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Akilah H. Thompson

Senior Research Assistant

Akilah Thompson is a senior research assistant at CCRC where she assists on projects related to the upward mobility of underrepresented postsecondary students and how educational technology and strategic instruction can aid in transferable skill development.

Thompson earned a BA in education studies from New York University and an AA in general studies from Suffolk County Community College (SCCC). She spent one year at SCCC and two years at NYU, leveraging an early college program at her Long Island high school to earn transferable credits toward her AA at SCCC starting in 11th grade. Doing so allowed her to decrease her time to degree after high school.

Based on her own life experiences, Thompson is driven to make students in high school and community college aware of the opportunities they have to promote their own success. Thompson is committed to researching and addressing historically racist systemic inequities that make it difficult for people of color to gain access to sound and advantageous education in America.

August 2025

How Community College Students Choose a Program of Study: Faculty and Staff Perspectives

Based on faculty and staff interviews at four colleges, this brief describes how students experience the program choice process, including barriers they face, and discusses practices for improving support for program and career exploration.
February 2025

Beyond Engagement: Promoting Motivation and Learning in Online Courses

This Postsecondary Teaching with Technology Collaborative brief examines how students develop and use self-directed learning (SDL) skills—motivational, metacognitive, and applied learning processes that enable them to sustain effort, reflect on progress, set goals, and adapt their study strategies.
February 2024

Creating Online Environments to Promote Motivation and Learning: Perspectives from Students

Recent Publications

August 2025

How Community College Students Choose a Program of Study: Faculty and Staff Perspectives

February 2025

Beyond Engagement: Promoting Motivation and Learning in Online Courses

Recent Presentations

February 2024

Creating Online Environments to Promote Motivation and Learning: Perspectives from Students

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