Council for the Study of Community Colleges

Congratulations to the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL)—recipient of the 2025 CSCC Presidential Citation of Excellence Award! Through this honor, presented by current CSCC President Dr. Xueli Wang, we recognize OCCRL as a transformative leader and beacon of hope in the field of community college research, leadership, and practice.

For over three decades, OCCRL has been a driving force in advancing equity and improving policies, programs, and practices that enhance community college education. Through a rigorous and expansive portfolio of research and evaluation efforts, OCCRL has strengthened pathways to postsecondary education and careers, and ensured that diverse learners—both youth and adults—can successfully transition to and through college toward further education and meaningful employment. This legacy of excellence has been shaped by the visionary leadership of OCCRL’s three directors—Dr. Debra Bragg, Dr. Eboni M. Zamani-Gallaher, and Dr. Lorenzo Baber. Each of them has made an indelible mark on the field. Their collective contributions have not only deepened our understanding of community college access and success but have also profoundly impacted policy and practice across state, national, and international contexts. In a word, our scholarship and practice—within and far beyond the CSCC community—are better because of OCCRL and its unwavering commitment to equity, student success, and institutional transformation. Please check out OCCRL’s website: https://occrl.illinois.edu/ to learn more about their transformative work and how they continue to shape the future of community college education! Congratulations again!

Congratulations to Dra. Marissa C. Vasquez, recipient of the 2025 CSCC Arthur M. Cohen and Florence B. Brawer Distinguished Service Award! Named after two pioneering scholars whose work shaped the field of community college research, this award recognizes a leader whose service has demonstrated a commitment to advancing the mission of CSCC through a diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility lens. Be sure to check out Dra. Vasquez’s bio below and learn more about her impactful work!

Dra. Marissa C. Vasquez is an Associate Professor of Postsecondary Educational Leadership in the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education at San Diego State University. She first joined CSCC in 2012 as a doctoral student and has previously served as board member at-large and as Vice President of Research and Publications.

As a community college scholar, Dra. Vasquez uses an anti-deficit lens to understand and interrogate the pre/post transitional experiences of community college and transfer students, particularly first-generation and racially minoritized communities. As the Associate Director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab (CCEAL), she leads efforts to assist community colleges in identifying challenges to equity-centered institutional effectiveness and developing problem-solving strategies and solutions. Dra. Vasquez also leads the SEMILLAS Research Team, which seeks to not only further scholarship on community college students, but also engage them in research. Dra. Vasquez serves as co-editor of the Journal of Applied Research in the Community College and is on the editorial board for the Journal of Hispanics in Higher Education. She is also Chair of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) and is program co-chair for the 2025 Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) conference.

A native of San Diego, Marissa earned her A.A. from Southwestern College, B.A. in English from UC Berkeley, M.A. in Counseling from the University of San Diego, and her Ed.D. in Community College Leadership from San Diego State University.

Congratulations to Dr. Xueli Wang, recipient of the 2025 CSCC Senior Scholar Award! This honor recognizes a distinguished scholar whose research has made significant contributions to the national body of knowledge about community colleges while demonstrating excellence in teaching, advising, and mentoring. Awardees exemplify the integration of research, teaching, service, and impactful scholarship that shapes community college practice and advances the field. Be sure to check out Dr. Wang’s bio below and learn more about her impactful work!

Dr. Xueli Wang (pronounced similar to “Shoo-lee Wong”) is the Barbara and Glenn Thompson Endowed Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She teaches graduate courses on community colleges, mixed methods research, and assessment in higher education. With a focus on community colleges and postsecondary STEM education, her program of research examines educational practices, structures, and policies that promote students’ holistic wellbeing and equitable access, experiences, and outcomes. With expertise in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodological approaches, Dr. Wang’s work spans a range of specific topics, including students’ success and mental health, transfer trajectories, faculty development, teaching and learning, and educational change and innovation. She has secured over $10 million in research funding and frequently collaborates with community colleges to implement holistic support strategies that foster student success.

Dr. Wang is the author of On My Own: The Challenge and Promise of Building Equitable STEM Transfer Pathways (Harvard Education Press, 2020), which received the 2021 Publication of the Year Award from the American Educational Research Association's Postsecondary Education Division. This book highlights both students’ high motivation and assets, as well as the disparities they face due to systemic barriers, and issues a call for action toward equitable transfer pathways. Dr. Wang's latest book, Delivering Promise: Equity-Driven Educational Change and Innovation in Community and Technical Colleges (Harvard Education Press, 2024), advances a new vision of community and technical colleges as powerful engines of both innovation and equity. Her research has also been widely published in top-tier journals across both specialized and broader fields of education, including American Educational Research Journal, Educational Researcher, Teachers College Record, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, The Journal of Higher Education, Review of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, and Community College Review, among others.

Among her numerous accolades, Dr. Wang is the recipient of the Transfer Champion-Catalyst Award from the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (2021), the Barbara Townsend Lecture Award from the Association for the Study of Higher Education (2020), the Faculty Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education (2020), and six Teacher of the Year awards from her department at UW–Madison. Later in April 2025, Dr. Wang will be inducted as an American Educational Research Association Fellow.

Congratulations to Dr. Jorge Burmicky, recipient of the 2025 CSCC Barbara K. Townsend Emerging Scholar Award! Named in honor of Barbara K. Townsend, a distinguished scholar whose research advanced understanding of community colleges as critical pathways for educational attainment, this award recognizes a new scholar for outstanding theoretical and/or applied research; excellence in teaching, advising, and mentoring; and a commitment to integrating knowledge, teaching, and service in the field of community college research. Be sure to check out Dr. Burmicky’s below and learn more about his impactful work!

Jorge Burmicky, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies at Howard University. His research examines presidential leadership in higher education, with an emphasis on equity-minded and socially just leadership at minority-serving institutions (MSIs), community colleges, and broadly accessible institutions. His research also explores policies and practices that support the educational outcomes of men of color, particularly community college Latino men.

Dr. Burmicky’s research can be found in The Journal of Higher Education, AERA Open, Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Community College Review, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, Education Policy Analysis Archives, Journal of Negro Education, and Community College Journal of Research and Practice, among others. He currently serves on editorial boards for the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of Postsecondary Student Success, and the Journal of College Student Development.

Dr. Burmicky is a faculty affiliate with NC State’s Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research; UT Austin’s Project MALES; the Center for HBCU Research, Leadership and Policy; and the University of Michigan’s National Center for Institutional Diversity. His scholarly opinions and expertise have been featured in USA Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, Higher Ed Dive, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, and the NPR Education Symposium.

In 2024, Dr. Burmicky received the Emerging Scholars recognition by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, the American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) faculty fellowship, and the Dr. V. Ray Cardozier Alumni Excellence Award from his doctoral alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin).

Dr. Burmicky earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy from UT Austin. Prior to joining the faculty at HU, he was as an Assistant Director of Research at UT Austin’s Project MALES, a mentoring and research initiative committed to advancing equitable educational outcomes for men of color. Dr. Burmicky worked as a higher education and student affairs practitioner for 12 years in the areas of admissions, residence life and housing, student activities, and diversity and community engagement.

Dr. Burmicky is an active member of several professional associations, including the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC), AAHHE, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and the American College Personnel Association (ACPA).

He grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and spent most of his adult life in Texas and Indiana. He’s a proud father of two girls, Naomi and Elena.

Congratulations to Dr. Ashley Gaskew, recipient of the 2025 CSCC Research Grant! CSCC research grants are awarded to projects that contribute to the professional body of knowledge about community colleges. Dr. Gaskew’s project will study how community colleges support faculty mental health. Be sure to check out her bio below and learn more about her impactful research!

Dr. Ashley N. Gaskew is an Assistant Professor in the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College, City University of New York. She is housed in the Higher Education Administration program. Her academic journey is marked by a steadfast commitment to exploring the multifaceted dynamics of higher education, particularly concerning socioeconomic policies, faculty experiences, and institutional cultures. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Chicago, where she developed a keen interest in the intersection of policy and education. She furthered her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, obtaining a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction, followed by a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in May 2022. Her doctoral research provided a critical lens into the impact of socioeconomic policies on faculty culture within postsecondary education.

Central to Dr. Gaskew’s research is the examination of how socioeconomic policies influence faculty culture and experiences across various societal levels. She has delved into the roles of for-profit and community college institutions, analyzing their contributions and positioning within the broader academic landscape. Her co-edited volume, “Critical Theory and Qualitative Data Analysis in Education,” showcases her dedication to employing equitable and transformational analytical approaches to address educational challenges.

Among her notable scholarly works is a collaborative mixed-methods study titled “The Road to Becoming a Scientist: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Supports and Barriers Experienced by First-Year Community College Students,” published in the Teachers College Record. This research sheds light on the factors influencing STEM aspirants’ transfer decisions from community colleges to four-year institutions, offering valuable insights into the supports and obstacles these students encounter. Dr. Gaskew is currently studying how faculty and executive administrators at historically Black community colleges (HBCCs) and predominantly Black community colleges (PBCCs) survive and thrive.

Beyond her academic responsibilities, Dr. Gaskew actively participates in scholarly communities and contributes to discussions on educational equity and policy reform. She has presented her research at various conferences, including AERA (American Education Research Association), ASHE (Association for the Study of Higher Education), ICUE (International Center on Urban Education), and CSCC (Council for the Study of Community Colleges). Her commitment to critical theories and methodologies extends to her involvement in initiatives that empower underrepresented groups within academia.

Congratulations to Dr. Nicole Soulier, recipient of the 2025 CSCC Richard M. Romano Dissertation of the Year Award! This honor annually recognizes a dissertation that explored community college-related topics and exhibited exemplary skills in research and scholarship. Further, the dissertation should demonstrate excellence in scholarly inquiry, illustrate originality of thought, and include significant findings that make a substantial contribution to the extant literature on community colleges. Named after Richard M. Romano, a leading scholar in community college research, this award celebrates exemplary scholarly inquiry that sheds new light on how issues and challenges facing community colleges are researched, theorized, and interpreted. Be sure to check out details about Dr. Soulier’s dissertation and her work as a whole!

Nicole Soulier, PhD, is an Indigenous scholar-practitioner in Wisconsin. She is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. Nicole earned her PhD from the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has worked for 17 years in the community college and currently serves as the Director of College Access and Experience Programs at Madison College. Nicole’s work and scholarship is motivated by a passion for the community college mission to meet and serve the evolving needs of diverse communities and a commitment to developing strategies to support student access and success.

Nicole’s dissertation, titled “In Community: A Critical Qualitative Investigation of Engagement with Indigenous Communities to Improve Community College Access,” investigates the relationship between community colleges and community. By centering the voices of Indigenous community members, the aim of her research is to explore how Indigenous people define and experience college access and engagement within the community college setting. Her dissertation was driven by an intention to amplify Indigenous voices, and to positively influence both research and practice in service to the communities of which she is a part.

Nicole grew up on the Bad River Indian Reservation in northern Wisconsin before moving to Madison as a Mercile J. Lee Scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies and a certificate in American Indian Studies. After completing these degrees, Nicole began working at the community college, where she has been able to see first-hand the impact and opportunity of college and the community. After working in the field, she returned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a graduate student, merging together these areas of her life. Her dissertation reflects a culmination of 40 years of personal, educational, and professional experiences interwoven on college access, Indigenous education, and the outreach imperative embedded within the American community college mission.

Despite living away from her home community, Nicole’s scholarship and work also helped her to stay connected to her roots. She believes that Indigenous knowledge deserves a place in academia and research. She continuously strives to learn, practice, and draw connections to the community throughout her research and work.

Congratulations to Nicole Contreras-García, recipient of the 2025 CSCC Outstanding Doctoral Student Award! This honor recognizes rising graduate members of the CSCC community for their innovative scholarship that contributes to the national body of knowledge on community colleges; engagement in scholarly activities; and leadership roles within the academy that advocate for the advancement of community college research and practice. Be sure to check out Nicole’s bio below and learn more about her impactful work!

Nicole Contreras-García is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her passion for community colleges stems from her time as a student at Río Hondo College and working with community colleges as a mentor and student assistant. Nicole transferred from Río to UCLA, where she received her B.A. in Sociology and was a McNair Research Scholar. She received her M.S. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Eager to give back to the CSCC community that generously embraced her as a first-time attendee in 2022, she has served as CSCC’s graduate student representative over the past two years and looks forward to remaining an active and committed member.

As a scholar, Nicole uses qualitative and mixed methods to elevate community college students’ assets, experiences, and outcomes, and explore how institutions and educators enact change toward equitable student support and success. During her doctoral studies she conducted an independent project exploring the opportunities and challenges faced by community college re-entry programs in supporting formerly incarcerated students during and post-COVID-19. Currently, her dissertation, “‘Dodging Around It:’ How Racialized Institutional Conditions at Community Colleges Impact Transfer for Students of Color,” interrogates institutional policies and conditions that shape disparities in transfer access and outcomes. Nicole has participated in multiple large-scale NSF-funded mixed methods research projects led by her advisor, Dr. Xueli Wang, focusing on topics like community college student mental health and equitable transfer partnerships. Nicole’s independent and collaborative work has been published in Teachers College Record, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, and New Directions for Community Colleges. In her future career of research and practice, Nicole hopes to continue advancing humanizing and equity-centered college structures through close collaboration with community college partners, their faculty, staff, and students.

Congratulations to Dr. Keyimani L. Alford, recipient of the 2025 CSCC Community College Professional Award! This honor recognizes an outstanding community college professional who espouses the values of CSCC through their work, advocacy, and service to community colleges. Be sure to check out Dr. Alford’s bio below and learn more about his impactful work!

Dr. Keyimani L. Alford is a visionary leader whose work spans education, advocacy, and personal empowerment. As a higher education professional, author, and motivational influencer known as drkeyspeaks, he has committed his career to expanding access, transforming student experiences, and inspiring individuals to overcome challenges. His mission is to break down barriers—whether financial, institutional, or personal—so that all students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, have the opportunity to succeed.

With over 25 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Alford currently serves as Associate Vice President of Student Access & Success at Madison College. His leadership has driven groundbreaking initiatives that remove financial barriers for students. He spearheaded the Scholars of Promise Program, providing tuition assistance to low-income students, and launched WolfPack Forgiveness, a debt-relief program that helps adult learners return and complete their education. He also oversaw the distribution of $31 million in emergency grants to 16,000 students, ensuring financial crises did not derail their academic journeys. Through a strategic focus on financial literacy, he led efforts that reduced student loan default rates by 10%, easing borrowing restrictions for thousands.

Beyond financial access, Dr. Alford’s work has reshaped student retention and success strategies. He led the expansion of the Second Chance Pell Program, enrolling incarcerated students and providing educational pathways for reintegration. Recognizing that student success goes beyond academics, he established a college-wide resource hub to address food insecurity, transportation needs, and mental health services. His leadership in enrollment management has strengthened pathways for first-generation, adult, and parenting students, ensuring community colleges remain places of opportunity.

While his impact in higher education is substantial, Dr. Alford’s influence extends beyond academia. As an author and speaker, he inspires individuals to embrace resilience and confidence in their personal and professional lives. His books, Oakland Hills, Milwaukee Rivers: Stories of Resilience, Transformation, and Self-Discovery and the upcoming Unshaken Leadership: A Practical Blueprint for Overcoming Challenges, Learning from Mistakes, and Growing in Confidence, offer insights into perseverance, leadership, and self-empowerment. Through DrKeySpeaks, he shares messages of motivation and transformation, using his journey to inspire others.

Dr. Alford is also a respected advocate for education policy reform. He served on the Wisconsin Governor’s Task Force on Student Debt, influencing policies that impact thousands of students. He has held leadership roles as President of the Wisconsin Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (WASFAA) and Delegate-At-Large for the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA). His work with national policy discussions and the Higher Education Colloquium continues to drive efforts to make college more accessible and equitable.

His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including Wisconsin’s 51 Most Influential Black Leaders Award (Madison365) and the President’s Award for Core Values (Madison College). Yet, beyond accolades, Dr. Alford remains committed to his purpose: empowering others to succeed. Through education, advocacy, and storytelling, he continues to open doors and create opportunities that uplift individuals and transform communities. When not working, he enjoys traveling and spending time with family, friends, and his dog, Max.

The 66th annual conference will be held on April 3-5, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. The conference theme is Working in Solidarity for Equitable Community College Futures.

There's been lots of good conversation about episode 3 of "Spotlight on Community Colleges," which shares the reality of women of color leaders. Be part of the conversation! Tune in wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Our podcast, "Spotlight on Community Colleges," is officially LIVE! 🎙️ Please like, follow, and tune in for some insightful discussions on critical community college topics wherever you listen to your podcasts.

We hope you're excited as we are! The first 3 episodes of our podcast, "Spotlight on Community Colleges" are coming very soon. Take a look at what's to come next Wednesday, 1/15! Stay tuned and be sure to spread the word. 🌟