2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

BOARD # 419: Observations and Challenges for Data-Driven Institutional Transformation at an HBCU

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session II

This paper presents a comprehensive case study of institutional transformation efforts at one of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), a critical group in advancing diversity and inclusion in higher education. Using data collected from a project funded by the National Science Foundation’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program, we share key observations, challenges, and proposed actions for institutional change. The AGEP program, which aims to increase the number of underrepresented minority faculty members in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, plays a pivotal role in shaping the outcomes of this study, as it supports the broader goal of fostering diversity in academia.

These findings are framed within the university’s strategic efforts to attain Carnegie R1 status, which signifies the highest level of research activity among U.S. institutions. A major focus of this pursuit is understanding and improving outcomes for doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars, groups essential to the institution’s research productivity and academic reputation. In our analysis, we explore various aspects of graduate student success, including degrees awarded, student attrition, time to degree completion, and equitable access to professional development opportunities and financial support. The insights gained from these metrics will highlight factors contributing to student retention and success, as well as obstacles that may impede academic progress.

Additionally, our analysis examines the career trajectories of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, including the paths they follow after leaving the institution, whether in academia, industry, or other fields. We also highlight demographic changes over time, providing a nuanced understanding of how the university’s efforts impact the diversity of its graduate programs and research outputs. By closely monitoring these trends, we aim to inform institutional strategies that support the successful transition from Carnegie R2 to R1 status.

Beyond serving as a roadmap for our own institution, the results and recommendations of this study may offer valuable insights for other HBCUs with similar aspirations. As many of these institutions face comparable challenges in resource allocation, faculty development, and student support, our findings could inform broader strategies for enhancing research capacity and improving graduate student outcomes in underrepresented communities. Ultimately, this work contributes to the national conversation on the role of HBCUs in the research enterprise and their potential to achieve excellence at the highest levels.

Authors

Dr. Wei Wayne Li http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-8833-9396 Texas Southern University [biography]

Dr. W. Li is a Professor of Computer Science and the Principal Investigator of a National Science Foundation (NSF) AGEP award (2019-Present) at Texas Southern University (TSU), USA. He is the author or co-author of six books and has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in professional journals and IEEE conferences, including several IEEE Transactions, as well as major conferences such as INFOCOM and ICDCS. Dr. Li currently serves as an editor for several professional journals and has held a variety of leadership ans service roles at International conferences, including Steering Committee Member, General Chair, TPC Chair, Publicity Chair, Session Chair, and TPC Member.
Desirée Jackson Ph.D. Texas Southern University [biography]

Dr. Desirée Jackson has been working as the Assistant Dean in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (COSET) at Texas Southern University (TSU) for over 12 years. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Science at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. Her postdoctoral work in molecular genetics was completed at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. During her tenure at Texas Southern University, she has also served as Interim Chair of the Biology Department. In her capacity as a Professor of Biology, she has been the mentor for Ph.D. students and Masters students at TSU and has been a member of various University level committees. She is remarkably familiar with student data collection such as data related to student retention, graduation, placement etc. She once served on the AGEP STRIDES executive leadership board (ELB) and has continued to serve alongside the TSU evidence team continuing to contribute to the research. She is currently serving as a TSU Co-PI on the NSF funded AGEP STRIDES project.
Dr. Mahesh Vanjani Texas Southern University [biography]

Dr. Mahesh Vanjani is a Professor of Management Information Systems and currently serves as Dean of the Graduate School at Texas Southern University. He previously held roles as Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Chair of the Department of Business Administration, and Director of Graduate Programs in Business at the Jesse H. Jones School of Business. Dr. Vanjani earned his Ph.D. in MIS, with minors in Managerial Economics and Production Operations Management, as well as an MA in Economics and an MBA from the University of Mississippi. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calcutta. He co-led the Evidence Team for Texas Southern University’s participation in the NSF-funded AGEP grant, which supported the research underlying this paper. Dr. Vanjani is a strong advocate for the value of graduate education.
Dr. Yvette E. Pearson P.E. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8781-7085 University of Texas at Dallas [biography]

Dr. Yvette E. Pearson is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Strategic Initiatives in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Associate Dean for Effectiveness and Accountability in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas. A Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), she is recognized globally for 30 years in higher education, particularly for her work to advance sustainability, access, and opportunity in STEM education and practice. Her university-based and consulting efforts have led to over $40M in funding for projects to support initiatives in STEM and changes to policies and practices of global engineering organizations.

Dr. Pearson is an HBCU alumna, earning both her B.S. and M.S. degrees from Southern University A&M College and serving on the Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty there for the first 12 years of her career. Since 2019, she has collaborated on ~$8M in research projects with HBCU partners. Part of her research portfolio includes studies of partnerships, specifically the effectiveness of multi-sector, multi-team systems (MTS).

Among her awards and honors are ABET’s Claire L. Felbinger Award for Diversity and Inclusion, ASCE’s Professional Practice Ethics and Leadership Award, the Society of Women Engineers’ Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, the UT System Regents Outstanding Teaching Award, and ASCE’s President’s Medal, one of the highest honors awarded in this global organization of over 150,000 members. Dr. Pearson is a registered Professional Engineer, an ENVISION® Sustainability Professional, and a Commissioner on ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission.

Her book - Making a Difference: How Being Your Best Self Can Influence, Inspire, and Impel Change - chronicles her journey and her work’s focus on “making sure other ‘Yvettes’ don’t fall through the cracks.” Her podcast, ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®, has audiences in over 80 countries on six continents.
Dr. Lila Ghemri
Shishir Shishodia Texas Southern University
Dr. Huan Xie Texas Southern University [biography]

Dr. Huan Xie is a Professor of Pharmaceutics at Texas Southern University (TSU). She serves as the Founding Director of the Institute of Drug Discovery and Development (iD3) at TSU. She is the PI of the RCMI Center for Biomedical and Minority Health Research (CBMHR), and the co-Director of the GCC Center for Comprehensive PK/PD and Formulation (CCPF) funded by the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). She is also the Program Director of the Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences at TSU. She taught over 1000 Pharm.D. students, and personally mentored 10 research scientists/postdoctoral fellows, and over 50 Ph.D., Pharm.D., undergraduate and high school students, most of whom were underrepresented minorities.
Linda Michelle Gardiner Texas Southern University

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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