Program: Higher Education
Instructor Modifier Number: B235
434-982-2715- hw4w@virginia.edu
Ruffner Hall 196, Charlottesville, Virginia
I am interested in issues of access, equity, and diversity in higher education. My research focuses on the academic achievement of low-income students and students of color in higher education, with a specific focus on understanding the educational contexts, levers, and practices that promote greater academic success for these students.
Education
- Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2004
- M.Ed., University of Pennsylvania, 1997
- B.A., Wellesley College, 1992
Research Interests
Access and equity in higher education; the attainment and achievement of students of color; the development and purpose of minority-serving institutions; developmental education; community college student success.
I am currently working on two major grant projects. I am a part of The National Center for Postsecondary Research (NCPR). Funded by the Institute of Education Sciences of the Department of Education, NCPR was established in 2006 to study the effects of policies and programs designed to improve the college access and success rates of low- and average-achieving students. Partnering with the Community College Research Center in Teachers College at Columbia University, MDRC, and professors at Princeton University and Harvard University, we are currently working to understand how learning communities and summer accelerated bridge programs affect the academic outcomes of postsecondary students. For further information, you can view the Center website at www.postsecondaryresearch.org.
My second project, funded by the Mellon and Spencer Foundations, examines the post-graduate outcomes of Black graduates in North Carolina. Specifically, the project examines the role of historically black colleges in producing Black graduates.