PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (October 26, 2023) — “Do it,” said Myltazaire Kynshasha (M. K.) Crayton, when asked what she would tell someone interested in joining the Faculty-RISE Program at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU).

The graduate student is currently participating in PVAMU’s Faculty-Research and Innovation Success and Excellence Program, an initiative created by Vice President of Research and Innovation Magesh Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA. It strategically invests in high-priority areas of research and innovation and encourages multi- and inter-disciplinary collaboration between PVAMU faculty, students, and University partners.

“The program is creating a better researcher in me and allowing me to take risks that I could not have done otherwise,” explained M. K., who is pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership and counseling. “I have been able to meet brilliant people of color from all walks of life, and I have been able to see the world from a different angle that was previously closed to me.”

M.K. grew up in a small town where she said she “wasn’t exposed to my cultural background due to circumstances beyond my control. It wasn’t until I enrolled in college that I learned that the world was so much bigger than my neighborhood.”

As a Faculty-RISE participant at the University, M. K.’s research focuses on “Creating a Social Studies Cultural Confluency Curriculum Model to Combat the Issue of Cultural Competency in Higher Education.” She also supports Assistant Professor of Science Education Beverly Miller, Ph.D., on certification research. Following M. K.’s graduation in 2025, M. K. plans to pursue research focused on curriculum and policy management and implementation. While doing so, she hopes to become a college professor “so that I can pay it forward by serving others in need,” she said.

For M. K., one of the best parts of participating in the Faculty-RISE Program is working under the mentorship of Dr. Miller and gaining hands-on research experience.

“The ability to see research in action has been the highlight of my experience,” she said. “I have read about research and the process of conducting it; however, it wasn’t until I had the opportunity to work alongside Dr. Miller that I was able to actually see it firsthand.”

When Dr. Miller first met M. K., she “knew right away” that the student would be a great match for the Faculty-RISE Program.

“She is a hard worker, very detail-oriented, and is willing to learn,” explained the PVAMU professor and mentor. “As a teacher, she is also able to pivot. We started with research on the certification process for the new teacher education candidates, and the project grew beyond my expectations. However, M. K. offered her insights, did extra research, and found resources that enabled us to build the pending manuscript.”

Dr. Miller expressed her appreciation for “a student who loves doing research and who enjoys the deep dive into an issue,” and said she’s “grateful I have a Ph.D. student who accepts the research process and remains with a positive attitude as we meander and pivot in that process.”

M.K.’s enthusiasm, adaptability, and willingness to go above and beyond reflect just how deeply she cares for her work.

“My research is personal to me,” she said. “It seeks to connect youth to the cultures and coinciding history that surrounds them so that when they go forth beyond their childhood homes, they are equipped to understand the world around them in greater depth.”

By Leigh Badrigian