Uchenna Baker, PhD

Dr. Baker is the founder of the non-profit organization, Scholars in Solidarity, Inc. Scholars in Solidarity, Inc. seeks to empower underrepresented higher education professionals and their allies by fostering a space dedicated to community, healing, and advocacy in academia. Dr. Baker has over two decades of professional experience in Higher Education and teaching experience at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Dr. Baker currently serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Prior to her current appointment, she served as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of Puget Sound and the Assistant Dean for Campus Life and Director of Residence Life at Elon University in North Carolina. Dr. Baker earned an M.Ed. in counseling psychology and a B.A. in English and sociology, both from Rutgers University. She completed her Ph.D. in educational policy with a focus on urban education through a joint program of Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Her dissertation research was titled “An Ontological and Phenomenological Model of Leadership: Igniting Individual and Collective Transformation and Catalyzing Educational Reform.” She was the 2016 recipient of the Illinois Qualitative Dissertation Award presented by the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. In her research, she chronicles her own personal journey in leadership as an African American educator and student affairs practitioner. While she is a practitioner of higher education, she is very much also a scholar. She has published several book chapters, articles, and research papers about the influence of effective leadership in transforming systems of education. Her scholarly publications focus on the role of ontological inquiry in exploring ways to engage university administrators, faculty and students in such a way that they are transformed and empowered to see themselves as change-agents within and beyond the classroom. She has utilized her award-winning research to develop college-level courses and advance her team in their own ability to lead effectively in higher education. Dr. Baker has presented her research at national and international conferences; colleges and universities; corporations; and non-profit organizations. Dr. Baker is also the founder and owner of The Leap Agency, a company focused on providing individuals and organizations with the tools they need to LEAP (lead ethically, authentically, and with purpose).

DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access), Higher Education, Ontological Leadership