Faculty and Student Showcase Collaborative Research

McBee Institute faculty and students presented several collaborative research projects as part of a research showcase for prospective PhD students on February 28. Three research teams shared ongoing projects, providing insights into the design, methodologies, and some preliminary research findings. It was a wonderful opportunity for our current students to demonstrate how they have developed their research acumen through participation in these projects with McBee faculty and each other.  

Trajectories of Black Immigrants and Refugees in U.S. STEM Higher Education 

The showcase kicked off with an introductory video by Meseret Hailu, who was sending her remarks from an international data collection trip. The video focused on the research project that she and William Redding are working on together, which examines the trajectories of black immigrants and refugees in U.S. STEM higher education. As a project that she has been working on for many years, she discussed the design of her proposal for the William T. Grant Foundation Scholars Program, her recently published work on this research topic, and how her personal experiences fuel her commitment to the research.  

Redding then presented his role in supporting Hailu’s research agenda, which includes creating annotated bibliographies, conducting literature reviews, assisting with participant recruitment, and providing feedback for grant proposals. He is currently working on creating a database of ethnic-based community organizations (EBCOs) in 7 regions across the U.S. to identify research partners. Redding expressed gratitude for the skills he has gained working with Hailu and the opportunity to develop his confidence in presenting research.  

Embark Georgia Research Consortium (EGRC) 

Erik Ness, Renni Turpin, and Imani Callan presented ongoing research projects conducted by the Embark Georgia Research Consortium (EGRC) at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development. Embark Georgia, launched in 2012, focuses on increasing college access and retention for youth who have experienced foster care or homelessness.  

Turpin and Callan both work in support of Lori Tiller, a McBee IHE graduate who serves as co-director alongside David Meyers, a current Executive Doctoral student. The EGRC is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional organization with members spread across the state of Georgia and the country. Callan and Turpin presented an overview of EGRC research areas that include education and training vouchers, baseline data projects, summer programs, and campus-based projects.  

Expanding on the EGRC’s summer programs, Callan talked about her experience collecting data as a part of a pre-collegiate summer program for high schoolers experiencing foster care in Georgia.  

Turpin then shared preliminary research findings on ETV participation, longitudinal ETV expenditures, and survey data about college-to-career pathways. Both Callan and Turpin highlighted the support and generosity of Dr. Tiller in sharing their experiences with EGRC and how it has helped them both develop their research skills.  

Title IX In Georgia 

Ananya Malik and Tim Cain have worked closely together to conduct historical research on the history of Title IX issues and implementation at the University of Georgia. Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools and other education programs that receive federal funding; it was enacted in 1972 as part of the Education Amendments.  

Following Cain’s overview of their broader collaborations, Malik outlined how they have approached and undertaken the Title IX project. After reviewing the existing historiography in the spring of 2024, they began gathering and studying newspaper articles and other materials available digitally. They are currently nearing completion of extensive archival work in the UGA Special Collections Libraries that is allowing them to understand the broader conditions facing female students at UGA in the 1970s, how the university responded to federal investigations into its practices, and how it implemented new programs and policies to improve conditions. 

Malik and Cain have found sources that document the student voice surrounding Title IX and calls for the implementation of Title IX in Georgia and nationwide. These sources discuss historic institutional responses to Title IX, the roles that both individual actors and activists played in the implementation of Title IX, and related legal issues involving Title IX.  

Historical work is important to Malik because it helps to inform the context of her work on medical access in higher education, while also allowing her to engage with the roots of contemporary social issues.