About the Authors

Michelle L. Boettcher teaches research, law, and ethics in the Educational Leadership and Student Affairs programs at Clemson University. Her research focuses on senses of belonging and community in the context of higher education particularly the experiences of first-generation college students.

Dr. Elise J. Cain is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Georgia Southern University. Her primary area of scholarship focuses on college students from rural areas. Her interest in studying this student population is centered in questions of equity and social justice for rural people and rural educational institutions.

Dr. Crystal Renée Chambers, chambersc@ecu.edu, is a Professor of Educational Leadership at East Carolina University and 2018 recipient of the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship. Additional honors include the American Association of Higher Education Black Caucus Doctoral Student Award (2005), a 2013 fellow of the Chancellor's Leadership Academy, and a 2016 recipient of the East Carolina University Women of Distinction Award. Her most recent book is the sole-authored Law and Social Justice in Higher Education, part of the Core Concepts in Higher Education Series (Routledge, 2016). She serves as Senior Editor in Chief of The Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education (JSPTE). Her areas of expertise are centered on issues of race and gender in higher education and include college choice, faculty advancement, and doctoral education.

Raven K. Cokley, MEd, NCC, is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Counseling and Student Personnel Services at the University of Georgia. Her research agenda explores experiences of Black students in P-20 and community settings, with an emphasis on the sociocultural and socioemotional experiences of Black girls in schools. As a board-certified counselor, Raven provides individual and group counseling services to members of underrepresented communities. Raven is also a 2018 NBCC Minority Doctoral Fellow.

Jason Combs is an Associate Director for the Emerging Scholars program as well as a master's student in the counselor education, student affairs program at Clemson University. Jason is a graduate of the Emerging Scholars program and former program advisor. He has been working in college access for the last four years and is dedicated to diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Loni Crumb is an Assistant Professor in the Counselor Education Program in the Department of Interdisciplinary Professions at East Carolina University and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor. Dr. Crumb has authored scholarly publications and professional presentations related to student affairs in higher education, counseling and wellness, and holistic college student development. Her research interests include counseling in rural areas, rural education, promoting retention and persistence of underserved students in higher education, college student mental health, and social justice and multicultural training.

Dr. Joy Lawson Davis has over 40 years of experience as a practitioner, scholar, and consultant. As a highly sought out expert in Equity in Gifted Education, Davis has conducted workshops, served as consultant, keynote speaker, and guest lecturer across the nation and internationally. She served five years on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, and is author of three books. Davis was recently awarded the 2019 Dr. Alexinia Baldwin Gifted & Special Populations Award from NAGC and the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted organization (SENG).

Nicole G. DeRonck, PhD, EdD, CRC, is an assistant professor at Western Connecticut State University in the school counseling program and former school counselor. She is the author of a book contribution and several articles related to career readiness and equity in access to education and school counseling services.

Adrienne N. Erby, PhD, LPC, NCC (she, her, hers), is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She holds the PhD in Counseling with a Multicultural Counseling cognate from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and an MS in Community Counseling from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Erby is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Ohio and a board-certified counselor (NCC) through the National Board for Certified Counselors. Dr. Erby's research and scholarship focuses on multicultural and social justice issues in counseling and counselor education, including racial–cultural and LGBTQ + issues, intersectionality, identity development, and educational practices fostering cultural competence.

J.H. Flowers is a doctoral candidate in the Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership Program for K-12 Administration at the College of William & Mary. He has more than two decades of public education experience in rural and urban areas. His research interests include professional identity of educational leaders, principalship, equity, and rural education.

Dr. Erinn Fears Floyd, Director of Training & Partnerships, The Consortium for Inclusion of Underrepresented Racial Groups in Gifted Education. Previous appointments include general/gifted instruction, professional learning, literacy, school improvement, and administration. She has conducted professional learning experiences for educators and school leaders in Alabama, nationally, and internationally, and published several book chapters and articles. Dr. Erinn Fears Floyd's scholarship focuses on racial equity, educator efficacy, identification of gifted African American students, and rural African American gifted students. She is an inaugural recipient of NAGC's Dr. Mary Frasier Teacher Scholarship for Diverse Talent Development.

Dr. Donna Y. Ford is a Distinguished Professor of Education and Human Ecology, and a Kirwan Institute Faculty Affiliate in the College of Education and Human Ecology at the Ohio State University. She has authored a few hundred publications – books, articles, and chapters, along with numerous presentations and professional development workshops. Her scholarship focuses on recruiting and retaining Black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students in gifted and talented education and Advanced Placement. Professor Ford is the creator of the Bloom-Banks Matrix. She has received dozens of awards, including being named one of the top 200 educators in the United States.

Dr. Cara M. Gafford is a graduate of Bowie State University's Education Leadership program in May 2019. She has spent 18 years in K-12 education, both urban and rural environments, serving in various roles from mathematics teachers to Subject Area Supervisor for mathematics PK-12. She currently resides in North Carolina and teaches high school mathematics.

Dr. Dominique Hammonds is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. She earned her PhD in Counseling from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Clinical Supervisor, National Certified Counselor, and Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider. Dr. Hammonds' interests include increasing access to quality mental healthcare in a global society.

Sara Hanks is an Associate Director for the Emerging Scholars program at Clemson University. She has worked in precollegiate programs and college access for the last 10 years and is interested in factors that contribute to the success, persistence, and graduation from postsecondary institutions for rural, Students of Color.

Mr. Chris J. Harried is a School Counseling graduate student at Ball State University. He is a 2017 Teach for America-Baltimore alumnus where he taught English and Civics to exceptional learners.

Dr. Paul Harris is an assistant professor in Counselor Education at the University of Virginia. He researches the college and career readiness of historically marginalized populations in K-12 schools, particularly Black male student athletes; the role of school counselors in promoting justice in schools; and the identity development of collegiate Black male student athletes.

Ms. Christian Hines is a Florida native and a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Her area of study is Literature for Children and Young Adults. She is a former high school English teacher who believes in the transformative power of reading and exposing students to a wide array of multicultural literature and engaging them in culturally relevant reading materials and empowering students with mentorship and community building.

Dr. Erik M. Hines is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems at the Florida State University as well as the coordinator of the Counselor Education Program and School Counseling Track. Dr. Hines prepares graduate students to be professional school counselors. Dr. Hines's research agenda centers around (1) college and career readiness for African American males; (2) parental involvement and its impact on academic achievement for students of color; and (3) improving and increasing postsecondary opportunities for first-generation, low-income, and students of color (particularly African American males). Additionally, his research interests include career exploration in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for students of color.

Amber Lange is the Executive Director of the Office of College Preparation and Outreach at Clemson University and has been running the Emerging Scholars Program for the past 12 years. She is a part-time doctoral student in the Educational Leadership program at Clemson and her research focuses on the educational experiences of rural Students and Families of Color.

Dr. Renae D. Mayes, PhD, NCC, is an Associate Professor in Counselor Education in the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies at the University of Arizona. Mayes' research agenda centers around the academic success and college readiness for gifted Black students with dis/abilities and Black girls while providing recommendations for dismantling systems of oppression through policy and practice.

Dr. James L. Moore III is the Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer at The Ohio State University, while serving as the first executive director of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male. Dr. Moore is also the inaugural EHE Distinguished Professor of Urban Education in the College of Education and Human Ecology. His research agenda focuses on school counseling, gifted education, urban education, higher education, multicultural education/counseling, and STEM education. In closing, he has published over 130 publications; obtained over $25 million in grants, contracts, and gifts; and given over 200 scholarly presentations and lectures throughout the United States and other parts of the world.

Mr. Paul Singleton II is a third-year PhD student in Counselor Education and Crandall-Cordero Fellow at the University of Connecticut. Paul's research interests surround African American male academic achievement and college readiness. As well as improving and increasing postsecondary opportunities for first-generation, low-income students, and students of color. Paul is currently the Assistant Director for the Scholastic House of Leaders in support of African American Researchers & Scholars (i.e., ScHOLA²RS House). As part of this work, he currently provides academic, social-emotional, and behavioral counseling for our students who are Black and Brown men.

Tricia J. Stewart, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Western Connecticut State University where she teaches in the Doctor of Education Program. She has published book chapters on effective educational social media, gender equity in higher education for executive leaders, program evaluation dissertations, and mobile devices for learning.

Ms. Bobbi-Jo Wathen has been a school counselor for the last eight years and currently serves Middletown High School in Middletown, CT, as College and Career Readiness Counselor. As a PhD student in the University of Connecticut's Counselor Education program, Bobbi-Jo is researching counselors' readiness to offer comprehensive career counseling to African American boys.

Dr. Tremaine Young is a Principal in Beaufort County Schools, located in the central coastal region of North Carolina. Dr. Young was named the Principal of the Year (2015) for Jones County Public Schools, located in the southeastern region of North Carolina. He has a career spanning 18 years in both the public and private education sectors, serving in the capacity of a teacher, school counselor, and mental health professional.