Rate My Professor Ericka Roland

Ericka Roland is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Higher Education, Adult Learning and Organizational Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington's College of Education. She earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of South Florida in 2018, accompanied by a graduate certificate in Women's and Gender Studies. Before pursuing an academic career, Roland worked as a student affairs professional in residential life and Greek life. Following her doctorate, she held a Post-Doctoral Research Scholar position in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin from 2018 to 2019 and joined the University of Texas at Arlington faculty in 2020.

Roland's research examines diversity, equity, and justice in U.S. postsecondary education, focusing on three interconnected areas: how these issues shape teaching and learning approaches, facilitate or hinder leadership development, and influence (dis)engagement with institutions through organizations, practices, policies, and processes. She employs qualitative methodologies grounded in critical and Black feminist theoretical frameworks to advance equity-centered transformative research and practice. Key publications include "Intersectionality and Educational Leadership: A Critical Review" (Review of Research in Education, 2018, co-authored with V. Agosto), "Black Women Resident Assistants: Seeking and Serving as Bridges, Mentors, Advisors, Filters, and Community Builders" (NASPA Journal About Women in Higher Education, 2017), "Institutional Support and Black Women Resident Assistants Experiences" (2021), "Assignment Negotiation: Critical Race Theory and Educational Leadership Preparation Program" (Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 2023), and "Emerging from Critique Towards Liberation: A Framework in Leadership Education" (New Directions for Student Leadership, 2024). Her accolades encompass the 2021 American College Personnel Association Commission for Professional Preparation Teaching Excellence Award, the University of Texas at Arlington College of Education Doctoral Mentorship Award, and the 2024 Outstanding Faculty Advisor Graduate Runner Up. As principal investigator, she received a $500,000 National Science Foundation grant as part of a $5 million project titled "Black Girls as Creators," developing an intersectional learning ecosystem for AI education targeting Black girls in grades 4 through 8 via afterschool and summer programs.