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The Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB) selects Arianna Stokes,Ph.D. as Professional Development Specialist for eLearning and Instructional Technology
Dr. Arianna C. Stokes is a two-time graduate of Jackson State University, where she received a B.S in History Education and Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education. During her undergraduate years at Jackson State University, Arianna was active in several organizations. Those organizations included the Student Government Association, Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society, History Club, and the Jackson State University branch of the NAACP. During her sophomore year, she fulfilled a lifetime dream of becoming a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Throughout her undergraduate career, both through organizations and independently, Arianna gave service to children and those in need; Education has always been her passion. Upon completion of her B.S., she had an opportunity to teach in the Jackson Public School district in Jackson, MS. That further ignited her career in education.
Dr. Stokes began her career as an educator in 2016. She is licensed to teach at the Secondary level in the areas of History, Social Sciences, and STEM. In addition to her role inside the classroom, Arianna served in various leadership capacities including Building Director of Tools for Life, Team Lead, Cheerleading Coach, and as a member of the school leadership team. Her knack for technology led her to a Web Director appointment by administration. While committing to the duties aligned with these roles, she simultaneously pursued a Master’s Degree in Educational and Instructional Technology from Belhaven University. In May of 2018, she received an M.Ed. from Belhaven University, which shifted her career focus and interest to distance education, instructional design, and using technology tools to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
With a strong interest in online learning and educational technology, Arianna began pursuing a Doctorate of Philosophy in Urban Higher Education immediately following the completion of her Masters Degree. Her doctoral research study focused on African American students in distance education and faculty perceptions of student persistence. In the summer of 2020, Arianna chaired the 8th Annual Graduate Research Conference for Jackson State University’s Executive Ph.D program where she presented her research findings.
In addition to her professional endeavors and interest in Higher Education, Dr. Stokes received CITI training for Social and Behavioral Research and ADA certification for K-12 and Higher Education Institutions. Also, she received a certification from HarvardX and Harvard University for completing a course on Digital Humanities (Summer 2020) and was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi and Golden Key international honor societies.