CLEI Team

J. Elijah Bratton, Ph.D.
J. Elijah Bratton is a transformational higher education leader and scholar serving as Assistant Director of Academic and Student Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University. He provides strategic leadership for more than 4,500 undergraduates and 420 honors scholars while advancing research on undergraduate male achievement.

His scholarship centers on high-achieving Black student development and HBCU excellence. A Howard Ph.D. graduate and Yale faculty fellow, he brings a global and community-centered approach to education. His work reflects a deep commitment to service, spiritual formation, and student success.

Jorge Burmicky, Ph.D.
Jorge Burmicky is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies and Faculty Director of the HBCU Character and Leadership Education Initiative (CLEI) at Howard University. His research focuses on leadership and organizational capacity building in higher education, with particular attention to minority-serving institutions (MSIs), community colleges, and broad access institutions.

His scholarship appears in The Journal of Higher Education, AERA Open, Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Community College Review, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, Education Policy Analysis Archives, Journal of Negro Education, and Community College Journal of Research and Practice, among others. He serves on multiple editorial boards and has been featured in USA Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and other national outlets. He earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Texas at Austin.

Erinn Carter
Erinn Carter is a Ph.D. student in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies at Howard University. Her research examines how institutions interpret and implement Title IX policy and how these decisions influence educational access.

She is the co-founder of Frailty Myths, an Oakland-based nonprofit that builds confidence, community, and leadership through education. Her professional experience includes equity consulting for organizations such as Google, the League of Conservation Voters, and Greenpeace International. She is also a Yale Innovators Grand Prize Winner and an HBCU Research, Leadership, and Policy Center Graduate Fellow.

Tatianna Duperier
Tatianna Duperier is a Ph.D. student in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies at Howard University and a proud first-generation college graduate. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University and previously served as an Academic Advisor in the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement.

Her research focuses on mentorship, intersectionality, and higher education policy, particularly how institutional systems impact Black women and first-generation scholars. She was named the recipient of the Florida State University Black Alumni Association’s 2025 Rising Star Award for her commitment to student success and equity.

Arsene Frédéric-Simpson
Arsene Frédéric-Simpson is a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies and a Fellow in HBCU Research, Leadership, and Policy at Howard University. A scholar-practitioner, his work examines how disparities in public service delivery emerge and persist across social groups and how public-serving organizations shape those outcomes.

His research explores how resource allocation, system design, and service delivery influence access, outcomes, and institutional capacity. He is the creator of BRIDGE (Building Resilience and Infrastructure Dialogue for Grid Education), a digital micro-course on grid reliability and cybersecurity.

Tracey R. Holmes, M.S.
Tracey Holmes is the Program Manager for the Karsh STEM Scholars Program and the Humanities and Social Sciences Scholars Program at Howard University. With more than two decades of experience in higher education, she supports students’ personal, academic, and professional growth through co-curricular programming and student development. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies.

Darieon McFadden
Darieon McFadden is a Ph.D. student in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies at Howard University. His work explores how education and public health intersect to create more equitable systems. His research focuses on mental health equity, college affordability, and capacity building at HBCUs through student basic needs services.

A McNair Scholar and community service award recipient, he is dedicated to expanding educational opportunity for historically underserved populations and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Carol Moye, Ed.D.
Carol Moye is the ECI Grant Director of Assessment and Program Learning in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Howard University. With more than 40 years of experience across PreK–12 education, higher education, juvenile justice, and corporate management, she develops and facilitates training grounded in organizational change, equity, and cultural responsiveness.

Her research examines teachers’ perceptions of assessment and accountability policy. She earned her doctorate in Educational Administration and Policy Studies from Howard University.

Kathleen Rzucidlo, Ph.D.
Kathleen Rzucidlo serves as the HBCU Innovation and Research Manager at the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Research at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies from Howard University.

Her research focuses on HBCUs, accreditation, institutional capacity building, students’ sense of belonging, and basic needs. Her work is dedicated to strengthening institutions that serve historically marginalized communities.

Ronald (Ron) H. Smith
Ronald H. Smith is the Executive Director of the Karsh STEM Scholars Program at Howard University. He has worked in higher education since 1981, serving in numerous director, dean, and vice president roles across both two-year and four-year institutions.

He leads the continued growth and development of the Karsh STEM Scholars Program, preparing students for success in competitive graduate and professional programs. He is passionate about mentoring, leadership development, and lifelong learning.