EP134: Meet Retired Lt. Gen. Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr., President, Angelo State University — an award-winning Texas Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
Release Date: 04/18/2024
EP157: Navigating Access and Opportunity in STEMM with Dr. Stephanie Rodriguez
In The Margins
In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Rodriguez, Director of the STEMM Opportunity Alliance (SOA) at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), sits down in the pod to talk about STEMM education, workforce development, equity, and policy advancement. From growing up in Indiana to earning her PhD in immunology, Rodriguez shares how a teacher’s spark changed the trajectory of her life — and informs her work to empower future scientists. In this conversation, with Diverse host Ralph Newell, she dives deep into the challenges and opportunities facing STEMM...
info_outline
EP156: Community Colleges & The Fight for Equity, with Dr. Carrie B. Kisker
In The Margins
Today, Diverse sits down with Dr. Carrie Kisker, president of and director of the , delving into the critical role of community colleges in providing social mobility for marginalized groups. Kisker shares her journey from soccer goalkeeper to education researcher, inspired by her mentor Arthur Cohen. In conversation with Diverse host Ralph Newell, she also explores the current challenges facing higher education, including attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Kisker offers insights into how educators, administrators, and students can resist these...
info_outline
EP155: MEET JAYO ADEGBOYO | 2025 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year
In The Margins
In this honest and intimate episode, we celebrate 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year Jayo Adegboyo from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). His story highlights the power of networking, persistence, and interdisciplinary learning. As a first-generation pre-med student, Jayo shares enthusiastically about the Meyerhoff Scholars program and its support for students like himself pursuing STEM careers. Jayo is a biochemistry major with a physics minor and a member of the track and field team specializing in 200m and 400m events. Tune in as he shares...
info_outline
EP154: MEET JAIDA ROSS | 2025 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year
In The Margins
In this inspiring episode, we celebrate 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Sports Scholar of the Year Jaida Ross from the University of Oregon. This conversation explores her journey from a small Oregon town to the Olympic stage, highlighting her excellence in academics, athletics, and community service. Jaida shares her path from discovering shot put in middle school to competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she finished fourth place, missing a medal by just inches. She reveals how she found her athletic calling in a sport that celebrated her body type and natural strength, contrasting...
info_outline
EP153: Tech Talent Starts Here: How the Last Mile Fund Supports Student Success
In The Margins
In today’s episode, we sit down with Ruthe Farmer, founder and CEO of the Last Mile Education Fund, for a powerful conversation about unlocking opportunity in STEM education. This discussion focuses on the Last Mile’s mission to support students in the final stretch of their degrees—especially those in high-demand fields like cybersecurity. Farmer also describes how the fund provides crucial support for tuition, certification exams, and even basic needs, helping students stay on track when it matters most. The conversation looks at the fund’s innovative partnership...
info_outline
EP152: A Remarkable Journey in Community College Leadership, with Dr. Walter G. Bumphus
In The Margins
In this inspiring episode we engage with Dr. Walter G. Bumphus, the outgoing president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), as he prepares to conclude his transformative 15-year tenure at the end of 2025. This candid conversation highlights his remarkable journey in higher education, from his early days at Murray State University alongside future community college leaders Dr. Ken Atwater and Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton, to becoming one of the most influential voices in community college leadership. Bumphus shares pivotal moments from his career, including his first...
info_outline
EP151: Catching up with Toni Morrison scholar and DEI expert, Dr. Marilyn Sanders Mobley
In The Margins
In today’s episode, we sit down with Dr. Marilyn Sanders Mobley, a distinguished scholar, author, and academic leader. As founder of the African American Studies program at George Mason University and former Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity at Case Western Reserve University, Mobley has spent decades shaping conversations on race, gender, and social justice — now serving as a diversity consultant. Mobley shares her journey as a literary scholar and how she helped establish the Toni Morrison Society, dedicated to preserving Morrison’s legacy. Her...
info_outline
EP150: Creating Culturally Responsive Classrooms, with Dr. Marlee Bunch
In The Margins
In this episode we feature author and creator of the un/HUSH Framework, Dr. Marlee Bunch, to discuss the development of her framework for dealing with the challenges of implementing diverse narratives in today’s educational settings. Bunch shares how her experiences as an educator in diverse, low-income schools led her to pursue a doctorate focused on the oral histories of Black female educators in Mississippi during the civil rights era. She also explains how their stories informed the un/HUSH Framework, which emphasizes the following principles: uniting, naming, history, unlearning,...
info_outline
EP149: From Protest to President: A Social Justice Journey with Dr. George A. Pruitt
In The Margins
In this episode, we welcome Dr. George A. Pruitt, Thomas Edison State University president emeritus, for a thought-provoking discussion highlighting the past, present, and future of the civil rights movement, the importance of celebrating diverse histories, and the ongoing struggle for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education and beyond. Pruitt also offers a glimpse into his new book: From Protest to President: A Social Justice Journey through the Emergence of Adult Education and the Birth of Distance Learning. Throughout the conversation with Diverse host Ralph...
info_outline
EP148: Embracing Diversity, Fostering Belonging: How Affordable Access Transforms Lives at the University of Mount Saint Vincent
In The Margins
Meet , president of the University of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, New York City. A first-generation college graduate herself, Burns is leading the university into the future of what higher ed should look like — an authentic, high-quality education for students of all backgrounds. Under Burns' leadership since 2021, the Mount is a Hispanic-and-minority-serving institution. Don’t miss the conversation as Burns and host Diverse host David Pluviose explore innovative strategies and the holistic approach that the University of Mount Saint Vincent uses to meet the needs of...
info_outlineMeet retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr., president of Angelo State University (ASU), which continues to evolve and thrive as a leading institution in higher education in part by leveraging its opportunities. The university is dedicated to serving its diverse student population and preparing students for success in an ever-changing world.
In this episode of Diverse, host Ralph Newell and Hawkins delve into the initiatives and challenges facing ASU, particularly in serving Latino students and navigating the landscape of higher education.
Experience this thought-provoking exchange as Newell and Hawkins explore the intersection of education, diversity, and leadership and the transformative impact of inclusive practices in higher education.
KEY POINTS:
- ASU’s multifaceted strategies to recruit Latinx students
- On athletic scholarships, transfer portal, and NFL opportunities
- Retired Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins Jr.’s biggest challenge as a university president
- The importance of quality education and global workforce competitiveness
- How ASU increases access and removes barriers for Latinx students
- Some student success stories from ASU’s programs
- ASU’s commitment to diversity
QUOTABLES:
“Inclusion as a concept has so many factors influencing it. Creating these spaces that allow one to kind of speak up without feeling like the have to shut up and shut down… How do you create these psychologically safe spaces? Trust is at the center of this.” — Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr.
GUEST RESOURCES:
2023 Seal of Excelencia | Diverse: Issues In Higher Education (diverseeducation.com),
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
X (formerly Twitter): http://twitter.com/diverseissues
Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation
Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND OTHERS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/@DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation
Closed captioning and a live show transcription are available in the video for this episode.
In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by EPYC Media Network (visit at https://www.epyc.co/).