Oscar R. Miranda Tapia is a Research Associate at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research and a Policy Intern at North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities. He is also a PhD student and Provost Fellow at NC State University, pursuing a degree in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development, with a focus on higher education opportunity, equity, and justice. Prior to his doctoral studies, Oscar led the first-generation initiative at Elon University. He is a co-author of Connections are Everything: A College Student's Guide to Relationship-Rich Education and holds a bachelor’s degree from Elon University and a master’s degree from Harvard University.