2023 Dr. Adam Peck Research Grant Recipients
The Dr. Adam Peck Research Grants are designed to advance the field of campus activities by encouraging the development and distribution of knowledge that has potential to improve the experiences of college students through their involvement in campus activities. The research grants are named in honor of Dr. Adam Peck, who we lost in September 2022. Dr. Peck was a true giant in the field of Student Affairs and a longtime NACA volunteer.
Each year, the grants provide one Gold Scholar $2,500, up to 2 Silver Scholars $1,250 each, and up to 3 Bronze Scholars $500 each to conduct research related to campus activites and student involvement. The research grants are funded through the generosity of donors to the NACA Foundation. If you would like to make a contribution, you can learn more here.
Gold Scholar Award
College Student Government Leaders’ Experiences with Campus Crises and Emergencies
Dr. Michael A. Goodman
Dr. Michael A. Goodman (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership and Policy and a Co-Coordinator for the Program in Higher Education Leadership and Policy at The University of Texas at Austin. Goodman studies college student governance and involvement, and specifically examines student government, the student body presidency, and sorority/fraternity life.
Silver Scholar Awards
Hazing in Student Organizations
Adam M. McCready, Ph.D.
Adam M. McCready, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor-in-Residence of Higher Education and Student Affairs at the University of Connecticut in the Neag School of Education. His research critically examines the college student experience with the intent of identifying and challenging oppressive structures in education. Among other topics, he has studied students’ experiences in historically white college social fraternities, college men and masculinities, and the relationship between social media use and students’ attitudes, behaviors and experiences. Prior to his faculty career, Adam served as the Assistant Director of Fraternities, Sororities and Independent Living Groups at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Boston College, a M.A. in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University, and a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the George Washington University.
Laura S. Dahl, Ph.D.
Laura S. Dahl, Ph.D., is the research director for the College Impact Laboratory (CoIL) at The Ohio State University. Her research critically examines how collegiate environments can influence outcomes such as sense of belonging, career outcome expectations, appreciative attitudes toward diverse others, and integrative learning. She previously served as the Director for Research Programs and Advising for Undergraduate Women in STEM at Rutgers University's Douglass Residential College. Laura earned a Ph.D. in higher education and student affairs from The Ohio State University, an M.Ed. in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia, and a B.S. in applied mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Clewiston D. Challenger, Ph.D.
Clewiston D. Challenger, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at Montclair State University in the College for Community Health in the Counseling Department. Dr. Challenger is a former middle and high school counselor who worked in urban schools and communities for over 7 years and now trains and develops masters' students to be school counselors as a counselor educator from an urban perspective in Montclair's school counseling program. Dr. Challenger's research interest examines student academic motivation, sense of belonging, school adjustment, institutional attachment, academic buoyancy, mental health and how these factors influence achievement, retention, and persistence.
Exploring the Experiences of Queer Student Leaders at Southern Universities
Chas Thompson, Ph.D.
Chas Thompson (he/him/his) is a clinical assistant professor of higher education. He holds a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Arkansas. His research is centered around queer peoples’ experiences in higher education. He has published works on queer students’ experiences in higher education history, college student fashion activism, and preparing higher education and student affairs professionals. Chas has served in leadership roles with several national organizations. Most recently, he served as a member of the Research and Scholarship Group through the National Association for Campus Activities.
Bronze Scholar Awards
Student Involvement in Campus Activities Programs: Does it Matter?
Ellissa Brooks Nelson, Ph.D.
Dr. Ellissa Brooks Nelson currently serves as the Divisional Director for Student Affairs Research and Assessment at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has over 15 years of experience in program evaluation, assessment, strategic planning, data management, and educational research. She has held leadership positions within local government, higher and secondary education, and non-profit sectors.
Dr. Brooks Nelson is currently leading efforts within the Division of Student Affairs in building an integrated system of Student Affairs data to inform the impact of Student Affairs on student success. She is passionate about helping student affairs program staff tell their story of program impact and to identify opportunities to better serve students.
Dr. Brooks Nelson has achieved numerous peer-reviewed publications and has presented at state, regional, and national conferences. She is actively involved in numerous professional organizations and is currently serving as the VP of Profession Advancement on the 2023 Student Affairs Assessment Leaders Board. She received her bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University and her master’s and Ph.D. degrees from UNC Charlotte.
Jordan Bullington-Miller, Ph.D.
Dr. Jordan Bullington-Miller is a Research Associate in the Office of Student Affairs Research and Assessment at UNC Charlotte. She has 12 years of experience leading and evaluating student success programs and initiatives at UNC Charlotte. Prior to transitioning to Student Affairs, she led assessment efforts within the Academic Affairs and Enrollment Management divisions at UNC Charlotte.
Dr. Bullington-Miller received a B.A. and M.A. in English from UNC Charlotte before earning the M.A.Ed. in Adult Education with a graduate certificate in Student Affairs and Higher Education from East Carolina University. She also received her doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus in Higher Education from East Carolina University. Her dissertation research focused on the design and impact of a career exploration curriculum for students in the midst of academic recovery.
Paul Holliday-Millard, Ed.D.
Paul Holliday-Millard, Ed.D., is a Senior Research Associate in the Office of Student Affairs Research & Assessment at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). Paul assists in the coordination, development, implementation, and interpretation of assessment, evaluation, and research projects. Paul has over 10 years of experience in higher education and student affairs, and in each of his roles assessment was an integral component of his position. He has co-authored journal articles in the Journal of Applied Research in Community Colleges and the Journal of Higher Education. Paul holds a bachelor's degree in English from Roanoke College, a master's degree in Higher Education & Student Affairs from the University of South Carolina, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from UNC Charlotte.
Racialized Equity Labor: The Role of Black Women Student Leaders and Black Student Unions at Predominately White Institutions (PWI)
Juana Hollingsworth
Juana(yah-na) Hollingsworth (she/her) is a native of Waterloo, IA, and received her bachelor and master degrees in Social Work with a specialization in Trauma Informed Care(TIC) from the University of Northern. She is a doctoral candidate in the Higher Education Administration program at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Her research interests include investigating the prevalence of online harassment in higher education curricular and co-curricular spaces. Merging her expertise in education and trauma, Juana explores the impact of trauma on student persistence and success while also emphasizing the importance of higher education adopting trauma-informed practices. Her dissertation topic and long-term research agenda is to explore the importance and experiences of Black Student Union chapters and their leaders on predominantly white campuses. She has presented her research findings at the National Association of Student Personnel Association (NASPA), the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), and the National Association for Diversity Offices in Higher Education (NADOHE). In addition to her scholarly contributions, Juana has been a higher education practitioner for over ten years working in various auxiliaries including academic advising, college admissions, student success and retention, financial aid, multicultural and diversity services, and orientation programs. Currently, Juana serves as a Senior Academic Advisor at Johns Hopkins University. In 2019, Juana was recognized by the state of Iowa as one of six trailblazing women in higher education. Most recently, in 2023, Juana received the Diversity Recognition Award from Johns Hopkins University for her efforts to make the community more inclusive.
HSI Training and Student Leadership: Consciousness and Character
Blanca Elizabeth Vega, Ed.D.
Born and raised in New York City, Dr. Blanca Elizabeth Vega is the daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants. Dr. Vega is an Associate Professor of Higher Education at Montclair State University. She earned a doctorate (Ed.D.) from the Higher and Postsecondary Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Since 2017, Dr. Vega has led the coordination of Montclair State University’s Master of Arts program in Higher Education. She has taught courses such as Leadership and Supervision in Higher Education; Economics and Finance of Higher Education; Diversity and Equity in Higher Education; and Global Perspectives in Higher Education. Prior to her role as faculty, Dr. Vega had over 16 years of higher education administration experience assuming various roles such as leading and directing state funded opportunity programs, financial aid counseling, and college advising.
