ABOUT

My Educational Journey

• 2013: Bachelor of Science in Education
  (Social Studies, 9-12)
  University of Central Missouri

• 2015: Master of Arts in Educational Administration
  (Higher Education)
  University of Missouri-Kansas City

• 2021: Doctor of Philosophy in Education
  (Higher Education and Organizational Change)
  University of California, Los Angeles

Hello! It’s great to meet you.

Dr. Annie M. Wofford (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education within the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies at Florida State University.

Largely, my research agenda examines students’ trajectories to and through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduate school programs, focusing on the ways that higher education institutions can cultivate more equitable environments for systemically minoritized students in the sciences. My dissertation research examined equity-minded graduate school pathways, focusing on the development of students’ psychosocial beliefs and the quality of their mentoring relationships in computing disciplines. In conducting this research, I often take a multi-level approach that focuses on how students’ experiences can expand what we know about the embedded nature of unjust societal systems and inequitable institutional/departmental policies and practices in higher education. With this information, I seek to cultivate actionable recommendations for equity-minded change by scholars, practitioners, and policymakers. Serving as the Associate Director for the Equity in Graduate Education Consortium (2024-2026) is an immense gift to cultivating work in this vein, as these research-practice partnerships craft learning communities for sustainable change.

Born and raised in Kansas City, I am proud to be the daughter of parents who prioritized public service in their own careers. I am also proud to be the beneficiary of public education from kindergarten to graduate school, and I count myself fortunate to have had brilliant mentors to plant and sow the seeds that turned into my ever-growing curiosity for learning. Mentoring has become a key piece of my research agenda, and I do my best to practice equity-minded mentoring while also examining others’ approaches to equity-minded mentoring in my research. To me, that materializes in personal and professional support, inviting all to bring their whole identities into our conversations, promoting trust and compassion, being transparent about power dynamics and knowledge in mentoring, and connecting mentees with others who may be better suited to provide guidance regarding the experiences, lived or professional, that I do not have.

As an early-career faculty member, I hope to foster connections and opportunities with each student and colleague I have the pleasure of meeting. We grow together, and together we can improve equitable mechanisms of support in all educational pathways.