Florida Atlantic University 's Deborah L. Floyd, Ed.D., has been named an inaugural Fellow of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) - one of the highest honors bestowed in the field of higher education research.

The ASHE Fellows designation was established in 2025 to commemorate the organization's 50th anniversary and recognized a select group of 25 scholars nationwide whose careers exemplify integrity, advancement of knowledge, mentoring and service. ASHE is widely regarded as the premier national research society for higher education scholars, with more than 2,000 members representing universities, research institutions, and policy organizations nationwide.

Selection as an ASHE Fellow is highly competitive and based on open nominations. Criteria include sustained scholarly impact, professional integrity, a distinguished record of mentoring emerging scholars, and long-standing, meaningful service to ASHE and the broader higher education community. Fellows represent the very best of the field and are recognized as shaping both the intellectual direction and professional culture of higher education research.

"This is an extraordinary and well-deserved honor for Dr. Floyd," said Charles Dukes, Ed.D., interim dean of FAU's College of Education. "Being named an inaugural ASHE Fellow places her among the most respected scholars in higher education nationally. Her selection reflects not only the depth and influence of her scholarship, but also her integrity, leadership and lifelong commitment to mentoring. We are incredibly proud of Dr. Floyd, as this prestigious recognition further elevates the College of Education and Florida Atlantic University on the national stage."

Floyd's career spans five decades of academic service across universities and community colleges in Texas, Iowa, Kentucky, Virginia and Florida. Now in her 25th year at FAU,she serves as a professor and Ph.D. coordinator in Educational Leadership and Research Methodology within the College of Education. Her leadership roles have included community college president, vice president, dean of students, assistant to a university chancellor, and dean of FAU's Graduate College.

A nationally and internationally recognized scholar, Floyd has authored more than 80 books, monographs, peer-reviewed articles and book chapters addressing higher education leadership, presidential leadership challenges, workforce education, student success, community college baccalaureates, graduate education and student development. She has chaired or co-chaired more than 50 doctoral dissertations, advised hundreds of graduate students, and mentored countless higher education leaders - many of whom now serve as college presidents and senior administrators.

Floyd's research has had a profound influence on policy, practice and scholarship, particularly in the area of community colleges and the community college baccalaureate movement. Her work is widely cited and has helped shape national conversations about access, leadership and workforce development. For 15 years, she served as editor-in-chief of the Community College Journal of Research and Practice, one of the field's most respected peer-reviewed journals, significantly expanding its scholarly reach and impact factor.

Her contributions have been recognized with numerous national honors, including the Contributions to Knowledge Award from the Community College Baccalaureate Association and designation as a Senior Scholar by the Council for the Study of Community Colleges. In 2025, she was also inducted into the Leadership Hall of Fame by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), further affirming her status as a leading voice in higher education.

In addition to her scholarship, Floyd's service record is extensive. She has served as president of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, a board member of the AACC, chair of AACC's Governmental Relations and Policy Commission, and secretary of the American College Personnel Association. She is also a Senior Fellow with the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

At FAU, Floyd has received the FAU President's Leadership Award and the Faculty Talon Award, and she considers her most cherished recognition to be the University Distinguished Professor of the Year Award, conferred by FAU students in 2011. Under her leadership, FAU's higher education doctoral program consistently graduates the largest number of Ph.D. students at the university.

In 2024, Floyd established the Floyd Scholars Fund to support doctoral student research and mentoring. The fund has already attracted more than 100 donors, supported student research, fostered mentoring relationships with national scholars, and contributed to doctoral student success and completion.

"I am deeply honored and truly humbled to be named an inaugural ASHE Fellow - especially in this milestone year for the association," said Floyd. "ASHE has been my scholarly home for more than two decades, and it is incredibly meaningful to be recognized by colleagues whose work I admire so greatly. I share this honor with the remarkable scholars selected alongside me, with the students and mentors who have shaped my journey, and with Florida Atlantic University, which has supported my work and throughout my career."

Floyd earned a doctorate degree from Virginia Tech, specializing in community college education, administration and counseling, as well as a master's and bachelor's degree from East Texas A&M University. She is also a graduate of Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management. Locally, she serves on the boards of Funding Arts Broward and Island City Stage Theatre.

Floyd recently was formally recognized as an ASHE Fellow during a celebratory event at the 2025 ASHE Annual Conference in Denver.

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