2017 News Stories

Faculty member awarded McKnight Junior Faculty Development Fellowship

(Tampa, Fla. June 29, 2017) — College of Education faculty member Tonisha B. Lane, PhD, was awarded the McKnight Junior Faculty Development Fellowship for the 2017-18 academic year. 

Dr. Lane is an Assistant Professor in Higher Education and Student Affairs in the Department of Leadership, Counseling, Adult, Career & Higher Education. Dr. Lane received her PhD in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education with a graduate certificate in Urban Education from Michigan State University and has served in a number of administrative roles and settings including residence life, multicultural engineering programs, TRIO programs, MSU's Neighborhood Initiative, Wayne County Community College District's Educational Affairs and Distance Learning, and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education.

The McKnight Junior Faculty Fellowship Program promotes excellence in teaching and research by underrepresented minorities and women. As part of the program, Fellows receive a one-year sabbatical with full salary and benefits, during which they engage in research and training projects directly related to their professional interests. Fellows who have participated in the program have published a substantial number of scholarly books and articles, have submitted more than 135 manuscripts for publication and published at least 10 books.

Dr. Lane's research agenda broadly examines diversity, equity, and inclusion in postsecondary education. Her primary research strand explores the experiences and outcomes of underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Her secondary research strand focuses on Blacks in higher education.

During the fellowship year, Dr. Lane will concentrate her efforts on this strand using data from a recent national qualitative study, the Black Doctoral Women Study (BDWS), where she served as a principal investigator. This study sought to explore the experiences of Black women in doctoral programs and identify strategies that support their persistence, retention and degree attainment.

"We are very proud of Dr. Lane's achievement," said Judith Ponticell, PhD, Department Chair for the Department of Leadership, Counseling, Adult, Career & Higher Education. "The McKnight Junior Faculty Fellowship Program is highly competitive. Her selection acknowledges her current work as a scholar in the field of higher education and student affairs. Her work during her sabbatical will contribute to her promise as a potential senior scholar, teacher and mentor – which greatly benefits our students and academic programs."

About the USF College of Education:

The USF College of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (formerly NCATE), and is fully approved by the Florida Department of Education. The USF College of Education is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 100 programs in the nation, as well as in the top 30 for online graduate education programs. The USF College of Education has more than 51,000 alumni who are making a difference in the lives of children each day.