Javin D’Souza

Hello! My name is Javin D’Souza (they/he) and I am a Disability Studies Ph.D. Student at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). I am also an Urban Higher Education M.Ed. Candidate at UIC and a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD). Formerly a Graduate Assistant at the UIC Disability Cultural Center (DCC), I coordinated the first conference unifying DCCs across U.S. higher education. My work originates from creating a disability cultural organization as an undergraduate at the University of Southern California. I am a lifelong Chicagoan and proud alum of Chicago Public Schools.

Why did you choose DHD at UIC?
The experiences of my predoctoral degrees shaped my interest in the field Disability Studies over the years. I was introduced to feminist disability studies while pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies and worked at the UIC Disability Cultural Center while pursuing my higher education administration master’s degree. Combined with 4 years of identity development through reading empowering humanities and social sciences disability research, I decided that I wanted Disability Studies to be my main disciplinary field, leading me to choose the program at UIC.

What do you want to do with a DHD degree?
I hope to continue working in higher education as it is an incredible space for identity development. I see myself either pursuing scholarship and teaching through the traditional faculty route or directing a Disability Cultural Center with the mutual goal of supporting students and community members in their identity transformation journey.

Research Interests
Disability Culture and Identity Development, Biomedical Ableism and Disability Ethics, Academic Ableism in Higher Education, and Invisible Disability

Selected Presentations
Thomson, E. A., Fink, M., & D’Souza, J. (2022). “Disability Cultural Centers: Envisioning Accessible Futures in Higher Education.” Program Session Presentation (Deep Dive), WEnvision Our Future. NASPA Region IV-West & East Joint Conference 2022. InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, Chicago, IL. November 2022.

Education 
M.Ed., Urban Higher Education, University of Illinois Chicago, In-Progress (2024); B.A., Gender Studies, University of Southern California, 2021