Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.)

Higher and Postsecondary Education
Teachers College, Columbia University
2013

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Counseling Psychology
James Madison University
2000

Education Specialist (Ed.S.)

Counseling Psychology
James Madison University
2000

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Psychology
James Madison University
1996

state higher education policy

higher education policy advocacy

DEI professionals and DEI work

Campus climate

Critical qualitative research methods

Social fiction as scholarship

Afrofuturism in education

Artificial Intelligence & Higher Education

ELPS 605: Higher Education Policy

Utilizing a student centered challenge based framework, this course provides an overview of theories of American higher education policy and how policymaking considers (and does not consider) Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). In broad strokes, this course poses a series of challenges that require students to examine and propose solutions related to the contemporary landscape of policy making including the structures, spaces, actors, and stakeholders involved in the process of policy-making.  Course readings and discussions explore traditional, critical, and decolonial theories of the public policy process and unpack how higher education policy subsystems work to incrementally, and sometimes non-incrementally, influence education policy. Students are invited to critique the ways in which Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs)—Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institutions (AANAPIs)— are included, excluded, and impacted by policy theory and practice.   Additionally, the course highlights various challenges facing MSIs and approaches and strategies higher education leaders can use to engage in policy making arenas in order to address these challenges and advocate on behalf of their institution. 

ELPS 606: Governance and Administration in Higher Education

Utilizing both a holistic and challenge based framework, this course draws on interdisciplinary scholarship and current events, to provide an overview of governance and administration within higher education. Special attention is given to the ways in which governance operates within Minority Serving Institutions and how it is shaped by and affects administration. Course content is designed to increase knowledge about various traditional, critical, and decolonial theories and practices associated with governance in higher education. Course readings, assignments, and discussions are designed to engage students in critical reflection about the micro and macro campus environment, and how it can be improved for greater engagement, wellness, collaboration, and innovation. This requires an examination of current challenges and solutions that consider role various constituencies, movements, and politics in the governance and administration of these complex organizations, particularly at Minority Serving Institutions.

ELPS 609: Advanced Qualitative Research Methods

Utilizing a challenge based framework, this course is an advanced doctoral-level seminar designed to provide applied knowledge and experience in developing and implementing an independent qualitative research study. Building on the ELPS 524 Introduction to Qualitative Research course, this advanced course will pose a series of challenges that support and improve development in reflexivity, perspective taking, approaches, trustworthiness, conducting qualitative analysis, and communicating your analysis to a wider audience. Traditional, critical, and decolonial theoretical and practical approaches for conducting a qualitative research project are explored.

ELPS 611: Community and Board Relations

Utilizing a challenge based framework, this course provides an overview and applied learning opportunity to explore the role of higher education trustee boards, higher education trustee board members, and trustee board relationships with various constituents. Course readings and challenge exercises are designed to promote critical reflection about board engagement with the campus and the greater communities in which they are situated. Special attention is given to trustee board dynamics and engagement at Minority Serving Institutions and ways institutional leaders can engage with the board to improve communication and shared governance.

“Eco-Intelligence Summit” New Building Blocks Post-Convening Grant ($16,000) 2025-2026

The Lumina Foundation

American University Faculty Fellow; 2025-27

The Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL)

Federal Regulation Change § 668.14(b)(34); 2024

White paper cited in a federal regulation change prohibiting postsecondary transcript withholding when a balance is due.

The 1619 Project Education Network ($5000) 2023-2024

The Pulitzer Center

HBCU Faculty Fellow - Propel Center; 2023-24

Selected as member of competitive inaugural professional development program to support the incorporation of technology into inclusive pedagogy.

Minority Meta-Analysis Fellowship; 2020-22

AERA- Spencer Foundation; Selected for competitive professional development program for enhancing skills in meta-analysis.

Fulbright Distinguished Visiting Chair, Canada; 2015-16

The Fulbright Program-Foundation for Educational Exchange Between Canada and the United States of America. Principal Investigator of a qualitative research project investigating provincial inclusive internationalization policy in higher education in Alberta. 

Lavonne Richardson- DEI Professional Extraordinaire- and the Use of Social Fiction as Testimony
This chapter provides an example and an in-depth discussion of how social fiction can be used to illustrate lived experiences captured through qualitative research. It introduces a social fiction centered on a composite character, Lavonne Richardson, who represents the experiences of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professionals in higher education. Drawing from prior qualitative research and critical social theories—such as tempered radicals, invisible labor, and feminist killjoys—this social fiction offers testimony on the challenges DEI professionals face within academic institutions. The chapter concludes with a practical guide for how readers can create social fiction as a qualitative research product.

This Fragile New World: Tales of Futures Without DEI in Higher Education
Building on current higher education discourse, this work employs Afrofuturism and future scenario planning to craft three fictional narratives. These stories illustrate potential impacts, challenges, and strategies for navigating a future in which formal structures supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education no longer exist.

Renegotiating the Relationship Between HBCUs and State Higher Education Boards to Address Coloniality
This conceptual paper examines how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their advocates engage with state higher education coordinating and governing boards in the policymaking process to support HBCUs and their students. The analysis explores the political-historical and socio-cultural factors that shape this relationship, while also addressing the challenges posed by white colonial perspectives and approaches to state policymaking for HBCUs. The paper concludes by identifying critical gaps and opportunities for both research and practice, particularly in enhancing HBCU participation in state policymaking processes.

Critical Conversations: Black Scholarship in a White Academy
This edited book provides critical insights into the historical devaluation of Black faculty and their scholarship within academia, particularly in predominantly White institutional spaces. Grounded in anti-Blackness theory, the contributors examine how White hegemony functions to marginalize, devalue, and hinder the contributions of Black scholars and their work.

Lifting the Veil: Utilizing Critical Qualitative Inquiry to Demystify the Public Policymaking Process
This article examines how critical qualitative inquiry can be employed to analyze and demystify the public policymaking process, making it more accessible for scrutiny and fostering greater democratic engagement. It raises important questions about which aspects of the policymaking process remain hidden or underexplored. Additionally, it highlights how researchers committed to advancing knowledge, justice, and empowerment for communities of color can leverage critical qualitative inquiry to "unveil" these components, promoting stronger advocacy and civic participation.

“All Students Matter”: The Place of Race in Discourse on Student Debt in a Federal Higher Education Policymaking Process
In this article, we use Critical Discourse Analysis to examine racial discourse in recent efforts to reauthorize the Higher Education Act. Specifically, we analyzed congressional markup hearings to explore how legislators frame student debt and the racialized dynamics embedded within these discussions. Our findings reveal three distinct types of discourse: "All Students Matter," Paternalistic, Race-Evasive, and Explicit Racial Discourse. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and policymaking.

Stranded Credits: A Matter of Equity
This report presents the findings of an in-depth descriptive qualitative study exploring the lived experiences of students and staff who are familiar with institutional debt, commonly referred to as stranded credits. The study reveals that stranded credits disproportionately impact students of color and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Additionally, they significantly influence students’ academic and career paths, often determining whether a student stops out temporarily or drops out permanently. Stranded credits also affect financial aid eligibility and have a profound negative effect on students’ psychological well-being.

Re-Imagining Campus Climate Assessment at HBCUs
Using a critical paradigm, this paper examines how current theoretical perspectives may inadvertently minimize or undermine Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) within the discourse on racial climate assessment in higher education. Specifically, it critiques a widely used campus climate theory, highlighting its focus on predominantly White institutions and its failure to account for the unique histories, structures, and diversity-related challenges faced by HBCUs. Beyond addressing the limitations of the existing discourse on campus climate assessment at HBCUs, this paper offers key considerations and recommendations to guide future scholarship in this area.

The Invisible Labor of Diversity Educators in Higher Education
Diversity educators are typically hired to design, facilitate, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, signaling an institution’s commitment to these values and fostering a more socially just environment. This article provides insight into a qualitative study on diversity educators employed at 20 different higher education institutions across the United States. The findings shed light on the significant “invisible labor” that diversity educators undertake beyond their primary responsibilities. This includes mentoring students, collaborating with various departments and colleagues to advance DEI initiatives, providing informal academic advising, and helping students access essential resources to address personal needs, such as financial assistance and housing.

Not By Magic: Perspectives on Creating and Facilitating Outreach Programs for Black Girls and Women
Grounded in a conceptual framework of intersectionality and program planning, this descriptive qualitative study examines the perspectives of six program leaders who oversee outreach initiatives aimed at supporting Black girls and women. The findings shed light on the unique needs and challenges involved in creating and managing programs that enhance the social, academic, and health outcomes of Black women and girls. Through detailed accounts from program leaders, the study provides valuable insights into the experiences of those who design and implement such initiatives. Additionally, it explores the contextual factors that impact the sustainability of these programs. Implications for future research and practical strategies for developing and sustaining programs to support Black women and girls are also discussed.

Who Deserves Benefits in Higher Education? A Policy Discourse Analysis of a Process Surrounding Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act
This study explores the policy discourse surrounding the reauthorization process of the Higher Education Act, the most significant federal policy governing higher education, more than a decade after its last reauthorization. Guided by the theory of social construction and policy design, we analyze data from 14 hours of congressional hearing deliberations using policy discourse analysis. The findings reveal which populations policymakers focus on in their discussions, how they frame various groups as either deserving or undeserving of policy benefits, how they justify the distribution of burdens and benefits through policy, and how these portrayals vary across political party lines.

Reimagining HBCU Leaders as Policy Actors
This chapter offers a strengths-based approach and conceptual framework for how presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can enhance their advocacy skills for effective engagement in the policy arena. By drawing on literature related to HBCU leadership and higher education policy, it reimagines the existing skillsets of HBCU leaders to encourage their active participation in policymaking and collaboration with policy actors at both state and federal levels. The study highlights how key leadership skills—particularly communication and collaboration—position successful HBCU presidents as influential policy advocates, capable of advancing their institutions and addressing educational inequalities embedded in American educational policy. Recommendations for expanding strengths-based research on HBCU leadership are also provided.

From Desegregation to Today: Conceptualizing An Equitable Framework for Public Funding for HBCUs
In this presentation, we highlight existing frameworks and approaches to state funding policies for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with an emphasis on performance-based funding models. In particular, we explore the role of State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEOs) in promoting equity, especially in light of the historical legacy of systemic disenfranchisement in funding for HBCUs. We then offer alternative frameworks and strategies that can support the sustainability of HBCUs while addressing the enduring impacts of segregation-era policies and post-OCR mandate desegregation efforts. This includes recommendations for how SHEEOs can prioritize equity in funding formulas and higher education agendas by focusing on capacity building, equitable resource allocation, and incentivizing HBCUs for their critical role in serving minoritized populations and advancing state diversity, equity, and workforce goals.

Subversion or Cooptation? Tactics for Engaging in Diversity Work in a Race-Adverse Climate
The limited awareness and understanding of the roles and contributions of diversity professionals in higher education often result in missed opportunities to enhance knowledge, training, and practices that could drive greater impact. This gap may ultimately hinder institutions' ability to fulfill their commitments to diversity and inclusion. This qualitative study explores the challenges diversity professionals encounter while promoting diversity and inclusion within higher education institutions. It also examines how they navigate these challenges and investigates whether, and how, race and racism are addressed—or overlooked—in their work. Finally, the study provides recommendations for future research and institutional practices.

Changing the Narrative: UNCF and Its Role in Policy Advocacy for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
This article employs Critical Discourse Analysis to examine the functions and strategies of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), an organization dedicated to raising funds, increasing awareness, and advocating for policies that support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). By reviewing the literature on policy advocates and brokers and addressing the lack of organizations that intentionally and actively engage in policy advocacy for and alongside HBCUs, this article provides an overview of UNCF’s history and its evolving role in addressing these gaps. Additionally, it explores how UNCF is working to challenge deficit narratives about HBCUs and the minoritized populations they serve. Actionable steps for organizations and individuals seeking to enter the policy arena as advocates for HBCUs are provided.

Diversity Leadership Under Race-Neutral Policies in Higher Education
This paper explores the experiences of multicultural affairs administrators who oversee bridge programs designed to recruit and retain historically underrepresented students of color. Findings shed new insight into not only their experiences but also the meaning these professionals ascribe to their roles as diversity administrators. Additionally, the paper identifies the challenges these professionals encounter in striving to achieve diversity goals within the constraints of race-neutral policies.

Outcomes-Based Funding and Race in Higher Education: Can Equity be Bought?
This book explores the impact of Performance or Outcomes-Based Funding (POBF) policies on racial equity in higher education. Over the past decade, there has been a growing movement within higher education to increase accountability to stakeholders, prompting institutions to address questions about student outcomes, the value of education, instructional effectiveness, and leadership efficiency. In this context, states have implemented POBF policies, where public colleges and universities receive state funding based on student outcomes rather than solely on enrollment numbers. This book offers policymakers an overview of how racial equity has been addressed within these frameworks, examines the effects of these approaches, and provides recommendations for future progress.

This Bridge Feels Like a Tightrope: For Critical Scholars Who Engage in Policy Research
This article uses autoethnography to explore the methodological tensions I encountered as an untrained critical researcher participating in a postpositivist multicase research study. The study emphasized large datasets, quantified qualitative findings, and prioritized majority viewpoints, creating moments of conflict and doubt in my research process. Through this reflection, I advocate for increased reflexivity and transparency among qualitative researchers navigating similar challenges. The article concludes with practical recommendations for both novice and experienced educational policy researchers.

Performance Funding for Higher Education
Based on extensive interviews with government officials and college and university staff, this book provides a comprehensive examination of performance funding in higher education. It explores the policy instruments states use to implement performance funding and delves into the organizational processes colleges employ to determine their responses. The book analyzes how performance funding influences institutional policies and programs, assesses its impact on student outcomes, and identifies the challenges institutions face in meeting performance funding requirements. Additionally, it investigates the unintended consequences of performance funding, offering a nuanced understanding of its effects on higher education.