Her research areas include college access, transition, and persistence for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students; additionally, she examines representations of Native peoples in popular culture, and the ways that Indigenous peoples are using the internet, social media, and new media to challenge misrepresentations and create new and innovative spaces for art and activism. As a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Keene has a deep personal commitment to exploring research methodologies that empower Native communities and privilege Native voices and perspectives, with the ultimate goal of increasing educational outcomes for Native students. She earned her B.A. from Stanford University in Native American Studies and Cultural Anthropology, and her doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Culture, Communities, and Education.