As a first-generation college graduate and thought leader in higher education, La'Tonya "LT" Rease Miles, Ph.D. has been instrumental in establishing successful programs for first-gen students at both UCLA and Loyola Marymount University. In her many leadership roles, including her current role as Partnership Development Representative at ReUp Education and co-founder of My Tribe Media, she advises institutions on first-gen student experiences. She regularly champions initiatives for non-traditional adult learners and contributes to scholarly discourse on first-gen experiences. Her influence extends to the digital sphere where she has co-founded several online communities, including a national Facebook group that empowers first-generation students.
She earned a Ph.D. in American literature from UCLA; and her research interests include the hidden curriculum in higher education, narratives about the first-generation college experience, and the representation of first-generation students in popular culture. Her most recent publication explores the positive relationships between campus service workers and first-generation students; and she is the co-editor of a forthcoming book about the Black first-generation experience.
Further, LT is passionate about NBA basketball, college football, “Friday Night Lights," and "The Flash.”