I'm a Virginia native and proud product of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University where I received my bachelor's degree in psychology. I earned my master's of education in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Western Carolina University and recently earned my PhD from Indiana University in Higher Education.

During my PhD program, I received training from some of the best researchers in the country on applying multiple critical qualitative research methods to action research. As I began the dissertation phase of my program, after brainstorming ways to merge my personal and academic identities through the use of narratives and hip hop, I discovered my passion and talent for arts-based research. I masterfully (my advisor/dissertation chair’s words) incorporated narrative inquiry with hip-hop feminism and developed an award-winning dissertation focused on specific aspects of Black women in the professoriate. I am among the very few in higher education’s history who passed my dissertation defense with no revisions! Arguably, having the freedom to bring my authentic self and that of my study participants into my dissertation, the process flowed much more naturally and easily. Once I got into my career, I wanted to find other opportunities for engaging in arts-based research methods.

My years of experience in the academy and passion for arts-based research led me to find my place in entrepreneurship as an Arts-Based Research Consultant and Dissertation Coach. I enjoy supporting graduate students and academics through the often tumultuous terrain of the higher education landscape. I do this by assisting faculty and other academics who want to communicate their empirical research findings on creative, arts-based platforms, such as documentaries, non-academic textbooks, and other written text that does not center academic language. I also meet with doctoral students and assist them in navigating the often unclear processes of completing their dissertations and becoming doctor.

In addition to my entrepreneurial endeavors, I serve as a Research Associate for UNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute (FDPRI) where I execute research methods that support the larger research agenda at UNCF. Prior to joining UNCF, I served as a Presidential Dissertation Fellow, a Research Assistant, and a Graduate Assistant at Indiana University, Bloomington. In those roles, I designed and executed critical qualitative research methods for studies that sought to address issues of equity within the experiences of Black students and faculty throughout higher education. A staunch HBCU advocate, my research agenda emphasizes and acknowledges the strengths and contributions of HBCUs and advocates for equity throughout higher education for Black women.