The purpose of this research was to explore how the intersection of gender and race influence the advancement of women of color to senior-level leadership positions at higher education institutions. This study discusses perceptions and perspectives on advancement and a variation of obstacles that continue to prohibit and limit opportunities for…

This dissertation examined the contribution of higher education to the understanding and practice of women's empowerment, as perceived by adult Afghan men and women living in the city of Kabul who attended universities either in or out of Afghanistan. While studying the concept of women's empowerment, this work defined empowerment through its core…

Despite accounting for a majority of college students in the United States, women fill a minority of professional leadership positions often associated with collegiate success. This suggests that educational access alone does not guarantee equitable societal outcomes after graduation, but rather remains shaped by a patriarchal social order. The…

My dissertation addresses three studies which ask broadly: What are the predictive metrics of functioning AS-CTE pathways? Can students' perceptions of these pathways be changed? Are these pathways equitable for female students? In my first study, I take a step toward better understanding the metrics that explain functioning AS-CTE pathways.…

As women secondary school principals navigate their career paths and manage their work-life roles, they encounter varied obstacles and barriers requiring them to shift, pause, restart and maneuver to reach their goals. The purpose of this qualitative study is to capture an understanding of how women secondary school principals in British Columbia,…

The research conducted for this study explored the experiences of eight Latina college students and their stories of struggle and persistence in higher education Borderlands. This research was framed by LatCrit theory and the work of Chicana Feminist Epistemologists who investigated raced and gendered experiences and their relationship to power,…

Previous research indicates that mid-level women administrators are under-valued as leaders and followers despite their capacity and influential connectivity up, down, and across the organizational chart. Few studies have provided insight into the leading and following experiences of mid-level women administrators in the community college. The…

Over the past 40 years, colleges and universities have seen an increase in groups of traditionally marginalized people as students. Groups such as mature adult learners, African Americans/Blacks, and female students have closed the disparity gap but continue to fall behind their White, male, and female counterparts in terms of degree success. The…

Black college students' social engagement navigation in higher education is met with challenges at many colleges and universities. Students from racial minority backgrounds and low-income families face a disparity in social capital gain during their enrollment at higher education institutions. This reality has led to constant reproduction of…

This is a narrative inquiry study that presented types of women's activism during and after the conflict in Aceh, Indonesia (1976-2005). The study sought to explain how divergent women's activism becomes possible against the backdrop of this conflict and how the establishment of peace alters the patterns of their activism. Women's activism here…

This dissertation explores the identity development of Muslim American women (N = 25) in higher education, utilizing intersectionality as both a methodological and theoretical framework. First and foremost, it centers the lived experiences, agency, and autonomy of Muslim women throughout the findings. Second, it takes into account the intersecting…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative, replication study was to discover what behaviors female administrators exhibit that may prompt male administrators with whom they work in California public education to demonstrate behaviors associated with gender dissonance and also to determine what impact these dissonant behaviors may have on women's…

Sexual violence is a substantial problem on college campuses, particularly for undergraduate women who consistently report higher rates of nonconsensual sexual contact and sexual harassment during their college careers when compared to the general student population. A wide range of mental and behavioral health concerns are associated with sexual…

Underreporting of college sexual assaults remains a problem in the United States. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate which factors, that are commonly identified with the feelings of shame, are associated with college sexual assault reporting. Accordingly, this research aimed to answer the following questions: (1) Which shame…

Previous studies focused on women of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields have effectively neglected Asian American women because Asian Americans are well represented in STEM fields. Reflective of the invisible and model minority stereotypes, Asian Americans are often cast as high-achieving students, irrelevant…