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…

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…

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…

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…