Director, ADVANCE Program for Inclusive Excellence University of Maryland
Dr. Dawn Kiyoe Culpepper (she/hers) is the Director of the ADVANCE Program for Inclusive Excellence at the University of Maryland.
Dr. Culpepper’s research broadly examines diversity, equity, and inclusion in the academic workplace. She focuses on policies, practices, and resources that foster equity, disrupt bias, spur organizational effectiveness, and create conditions where faculty thrive.
Culpepper has held leadership roles on several NSF-funded projects, including the Faculty Workloads and Rewards Project (NSF-ADVANCE) and as the social science research team lead with the RISE-UPP Alliance (NSF-INCLUDES).
Dr. Culpepper leverages research to inform practice, leading faculty development and educational initiatives across UMD’s campus. She also regularly serves as an evaluator and consultant for colleges and universities across the country on topics such as workload, tenure and promotion, inclusive hiring, work-life integration, faculty mentoring, and academic leadership.
She completed her BA in Government at the University of Virginia, her MEd in Higher Education Administration at NC State University, and her PhD in Higher Education at the University of Maryland.
