Understanding the factors that lead to academic resilience and success despite daily challenges that first-generation Latinx students face is imperative to finding solutions and increasing advocacy efforts for the Latinx population. To understand the factors that increase academic resilience and success, it is important to understand the barriers…

Research is needed on rural, first-generation college students and what supports them in attending and persisting at a private Catholic university. Specifically, this dissertation sought to understand participant experiences for those who attended Gaspar University, a Catholic university in the Northeast. Analysis of qualitative interviews,…

This qualitative case study explored if and how a first-generation focused student success program fostered sense of belonging amongst first-generation college students. Utilizing the theoretical framework of sense of belonging (Strayhorn, 2012), the following research questions guided this study: (1) How do first-generation students experience a…

The Hispanic student population is growing at a fast pace in the United States. This population is more likely to be first-generation students than their peers and thus, require additional support. Advances in technology make it possible to leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to support students at scale presenting an opportunity…

Although calls for a more diverse workforce in biomedical fields have been widespread, racial and ethnic gaps in biomedical degree attainment remain. Contextualist perspectives seek to understand persistent STEM inequities by examining person-in-context experiences and how systemic factors filter into students' proximal contexts shaping their…

Regardless of entry point, nearly all potential speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the United States (US) share the experience of navigating the arduous application process for graduate school. For students of color, especially first-generation students, this application process can serve to cause them to question whether they belong in the…

COVID-19 placed a strain on colleges that tend to rely on tuition, especially small HBCUs, which traditionally serve a high percentage of underrepresented students. Being away from campus, many stakeholders were experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety. Social media offers an outlet for schools and stakeholders to stay connected during a…

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound effect on higher education and students. In the spring of 2020, amidst great uncertainty, many colleges and universities closed campuses and abruptly shifted from in-person to virtual instruction to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Several studies point to negative impacts of these disruptions on…

In 2016, Chile implemented a policy of free higher education (gratuity) for secondary school graduates from families in the lower income range. One of the stated objectives of the new policy was to increase the access of secondary school graduates from families with lower levels of education. To answer that concern, we analyzed administrative data…

This study highlights Latino/a first-generation students by investigating the associations of stress, depression, and social isolation with family and friend social support in their college experiences. Using random sampling, nine-hundred and seven (N = 907) Latino/a first-generation students participated in this study. Results indicated family…

This study provides a novel contribution by connecting two sets of literature, school engagement and multicultural university centers, in relation to late adolescent development. The aims of this mixed-method study were to: (a) quantitatively explore the relationship between student perceived cultural leadership experience and support within a…

Many cultural and institutional barriers have prevented chemistry from realizing greater calls for diversity in academia. Though recent work has elucidated how the measures of success used in academia can disadvantage students from underrepresented groups at the undergraduate level, thorough understanding of how success metrics are valued by…

The most recent "Open Doors" report by the Institute of International Education (IIE, 2020) indicates that the number of non-white U.S. study abroad students has been steadily growing over the past 10 years, and now it accounts for 31% of all students pursuing part of their education abroad. This study focuses on four Spanish heritage…

This article examines the implications of the transition to online or blended learning for first generation scholars (FGS) brought about by COVID-19. We present the findings of a mixed methods project that draws data from both in-depth qualitative interviews and a large quantitative survey of students at Durham University. We offer a comparative…

Many studies and interventions have been conducted to combat differential academic outcomes between majority and minoritized student populations in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) higher education; however, few studies have examined resource use as a factor impacting these differences. Resource use is critical to success…