Star Brown

Dr. Star Brown

Associate Director of Doctoral Program, Dissertation Coach
Email
brownsp@appstate.edu
Phone
828-262-3115
Website

Office address
414 B
College of Education Building

Biography

Dr. Star Brown has more than 25 years of experience in the community college system as an instructor, administrator, student advisor, and faculty mentor. She is a four-time alumna of Appalachian State University, including graduation from the doctoral program in educational leadership. Dr. Brown holds graduate affiliate faculty status and currently serves on dissertation committees and teaches courses on educational research.

Her varied research interests include critical theories, first-generation college students, the community college context, and regional institutional accreditation. Dr. Brown currently serves as the doctoral program’s inaugural Dissertation Coach. Her work focuses on supporting students in the dissertation phase, including guidance for academic writing, dissertation development, and sustaining progress through completion.

Assists With

  • Doctoral Program Management
  • Admissions Questions
  • Proposal/Prospectus Guidance
  • Affiliate Faculty Membership
  • Dissertation Writing Support
  • Pre-Defense Support
  • Defense Support

Education/Degrees

  • Doctor of Education, Educational Leadership. Appalachian State University; Boone, NC. 2017.
  • Educational Specialist, Higher Education Administration. Appalachian State University; Boone, NC. 2001.
  • Master of Science, Accounting. Appalachian State University; Boone, NC. 1997.
  • Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Accounting. Appalachian State University; Boone, NC. 1996.

Research Areas

  • Higher education leadership with a focus on community colleges
  • Regional institutional accreditation
  • Women in higher education leadership
  • Qualitative methodologies
  • First-generation college students
  • Socio-cultural issues in higher education with an emphasis on the promotion of social justice
  • Post-structuralism
  • Critical theories
  • Feminist pedagogies

Selected Publications

  • Brown, S., McKesson, L., Robinson, J. & Jackson, A. (2020). Possibles and post qualitative inquiry. Qualitative Inquiry.
    https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1077800420922266
  • Dissertation: Doing, undoing, and redoing collegiate athletics: Conceptual tales of marginality and mattering.
    https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/listing.aspx?styp=ti&id=21701

Academic Field

  • Educational Leadership

Professional Organizations

  • The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED)

Awards and Honors

  • Alice P. Naylor Outstanding Dissertation Award. Appalachian State University. April 2018.
    https://today.appstate.edu/2018/05/18/naylor
  • Cratis D. Williams Graduate Honor Society. Appalachian State University. May 2017.
  • Excellence in Teaching Award. Western Piedmont Community College. May 2013.