Autoethnographic Tactics to Closing the Gap on Educational Attainment

The history of education attainment in underrepresented populations, the education gap, undereducation, and socio-economic status have a multitude of cumulative causes, that must be carefully analyzed and considered in order to tackle these problems. This book offers valuable insights on the background of these issues, and addresses stressors, structural inequalities, microaggressions, imposter syndrome, and underscores the importance of supporting relationships, including mentorship, role models, and quality relationships with family, friends, classmates, and community. Autoethnographic Tactics to Closing the Gap on Educational Attainment is co-edited by Anika Chanell Thrower, Alex Evangelista, Ruth Baker-Gardner, and Hammed Oladeji Mogaji. The co-editors bring a wealth of experience and expertise to this publication. Through their work, the co-editors are committed to promoting access to higher education and improving outcomes for marginalized populations. This essential resource is designed for scholars interested in promoting cultural awareness, equity, and diversity in higher education institutions, and it provides must-read perspectives for instructors teaching stress management courses, diversity and inclusion departments, campus sustainability departments, and others. This book offers a detailed analysis of the enrollment crisis, strategies to address its many sources, and is an important contribution to the ongoing conversation about equity and access in higher education.

Anika Chanell Thrower earned her B.S. in consumer science/nutrition from Norfolk State University and both her MPH and Ph.D. in public health and community health from Walden University. Dr. Thrower served in Women, Infants, and Children’s (WIC) programs nationwide for over 16 years as a health practitioner. Her most valued experiences include serving within a Native American community and the first WIC program in Connecticut. Because of her background, service, and research, she has expertise in utilizing the transtheoretical behavioral health model in underrepresented populations. Serving as a principal researcher and endorsed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, she completed research within a sample of a WIC clinic investigating health-based variables steeped in VENA. Because of the high quality of her research, she won the Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award within her institution of higher learning. Dr. Thrower has published several peer-reviewed scholarly articles. Appointed by the mayor, she co-chaired the New Haven Food Policy Council. Along with others, Dr. Thrower’s expertise led to the establishment of the city’s first Food Action Plan. She serves as an Assistant Professor within the Health Education department at City University of New York-Borough of Manhattan Community College. Before her current position, Dr. Thrower taught at Springfield College and Southern Connecticut State University. She teaches coursework in stress management and community health education rooted in culturally responsive pedagogy. Dr. Thrower’s research interests include investigating mental health, stress, and food security issues that adversely affect the quality of life of women and other members of underrepresented populations. Long-standing, she advocates maternal and child health issues and raising social awareness around health inequalities. As exemplified in her book entitled The Art of Dominating the Winner’s Circle of the College-Minded Student, she seeks ways to close gaps in obtaining higher education attainment.

Alex Evangelista (EdD) is an Assistant Professor in the BMCC Health Education Department. Professor Evangelista's research considers the impact and training of educators in collaborative online and associated technology-based learning experiences. Professor Evangelista's educational background is in Physical Education, Health, and Educational Leadership. He has taught Physical and Health Education at all levels, K-12 and higher education for over 15 years. Professor Evangelista holds several fitness and first aid certifications, including Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Basic Life Support (BLS). Professor Evangelista also has an interest in health and fitness-related entrepreneurship and has received several grants for his work in this area.

Ruth Baker-Gardner is currently a lecturer and the undergraduate coordinator in the Department of Library and Information Studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona in Jamaica. She obtained her undergraduate degree and Master in Library and Information Studies from that same institution. She earned a PhD in Education Administration at the Northern Caribbean University. Dr. Baker-Gardner has over 35 years of experience in the education sector, having worked at the secondary and the tertiary levels. Her research interests include academic integrity, induction and mentoring, and school librarianship.

Hammed Mogaji holds a First-Class Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences (Zoology), Masters and PhD in Parasitology & Epidemiology, all with Distinction. They currently work as; a lecturer at Federal University Oye-Ekiti, in Nigeria, a postdoctoral fellow in Epidemiology at Institute of Collective Health, Salvador, Brazil and a research support officer with MITOSATH. Their research interest revolves around neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), including mapping, exploration of socio-economic and ecological determinants of transmission, and understudying NTDs control programs to identify bottlenecks limiting them. Before joining the university, they served as a research scientist with the Spatial Parasitology and Health GIS group and a field officer on NTDs with MITOSATH. They actively participated in the implementation of NTDs control program involving training of health workers and drug distributors across several endemic communities in Nigeria over a period of 5 years. They have won a couple of research grants including the WHO/TDR postgraduate grant in Infectious diseases, TDR research capacity strengthening grant, RSTMH and ARNTD small grants. They have a very deep passion for Global Health, most especially in areas involving strengthening community awareness and participation in disease control program. They also won advocacy grants from Crown Prince Court of Abu-Dhabi, ACGH and ASTMH, and piloted outreach programs on Malaria, NTDs and COVID-19 in Ogun and Ekiti States, Nigeria between 2015 and 2021. Currently, they have over 55 articles in peer-reviewed journals with representations in local and international conferences in over 5 countries (USA, Ghana, Singapore, Bangladesh, Mozambique, Italy, Brazil) . They also review for over 10 reputable journals including PloS NTDs, PLoS ONE, Parasites and Vectors, BMC Public Health, Parasite Epidemiology and Control, Frontier’s in Public Health and Nigerian Journal of Parasitology to mention a few. They are also a member of some reputable societies including TDR Global, ASTMH, ASTMH, BSP, PPSN, iCHORDS, GSA, ASM and ARNTD. They were recently appointed as a Global Assessor of grants and events abstract for RSTMH in 2021, a member of the Conference Management Committee for PPSN in 2021, and a member of iCHORDS steering committee in 2022. In 2021, their idea titled the “T-BOM Model” was selected as one of the winning ideas in the TDR-Africa Global Contest to promote research mentorship globally. They also won the prestigious American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Young Investigators Award (First Tie Mention) in 2021.