Research Initiatives

Over the last 15 years I have addressed the importance of student development in secondary and higher education. This includes the implementation and evaluation of ethnic-based mentoring programs, organizational effectiveness, leadership and community development, educational and social equity, racial identity, psychological well-being and sense of belonging.


More specifically I have worked in secondary education and higher education to address:

1. Desegregation in Rockford, Illinois and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania public schools;

2. The effectiveness of community collaborations in the state of Pennsylvania and Michigan, and their goals to remove the educational and economic inequities in several counties;

3. African American and Latino college adjustment, grade point average (GPA), retention, and graduation in Predominately White Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Specifically: Norfolk State University, Penn State University and Michigan State University).


My current research examines: The Effects of an Ethnic-Based Mentoring Model on College Adjustment, Grade Point Average, and Retention Among First Year African American College Students Attending a Predominately White Institution.

The current results demonstrated:

1. 96% of first year African American students who received mentoring were retained;

2. Students who were mentored had higher scores on racial identity, academic support and improved their GPAs compared to first year African American students who were not mentored;

3. Students who were mentored had an increase in college adjustment, social support, sense of belonging and leadership development at the university.

View Presentation of Research