Leslie Ekpe, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Leslie U. Ekpe (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor at East Texas A&M University in the Department of Higher Education and Learning Technologies. Before her current role, Leslie earned her Ph.D. in Higher Educational Leadership from Texas Christian University. She is a Visiting Scholar at Rutgers University's Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice, as well as a community fellow for BRAVE/R Together 76104, a grassroots initiative located in Fort Worth, Texas, focused on eliminating racial disparities in housing, business/economic development, healthcare, and education. She conducts research through qualitative inquiry on college access, racial equity, and minority-serving institutions (MSIs), analyzing the challenges encountered by marginalized populations. Additionally, she investigates equitable practices and policies for institutions and societies to implement and sustain, while highlighting culturally responsive practices within MSIs.

Her work has been published in venues such as Innovative Higher Education, Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies, Journal of Research on Technology in Education, and the Journal of School Leadership. She has also written for Insight into Diversity, HigherEdJobs, Diverse Issues in Higher Education (The EDU Ledger), and Visible Magazine.

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Higher Educational Leadership, Texas Christian University, 2023
• MBA, Business Administration, Sam Houston State University, 2016
• M.A., Communication Management, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2015
• B.S., Management, Alabama A&M University, 2014

Awards and Honors

• Kimberly Harden Champion of Justice Award (ACPA), 2025
• W.E.B. DuBois Higher Education Award (NABSE), 2024
• Hall of Fame, Lewisville High School, 2024
• National Alumni Society’s Young Alumni Rising Star Award (UAB), 2024 

Organizations

• American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)
• American College Personnel Association (ACPA)
• Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)
• American Educational Research Association (AERA)
• National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)

Research Interests

• College Access
• Minority-serving institutions
• Racial Equity

Selected Publications

• Gasman, M., Ekpe, L., Castro Samayoa, A., & Ginsberg, A. (2025). Experience and Authenticity: Shaping the Future of Minority Serving Institution Presidents. Journal of Higher Education Policy And Leadership Studies, 6(3), 25-57.
• Ekpe, L., Weinberg, N., Daly, G., Przymus, S., Hernandez, F., Huddleston, G., & Kyzar, K. (2025). Navigating the Educational Landscape: Experiences of Hispanic Male Teachers in Texas K-12 Schools. Journal of Education, 205(3), 185-198.
• Gasman, M., Ekpe, L., Samayoa, A.C., & Ginsberg, A. (2025). Exploring How Emergent Leaders Strive for Presidential Roles at Hispanic Serving Institutions. Innov High Educ. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-024-09724-6
• Ekpe, L., Ofoegbu, E. (2024). COLOR COMPLEX. Affirming Identity, Advancing Belonging, and Amplifying Voice in Sororities and Fraternities, 213.
• Thompson, V., & Ekpe, L. (2024). There is No Vacation from Trauma: Black Women Academicians’ Narratives on the Need for Community During Times of Racialized Injustices. Journal of Trauma Studies in Education, 3(1), 96-112.
• Ekpe, L., Sherman, A., & Ofoegbu, E. D. (2023). Restoring resilience through joy: The pursuit of happiness in the midst of unprecedented times. Equity in Education & Society, 2(3), 317-329.