Lorien (she; her) is an assistant professor in Educational Measurement and Research (Qualitative Inquiry) at the University of South Florida.
As a critical qualitative methodologist, she examines the cultural and political conditions under which knowledge is produced, drawing on theories of whiteness and colonialism to inform relational and creative forms of inquiry. Her work spans the United States, New Zealand, Cambodia, and Samoa, where she has collaborated with diverse communities across varied qualitative research contexts.
Her research examines how qualitative inquiry can remain ethical, creative, and just amid the shifting conditions of contemporary life. Her work follows three interconnected strands: (1) critical and culturally responsive methodologies, (2) qualitative inquiry in the algorithmic and postdigital era, and (3) pedagogy, practice, and the ongoing work of becoming a methodologist. Across these areas, she approaches research as a living, relational practice that calls for reflexivity, creativity, and care as scholars act within complex social, cultural, and technological worlds.
Lorien is an associate editor for the journal Qualitative Health Research, and serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Qualitative Methods, The Qualitative Report, and Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology.
In 2018, Lorien received the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Human Development and Family Science with a specialization in Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research from the University of Georgia. Before coming to the University of South Florida, Lorien was a faculty member of qualitative methods at the University of Arkansas.
