OU awards first doctorate in Organizational Leadership

Anita Hicks, of Detroit, has always been able to blend work and school better than most people. She has held management positions in law, aviation, professional sports and higher education during a fulfilling professional career. However, at the same time, she has been a lifelong learner, becoming a three-time alumna at Oakland University.

She began by earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. Later, she added a post Master’s certificate in Educational Leadership and Administration. Now, she has capped her academic career by earning the first doctorate degree ever awarded in organizational leadership by OU’s School of Education and Human Services.

Hicks told the Oakland University student newspaper, the Oakland Post, “My drive was to get a better understanding of what an adult student over the age of 24 goes through from a graduate level because they have different responsibilities. A lot of them are parents or have full-time jobs and have different needs than undergrads.”

During her doctoral work, Hicks spent time gathering data to understand the specific needs of adult learners and studied how services offered at different universities can contribute to, or impede the success of this particular group of students.

Hicks found being accepted into the new organizational leadership Ed.D. program at OU was the perfect fit for her. It gave her a chance to pursue her research interest of learning more about adult learner needs, finding their common ground and developing an analysis that could cause a positive change in their success rates.

In addition, by working at OU as the associate director of the Oakland Center, Hicks may have the opportunity to see her research work contribute to future students’ success in the classroom. She knows she is in a unique position working in student affairs and graduate studies and looks forward to implementing her doctoral research in a practical setting.

Hicks said she is very excited to be the first one to complete the School of Education’s doctoral program in this area of study and she looks forward with interest to see how the program grows and expands in the future.

For more information on the Ed.D in Organizational Leadership program offered at Oakland University, visit the Department of Organizational Leadership website.