The Melvin C Terrell Educational Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of Gary Oliver and Neal J. McKinney as the recipients of the 2022 MCT Scholarship. The Dr. Melvin C. Terrell Educational Foundation, Inc. serves as a beacon for student affairs professionals addressing the issues and needs of today’s college students. The MCT Foundation was created to ensure underrepresented students gain access and achieve success in higher education and student affairs. The scholarship is given annually to a matriculating graduate student in a master’s or doctoral program in Student Affairs or a Higher Education Administration related program to further the recipient’s academic pursuits.
Gary Oliver Is a doctoral candidate at the University of South Florida in the Education Program Development/Innovation program with an emphasis on diversity education and is currently employed as the Assistant Director of Graduate Studies for Student Services at the University of South Florida. Gary’s research is focused on African American Males’ Perception of Success in Higher Education. This study, according to the recipient is a “counter-narrative to the current ideology that African American males face within our higher education institutions.” The findings from this study can provide a blueprint for supporting African American males in the pursuit of their degrees.
Neal J. McKinney is a third-year doctoral student in the Department of Educational Studies in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program at The Ohio State University where he serves as a Graduate Research Associate in the College of Human Ecology Office of Equity, Diversity and Global Engagement. Using Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework, Neal’s research agenda is focused on understanding how racialized deficit narratives in global education contribute to the low participation rates of students of color in study abroad opportunities. Neal is presenting on his forthcoming dissertation research and its implication for global education at the Diversity Abroad Global Inclusion Conference this fall.