Professional overview
Higher Education professional with a multidisciplinary background in public health, workforce development, learning outcomes assessment, program evaluation, and student affairs. Known for effective communication, relationship building, and leadership skills. Results-oriented advocate for students with a Ph.D. focused in Educational Research and Policy Analysis from North Carolina State University.
Highlights
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Gates Millennium Scholar (2008-2018)
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2018 NCSU Higher Education Dissertation of the Year Award Recipient
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Dynamic speaker having presented at 60+ international, national, state, and local peer-reviewed conferences, trainings, and convening
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Published in peer-reviewed journals (Click here to view my publications)
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Founder of two community organizations to serve scholars and professionals of color: The Life Of A Scholar, LLC. and The Scholar Academy, LLC.
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Nominated for the 2020 NC State University Award for Excellence, the most prestigious honor
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bestowed upon non-faculty employees
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Clifton StrengthsFinder Talent Themes: Futuristic, Maximizer, Achiever, Positivity, Discipline
Core skills
Assessment and evaluation
ATLAS.ti*
Community outreach
Dedoose*
Editing
Group facilitation
Microsoft Office Suite*
Professional writing
Public speaking
Qualitative research
Qualtrics*
Social media marketing*
SPSS*
STATA*
*denotes software and technical skills
Education
North Carolina State University
Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis (4.0 GPA) February 2018
Concentration: Higher Education Administration
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Master of Public Health, Health Behavior May 2014
Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Health Policy and Management May 2012
Recent work experience
Associate Director, Research and Evaluation
Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, North Carolina State University
2021 - Present
•Strategize with the Director of the FIRE team and the Executive Director of the Friday Institute to provide leadership for highly specialized and multifaceted research programs.
•Direct and manage the work of Research Assistants, Graduate Research Assistants, and Undergraduate Interns
•Lead the submission of proposals for external sponsored funding
•Serve as principal investigator (lead researcher) on several sponsored projects
Research Associate
Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, North Carolina State University
2018 - 2021
•Lead planning and management of a eight research and evaluation projects including a multi-district evaluation and three multi-school evaluations
• Facilitate five partnerships comprised of nine researchers, two school districts, and five schools
• Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data, such as surveys, focus groups, interviews,
site visits, and classroom observations, in order to evaluate program effectiveness
• Co-author memos, reports, and presentations for administrators, funders, and policymakers
• Train, mentor, and supervise three paraprofessional staff
• Co-develop grant proposals; Contributed to a $1.4 million National Science Foundation grant award
Research Specialist
North Carolina Department of Commerce
2017 - 2018
•Analyzed trends using primary and secondary data sources such as employment statistics, performance measures, surveys, focus groups, and interviews
• Co-authored NCWorks Commission publications including the first NCWorks Certified Career Pathways Impact Report (Click the hyperlink to view pdf) and the Spotlight on Workforce Innovation series (Click the hyperlink to view website).
•Led strategic planning efforts to align workforce programs across schools, universities, and community colleges
• Managed projects for the Commission’s Education & Training committee
• Planned and facilitated Commission meetings, events, and workshops
Adjunct Instructor
Multiple Universities
2016 - 2017
• Co-taught undergraduate and graduate courses for student-athletes, students on academic probation, and students in the masters of higher education program
• Also served as Guest Lecturer at NC State University, Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC), and Philander Smith College (Little Rock, AR).
Program Coordinator
Minority Engineering Programs Office, North Carolina State University
2016 - 2017
• Organized logistics for two concurrent summer bridge programs, including parent orientation,
on-campus housing, daily academic and co-curricular schedules, and weekly industry site visits
• Assisted two freshman seminar instructors with instructional planning, class facilitation, and grading
• Managed assessment and evaluation efforts to measure student learning and engagement
Academic Coach
University College, North Carolina State University
2015 - 2016
•Developed customized improvement plans for 3-5 students on academic warning per semester
• Facilitated weekly coaching sessions on soft skills, such as time management and study strategies
• Administered student assessments, including Learning Styles, Values Inventory, and Strengths
Conducted weekly one-on-one sessions with undergraduate students on academic warning
• Referred students to appropriate campus resources
Research Assistant
Office of Assessment, North Carolina State University
2014 - 2017
• Collected and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data for NCSU’s 42-unit Division of Academic and Student Affairs
• Authored reports, presentations, and handouts based on Division data
• Led administration of the annual first-year and transfer student surveys
• Provided technical assistance to faculty and staff, including facilitating training sessions
Research Intern / Assistant
Multiple Departments, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2010 - 2014
• Collected, managed, and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data
• Conducted literature reviews
• Assisted with manuscript and proposal development