We are thrilled to recognize the achievements of Cristie Suzukawa Clancy, MS, CCLS, a Ph.D. candidate in Chapman University’s Donna Ford Attallah College of Educational Studies. Clancy has been awarded Chapman’s Spring 2025 Provost’s Dissertation Fellowship, a competitive honor that provides tuition support and a stipend so she can focus on completing her Ph.D. in Education – Leadership Studies emphasis dissertation. As she concludes her doctoral journey, we are pleased to spotlight her background and scholarly contributions. 

With more than two decades of experience as a certified child life specialist, Clancy has guided children and families in coping through diverse healthcare experiences, “It is a privilege to support patients and families through the challenges of illness, injury, and grief,” she said. “My passion for advancing the field of child life specialists inspired me to pursue a Ph.D. to contribute to the profession’s growing yet still relatively limited body of literature.” 

Now in her final year of the Ph.D. in Education program, Clancy plans to defend her dissertation this summer. Using a heuristic phenomenological approach, she will examine the racialized experiences of Black, Indigenous and other people of color working in child life specialist roles, alongside child life leaders’ perceptions of antiracist leadership. Clancy shares, “As child life remains a primarily white dominated profession, it is important to highlight BIPOC experiences with racism and belonging within the field and consider current leadership approaches as a mitigating factor.” 

Clancy credits her dissertation chair, Quaylan Allen, Associate Professor, for his steady mentorship. “I began working with Dr. Allen three years ago as a graduate research assistant, and it quickly became evident that his theoretical and methodological expertise would be a great asset to my research endeavors at Chapman,” she said. “I am grateful for Dr. Allen’s willingness to share knowledge, steadfast support and perceptive mentorship – his ability to sense when to encourage forward movement or offer space for reflection has been instrumental to my development.” 

Clancy earned a bachelor’s degree in child and family studies from California State University, Long Beach, and a master’s in child life from the University of La Verne.