Biography

Dr. Nicole Retland is the Director of Operations for the Center for the Advancement of STEM Leadership (CASL), a NSF funded center. In this capacity, she supports the vision of the Center in becoming the national premier research center on leadership to broaden STEM participation and contributing to the next generation of HBCU leaders.

Prior to joining CASL, Dr. Retland served as the Director of Howard University’s Office of Research Development, working to increase extramural research funding and activities. As such she helped foster the research community within HU and among partners which included federal agencies, other institutions, and foundations.

Dr. Retland was the assistant editor for a 2021 Special Issue of the Journal of Negro Education, STEM Leadership Matters. The Special Issue presents research on issues related to leadership that many posit are associated with enhancing broadening participation efforts among STEM faculty and colleagues at HBCUs, ultimately, to increase diversity in the STEM workforce.
In addition to STEM leadership, Dr. Retland’s research interests include health disparities and breast cancer, specifically the role of micoRNAs in triple negative breast cancer progression.

Dr. Retland earned the BS degree in biochemistry from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a Ph.D. degree in microbiology from Howard University.