Dr. Symphony Oxendine is Associate Dean for Graduate Education, Professional Programs, Research and Faculty Affairs in the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), where she also serves as an Associate Professor in Higher Education. Dr. Oxendine is Cherokee/Choctaw from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and brings over 20 years of experience working in higher education and deep commitment as a teacher-scholar in understanding of institutional, psychosocial and political processes that shape student success and to build capacity for positive change in higher education. She previously served as Assistant Department Chair and Doctoral Coordinator in the Department of Educational Leadership at UNCW. Prior to entering academia, she spent six years as a student affairs practitioner — experiences that continue to inform her work in graduate education and faculty development.
Biography
International Honors & Awards
- Diamond Honoree, ACPA Foundation, 2021
- Danielle Terrance Courage Award, ACPA–College Student Educators International Native, Aboriginal, and Indigenous Coalition, 2021
- Emerging Scholar, ACPA–College Student Educators International, 2020
- Annuit Coeptis Emerging Professional Award, ACPA–College Student Educators International, 2019
- Presidential Citation, ACPA–College Student Educators International, 2018
- Coalition Advocate Award, ACPA–College Student Educators International, 2018
- Outstanding Contribution to the Coalition for Multicultural Affairs, ACPA–College Student Educators International, 2018
- Outstanding Doctoral Student, ACPA–College Student Educators International, Standing Committee for Graduate Students & New Professionals, 2013
State Honors & Awards
- Distinguished Scholar Award, North Carolina College Personnel Association, 2016
- Honoree, “Symphony Oxendine Multicultural Greek Council Chapter Excellence Award” named in honor of my work and legacy at Oklahoma State University in Fraternity and Sorority Life
- Inductee, Oklahoma State University Fraternity and Sorority Hall of Fame, March 2014
- Inaugural Cohort Member, North Carolina Native American Leadership Institute, 2013-2014
My research focuses on the social and institutional issues that affect the educational performance and institutional support of Indigenous People in higher education, Historically Native American Fraternities and Sororities, appreciative inquiry in higher education, student involvement and its impact on retention, leadership development, and policy and political processes within post-secondary education institutions. By concentrating on these research areas, I aim to shape the direction and development of higher education professionals, helping them understand various institutional, psychosocial and political processes as a means to support the development of students to build capacity for positive change in higher education.
- Ph.D. in Educational Studies concentration in Higher Education and Doctoral Minor in Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- B.A. in Applied Sociology from Oklahoma State University