27 Feb2023
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Eleanor Su-Keene, Holmes Scholar of the Month for February 2023.
Su-Keene is a recent graduate of Florida Atlantic University where she obtained her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. Su-Keene holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in biochemistry from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). She also has a Master of Science in molecular ecology from UNR with a focus in teaching and learning in secondary science.
03 Jan2023
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Jingjing Liu, Holmes Scholar of the Month. Liu is a Ph.D. candidate in the Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership Program with a concentration in higher education administration at the College of William & Mary. Her dissertation, titled “Faculty Involvement in Vertical Transfer: A Case Study of A Rural Community College,” explores the role of community college faculty in supporting transfer students. Liu’s research agenda focuses on the educational experiences of marginalized groups and social, cultural, and political contexts of learning in higher education.
28 Oct2022
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Phylicia Anderson, on being named Holmes Scholar of the Month! Anderson is a doctoral candidate at Texas Woman’s University.
Her latest publications include a chapter in the book, Engage and Empower: Expanding the Curriculum for Justice and Activism, titled “Cultural (mis)representations in the media: Challenging hegemonic ideas,” as well as a journal article published in the Journal of Language and Literacy Education, titled “Language, literacy, and love: A critical framework for teaching adolescent emergent bilinguals.”
09 Sep2022
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Daniqua Williams, named Holmes Scholar of the month to kick off the 2022-2023 academic year! In June of 2022, Williams successfully defended her dissertation study titled “Assessing Multicultural Counseling Competency Training with College Counselors who Serve International Students.”
15 Jul2022
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Anamaria Arteaga, the July 2022 Holmes Scholar of the Month. Arteaga is a Ph.D. student at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education.
As the service-learning course instructor for the Human Rights and Action Learning Community, she currently works as a graduate assistant for Community Outreach. Arteaga is also a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) with a background in applied behavior analysis (ABA) who has worked with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other related disabilities.
14 Jun2022
A 2022 Washington Week Recap and Reflection
By Leslie Ekpe
*Slides from this session are provided by Jennifer Ruth, Ph.D., Higher Education Faculty Lead at African American Policy Forum, and can be found on AACTE Connect360.
COVID-19 has exacerbated a pre-existing education crisis and increased inequalities since its outbreak two years ago. And now, educators around the nation are grappling with yet another challenge. Outside of academia, critics are condemning the fight for intellectual freedom.
In the past couple of months, the attack on academic freedom at K-12 and post-secondary levels has reached new heights. From the fight to remove books affiliated with the history of the United States of America to the “great resignation” being affiliated with teacher shortages directly affecting the sustainability of education. There is a direct assault on education from all areas of social and political streams. For example, some of the significant challenges being faced are critical race theory (CRT) education, academic tenure, educator resources, and the hindering of legislative impediments to the educational curriculum. Below are some of the recent headlines featuring these issues:
06 Jun2022
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Deependra Budhathoki, Holmes Scholar of the Month for May 2022.
Budhathoki is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He was raised in Nepal and earned a master’s in education in mathematics education and a master of philosophy in mathematics education from Kathmandu University School of Education. He currently serves as the president of the International Student Union at Ohio University. The International Student Union fosters a sense of community and inclusivity for international students on campus by serving as an umbrella organization for other international student organizations.
29 Apr2022
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Anthony L. Webster, Holmes Scholar of the Month for April 2022.
Webster is a Ph.D. candidate at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. He was raised in Greenville, MS, and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Jackson State University (JSU) and a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs at Eastern Michigan University.
08 Mar2022
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Devon Carter, Holmes Scholar of the Month, for February 2022.
Carter is originally from Cleveland, OH and earned a basketball scholarship to Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. As a two-time captain of the basketball team at Lehigh, he earned both a Bachelors of Arts (‘16) and, continuing his education while on the team, a Master of Science (‘18) in social psychology. Carter is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in special education at Lehigh.
27 Jan2022
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Ejana Bennett, Holmes Scholar of the Month, for January 2022. Bennett is currently a second-year doctoral student in the Curriculum, Culture and Change Ph.D. program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Bennett’s research examines how teacher-critical racial consciousness impacts implementation of culturally relevant practices, student-teacher relationships, student learning outcomes, and student development, as well as opportunity gaps that positively address the racial/ethnic student-teacher mismatch.
21 Dec2021
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Kirsis Dipre, Holmes Scholar of the Month for December 2021. Dipre is currently a doctoral student in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at Syracuse University. She is also a visiting assistant professor in counseling at the University of Saint Joseph in Connecticut.
Dipre’s professional background includes over 3 years of experience as a counselor working with children, adolescents, and adults. In her work, Dipre has primarily served racially and ethnically minoritized populations who are often impacted by systems of oppression. She is currently the mentorship committee chair for the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD) and is a National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) Minority Fellow with expertise in clinical mental health and multicultural counseling.
19 Nov2021
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Sergio Maldonado Aguiñiga, Holmes Scholar of the Month for November 2021. Aguiñiga is currently a doctoral student in counseling psychology at Purdue University. Aguiñiga previously attended California State Polytechnic University – Pomona, where he majored in psychology with a minor in political science. While volunteering with the Prison Education Project and Reintegration Academy, he developed interests in integrating character strengths approaches in counseling practices for youth offenders and former and currently incarcerated individuals.
Aguiñiga’s interests in the field of psychology lie in positive psychology and applying the theoretical background in the practice of counseling psychology for youth offenders, former gang members, and formerly incarcerated adults transitioning into the community.
18 Oct2021
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Diana Gallardo Holmes Scholar of the Month for September 2021. Gallardo is currently a doctoral student in the counselor education and supervision program at The Pennsylvania State University. She is an alumna of Northwestern University where she obtained her master’s in Mental Health Counseling. She has extensive experience in bilingual therapy, leadership, and psychodynamic oriented group work.
23 Aug2021
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Frank Conic, Holmes Scholar of the Month for August 2021. Conic successfully defended his dissertation titled, “Analysis of the Impact of SB 1720 on Gateway Math Courses” this summer.
Currently, Conic serves as an assistant program director for the Community College Futures Assembly, a University of Florida Institute of Higher Education independent policy forum, where he works to prepare students for the many facets of post-secondary education.
Conic has been a Holmes Program participant since 2011 and continues to exhibit the values of excellence and leadership through his service as a student mentor and instructor. He is a mathematics instructor at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida, and plans to continue in the professoriate at the community college level to support students who are often first-generation, low income, and minority students.
To nominate a Holmes Scholar for the Scholar of the Month award, please use this online form.
22 Jul2021
By Leslie Ekpe
Congratulations to Kadija Moon, recent Holmes alumna of the University of Houston and Holmes Scholar of the Month for July 2021. Recently, Moon successfully defended her dissertation titled, “The Bidirectionality of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Sleep Disturbances among Firefighters with Military Veteran Status” and earned her PhD in Counseling Psychology.
Prior to attending TCU, Moon completed both her Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in human development and family studies and her master of education in counseling at the University of Houston. Moon has also interned at the Michael E Debakey VA Medical Center, the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (HCJPD), Houston Fire Department, and the Krist Samaritan Counseling Center.