currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Planning & Policy at UIC.

Dimitri Nesbitt (he/they)

Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

Dimitri Nesbitt is a trained urban planner and designer interested in public space management that encourages equitable dialogue on urban issues. Through this, he has helped develop design languages and processes aimed at improving spatial access for minoritized communities. He earned a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Wyoming, a Master of Urban Planning & Policy from the University of Illinois Chicago, and a Certificate in Geospatial Analysis & Visualization from UIC.