Research Areas

 

Community Colleges

Community Colleges are arguably the most important segment of higher education. Research on higher education has traditionally overlooked the importance of the community colleges. Because students of color are saturated in the community sector, my focus is to highlight the importance of the institution and the students that it serves. 

Financial Aid

My interest in financial aid stems from my own experience navigating financial aid as a first-generation college student. I experienced first-hand the difficulties that come with navigating the complex and bureaucratic process. I was further influenced through my service on the California Student Aid Commission. While serving as a member on the commission, I learned the politics and policy of managing the country’s largest financial aid programs. As affordability in higher education becomes less obtainable, my scholarship seeks to rid the barriers that students encounter during their educational journeys.  

Race & Racism

My focus on race and racism is to highlight the experiences of students of color navigating racist structures in higher education. Through my research I name the structures of power and how racism influences and upholds them. Through recognizing the importance of race and naming racism as a root cause, my goal is to influence how researchers approach the study of higher education. I utilize Critical Race Theory to inform my theoretical and meteorological approach.

 

Selected Publications

 

Cooling Out in the Verification Process: A Mixed Methods Exploration into the Relevance of Racism in Community College Students’ Financial Aid Experiences

  • Graves, 2019 (UCLA Dissertation)

Text Me: The Promise of Strategic Nudging to Increase Student Awareness and Access to Financial Aid

  • Rios-Aguilar, Martinez, Lyke, Graves, Lopez, & Deil-Amen, 2018 (UC Davis Wheelhouse The Center for Community College Leadership & Research)

 

Selected Presentations & Panels

2021

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators : Higher Ed Equity: Working to Eliminate Bias in Aid Administration

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation: Policy for the People- Student Loan Debt A Barrier to Building Black Wealth