Two Seton Hall doctoral candidates, Timothy Awojobi and Amanda Simo, are using their research to support underserved groups in higher education.
Their work has earned them the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) Fellowship.
The fellowship is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students with a “genuine interest in higher education policy and practice,” said Dr. Rong Chen, director of higher education programs at SHU.
Awojobi’s research focuses on the challenges faced by student veterans, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health struggles. His research was inspired by his own experience serving in the U.S. Air Force.
“I personally encountered the challenges that many veterans face,” Awojobi said, referring to his transition from active duty to academia. “PTSD affects many students returning from military service.”
“Student veterans [with] PTSD often carry invisible wounds that impact every aspect of the college experience,” Awojobi added. “Many are hesitant to self identify who they are or seek help, that's because of stigma, pride, ego, or fear of being misunderstood.”
Recognizing the barriers student veterans face, Awojobi aims to influence policy that bridges the gap between military service and college life.
“My long-term vision is to help design a statewide model of best practices for veteran support,” Awojobi said. “I would like to see policies mandate stronger coordination between Veteran Affairs programs and higher education institutions.”
Expanding on his goals, Awojobi also highlighted the importance of boosting mental health resources designed for veterans coping with combat-related trauma.
Awojobi acknowledged that policy changes take time to implement and offered suggestions for how individuals can support student veterans.
“Empathy and awareness go a long way,” Awojobi said. “Creating safe spaces….and normalizing mental health conversations are essential steps in helping veterans feel they belong and can thrive academically and personally.”
Another recipient of the fellowship is Amanda Simo. Her research is focused on helping students with disabilities transition from high school to higher education. Simo said her own experience as the mother of a student with disabilities inspired her to pursue this research.
“When [my son] was in high school, he had what's called an IEP, which is very much tailored along with the parents,” Simo said. “Going into higher education, they have to self-advocate to receive accommodations.”
Her experience highlighted a critical gap in support when students with disabilities transition from high school to higher education. This made her aware of areas that institutions can improve to better serve students with disabilities.
“I believe we need to focus on… the need for more institutions to provide college transition support programs for students with disabilities,” Simo said.
She also emphasized representation, noting she would like to see more people with disabilities in leadership roles in higher education. “When we speak about leadership roles, there are certain skills and attributes that someone with a disability can bring to the role that are very important to our advancement in society,” Simo said.
Simo said she hopes that her research will help remove the stigma surrounding disabilities.
“Individuals that have a disability don't want you to look at them or identify them by their disability,” Simo said.
Through the OSHE Fellowship, Awojobi and Simo are well positioned to pursue issues in higher education they are deeply passionate about.
Bryan Rolzhausen is a writer for The Setonian News Section. He can be reached at bryan.rolzhausen@student.shu.edu.
