Dr. Oriana Leach’s passion for creating equitable spaces in education stems from her own experiences growing up as an "only"—the only Black student in many of her classes at predominantly White schools. As an Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) student, she often found herself isolated from same-race peers. This experience sparked her lifelong mission: to ensure that culturally and linguistically diverse students, who are often overlooked for gifted and talented programming due to low teacher expectations and biased standardized testing, are recognized and nurtured. Her personal journey ultimately led her to pursue this phenomenon academically, making it the central focus of her doctoral dissertation, which explored the academic and social experiences of gifted Black female adolescents in predominantly White schools.

Dr. Leach's dedication to education and equity spans over fifteen years, as both a scholar and practitioner. She is the founder and current Board President of The Obsidian Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides out-of-school enrichment programming for gifted and talented youth from traditionally marginalized communities. Her drive to create spaces where all students can thrive, regardless of their backgrounds, remains at the heart of her work.

As an artist-scholar, her academic journey began at New York University, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production from the Tisch School of the Arts where she wrote, directed, and several short films. After working in the creative field as a filmmaker, Dr. Leach's commitment to educational equity led her to St. John’s University, where she pursued a Master of Science in Education and graduated with highest honors. Her journey culminated in a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Educational Psychology from North Carolina State University.

Throughout her career, Dr. Leach has held influential roles in education and research, including serving as Program Director of Academic Year Programs of gifted and talented educational programs and Assistant Director of Assessment, Evaluation, and Advancement at Duke University. She also worked as a Data Scientist and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant at The Diversity Movement, and as Senior Researcher at Zearn. While in the EdTech industry, she co-led a groundbreaking mixed-methods research project that examined schools where students of color and economically disadvantaged students exceeded expectations during the pandemic school year of 2020-2021. This "beat the odds" study was nationally recognized and featured in EdWeek.

In her role as a program evaluator at The William & Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University, Dr. Leach worked on a multi-million-dollar research grant funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Math-Science Partnership (MSP) focused on the collaboration between teachers and scientists to create authentic science opportunities for students in middle school classrooms. While at NC State, she also contributing to writing several successfully funded multi-million-dollar federal research grants and managing teams of researchers, digital artists, and computer scientists who worked to develop game-based learning environments.

Currently, Dr. Leach is a researcher at Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. She serves on a multi-million-dollar child welfare prevention initiative funded by the Doris Duke Foundation, where she leads her team in using innovative qualitative research methods, including arts-based and culturally responsive methodologies, to drive system-level changes in child welfare policies. Her work aims to reduce the inequitable removal of Black and brown children from their homes following child welfare investigations and, ultimately, influence federal policy change.

A certified K-12 classroom teacher, Dr. Leach taught in both North Carolina and New York City before pursuing her Ph.D. She has since taught university courses and her scholarly work includes several book chapters, peer-reviewed journal articles, and presentations at prestigious conferences such as the American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC).
Dr. Leach is also the founder and CEO of the Center for Research, Equity, and Training in Education, LLC (C.R.E.A.T.E.), where she provides consulting, equity audits, and research services to K-12 and higher education organizations. Her expertise in culturally responsive teaching, equitable research practices, and community-based participatory action research makes her a sought-after advisor for organizations seeking to foster equity and inclusion in education.

Beyond her professional work, Dr. Leach remains deeply connected to her community. She has served on numerous local and national committees, including the Equity & Innovation Committee with Durham Public Schools Foundation, Built2Last Innovation Lab’s Board of Advisors, and the Gifted Racial Accountability Committee on Equity (G.R.A.C.E.) with the NAGC. As a passionate advocate for social justice, she seeks to influence policy and practice to create meaningful, systemic change in education and beyond. Her work—both professionally and personally—reflects her unwavering commitment to empowering communities furthest from opportunity and creating spaces where all children, particularly youth of color, can thrive.

Dr. Leach’s story is one of resilience, passion, and purpose, with a commitment to ensuring that future generations of students experience educational environments that celebrate their gifts and honor their diverse identities.