The Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity (URSCA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Imoro as Assistant Director, effective April 15, 2024.  

Dr. Imoro is an expert in education policy, data analysis, and advocacy, and holds a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Widener University. Driven by a collaborative spirit and a commitment to inclusion, Dr. Imoro works to address equity and access in higher education, with a focus on academic and student affairs, institutional effectiveness, disability issues, and international higher education.  

His commitment to these issues is reflected in both his doctoral work and his publications. His recent articles include “HBCUs: Defying the odds, redefining the future” in The HBCU Times (2021); “HBCUs – Colleges of Choice for Sub-Saharan African Students,” published by the Samuel Dewitt Proctor Institute at Rutgers University (2021); and “College Recruitment Scandal: Lessons Learned” in Diverse Issues in Higher Education (2021). His doctoral dissertation, Teaching Self-Advocacy Skills to College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): An Exploration of Specialized Undergraduate Programs, uses educational data to assess the efficacy of programs designed to support neurodiverse students, and makes recommendations for policies and practices that improve outcomes. In all these texts, Dr. Imoro raises questions of access and equity, and explores the ways in which institutions, programs, and individuals can meet the needs of diverse students.  

Dr. Imoro joins us most recently from the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), where he was a research analyst in the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, and also served on the Student Success Committee. He has previously worked as a researcher and analyst in a variety of contexts, including a private firm, several U.S. government agencies, and at the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa, based in Accra, Ghana. He has also worked as a reporter and staff writer for several news and media companies in the U.S. and Ghana.  

Prior to earning his doctorate, Dr. Imoro received a Master of Science in Public Policy from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Kean University. His broad experience as a researcher and writer, coupled with his multi-disciplinary educational experience, will make him an excellent resource for the undergraduate students he will support through his work in the URSCA office. Dr. Imoro will be involved in mentoring both the Hopkins undergraduates engaged in independent research projects and the visiting undergraduates who participate in our summer research programs. He will also play a pivotal role in managing operations in the URSCA office, including overseeing budgets and finance and assessing our programs and services. We look forward to the insights he will bring to our team so that we may both improve our existing work and develop new ways of helping undergraduate research flourish at Hopkins. 

We in the URSCA office are very grateful to have Dr. Imoro joining our team and supporting our mission to increase access to research opportunities for all.