Aja C. Holmes, Ph.D., is the Assistant Dean of Students, Director of Community Living at University of San Francisco. Aja was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She did her undergraduate and master’s at Illinois State University and her doctorate at Iowa State University. She is the proud older sister of one brother and an aunt to three nieces and one nephew.  She is also the godparent to one awesome little boy. Aja is an avid reader, loves to travel, a lover of a good bowl of chili and Chicago style pizza is the best!  She has lived on both coast but since she grew up in snow, she is enjoying the west coast. Aja is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority Inc., since 2001 and has served in a number of chapter officers’ position and committees.  Aja has been in the field of student affairs for over 20 years. Her functional area is Housing and Residential Life.  Her area of expertise is supervision skill development among student affairs professional. Aja is a founding member and past editorial board member of the Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis (JCTP) and currently on the editorial board for the Journal Committed to Social Change on Race and Ethnicity. She is on the governing board of American College Student Educators International (ACPA), an active member of National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and Women of Western Association of College and University Housing Officers (WACUHO).

Dr. Monique C. Atherley, Assembly Coordinator for Coalitions & Networks, American College Personnel Association (ACPA)

Dr. Monique C. Atherley (she/they) is a child of immigrants, committed to the protection & joy of Black & Brown bodies and committed to work that supports the liberation of marginalized communities. She positions herself in spaces supporting these groups thriving, not just surviving. They are an accomplished administrator, serving the community through education for almost 20 years through K through 12 education, Community Based Organizations, & Higher Education. She has had a dynamic and indelible on the ground career amplifying the important intersection of community, engagement, and belonging in bridging the gap for student and staff success across P-16 experiences. She holds degrees in Political Science and Urban Policy and Leadership, with a concentration in Education and Population, and a Doctorate in Executive Leadership. Dr. Atherley completed their dissertation study on the realities of workplace conditions of visibility and sense of belonging for Black Women Mid-Level SAHE Professionals. The study focused on higher education workplace environments fostering staff belonging through understanding visibility dynamics for marginalized groups. Dr. Atherley is an emerging scholar, whose research interests include Equity and Racial Justice in Education, Student and Professional Transitions, Caribbeans in Higher Education, connecting across the African Diaspora, Employee Engagement and Sense of Belonging of educational professional staff, The Multigenerational Workplace, and Support for Caregivers in the Workplace. They currently serve as a Senior Program Analyst and Policy Specialist in the Center for Racial Justice for one of the largest labor unions in the country.

Dr. Krystal E. Andrews, Director, Student Success, School of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University

Dr. Krystal E. Andrews is the Director of Student Success in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. As a practitioner, she has 10 years of experience in student success and retention programs at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) which fuels her passion for helping students envision their success. She currently serves as the immediate past chair for the Pan African Network. Her research examines the experiences of Black women graduate students at HBCUs and the influence of social support networks on the persistence of Black women doctoral students across institutional types.