Undergraduate research is a high-impact learning experience, but undergraduate students interested in research often face high barriers to entry, such as limited guidance, confusing application processes, and feelings of not belonging. These barriers are especially prohibitive to first-year students, first-generation students, and members of…

Motivating girls to enroll in computer science (CS) courses is critically important. Stereotypes that girls are less interested than boys in CS may deter girls. Three preregistered experimental studies (N = 1,053) examined causal links between gender-interest stereotypes and middle school students' CS motivation. Experiment 1 showed that…

Community colleges have historically faced significant challenges in retaining students, particularly from underserved populations. While extracurricular activities like athletics have been shown to enhance student engagement and persistence, the specific impact of athletic participation on retention and sense of belonging among diverse student…

This dissertation investigates the leadership experiences of African America women employed at historically White Christian colleges and universities. The study engages the narratives of African American women who are leaders within these institutions. The findings of the study illuminate intersectionality and the challenges the double-bind of…

A sense of belonging significantly influences both student engagement and faculty motivation. The objective of this study was to identify the barriers and facilitators of a sense of belonging among students and faculty of an occupational therapy department. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with fifty-one students and ten faculty…

This mixed-methods study examined the factors contributing to international student sense of belonging on three U.S. campuses, particularly upon their arrival to their campus and during a global pandemic. This three-article dissertation discusses the major findings that were identified in the data. Article 1 highlights the recurring theme of…

The issues surrounding the personal and professional lives of TESOL educators in transnational landscapes have gained increased attention in the past decade. Existing research on transnationalism underscores the significance of expatriates' experiences, particularly those who originate from 'non-center' and whose careers lead them to work in…

Sense of belonging as experienced by college students has contributed to high rates of co-curricular engagement and lifelong connections to an institution long beyond one's years as an undergraduate student. Undergraduate Students of Color and other historically minoritized student populations have reported barriers to their sense of belonging.…

The aim of this qualitative interpretive research study is to further current scholarship about Black undergraduate women students by exploring their interactions, both formally and informally with other Black women at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). My research findings expose how Black undergraduate women formed, maintained, nurtured,…

This qualitative descriptive study aimed to explore how Black male teachers perceive their tokenization experiences in urban school environments in the Southwest United States. The theoretical foundation of the study is Kanter's Theory of Tokenism. A sample of 31 Black male teachers working in urban school environments were recruited to answer two…

This dissertation examines the implementation of peer-based career seminars as an intervention to analyze career counseling services in the community college setting and delineate potential benefits for students. Highlights include identifying barriers to access, discussing a student-centered approach to service utilization, and implementing…

Belonging and shame find themselves on a spectrum. Shame is on one end belonging the other. In the university setting belonging is widely researched. However, it is not known how shame resilience effects a college's students sense of belonging. This study tapped into shame resilience theory and self-authorship to start the conversation about shame…

The 2020 U.S. census revealed that Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations are among the fastest growing in the nation, with 24 million Asian American and 1.6 million NHPI residents. Despite a long history of anti-Asian sentiment and racism in the U.S., Asian American and NHPI students have been harmfully…

The purpose of this study is to understand how students with historically marginalized identities are developed through their experiences serving on the executive board of departmentally advised student organizations. With marginality and power, forms of resistance, and high impact engagement literature together serving as a framework, this also…

This study sought to understand how underrepresented racially minoritized and first-generation college students experienced and made sense of the challenges from taking introductory sciences courses in their first year at a small liberal arts college. Metacognition was the theoretical framework in consideration due to its non-disciplinarity and…