Howard Liao

Howard Liao is a Taiwanese doctoral student in Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Arizona. He holds a BA in Political Science from National Chengchi University and a MEd in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto. Prior to his doctoral studies, he served as a campaigner at Amnesty International Taiwan, where he oversaw youth-led initiatives, human rights education, and awareness-raising campaigns. As a longtime youth activist, Howard’s research explores the intersections of youth, schooling, and social justice. His PhD research addresses everyday racism against Indigenous peoples, focusing on how settler colonialism is normalized and reproduced within educational spaces. By centering youth perspectives and lived experiences, he seeks to uncover how young people navigate and resist colonial and adult-centric structures to inform educational policies that are truly meaningful and responsive to their realities. Outside of academia, Howard enjoys scuba diving, hiking, cooking, and singing.