Author Biography

Jontae Hankins is a higher education professional with experiences working in admissions, academic advising, and student success. She is also a doctoral student whose work centers on student success, transfer pipelines, and support for military-connected learners. She serves in multiple roles at Bowie State University, an HBCU, where she works as an academic advisor, transfer coordinator, and adjunct professor.

Jontae has served for six years in the Delaware National Guard and currently serves as a Supply NCO. Jontae knows firsthand what it’s like to balance military service with civilian life, and she brings that experience to her work with active-duty service members, veterans, and students connected to the National Guard and Reserves. As a PhD student in Higher Education Leadership at Morgan State University, she focuses her research on military-affiliated students at HBCUs, retention and belonging, adult and transfer student achievement, and advising strategies grounded in equity and fairness. Jontae advocates for student-centered and inclusive systems and would like to create policies that open doors to help students with military backgrounds thrive within higher education spaces.