“I am a highly accomplished higher education leader, public speaker, strategist, and trainer with a proven track record of advancing student success, institutional effectiveness, and inclusive excellence. I am driven by a commitment to fostering positive organizational cultures and student-centered learning environments. With extensive experience in developing and implementing innovative academic initiatives, inclusion strategies, and cross-institutional partnerships, I specialize in creating transformative programs that drive meaningful impact in higher education.”

Skilled in Policy and Data/Statistical Analysis, Teaching, Marketing, Communications, Curriculum, and Program Development, and Public Speaking. I received my Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA) from Baylor University and a Masters and Ph.D. from Rice University in Political Science with a focus on public policy. 

Currently, I serve as the Executive Director of Wharton Community Engagement. Most recently, I served as the Chief Diversity Officer and Vice Dean for Administration, Academic Affairs, and Diversity for the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In this role, I led and developed comprehensive strategic plans, partnerships, programs, and initiatives for the school. I collaborated with academic departments, staff, students, alumni, faculty, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia-based nonprofits, small businesses, and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Additionally, I created strategic initiatives, programs, and practices that foster a diverse and inclusive community.

Prior to my current role, I served as Associate Dean of Access, Diversity, and Inclusion, Executive Director of the Princeton Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Initiative, Curriculum Development Specialist for the Presidential Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program, and Lecturer in the Politics department at Princeton University. Under my leadership, the Graduate School at Princeton saw historic numbers of graduate students from underrepresented groups matriculating to Princeton. I led (as one of the Principal Investigators) the submission of a 3 million NIH-funded grant, the Initiative to Maximize Student Development (IMSD) Program designed to enhance the holistic success of Ph.D. students in various natural science and engineering departments.

Moreover, as Chief Academic Diversity Officer for the Graduate School, I led an office that supported departmental and faculty priorities related to student success and academic excellence. My work included participating in the graduate admissions process, providing resources and fellowships to support students and student groups, offering academic advising and mentoring, and developing programs to enhance recruitment, retention, and academic success. I founded and created four of the Graduate School’s most successful signature programs which included the Pre-doctoral Fellowship Program, The Graduate Scholars Program, The Inclusive Academy Symposium, and the BADI Awards. Additionally, I redesigned and relaunched two key initiatives, The Princeton Prospective Ph.D. Preview (P3), and the Diversity Fellows Program, which significantly improved graduate admissions outcomes and supported student success throughout their academic journey.

Prior to my role at Princeton, I was the John B. Madden Dean of Berkeley College and Lecturer in the Political Science Department at Yale University. I also served as a postdoctoral lecturer in the Princeton Writing Program, Director of Studies at Forbes College, and Director of the Princeton Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (PSURE) at Princeton University. Additionally, I taught in the political science department at Texas A&M and Rice University and served as a research fellow for the Project of Equity, Representation, and Governance at Texas A&M and the Kinder Institute of Urban Research at Rice University. Skilled in policy and data/statistical analysis, teaching, marketing, communications, curriculum and program development, and public speaking. I hold a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Baylor University, as well as a Master’s and Ph.D. in Political Science from Rice University, with a focus on public policy.

 

My research focuses on understanding the influence of race and gender in political institutions with a particular focus on political rhetoric, deliberation, education policy, and leadership within state legislatures.