Dr. Joevanné “Dr. J” Estrada

Dr. J is a higher education thought leader, coaching expert, and entrepreneur. She is currently the Executive Director of Academic Engagement and the Director of the Center for Academic Success and Excellence at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina. A recognized authority in coaching and leadership development, Dr. J has worked with several organizations and individuals across industries, including education, sports and athletics, and nonprofit organizations.

Alongside her role as a higher education leader, Dr. J is a sought-after scholar, consultant, and expert. Her expertise ranges from leadership development, coaching for success, equity and access in higher education, resilience and adaptation, and social impact. Her work emphasizes the intersection of education, social justice, and empowering individuals and communities to achieve success.

For nearly two decades, Dr. J has been devoted to her personal mission: "People need access in order to create opportunity." As a visionary leader and social engineer, she founded JE Consulting, a consulting agency offering leadership development solutions that equip individuals and organizations with the tools to become effective leaders, seize opportunities, and maximize their team performance.

In 2020, Dr. J received her Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Morgan State University. Her passion for eliminating barriers to higher education for undocumented students inspired her doctoral research. She conducted primary research through an ethnographic lens that examined the experience of one undocumented Latina living in North Carolina pursuing higher education. The study used a three-dimensional methodology approach (LatCrit, Ogbu's CE Theory, and Garmezy's Resilience Theory) to examine the participants' college experience. The theoretical framework examined the formative years and lived experiences of participant's day-to-day life. Data from the study revealed success strategies, resilience development, and adaptation to the higher education system and American culture. The findings in this study contributed new research to the growing body of "resilience research" regarding the success of Latinx students in higher education.

Beyond academia and business, Dr. J channels her passion for social impact through sports. She is the co-founder of UFIT (formerly UFIT Cheer and Dance), which provides cheerleading training camps and competitions, focusing on the stomp-n-shake style of cheerleading. She also serves as the Scholarship Chair for the UFIT Beyond the Uniform Scholarship, a Latin Americans Working for Achievement (LAWA) board member, and she recently joined the board for Greater Steps Scholars.

Dr. J’s roots run deep. She is a proud native of Chicago, Illinois, and Charlotte, North Carolina, and identifies as an Afro-Latina with Mexican and African American heritage. A two-time HBCU graduate, she earned degrees from Winston-Salem State University and Morgan State University. Dr. J is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Of all her accomplishments, the title she holds dearest is that of mother.