Melanie Carter

Dr. Melanie Carter is Associate Provost & Director of the Center for HBCU Research, Leadership, and Policy and Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Howard University's School of Education. She is a tenured faculty member and a key leader in higher education policy and administration.

• Associate Provost & Director, Center for HBCU Research, Leadership, and Policy (2021–Present)
• Associate Professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
• Inaugural Associate Provost of Undergraduate Studies (2014–2021)
• Senior Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Affairs, School of Education (2007–2012), including Acting Dean (2010–2011)

Dr. Carter earned her B.A. in English Literature and Language from Ohio University, M.A. in English Education from Atlanta University, and Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from The Ohio State University. She also completed the HERS Higher Education Leadership Program at Bryn Mawr College.

Her research centers on the history of higher education, particularly HBCUs and pre-desegregation Black professional organizations. She investigates the intersection of race, culture, class, and gender in higher education leadership and policy, and develops evidence-based strategies for student success and retention at HBCUs and MSIs. Her work emphasizes social justice, equity, and postsecondary access.

Dr. Carter's scholarly publications appear in top-tier journals such as Educational Researcher, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and the NASPP Bulletin. Her research integrates qualitative methodologies with policy analysis, focusing on historical narratives, leadership development, and institutional equity.

She has been recognized with several prestigious awards:

• Spencer Fellowship at Emory University
• Faculty Resource Network Scholar-in-Residence at NYU
• UNCF Henry C. McBay Research Fellowship
• Fulbright Specialist (2019, University of the Free State, South Africa)

Dr. Carter has advised institutional initiatives including the creation of the Office of Undergraduate Studies at Howard University, enhancing advising, honors programs, tutoring, and career services. She has led national collaborations through her board membership with the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU). Her grants and fellowships have supported empirical research on student success models and HBCU sustainability.

She leads the Center for HBCU Research, Leadership, and Policy, established in 2021, which serves as a national hub for research, advocacy, and collaboration aimed at ensuring the 22nd-century success of HBCUs. The center fosters interdisciplinary teams and partnerships across institutions.