RESEARCH

overview of research agenda: 

My research agenda is primarily concerned with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues in higher education. I employ qualitative methodologies and critical and organizational theories to broadly: 1) explore how students, faculty, and staff social identities (e.g., race, gender, sexuality, class, religious identities) intersect and influence their time in higher education environments and 2) conduct organizational analyses of the role, and responsibility higher education institutions play in facilitating the experiences of historically underrepresented students, faculty, and staff. Together, I use these two strands to illuminate the complexities of institutional members' identities, describe their lived experiences, and hold institutions accountable for advancing policies and practices that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Research Areas of Interest and Expertise: 

  RESEARCH grants and fellowships  

Research Grant Funding:  

Research Project: Exploring Black LGBTQIA+ Student Health, Well-Being, and Success at HBCUs

Funding Amount: $30,763.26

Funding Terms: 2024-2025

Research Project: Institutionalizing Queer and Trans* Student Inclusion at HBCUs 

Funding amount: $18,000 

Funding term(s): 2022-2023

Research Fellowships: 

Research Project: Exploring Black LGBTQIA+ Student Health, Well-being, and Success at HBCUs 

Funding Amount: $4,000

Funding Term(s): 2024-2025

Research Project: Quaring HBCUs: A Case Study Investigating and Theorizing Queer and Trans* Student Inclusion at Two HBCUs

Funding amount: $27,500

Funding Term(s): 2020-2021 

RESEARCH PROJECTS

InstitutionalizING queer and trans* student INCLUSION at hbcuS

Overview of Research Project: 

The institutionalization of queer and trans* student inclusion initiatives at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) remains a significant challenge for these institutions and void in the literature. Previous research has documented the various ways in which HBCUs have failed to meet the unique needs of their Black queer and trans* student population. Therefore, HBCU stakeholders (e.g., Presidents, Vice Presidents, faculty, and staff) will need to take strategic measures to ensure that multiple units on campus share in the responsibility of fostering an inclusive environment for queer and trans* students. Consequently, this research project will seek to provide an organizational and critical analysis of queer and trans* student inclusion initiatives at HBCUs. 

Namely, Kezar and Eckel’s (2002) Transformational Change Process and a Black queer theory framework (Jonhson, 2005; Ferguson, 2004) is applied in this qualitative, multiple case study to investigate and theorize how three HBCU stakeholders work across organizational structures to design and implement inclusion initiatives that center on the lived experiences of Black queer and trans* students at the HBCUs, respectively. Findings from this study seek to expose how HBCU stakeholders utilize the institutional change strategies of solid support from senior leadership, a collaborative process, longstanding training, and the establishment of organizational structures to drive inclusive change. After this research study, recommendations for future research, theory, practice, and policy will be shared.

Publications: 

Additional Publications (Unrelated to the Project): 

eXPLORING bLACK lgbtqia+ sTUDENT HEALTH, WELL-BEING, AND SUCCESS AT HBCUS

Overview of Research Project: 

This research project will qualitatively explore the health, well-being, and collegiate success affairs of Black LGBTQIA+ students at HBCUs. 

Publications: 


Additional Publications (Unrelated to the Project): 

Johnson, J. T., Hall, L. D., & Florestal-Kevelier, R. D. (2024). Practical insights from the Human Rights Campaign’s HBCU PrEP peer educator program. Journal of LGBT Youth, 21(2), 406-413.

scholar identity discovery and development among black men in higher education 

Overview of Research Project: 

There is a limited amount of scholarship focused on the experiences of Black men in enrolled in graduate programs. Research on Black men's experiences in graduate engineering programs has highlighted the persons and activities that contribute to their overall success as well as the challenges they encounter in pursuit of graduate engineering degrees (e.g., Burt & Johnson, 2018, Burt et al., 2020). While these studies are needed, additional research on how Black men in graduate degree programs discover and develop their scholar identity is equally important to ensuring the overall success of students in this population. Whiting (2006) asserted the scholar identity in Black boys model which argues that one's race, gender, and structural supports (e.g., family, teachers, school administrators) assist in their scholar identity development. Therefore, this autoenthographic study seeks to extend Whiting's (2006) concept by exploring how we as Black men make sense of our scholar identities as a result of either pursuing or having pursued graduate degrees in education. 

Publications: 

forthcoming...

Other scholarly works

Peer-Reviewed Articles: 

Book Chapters: 

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