Webinar Series: Using the THRIVE Framework to Connect, Evaluate, and Review Best Practices of Academic Pathway Programs
This webinar, presented by the Academic Pipeline Project, is a discussion of the best practices of academic pathway initiatives, particularly those that serve underrepresented populations and people of color across the education landscape.
Panelists will describe these initiatives through the lens of their book Academic Pipeline Programs: Diversifying Pathways from the Bachelors to the Professoriate (Byrd & Mason, 2021), highlighting successful programs and strategies that leaders in higher education should consider when taking steps to diversify the Academy. They will also discuss their THRIVE framework, with its seven dimensions: T(Type), H(History), R(Research, Roles, Routines), I(Identity), I(Inclusion), V(Voice), and E(Expectations), to define effective program evaluation and assessment to make informed decisions on enhancing inclusive excellence on college campuses.
Curtis Byrd, Ed.D.
Dr. Byrd has over 25 years of experience in faculty and student diversity and inclusion programming. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Academic Pipeline Project, LLC and serves as a research consultant for the NSF Funded, HBCU STEM Undergraduate Success Center housed at Morehouse College. Most recently, Dr. Byrd served as the Special Advisor to the Provost on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, coordinating DEI efforts for academic affairs, focusing on faculty diversity at Georgia State University. Prior to this he served as the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies at Clark Atlanta University. In the 2000s he served as Director of the McNair Scholars Program at the University of Florida and Georgia State University and, served as the Director of Minority Graduate Recruitment and Retention at the University of Georgia.
Dr. Byrd is the co-author of the Lever Press publication (May 2021) titled Academic Pipeline Programs-Diversifying Pathways from the Bachelors to the Professoriate.
Rihana S. Mason, Ph.D.
Dr. Mason has over 20 years of social science research experience including an emphasis on culturally relevant evaluation and assessment. She is the co-founder of the Academic Pipeline Project leading the execution of research initiatives as well as the identification, development, and launching of new solutions. Dr. Mason shares in the creation and execution of the strategic vision for the company. She provides expertise related to pre-collegiate, collegiate, and post-baccalaureate programming including affiliation with the HHMS AGEP Alliance as part of the external evaluation team. She is also a Research Scientist at the Urban Child Study Center at Georgia State University. She currently serves as a member of the Psi Chi Diversity Committee and as part of the Executive Board for the Society for Senior Ford Fellows. She previously served as the President of the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA).
Dr. Mason is co-author of the Lever Press publication (May 2021) titled Academic Pipeline Programs-Diversifying Pathways from the Bachelors to the Professoriate.
