This Prof Life Podcast: Women of Color in Higher Education

Time for a Reset! Have you felt stuck lately? Are you looking for inspiration and motivation to make your next move? Dr. Carol Parker Walsh has experienced it all from being a corporate attorney, to higher education administrator, and now as her own boss. On this episode of This Prof Life , Dr. Parker Walsh shares her journey of being authentically true to herself and living out her values, throug...

What does it mean to lead authentically in a rapidly changing higher education landscape? In Part 2 of our conversation on liberated leadership, Dr. Chinyere Oparah shares her perspectives on preparing educators for evolving teaching methods, navigating the complexities of senior leadership, and how Black women can strategically position themselves for long-term success in higher education. This t...

Are you currently in a leadership position in higher education or aspiring to step into one? Have you ever wondered whether you're truly free to lead in a way that aligns with your values, strengths, and authentic self? If so, you won't want to miss Part 1 of this powerful conversation with Dr. Chinyere Oparah. Dr. Oparah is an executive coach, Professor of Leadership Studies and Sociology at the...

Women of color in higher education have always helped to carry institutions byteaching, mentoring, leading, advocating, and creating pathways for others. But in a rapidly changing political and economic climate, one difficult question remains: Who is helping us build security? In this new podcast episode, "Save Yourself," I discuss: economic wellness for Black women and women of color in higher ed...

Dr. Karen Dace, a now retired academic administrator, and I last parted with our conversation centered around the resilience of Black women and other women of color. In this episode, we dive into the shifts required to make headway in the academy, when to pivot to new horizons, and how to identify true allies. You can find Dr. Dace on LinkedIn: Dr. Karen Dace   You can find more episodes of This P...

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Karen Dace reflects on her journey from faculty to academic leadership and how she navigated a transition back into faculty and then retirement after DEI offices were eliminated as part of the current political echochamber. Dr. Dace shares her story of leaving behind a 30-plus year career rooted in advocacy and leadership, and how she reframed her recent retirement n...

We know that scholarship is the pursuit of objective truth, and entrepreneurship is the pursuit of a future we build ourselves. But what happens when the ground beneath both of those pursuits is fractured by loss? How does one maintain their research, grow a business, and honor ambitions when grief is sitting at the head of the table? In this episode, we're stepping into the difficult, often invis...

It's a fact. Honest conversations about workplace trauma are often avoided or even dismissed, especially when related to Black women and women of color.  In this episode, we continue to center the voices and experiences of Black women navigating workplace trauma, racial bias, and the unique challenges within higher education.  My guest, Ms. Ruth Abban, a psychotherapist who practices in the U.K.,...

Have you ever been tone-policed as a Black woman or woman of color? Or appointed to a role only to be removed when someone's discomfort outweighs your credentials? In academia, experiences and patterns like these that shape professional identity, leadership access, and psychological safety are not isolated incidents.  In this This Prof Life episode, I sit down with Ms. Ruth Abban, an integrative p...

Relaunch of This Prof Life: Women of Color in Higher Education Podcast! In this episode, Dr. Pat Sanders, offers a candid discussion on mentorship and sponsorship in higher education, with a particular focus on the lived experiences of Black women and women of color. Drawing from personal insight and professional observations, the episode examines the assumption that mentorship is inherently neutr...

Great food, fine wines and higher education are three of Dr. Yvonne Friedman's loves. Better known as Dr. Y, she shares her passion for all three and her climb up the executive ladder to become a vice president in the student affairs arena. While her story is very similar to other women of color who work in the academy, this petite, Mexican American, latina says after several moves, she is very co...

  Living and studying as a Black woman in Cuba led Dr. Kaifa Roland to write not only one book but two about her experiences.  She is currently Director of Global Black Studies and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Clemson University. Join this delightfully intellectual conversation that centers around her cultural research which focuses on Cuba and the African Diaspora in the Caribbean. She...

Have you felt stuck lately? Are you looking for inspiration and motivation to make your next move? Dr. Carol Parker Walsh has experienced it all from being a corporate attorney, to higher education administrator, and now as her own boss. On this episode of  This Prof Life , Dr. Parker Walsh shares her journey of being authentically true to herself and living out her values, through autonomy and cr...

Myths, tractors, rumors, coin collections, stories.  They are all part of Dr. Yovanna Pineda's path of research. A Guatemalan-American Professor of History connects stories that are developed through machinery and agriculture. It may sound different, somewhat nerdy, even. But, you are in for a treat with this soon-to-be second time book author located at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Pine...

Do you consider your work to be "creative" or "traditional" scholarship? This week's guest, Dr. Kimberly Garza, says you can do both, successfully. A creative writer and professor of literature, Dr. Garza has recently published a book that includes three different languages- one for each of the ethnic backgrounds that she proudly claims. She makes it a priority to share authors of Latin descent wi...

When we pursue our dreams, it may lead us down more than one path and even to a different outcome. Whitley Greene, an adjunct dance professor, says that is what led her to teaching at the secondary and post-secondary levels. Currently, she shares her passion with students at the University of North Texas. In this episode she has an impactful discussion with Dr. Pat Sanders after following her hear...

We pick up where we left off in Part 2 of a conversation with Dr. Aerial Ellis, who shares how important it is for people of color to feel as if they belong at an institution. In other words, a person of color has been hired  or included, now what does it take to retain them?  That word, "belonging" has become a significant part of the diversity, equity and inclusion conversation and agenda.  Take...

Dr. Aerial Ellis is one of the bright minds shining the spotlight in the DEI space, education and the business world. This dynamic woman is not only a business owner, but she is a professor and endowed chair at one of the country's highly regarded HBCUs, North Carolina Central University. Listen as we have a conversation about what it means to feel accepted and as if you belong in a workplace. Dr....

We all want to experience some level of happiness in our lives, even in our work-life. And, we should.  After all, we spend the majority of our awake hours either working in an office or from home.  In this episode, Dr. Pat Sanders shares ways to find your happy through transformation and a tested framework. Get this, it's not that hard to achieve.  Click the listen button and join her now! Be sur...

Dr. Sybril Brown does not hold back when speaking about teaching, working with new generations of students and what it takes to be successful in the Academy. Join our conversation as she speaks about how she stopped trying to teach and instead learned how to teach, leading to her success in the classroom.  We also talk about: Different teaching methods.  How professors are no longer "sages on stag...

Women and people of color who work in higher education may have serious questions concerning their current career status. Kicking off Season 5, Dr. Pat asks, are you still happy, or is it time to move on? She says these are some questions you may need to ask yourself:  Do I love waking up 90 plus percent of the time to go to work? Do I feel respected for what I do? Is valued a word I would use in...

Match your goals with your values. Dr. Darshon Reed shared amazing tips: 1. SMART Goals  and RESTART goals. 2. Goal disengagement: limiting number of goals expectations for the year. 3. Goals should identify with your character traits. Dr. Reed is trained in experimental psychology and is a graduate of Lifespan Developmental Program and has an extensive background in Developmental Psychology.  She...

Enjoy this past episode with Dr. Leslie Wang who has experienced perks and drawbacks while  living and teaching as an Asian American woman in the U.S. On this episode, she speaks to us about: 1. Her experiences in the academy. 2. Her journey home to China in an attempt to find her roots. 3. Her research and work on children adopted from China. 4. Asian hate. 5. Coaching women. You can find more ab...

Dr. Ashley Adams on Mentoring and Administration. Where do you want to go?  What is your ultimate goal? How will you get there?  Adams, mentors women to their fullest potential while teaching. Listen in as she shares from experience and research. 

(Replay) Dr. Jennifer Woodard is a longtime professor who moved from the faculty ranks to the administrative track at her institution.  She shares her story of navigating through an institutional system that was not very welcoming to a young, African American woman who persevered to secure her position and success. Her authenticity is refreshing.  Dr. Woodard now mentors other women and believes i...