Department of Counseling, Family Therapy and Higher Education

Dr. Ashley Carpenter is an assistant professor in the higher education program at Appalachian State University. She is an interdisciplinary scholar and practitioner working towards advancing equity and accessibility through various K-12 and Higher Education pathways. By employing critical and asset-based frameworks, her research areas of expertise (1) explore the institutionalized systems, structures, policies, and cultural contexts that preclude or promote the achievement of racially minoritized students; (2) the historical, legal, and policy implications of higher education and (3) the impact of the climate crisis through a social and racial justice lens. As an arts-based methodologist, her research and pedagogy are grounded in (re)humanizing education and challenging how academic socialization contributes to neoliberalism and systemic marginalization, with an intentional focus on participant action research.

Prior to becoming a faculty member, she worked as a college administrator in roles assessing and implementing recruiting and retaining minoritized graduate students. This administrative experience also informs her teaching in courses surrounding the concepts of history and law of higher education; supervising and advising; higher education policy; and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. She has been nationally recognized for her scholarship, teaching, and service, and her work appears in various peer-reviewed journals, such as the Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Negro Education, and Critical Studies in Education. Ultimately, Dr. Carpenter's mission is to pursue innovative, evidence-based practices to broaden participation and success in postsecondary education.

She is a member of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) // Council of Ethnic Participation (CEP), American Educational Research Association (AERA), and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). She holds the following leadership roles: Editorial Board for the Journal of First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, Founder and Chair of the RCOE Equity Think Tank, and ASHE CEP Subcommittee Chair. 

Dr. Carpenter many awards and accolades including, Fellow in the NASPA Emerging Faculty Leader Academy, Teaching for Community Resilience Fellowship, and RCOE Inclusive Excellence Award. 

Connect with Dr. Carpenter on LinkedIn.

Selected Publications

• Carpenter, A., Mwangi, C.A.G., Stephens, K.J., Feraud-King, T., Lewis. T. (2023). Black identity and perceptions: Strength and struggle. Journal of Negro Education.
• Carpenter, A. (2023). Strategies for culturally sustaining learning environments. In Lynch, J.; Rush, C. (Eds.), Designing Culturally Responsive Learning Environments in Postsecondary Education. Information Age Publication.
• Carpenter, A. & Arce, J. (2023). Critically conscious college knowledge: Critiquing notions of college preparation through an - ethnic studies lens. In Mwangi, C.A.G., & Ruiz, Y. Our Knowledge, Our Process, Our Choice: (Re)Framing College Access by and with Communities of Color. Sunny Press.
• Carpenter, A. (2021). Mothers in my academic village. In Templeton, E.; Love, B.H.; Johnson, O. (Eds.), Elevating marginalized voices in academe: Lessons for a new generation of scholars. New York, NY: Routledge.
• Carpenter, A. (2020). Affirming culture in pre-college programs. Urban Education Research and Policy Annuals Journal, 7(1). Mwangi, C. A. G., Thelamour, B., Ezeofor, I. & Carpenter, A. (2018). "Black elephant in the room:" Black students contextualizing campus racial climate within US racial climate. Journal of College Student Development, 59(4), 456-474.

Selected Presentations

• Carpenter, A., Mwangi, C.G., & Lewis. T (November 2022). Impact that transcends proximity: Examination of Black collegians’ sense of safety in the U.S. Paper session at the Association of the Study of Higher Education in Las Vegas, NV.
• Thill, C., Carpenter, A., & Lynch, J. (November 2022). Understanding G.O.A.L.S.: Exploring the impact of a graduate virtual online orientation on academic behaviors. Roundtable session at the Association of the Study of Higher Education in Las Vegas, NV.
• Mwangi, C.G., Ruiz, Y., Carpenter, A., Arce, J., Acevedo, N., & Tachine, A. (November 2021). Our knowledge, our process, our choice: (Re)framing college access by and with BIPOC communities. Workshop session at the Association of the Study of Higher Education in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• Carpenter, A., Mwangi, C.G., Stephens, K.J., Feraud-King, T., Lewis. T. (November 2021). Black identity and perceptions: Strength and struggle. Paper session at the Association of the Study of Higher Education in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• Carpenter, A. (2019 April). Bridging the gap: Examining the experiences of Upward Bound students. Paper for the President’s Session at the American Educational Research Association in Toronto, Canada.