John Fife

Dr. John Fife is an Associate Research Professor of STEM Education in the Department of Foundations of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. His research focuses on building STEM identity and resilience among underserved youth, examining psychosocial implications of STEM inequity, and developing culturally relevant STEM ecosystems. He holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from VCU and completed postdoctoral training at the Medical College of Virginia.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
• M.S. in Counseling Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
• B.S. in Psychology, University of Massachusetts at Boston
• B.S. in African American Studies, University of Massachusetts at Boston

Fife has secured significant funding including NSF grants for Building Capacity in STEM Education Research ($346,000) and STEM learning ecosystems ($295,000). His publications explore academic resilience, equity in STEM, and culturally responsive interventions.

Major Grants:

• Principal Investigator: NSF BCSER grant #2126016 ($346,000, 2021-2023)
• Principal Investigator: NSF MCA grant #2219175 ($295,000, 2022-2025)
• Principal Investigator: NSF HBCU-UP grant #1238757 ($349,000, 2010-2013)

Honors:

• American Association of Blacks in Higher Education Leadership Fellow (2022)
• VSU/Massey Cancer Center Faculty Fellow (2021-2024)
• Harvard Management Development Program (2018)