California community colleges are undergoing massive systemwide policy reform with the goal of transformational change that increases student success. Their open-access nature makes them the most accessible higher education system for historically underserved communities. As a result, community colleges serve as a gateway to higher education for…

An emerging approach to diversity and inclusion initiatives within the sciences is to consider the assets and resources (in the form of capitals) held by individuals from underrepresented groups. In Chapter 1 of this dissertation, we performed a systematic literature review to explore the secondary types of capital that exist within the STEM…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore perceptions of first-generation college students with strengths-based development experiences. "Strengths-based development experiences" were defined as those that leveraged a student's results from the CliftonStrengths® assessment provided by the Gallup Organization. This…

Student engagement on college campuses is linked to a range of student outcomes and student retention (Tinto, 2007). Engagement in support programs can be even more important for underserved populations including first generation students. First generation students are more likely to leave a four-year institution at the end of the first year and…