OCCRL Director Eboni Zamani-Gallaher Selected as an ACPA Diamond Honoree

by Heather L. Fox / Nov 8, 2016

The ACPA Diamond Honoree Program recognizes individuals who have made sustained contributions to higher education and to student affairs resulting in positive impact on the quality of the college student experience. Recently, our director Dr. Eboni M. Zamani-Gallaher was named a recipient of the prestigious ACPA 2017 Diamond Honoree award. In addition to recognizing recipients contribution to student outcomes, the Diamond Honoree Program raises funds to support many of ACPA’s priorities including: research and other scholarly activities; and scholarship for members to participate in ACPA’s professional development opportunities.

In addition to directing the work of the Office of Community College Research and Leadership, Dr. Zamani-Gallaher is a Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to these roles at the University of Illinois, Dr. Zamani-Gallaher served as Professor and Coordinator of the Community College Leadership Program in the Department of Leadership and Counseling at Eastern Michigan University.

Through her teaching and research, Dr. Zamani-Gallaher elevates our understanding of the psychosocial adjustment and transition of marginalized collegians. This includes building knowledge around what services and policies support marginalized collegians to access, thrive, and to transfer in and through postsecondary education. While she specializes in the experiences and outcomes of community college students, her work is inter-disciplinary and spans the P-20 educational system.

In addition to being a Diamond Honoree award, Dr. Zamani-Gallaher received the Council on Ethnic Participation Mildred B. Garcia Senior Exemplary Scholarship award from the Association for the Study of Higher Education.   She has served as president of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges, and currently is Director of Research and Scholarship for the American College Personnel Association.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Zamani-Gallaher for being selected as a 2017 Diamond Honoree!