Professional Fellowships & Policy Engagement

University Innovation Fellows (UIF), Stanford University – Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school)

Faculty Champion | 2023–2024

Selected through a competitive national application process, I was selected as a Faculty Champion in the University Innovation Fellows (UIF) HBCU cohort, an initiative of Stanford’s d.school designed to support innovation leadership and institutional transformation across Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

As part of this role, I led the application process for Xavier’s inaugural student cohort and worked in close partnership with Dr. Stephanie Grant and the Office of the Provost. Our successful application was endorsed by Provost Marguerite Giguette, who affirmed the program’s alignment with Xavier’s mission and commitment to student leadership development.

My work in UIF centers on design thinking, equity-focused innovation, and community engagement. Through this fellowship, I helped develop and launch the iTeach Lounge—a student-centered instructional technology lab housed in Xavier’s Division of Education and Counseling. The lab includes over $40,000 in Apple equipment and now functions as a hub for digital literacy training, curriculum innovation, and culturally responsive teaching support for Xavier students and faculty.

Additionally, I participated in Stanford’s Teaching and Learning Studio, where I engaged in intensive design facilitation training alongside national faculty peers. My UIF experience builds directly on my mentoring expertise, including training from Xavier’s P-MAX (Preparing Mentors and Advisors at Xavier) program, and reflects a longstanding commitment to empowering students as co-creators of institutional change.

This letter of support from Xavier University’s Provost was submitted as part of my successful application to the University Innovation Fellows (UIF) program at Stanford University. It affirms the institutional alignment and leadership potential of the UIF work now embodied through the iTeach Lounge initiative.

Education Scholar, Education Scholars Training Program (ESTP)

Scholars Strategy Network | 2025 Cohort
As one of only 15 scholars selected nationally, I was awarded a fellowship in the Education Scholars Training Program (ESTP), a yearlong initiative of the Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) that supports researchers in bridging the gap between academic scholarship and public policy. This competitive fellowship provides intensive training in policy writing, media communication, and research translation to help education scholars shape public discourse.

As part of the program, I authored and submitted the op-ed titled “When Fear Trumps Faith: The Real Cost of Education Cuts,” which responds to federal disinvestment in teacher training grants that directly impacted Xavier University’s Norman C. Francis Teacher Residency Program. The piece critiques the politicization of justice-oriented educator preparation and underscores the long-term implications of such cuts for communities like New Orleans.

Through ESTP, I continue to expand my reach as a public scholar committed to equity-focused policy work. The fellowship has enhanced my ability to communicate research-informed perspectives to lawmakers, journalists, and community stakeholders invested in building just educational systems.