Service, Creative Works, Outreach, and Engagement

“We must always attempt to lift as we climb.” —Angela Davis

Interview on Greek Experiences

Dr. Gaines is happy to be of service to others. This is also a core belief and practice of Black Greek Lettered Organizations. To the left is an interview that Dr. Gaines participated in on the impact, history, and culture of the National Pan-Hellenic Council/the Divine Nine on campuses.

Leadership

Serving as Leadership is also important. Dr. Gaines served on the executive board of UCF’S Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA) during the 2022-2024 academic years as Membership Co-Chair. In her position, she worked to increase BFSA membership and organize and aid in mentoring efforts for Black faculty, staff, and students.

Also reflective of her leadership service, Dr. Gaines is a Graduate Faculty Scholar for the College of Graduate Studies and College of Social Sciences. Specifically, she is a dissertation committee member for a doctoral student of UCF’s Security Studies Program.

City of Orlando’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade

Dr. Gaines was proud to walk in the 2023 Parade, in representation of the University of Central Florida (UCF), UCF’s Black Faculty and Staff Association, UCF’s College of Undergraduate Studies, and UCF’s Interdisciplinary Studies. In doing so, she was able to create relationships with community partners, and provide outreach materials to parade attendees.

Mentoring of Students and Student Research

Dr. Gaines has acted as a chair for multiple undergraduate honors theses and individual research projects. To the right and below, you will see two of her honors students presenting their projects at two undergraduate research symposiums.

Student Graduations

Faculty presence at student graduations, medallion ceremonies, and other commencement activities is important for students. Dr. Gaines makes it a duty to celebrate and congratulate the graduates every semester. She has also written and given speeches at these celebrations.

  • Black Spartan Retreat

    Black students at San Jose State University are less than 3% of the total population. The Black Spartan Retreat was an opportunity for Black students to build community amongst peers and receive faculty and staff mentorship. This retreat was an overnight/one weekend event, held on the beach in Santa Cruz, and was free for students to attend. Dr. Gaines co-organized and co-led this retreat.

  • SJSU Student and Faculty Dinner

    Funded by multiple multicultural campus groups, this event invited Latinx students, Black students, and faculty together to help underrepresented students and faculty to develop positive and healthy relationships with each other. This opportunity created professional relationships between faculty and the students they serve. Dr. Gaines attended this event semesterly, and built continuing mentoring relationships with students. This event also funded “coffee with a professor,” where students were encouraged to invite their professors out for coffee on campus. Dr. Gaines attended multiple “coffees with a professor” with various individual students.

  • Virtual Study Hall

    Because of school closings and transitions to online learning (due to the COVID-19 Pandemic), students were in need of additional motivation and assistance outside of their classrooms learning. This virtual study hall allowed students to study silently, and/or engage with me or their attending peers. This was an online space for learning and community.

Interdisciplinary Studies’ Diversity Celebration Series

For the Race, Ethnicities, and Diversity panel of the Diversity Celebration Series, Dr. Gaines was able to stream the documentary, Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror for University of Central Florida students. After viewing the documentary, a panel of students discussed African American representations in media and popular culture. That panel discussion can be viewed in the video below.

University of Central Florida’s Fall 2022 Homecoming Step Show

Serving as a panel judge for the Fall 2022 UCF homecoming step show, Dr. Gaines rated and reviewed organizational performances.

“It is brave to be involved.” — Gwendolyn Brooks

Recent Service, Volunteer, Community, and Outreach Work:

Service to the University, College, Department, and Students

Fall 2022 – Spring 2023 Graduate Faculty Scholar, College of Graduate Studies and College of Social Sciences, Security Studies, University of Central Florida

Summer 2022 – Fall 2022 College of Undergraduate Studies Strategic Planning Task Force,  Discovery and Exploration Workgroup, University of Central Florida

Summer 2022 – Summer 2024 Membership Co-Chair (Faculty), Black Faculty and Staff Association, University of Central Florida

Spring 2022 – Fall 2022 Committee Member, Annual Evaluation Standards and Procedures Review Committee, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Central Florida

Spring 2022 – Summer 2022 Internal Search Committee, University of Central Florida’s Interdisciplinary Studies, position of Assistant Director for Interdisciplinary Studies.

Spring 2022 Faculty Reviewer, University of Central Florida Upperco Family Scholarship     

Fall 2021 – Spring 2022 Co-organized/planned/facilitated, The Diversity Celebration Series, Interdisciplinary Studies’ Diversity Track. This series consisted of the following four panel discussions during the 2021/2022 academic year: Diversity and Religion; Age, Abilities, and Diversity; Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity; Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality.

Fall 2021 – Present Committee Member, University of Central Florida, Division of Student Learning and Academic Success & The College of Undergraduate Studies. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workgroup

Fall 2021 Advisor, Interdisciplinary Studies Student Society, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Central Florida

Fall 2021 – Present Committee Chair, Scholarships and Awards Committee, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Central Florida

Fall 2021 – Present Committee Member, Curriculum Committee, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Central Florida.

Fall 2021 Committee Member, Bylaws Committee, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Central Florida

Spring 2021 Advisor, The Black Leadership Council, The College of Wooster

Fall 2020 Weekly Virtual Study Hall for San Jose State University students

Spring 2020 Committee Member, Strategic Planning and Academic Senate, “Engage and Educate” University Wide Task Force, San José State University

Spring 2020 Co-advised and co-led 10 San Jose State University students to present and participate in the 44th Annual National Council for Black Studies Conference

Fall 2019 – Fall 2020 Advisor, American Association of University Women, student organization at San José State University

Fall 2019 – Summer 2020 Member, Advising Committee, College of Social Sciences, San José State University, Department of African American Studies 

Fall 2019 Faculty Co-Lead, Black Spartan Retreat, an overnight Black Student Retreat, planned for San José State University students

Spring 2020 – Summer 2020 Advisor, Black Women’s Collective, student organization at San José State University

Service to the Profession and the Field

2022 – 2023 Reviewer, Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education

2021 – 2022   Reviewer, American Educational Research Association, Division G, Section 2: Differences and Intersectionalities

2020 – 2022  Reviewer, American Educational Research Association Journal, Division G, Social Context of Education

2020 – 2022 Reviewer, American Educational Research Association Journal, SIG-Research Focus on Black Education

2020 – 2022  Reviewer, American Educational Research Association Journal , SIG- Critical Examination of Race, Ethnicity, Class and Gender in Education

2020 – 2022   Reviewer, The Journal of Hip Hop Studies

2020 – 2021   Reviewer, American Educational Research Association, Division G, Section 3: Languages, Literacies, and Representations

Dissertation Committees

The University of Central Florida, Committee: Ogedengbe, Pleasant. (2023). Understanding the Political Identity of Native Blacks and African Immigrants in the formation of Racial Group Consciousness in America.