Jade M. Nesbitt, LCSW-C (she/her) is a licensed clinical social worker, scholar, and practitioner whose work is rooted in advancing equity, access, and empowerment in educational and mental health systems. She has extensive experience working in disability support services within higher education, where she collaborated with students, faculty, and administrators to design and implement inclusive academic environments that honor the lived experiences of disabled students.
Jade’s research interests center on how students with disabilities develop confidence and belonging within higher education, with a particular focus on Black students and students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). She is especially interested in how community, peer relationships, institutional culture, and collective identity influence students’ self-advocacy, resilience, and sense of power on campus. Her work seeks to challenge ableism and systemic barriers in higher education by centering empowerment, disability justice, and culturally responsive support models.
Jade is deeply committed to exploring how systems can shift from gatekeeping to access-building, and how colleges and universities can become spaces where disabled students are not merely accommodated, but affirmed and fully resourced to thrive.
Education:
Morgan State University - Master of Social Work
Saint Joseph’s University - Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Minor in Spanish Language and Literature
Research Interests:
Disability support in higher education, Black students with disabilities, HBCUs, student confidence and belonging, community impact, disability justice, empowerment and resilience, and systemic equity in education.