The number of women, Students of Color, and LGBTQIA+ students enrolled in institutions of higher education have increased significantly over the past several decades (Hanson, 2021; National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). Though gaps in higher education degree completion have improved in recent years, gains for Students of Color have not…

This dissertation examines the role of cultural centers and experiences of microaggressions in shaping the ethnic identity of Asian American undergraduates in U.S. higher education institutions. Utilizing Phinney's model of ethnic identity development, a study with 175 participants revealed a positive correlation between reported microaggressions…

This study aimed to examine the role of a Latinx/a/o cultural center in the experience of undergraduate Latino men at a predominantly White institution. A qualitative case study approach was used to explore the relationship between a Latinx/a/o cultural center and six Latino undergraduate men. Each participant was interviewed three times using…

The last few decades have seen a growing trend toward the analysis of creativity and flow experiences in pedagogy, but we have only a limited knowledge of how cultural institutions can contribute to flow experiences in learning processes. Our study argues that the effectiveness of learning might be enhanced by the experiential accumulation of…

While more Latinx students are enrolling in higher education, underrepresentation in four-year degree attainment persists. Connecting Latinx students with culture centers on college campuses has been a promising intervention. Such centers have been shown to play a critical role in student integration, learning, and, thus, retention of Students of…

Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Islamophobia became increasingly visible across the U.S, impacting anyone perceived to be Muslim. Despite being named after a religion, Islamophobia is a racial ideology predominantly targeting people of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian (MENASA) descent. In this qualitative study, the…

Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Islamophobia became increasingly visible across the U.S, impacting anyone perceived to be Muslim. Despite being named after a religion, Islamophobia is a racial ideology predominantly targeting people of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian (MENASA) descent. In this qualitative study, the…

This study provides a nuanced look at the experiences of Black graduate students who engage with a Black cultural center (BCC) at a historically White institution in an urban center. Combining the theoretical perspectives of critical race theory and graduate developmental networks, the three main findings unearth how (1) the BCC staff act as…

Drawing on focus group, interview, and participant-observer data collected as part of this IRB-approved [19.177] qualitative research project, this dissertation provides insights about how Black American students develop academic identities through coursework and extracurricular involvement in a Black culture center on the campus of a historically…

This study aims to explore the impact of a Disability Cultural Center (DCC) in higher education on disabled students, which aims to assist other campuses considering creating a DCC and to support those DCCs already in existence. Universities should care about supporting disabled students more holistically to increase recruitment, retention, and…

This qualitative study explores the experiences and perspectives of disabled student activists involved in the creation of disability cultural centers (DCCs) on college and university campuses in the United States. The main purpose is to advance recognition of disability as a marginalized student identity on college campuses in need of safe spaces…

Supportive community contexts are critical to positive youth development. Out-of-school time (OST) programs serve as supportive community contexts, and participation in OST programs is associated with a host of positive outcomes for youth. Cultural centers, such as museums, have been identified as potentially supportive community contexts for…

SOL: Multicultural LGBTQ + Support Network (SOL) is an initiative at Oregon State University (OSU) that uplifts students who are at the intersections between queer and trans identities and nonwhite racialized identities. Historically, OSU is a predominantly white institution, with major student-led activism that has shifted the progressive course…

Organizational sociologists have long argued that informal and formal rules around emotional displays within the workplace seek to maximize employee effectiveness and productivity; however, these rules have also been observed to have negative consequences in the context of employee emotions. These feeling rules establish the workplace emotional…

This action research study provided insight into a proactive faculty and staff-centered approach facilitated by a Latinx Cultural Center at Guava University System. The purpose of the research study was to develop a faculty and staff-centered initiative that promoted awareness, information, and understanding of student referrals to the Latinx…