Welcome to My Digital Universe

Step into a world where passion meets purpose, and ideas come to life. I’m Ashleigh Brown-Grier—a scholar, explorer, and advocate for global education, dedicated to making a difference in every corner of the world.

This isn’t just a website; it’s a gateway to my journey—a space where research, creativity, and global experiences intersect. Whether you’re here to dive into my latest projects, explore the intersections of culture and education, or simply to connect, you’ll find a tapestry of work woven from curiosity, dedication, and a deep belief in the power of knowledge to change lives.

My Scholarly Footprint

  • Ph.D. Higher Education, Leadership, and Policy Studies, 2023

    Howard University

    M.S. Ed., Higher Education, Spring 2019

    University of Pennsylvania

    M.A.T., Secondary Education, Fall 2019    

    Morgan State University

    B.A. Music Performance, 2011

    Talladega College

  • International education

    • Historically Black Institutions in the U.S. and South Africa.

    • Diversity, equity, and inclusion in international exchange programs

    • International student experiences

    Higher Education

    • Leadership

    • Minority-Serving Institutions

    • Student Affairs

    • Organizational Change

  • Consulting

    Bennett College, October 2024

    • Modernizing and redesigning the general education curriculum with a focus on empowering women of color to become socially conscious and globally-minded leaders.

    Research

    HBCU Center for Research, Leadership, and Policy Fellow, Current

    • Conducts independent research on the impact of missionaries on Black higher education in the United States and South Africa.

    Fulbright U.S. Student Program, South Africa, Researcher, 2023

    University of KwaZulu-Natal- Edgewood Campus

    • Conducted Independent research on Historically Black Universities in South Africa

    • Hosted Fulbright Foreign Student Workshops with postgraduate students at UKZN.

    • Performed at two U.S. Consulate General's events.

    • Non-competitive eligibility status- Per Executive Order No. 13750, issued on November 29, 2016, I am eligible for appointment as a career-conditional employee in the competitive civil service on a non-competitive basis.

    Non-profit

    international HBCU xchange, Inc., Current

    CEO/Founder                                               

    • Leading strategic planning, and program development, leading a team of 10 people, and managing outreach and recruitment plans for iHBCUx.

    • Program development, meeting deadlines, overseeing finances, and approving expenditures.

    • Grant writing.

    • Managing relations between program partners, stakeholders, and collaborators.

    Teaching

    Center City Public Charter School, Washington, D.C., 2017-2018

    English language arts special education inclusion teacher

    • Partnered with the general education teacher to ensure Individualized Education Plans are consistently implemented.

    • ­Developed classroom curriculum that supported, supplemented, and extended excellent classroom teaching.

    • Ensured with accommodations received support in accordance with IEPs, 504 plans.

    Fulbright, Malaysian American Commission on Educational Exchange, Malaysia, 2016-2017

    English Teaching Assistant

    • Launched eight extracurricular after school activities for 50 students.

    • Developed and hosted four major English language events for more than 100 students.

    • Exposed students to American cultural affairs at the U.S. Embassy, Kuala Lumpur.

    • Students’ test scores increased by 20%. Achieved and met goals set by the English Teaching team.

  • Heleta, S., Jithoo, D., Brown-Grier, A. (pending). The links that could be: A critical analysis of research collaboration trends between HBUs in South Africa and HBCUs in the United States. Collaborative Frontiers ~ HBCUs and International Research Partnerships and Outcomes, edited by Dimeji Togunde and Kai McCormack

    Brown-Grier, A. (Pending). South Africa’s Historically Black Universities: Examining inequities stemming from apartheid and their exacerbation during COVID-19. Fulbright U.S. Student Research.

    Brown-Grier, A. (Pending). From their Perspective: Understanding the Academic Experiences of International Students Enrolled at an HBCU during COVID-19. Journal of International Students.

    Research

    Brown-Grier, A. (2023) Understanding the Academic Experiences of International Students Enrolled at an HBCU during COVID-19. ProQuest Dissertations.

    Brown-Grier, A. (September 2021). Examining International Student Support Services at HBCUs: Recruitment, preparation, training, and support. Center for Minority Serving Institutions. Article Link

    Book Chapters

    Brown-Grier, A., Montgomery, M., Darling, D., (2021) Social Media and its Impact on Black Student Engagement in Study Abroad. The Half Yet to Be Told: Study Abroad and HBCUs.

    Tilley, S., Brown-Grier, A., King, M., Chaney, S. (2021). Black History in the Making- How Studying Abroad

    Imparts Self-Efficacy, Identity, Development and Career Exploration within HBCU Students. The Half Yet to Be Told: Study Abroad and HBCUs.

  • Public Diplomacy Grant, U.S. Embassy, Pretoria, 2024-2026

    • PI: Ashleigh Brown-Grier

    • Project Title: Historically Black Institution xchange

    • Location: United States/South Africa

    Fulbright U.S. Student Program, 2022-2023

    • PI: Ashleigh Brown-Grier

    • Project Title: South Africa’s Historically Black Universities: Examining Inequities Stemming from Apartheid and Their Exacerbation During COVID-19

    Just-Julian Fellowship, 2020-2021

    • PI: Sosanya Jones

    • Student Investigator: Ashleigh Brown-Grier

    • Project Title: Examining International Student Academic Experiences at HBCUs.

    Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund, U.S. Department of State, 2022

    • Grantee: Ashleigh Brown-Grier

    • Co-grantee: Shondrea McCargo

    • Project Title: international HBCU xchange, Inc.

    Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund, U.S. Department of State, 2021

    • Grantee: Ashleigh Brown-Grier

    • Co-grantee: Stephanie Tilley

    • Project Title: international HBCU xchange, Inc.

  • Keynote Speaker

    Brown-Grier, A. (Nov 2021). U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission Summer Institutes

    Presentations

    Brown-Grier, A. (pending). ‘A Different World: Understanding International Student Experiences and Institutional Support at HBCUs During COVID.’ I am a Scholar. Minneapolis, Minnesota. November 20-23, 2024. Association for the Study of Higher Education.

    Brown-Grier, A., James, A. (2024). International Exchange Programs: Increasing Student Interest and Support. Rhodes University International Conference on Community Engagement Conference. Rhodes University.

    Brown-Grier, A. (2024). Understanding Graduate International Students’ Academic Transitional Experiences at HBCUs during COVID-19. “Dismantling Racial Injustice and Constructing Educational Possibilities: A Call to Action, AERA 2024 Annual Conference.  

    Brown-Grier, A. (2023). Prioritizing Student Voices: Understanding the Academic Experiences of International Students Enrolled at an HBCU during COVID-19. Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of South Africa (HELTASA). (Un)Conference. North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, South Africa.

     Rivers, L., White, P., Brown-Grier, A. (2021). Representation Matters, Building Engagement with Alumni: Partnerships that Yield Results. NAFSA Regional Conference, Region VII.

  • Community

    • Fulbright Association, Fulbright Prize Committee, 2022-2024

    • University of KwaZulu-Natal, Community Engagement, Fulbright Foreign Student Workshops, 2023

    • Fulbright Association, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, 2022-2024

    • City of Hyattsville Race and Equity Committee, 2020-2021

    • We Represent, Media and Community Relations, 2021

    • Fulbright Alumni Ambassador, Institute for International Education, 2020-2022

    Reviewer

    • NASPA Proposal Reviewer, (September 2020).

    • Critical Language Scholarship Reviewer, (January 2022, Fall 2023)

    • U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Summer Institutes Program Reviewer, (February 2022) 

  • South East Asia

    • Malaysia (lived)

    • Cambodia

    • Indonesia

    • Vietnam

    • Thailand

    • Singapore

    • Philippines

    • India

    • Myanmar (Burma)

    Sub-Saharan Africa

    • South Africa (lived)

    • Mozambique

    • Eswatini (Swaziland)

    Europe

    • Italy (studied Italian Opera)

International Collaborative Projects

My work is deeply rooted in fostering global connections and advancing educational equity through a series of international collaborative projects. These initiatives span continents and focus on bridging gaps between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States and their counterparts in other parts of the world, particularly in South Africa.

  1. HBI xperience Project: This initiative addresses the research collaboration gap between Historically Black Institutions (HBIs) in the United States. and South Africa. Through student-faculty exchanges and community-based research projects, the HBI xperience Project fosters meaningful academic and cultural exchanges that enrich both students and faculty while tackling critical social issues.

  2. International HBCU xchange, Inc. (iHBCUx): As the founder of iHBCUx, I’ve spearheaded efforts to increase HBCU student participation in federally funded international exchange programs. Working closely with Fulbright, Boren Awards, Critical Language Scholarship, and Gilman International Scholarship staff, I’ve developed targeted programming and training that empower HBCU students to explore and contribute to the global academic community.

  3. Palatable Poems and Succulent Pes (Book): A Malaysian-American poetry and recipe book featuring original poems written by secondary students from Malaysia and the United States. Students wrote poems about their favorite foods and included recipes so readers can sample a taste of the world.

These projects reflect my commitment to internationalization, cross-cultural collaboration, and the promotion of educational opportunities that uplift historically underrepresented communities. Through these collaborations, I strive to create a lasting impact by connecting diverse perspectives and fostering mutual understanding across borders.