While dually identified students are ever-present in the elementary classroom, historical policies and practices surrounding bilingual and special education in the United States have resulted in the exclusion of equitable and inclusive education for this population of students. The effects of the separation of bilingual education, special…

This study explored the experiences of White women working in higher education and their capacity and willingness to participate in allyship behavior towards diversity, equity, and inclusion changes on campus. White women may utilize their majority social identity to become allies for and advocates of multicultural competence and understanding on…

Similar-identity role models, including instructors, can benefit science undergraduates by enhancing their self-efficacy and sense of belonging. However, for students to have similar-identity role models based on identities that can be hidden, instructors need to disclose their identities. For concealable stigmatized identities (CSIs) - identities…

There is a growing body of literature signaling the relevance of race in leadership development, but many conventional models do not prompt exploration of this social identity. The omission of race in leadership curriculum is disadvantageous for all college students, but among White student leaders, it may be a continuance of White privilege. The…

This dissertation, "Viva La Raza": Chicano Student Identity and Activism at Predominately White Midwestern Universities, 1970-1979, specifically focuses on Chicano student activism, their understanding of their Midwestern identity, and how they created spaces for themselves at four predominately white Midwestern universities--The…

There is a growing societal need for civic-minded leaders, and undergraduate students are poised to become the future leaders and decision makers for a global society. This dissertation explores the demographics and experiences of undergraduate students and their perceived civic-mindedness at a predominantly White, urban, Jesuit-Catholic, liberal…

This qualitative narrative study critically explores the pathways, racial identities, and mathematical identities of the transfer experiences of black male engineering students. Thirteen engineering students between the ages of 21 and 25+ were purposely selected for semi-structured interviews. The participants transferred from various community…

The study explored the gendered racial identity status of Black female student-affairs professionals and how their identity status influences both their personal and professional experiences at predominately White institutions. The existing scholarly literature has focused on females in higher education in general; very few studies have focused on…

Previous research has shown that the Meyerhoff Scholars Program (MSP) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County is effective at increasing the number of underrepresented minorities (URM) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). While it is clear that comprehensive STEM programs, like the MSP, contribute to URM success in…

There is a growing societal need for civic-minded leaders, and undergraduate students are poised to become the future leaders and decision makers for a global society. This dissertation explores the demographics and experiences of undergraduate students and their perceived civic-mindedness at a predominantly White, urban, Jesuit-Catholic, liberal…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of fitting-in and belonging on African American women enrolled in graduate counseling programs attending a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). This study examined how racial identity influenced each woman's unique experiences of fitting-in and belonging. Each participant had to…

This narrative inquiry intended to capture the lived stories told by nine, full-time, undergraduate students, who self-identified as two or more races, to better understand their perceptions of campus climate at a predominately white institution (PWI). The conceptual framework consisted of the study of multiraciality, Renn's Ecological Theory of…

In order to increase mathematics achievement, persistence, and participation in mathematics-related careers and majors for African American adolescents, researchers have discussed the need for students to develop positive mathematical identities (English-Clarke, Slaughter-Defoe, & Martin, 2012; Gutstein, 2003; Larnell, 2013; Martin, 2000,…

Just as there are reasons why Black American women decide not to attend college or to dropout of college when they are young, there are reasons why they choose to enter or reenter college as adults. Among those reasons are self-fulfillment, career aspirations, financial incentives offered by employers, and military benefits (Parr, 2000; Richardson…

Narratives or Discourses influence how identity is read to such a degree that they serve to equate certain identities or groups of people--African Americans, Latin@s, American Indians, immigrants and women to name a few--with intellectual and academic inferiority despite remarkable performances or significant accomplishments. This is especially…