Shunverie Rushing
Assistant Director, Academic Initiatives
Shunverie Rushing is an innovative educator, engaging speaker, and dedicated activist. She has over 15 years of experience in diversity, retention, student programming, and success. Most importantly, she is an advocate for minority and underrepresented student success. Having grown up in the shadow of Little Rock, Arkansas’s historic Central High School, she understands not only the plight of minority students but also the importance of their inclusion, access, and academic success.
Shunverie’s journey has been marked by a steadfast commitment to fostering student success, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and implementing innovative academic initiatives. Before joining the Georgia Tech Office of Minority Educational Development (OMED), Shunverie was program manager for several National Science Foundation grants within the Erik Jonnson College of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas. She meticulously oversaw day-to-day program operations, ensuring historically underrepresented STEM graduate students where she successfully supported the “whole student” inside and outside the classroom. Shunverie orchestrated impactful workshops and seminars that contributed to participants’ holistic development and aligned with her dedication to fostering student success.
Previously, as the Assistant Director of Diversity Recruitment and Initiatives at Southern Methodist University, Shunverie strategically developed successful diversity outreach and recruitment initiatives, expanding educational opportunities for underrepresented minority students. Her ability to effectively communicate technical information during admissions, financial aid, and academic program counseling sessions demonstrated a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and practical experience. She also was the co-adviser for the Black Law Student Association.
Shunverie is on the verge of completing her educational journey with an upcoming dissertation defense scheduled for early spring 2024. Her research focuses on a quantitative study investigating the persistence of African American and other historically underrepresented racial minority undergraduate STEM students at four-year institutions. In addition to her impending doctoral achievement, she holds a Master of Science in College Student Personnel Services and Administration from the University of Central Arkansas, complemented by a Bachelor of Arts and Humanities with a dual major in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Little Rock.
As a dedicated Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated member, Shunverie brings a collaborative spirit and a genuine commitment to community engagement to her professional endeavors. She enjoys spending time with her family, shopping, traveling, and coaching girl’s soccer in her spare time.
