About Trans*Formational Change, LLC

The work of Trans*Formational Change draws on a social justice education and equity model, which assumes that systems of oppression are intertwined and operate on multiple, inseparable levels - individual, interpersonal, institutional/organizational, and societal. The most effective equity work addresses them all, even as at times it is necessary to focus on a specific piece of the puzzle. Ultimately, every person, group, and entity has the capacity to unlearn, relearn, and play a role in moving all of us closer to collective freedom and liberation. It is Trans*Formational Change's core mission to  help trans*form people, institutions, and organizations by centering the leadership and priorities of those most in the margins. This mission and the philosophy behind it is informed by critical race theory, critical trans politics, and intersectional feminisms.

About T.J. Jourian, Ph.D.

T.J. Jourian is an independent scholar, consultant, trainer, and educator, with 20 years of experience helping people and organizations incorporate equity and inclusion on multiple axes (race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, disability, etc.), both as an internal leader and as an external consultants. As a faculty member and as a leader in higher education and student affairs, T.J. is skilled at drawing connections between seemingly disparate ideas, people, and goals, both in predominantly white and multiracial departments. He has cultivated relationships, networks, and communities towards unearthing and shifting organizational culture in a collaborative manner. T.J. also brings immense experience and training in curriculum development informed by social justice pedagogy.

Motivated by intersectional and liberatory movements and lenses, T.J. brings his personal, communal, and professional perspectives into all kinds of learning environments, and his reflective and dynamic presentations speak to a variety of audiences. His professional experiences in higher education span LGBTQ life, residential life, women's center work, multicultural affairs, orientation, and leadership; event coordination at a regional religious organization; and he has also been a faculty member at four institutions in their higher education and student affairs programs. 

Centering trans and queer people of color’s experiences and epistemologies, T.J.'s scholarship examines race, gender, and sexuality in higher education. T.J. co-founded Trans*forming Higher Education (T.H.E.) Collaborative (formerly T*Circle), the first and only collective formed by and for trans student affairs scholars and practitioners, and the Journal of Critical Scholarship on Higher Education and Student Affairs, the first open-access and open-review journal examining higher education explicitly through critical frameworks.

​For more on T.J.'s scholarship and academic pursuits, check out this page.