Courtney Cullen is a doctoral student at the McBee Institute of Higher Education (MIHE) and currently serves as the senior coordinator in the Office of Academic Honesty and a current member of the Ed_PERC HBCU Research Collaborative. Her research interests include academic integrity, institutional policymaking, decision-making, and the role of institutions in student cognitive and moral development. With this work, she hopes to develop equitable and inclusive student conduct policies that support students from all walks of life. Courtney earned a Master of Arts in International Affairs in 2016 and graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, both from the University of Georgia (UGA). She previously worked for the UGA Athletic Association where she served as the assistant tutorial coordinator.

Cristy T. Jones is a doctoral student in the University of Georgia Lifelong Education Administration and Policy Department and a current member of the Ed_PERC HBCU Research Collaborative. Cristy received her Master of Public Administration with a Non-Profit Management Certificate from the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University in 2020 and her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Spelman College as a Corella & Bertram F. Bonner Foundation Scholar in 2017. She was selected as a Cleveland Foundation Public Service Fellow at the Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Ohio where she established Men of Color sHaping Academics (MOCHA), a recruitment and retention program for male educators from racially marginalized groups. She most recently served as Miss Fulton County 2022 as a part of the Miss America Organization and the Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition. Her research interests include the experiences of Black male teacher candidates at HBCUs and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), as well as the impact of equity, inclusion and employee engagement initiatives on student outcomes and employee retention in school districts.

Ty Kunzman is a doctoral student at the University of Georgia McBee Institute of Higher Education (MIHE) and a current member of the Ed_PERC HBCU Research Collaborative. His research interests center on issues of social class inequality in educational access, opportunity, and outcomes with a focus on student sense of belonging. He attended the University of Virginia where he completed his M.Ed. in Student Affairs Practice in Higher Education and Hamilton College where he earned a B.A. in Government with a minor in Africana Studies. In addition to his studies, Ty has held a variety of postsecondary positions and is currently working as the Managing Editor for the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement. 

Filiz Akyuz completed an M.A. in Higher Education Administration at The University of Alabama and is a current doctoral student in Higher Education at Indiana University Bloomington. She is a former graduate student research assistant for the Ed_PERC STEM Equity Research Team. She also served as a graduate student assistant at the UA Capstone Center for Student Success. Filiz received her B.S. in Primary Education Mathematics Teaching at Istanbul University and worked as a math teacher for 5 years in Turkey. Her current research interests focus on the transition from high school to college, alternative admissions policies and practices, as well as college choice and access. 

Dr. Erica T. Campbell received her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from The University of Alabama, and is a former member of the Ed_PERC D9 HBCU Research Collaborative. She also served as a graduate research assistant in the UA College of Education Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Campbell received a B.A. in Marketing with a minor in Family Relationships from Miami University and an M.S. Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University. Dr. Campbell has work experience in multicultural affairs and student activities. Dr. Campbell’s research interests focus on the experiences of Black students, faculty, and administrators in collegiate environments.

Select Publication: Williams, K. L., Mobley, S. D., Campbell, E., & Jowers, R. (2022). Meeting at the margins: culturally affirming practices at HBCUs for underserved populations. Higher Education, 1-21.

Shanice Carter is a doctoral student in the Counselor Education and Supervision department at The University of Alabama, and a former member of the Ed_PERC STEM Equity Research Team. Shanice received her Master of Arts in Community & Mental Health Counseling from Clark Atlanta University in 2018 and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Alabama State University in 2016. She is the current treasure for the Alabama Counseling Association Multicultural Division Chapter and treasure of the Alabama Counseling Association Chapter III in Tuscaloosa, Al. In addition, she is involved in numerous professional counseling organizations including the American Counseling Association, the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, the Association for Positive Behaviors and Supports student advisory committee, the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Graduate Student Committee and Chi Sigma Iota. Her research interests include mental health disparities and stigmas in minority populations, racial based trauma and Black student experiences in Higher Education.

Dr. Sarah (Chavada) Davis served as the former lead graduate student research assistant on the Ed_PERC STEM Equity Research Team. She is a doctoral student in Educational Psychology at The University of Alabama. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude with her Bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood Education from Bowling Green State University. Her experiences as a McNair Scholar and a McNair Graduate Fellow have afforded her lifelong academic support systems for career advancement. Her research interests examine the internal and external motivations that support Black students’ educational pursuits. With this work, she seeks to better understand the support systems necessary for Black students to overcome social and institutional barriers that impede post-secondary degree attainment. She plans to use her academic professional privilege to educate the mainstream about hope and the unique experiences of Black collegians. 

Select Publication: Williams, K.L., & Davis, S.C. (2021). Math challenges, strengths and achievement: Towards a theory of strain-induced performance-perception misalignment for racially marginalized students. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 4(27), 59-90.

Janelle Jones M.S., NCC is a former member of Ed_PERC STEM Equity Research Team and a doctoral student in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at The University of Alabama. Janelle is a National Board of Certified Counselors Doctoral Fellow and serves as the Chair for Professional Development Task Force for the Association for Adult Development and Aging. As an emerging researcher and scholar Janelle has contributed to articles that have been published in The Professional Counselor and The Journal of Human Services. Janelle has facilitated more than twenty conference presentations and trainings and has moderated more than thirty webinar presentations. Her research interests include gerontological counseling, racial trauma, and mentorship in counselor education.

Rachael Josepher is a former member of the Ed_PERC STEM Equity Research Team and an undergraduate student at The University of Alabama pursuing an honors degree in Applied Mathematics on the pre-medical track. Additionally, she is a member of The Elliot Society— a service-based honors society, Alpha Epsilon Delta— a medical fraternity, and STEAM— a club promoting early STEM education in local elementary schools. She is passionate about equal opportunity in STEM fields and works to promote a safe, accepting, and comfortable workspace for all students who feel underrepresented in their fields of study.

Dr. Richard Jowers earned his doctorate from the Department of Kinesiology at The University of Alabama and is a former member of the Ed_PERC D9 HBCU Research Collaborative. He graduated from Elizabeth City State University with a major in Health and Physical Education and a minor in coaching. He received his master’s at East Carolina University in Physical Education Pedagogy, along with National Board Certification. Dr. Jowers’ doctoral research focused on Human Performance and Sport Pedagogy with a foundation in Race and Gender. Dr. Jowers also has eight years of teaching in the public school systems in North Carolina and Virginia.

Select Publication: Williams, K. L., Mobley, S. D., Campbell, E., & Jowers, R. (2022). Meeting at the margins: culturally affirming practices at HBCUs for underserved populations. Higher Education, 1-21.

Rachael Lilly is a former member of the Ed_PERC STEM Equity Research Team and a Biology major on the pre-medical track at The University of Alabama. She is a part of the STEM Path to MBA Program and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Business Administration degrees within 4 years. She is a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority, a weekly volunteer at DCH Hospital, and a member of the Society of Women in Medicine (SWIM Club) as well as The University of Alabama Dance Marathon (UADM). She has experience working at a veterinary clinic, a dental clinic, and a hospital and has a strong passion for helping to encourage young women in STEM fields.

Jeanne Park is a former member of the Ed_PERC STEM Equity Research Team and an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia, pursuing a dual major in Data Science and Cognitive Science. In addition to her studies, she is a member of Data For Good— an organization that educates people on how data is used; Girls.Code(); the women’s chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery; and the Asian American Student Association— an organization that promotes Asian culture. She firmly believes that representation matters, and she is passionate about building a strong and welcoming community for different racially marginalized groups across STEM fields.

Caitlyn Powell is a former member of the Ed_PERC STEM Equity Research Team and an undergraduate student pursuing a dual-degree in Economics and Mathematics at The University of Alabama. In addition to her studies, she is involved with student organizations such as the Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity and Al’s Pals, an elementary school mentorship program. She is passionate about equity in education and urban planning, and hopes to continue her research endeavors in these areas.

Patrick Reynolds completed a M.A. in Higher Education Administration at The University of Alabama. He is a former member of the Ed_PERC and currently serves as the Interim Chief Diversity Officer and Community Director at Loyola University New Orleans. His work focuses on first-year student success initiatives, mentorship of minoritized student populations, and personal development. Reynolds is originally from Toomsboro, GA.

Select Publication: Williams, K. L., Coles, J. A., & Reynolds, P. (2020). (Re)Creating the script: A framework of agency, accountability, and resisting deficit depictions of Black students in P-20 education. The Journal of Negro Education, 89(3), 249-266.

Alethia Russell completed her M.A. in Higher Education Administration at The University of Alabama, and she is a former member of the Ed_PERC D9 HBCU Research Collaborative. She is currently a doctoral student in Higher Education at Indiana University Bloomington where she serves as a Project Associate for the Center for Postsecondary Research. Alethia received a B.A. in Journalism from Auburn University and has work experience in communication and journalism, admissions, university recruitment, and student involvement and engagement. Her research interests focus on recruitment and retention strategies for high-achieving Black students at four-year institutions.

Select Publication: Williams, K. L., Russell, A., & Summerville, K. (2021). Centering blackness: An examination of culturally-affirming pedagogy and practices enacted by HBCU administrators and faculty members. Innovative Higher Education, 46(6), 733-757.

Kiara S. Summerville, Ph.D. is a professional staff member in the Office of First Year Experience and Retention Initiatives at The University of Alabama. She completed her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at The University of Alabama (UA), and she is a former member of the Ed_PERC D9 HBCU Research Collaborative. Dr. Summerville coordinates programs focused on community-building for first-year Black and Latinx students, women-identifying students, transfer students, and peer educators. Her research focus includes sense of belonging in Black college women, in addition to faith & moral development in undergraduate students, teaching & learning in college environments, and Black feminism in qualitative inquiry.

Select Publication: Williams, K. L., Russell, A., & Summerville, K. (2021). Centering blackness: An examination of culturally-affirming pedagogy and practices enacted by HBCU administrators and faculty members. Innovative Higher Education, 46(6), 733-757.