The "First-Generation CORE Project: Cultivating Opportunities, Resources, & Equity" was designed to better understand and support first-generation college students. First-generation college students are defined as individuals whose parents have not yet attained a four-year college degree and are considered an underrepresented student…

This phenomenological qualitative study addressed "The Experience of Being Gifted and Talented From the Perspective of Adolescents." The literature review supported the idea that there are many facets to an individual's experience of self and their place within different groups. Factors like identity development, social and emotional…

Research is needed for us to be able to understand how Women of Color make meaning of their experiences in women's studies, especially Black women, whose experiences have not always been centered within women's studies (Elfman, 2009). Furthermore, it is important to distinguish Women of Color from Black women when investigating their lived…

In postsecondary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, equity issues regarding race and gender receive attention. On this attention, it is suggested to view from the sociopolitical perspective--mathematics is political, mathematics education is political, and equity is defined with the critical dimension of identity…

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to describe the personal experiences of Latina women who excelled in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) despite challenges amidst overlapping systems of discrimination. This study highlights the experiences of 10 Latina women who have attained or were in…

In this dissertation, I explore the emotional intelligence (EQ) competencies of 19 female student-athletes at one Division III institution. College students are suffering from a collective brain health crisis in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2021). Students' social and emotional…

Recent data shows a national decline in the number of men completing four-year degrees and a growing gap between men and the number of women who attain bachelor's degrees (Parker, 2021; Reeves & Smith, 2021). Men of color have the lowest college enrollment and completion rates, and the gap in degree attainment is continuing to grow when…

The study of gender identity is becoming increasingly important to the field of higher education as younger generations of students enter their undergraduate programs. "As the number of college students identifying as transgender," gender nonconforming, or another gender identity, increases, "so too does the need to understand their…

The purpose of this study was to identify and explore how curricula in queer studies at Community College of the Bay (CCB) reflect and ignore the lived experiences of Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (QTBIPOC) by engaging queer studies students as co-researchers in virtual participatory action research (VPAR). This research…

The study explores the experiences of Black women in doctoral education navigating gendered racial microaggressions and their capacity to generate knowledge in community with each other. Black women are graduating with doctorates from doctorate programs, but they are having negative and inequitable experiences and this study uncovers how they…

We are living through unprecedented times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although the consequences and impacts of structural violence upon historically marginalized and excluded communities remain the same- inhumane and inequitable. Intersectional factors related to identity perpetuate this disparity; overwhelmingly, these divisions are at racial…

Second-year students, also known as the forgotten class, receive the least attention of any undergraduate college class, making fewer contact points with faculty and garnering minimal support from student affairs staff. The second year of college represents different challenges than the first year, and at some institutions, a higher percentage of…

Historically marginalized social identities of race and gender, coupled with established power structures, have contributed to the underrepresentation of Black women engineering students in a White male-dominated discipline. The National Science Foundation (NSF, 2019) reported that Black women represent a disproportionately lower number of…

This study aims to explore the impact of a Disability Cultural Center (DCC) in higher education on disabled students, which aims to assist other campuses considering creating a DCC and to support those DCCs already in existence. Universities should care about supporting disabled students more holistically to increase recruitment, retention, and…

Given the critical role of mentoring in the success of African American males in college, it is essential to gain a deeper understanding of how mentoring programs can best support African American male students and what elements contribute to their success (Henry, 2021). Recognizing that mentoring significantly influences the retention, academic…