As the Kylene and Brad Beers Professor I of Social Entrepreneurship at the Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking, Dr. Ivester will advance collaborative teaching, research, and practice that uplifts frontline communities navigating environmental injustice, displacement, and climate vulnerability. Through this role, she will lead the development of an interdisciplinary curriculum connecting social entrepreneurship to real-world recovery and resilience efforts in Louisiana and beyond.
Dr. Ivester’s work at the Taylor Center is shaped by three key priorities: building place-based partnerships that support resident-led organizing efforts in communities such as Ironton and Gordon Plaza; creating accessible advocacy tools like housing recovery toolkits, participatory planning frameworks, and grant-writing resources; and expanding public storytelling through art, film, and forums that elevate community narratives and influence just policy outcomes. Her approach centers the voices and knowledge of impacted residents, linking academic inquiry to grassroots action.
Since joining Tulane in 2020, Dr. Ivester has been recognized for her contributions to teaching and community-engaged scholarship. She is a 2023–2025 Tulane Mellon Faculty Fellow in Community Engagement, a recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Faculty Award, and was honored with the 2024 WorldMakers Award from the Foundation for Louisiana.
Dr. Ivester holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) from the University of New Orleans, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Chicago. Through her work, she is committed to advancing equitable development, amplifying community leadership, and bridging the gap between research and real-world impact.