Kayla Anderson

Former Research Fellow

Kayla Anderson was one of the co-facilitators of the Nashville Youth Design Team and worked as a research fellow with the Civic Design Center since 2019. She completed her doctorate in Community Research and Action at Vanderbilt University in 2025. Kayla’s research utilizes community-based participatory and action-oriented research methods to study inequities within the built and natural environments and how communities collectively act to address such issues.

Originally from Washington State, Kayla graduated from Whitworth University with a B.A. in Sociology. Prior to starting her PhD, she received her M.Ed. in Community Development and Action at Vanderbilt University. Though born in the PNW, Kayla considers herself a Southern transplant, moving to the Southeast in 2013. She enjoys taking care of her garden, spending time with her dog Carole (named after Carole King), and finding hidden gems at thrift stores.