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The purpose of this paper is to summarize and reflect on four presentations at the 2010 Women of Color in the Academy Conference which focused on strategies that are beneficial to women, especially women of color, to overcoming barriers prevalent in pursing graduate degrees, acculturating to the professoriate, and building portfolios for tenure and/or promotion in the academy.

Observations and notes were used to capture the content of these four presentations; thematic analysis was used to discern the major themes.

The major themes presented were: the process of writing; productivity and publishing; pragmatic approach to quantitative research design; viewing qualitative research as an activity; and understanding the academy.

The practical implications of these presentations are that these strategies may assist women, especially women of color, to attain greater success rates in their graduate education and professorial endeavors; thus, increasing the number of women and women of color in faculty and administrative positions and creating a more diverse workforce.

In addition, the social implication for these presentations is that the research community may benefit from the differing perspectives and topics chosen by this underrepresented group.

The originality in this general review is that the material was presented by women of color with doctorates in multidisciplinary fields and presented to an audience of women. The conference was hosted by Sisters of the Academy and the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at Auburn University at Montgomery.

This study features interactions with White students and female colleagues from two regions in the United States. Helm's Racial Identity Model for Whites offers a conceptual lens to understand classroom and workplace dynamics between Blacks and Whites in predominantly White postsecondary settings, regardless of national context. Findings suggest that the quality of experiences with White colleagues and students often reflected the status individuals held in terms of their own racial identity development. These findings promise to inform institutional policy and faculty evaluation practices.

The contributors for this book consist of different voices from students and faculty, by different race/ethnicity, even nationality, as well as feelings and instructions on various perspective on discussing race in classroom. It is important to have a conversation about race in a “safe setting” to prepare our students for a diverse society and workforce.

It takes a deep commitment to change and an even deeper commitment to grow.— Ralph EllisonThis quote from Ralph Ellison highlights the complexity of the concepts of change and growth. As faculty, we are constantly called on to facilitate the growth and change of our students through their academic work. This chapter provides a narrative of one faculty member's growth toward understanding and the incorporation of social justice concepts and structures into her classroom.I had my first microbiology test last week and as the professor returned the papers, he made a point to acknowledge the work of one student who received a perfect score. When he called my name and I stood up, I saw confusion on his face…and a look of disappointment…. I guess he didn’t expect a Black female to do well on the test.— Anonymous student