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Dr. Bobbie B. DeCuir is a resident of Lafayette, ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥, and has served as the Dean of University College at UL Lafayette since 2012. She began her career at the University more than 32 years ago in the Department of Communication. She would later go on to work in the Department of Special Services for 19 years where she began her work with students from first generation and low-income backgrounds. Her passion to provide a pathway into higher education for students from first generation and low-income backgrounds led her to accept a position with the Picard Center for Childhood Development and Life-long Learning as the Director of Poverty and Family Studies. Dr. DeCuir is a strong advocate for children and families living in poverty and is committed to promoting solutions for change in this arena. 

Although Dr. DeCuir’s focus has broadened in terms of the students she serves, she continues to foster and nurture students in the belief that reaching one’s potential is within their grasp with the right support and resources. Her oversight of the Trio Programs allows her to continue to ensure that students from the very background that she too was a product of thrive and succeed. It gives her great joy to remind others of an Alan Turing quote, “Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine.

• BA Communication, 1986
• MS Organizational Communication, 1988
• Ph.D Applied Language and Speech Sciences, 2007

• Poverty and its affect on children and family as related to education
• Best practices for Retention/Graduation of first generation students from limited financial backgrounds
• Distance Learning and its impact on Adults

PUBLICATIONS, GRANT APPLICATIONS and PRESENTATIONS

• Report Part 1: Partnership to Strengthen Families: Fatherhood Initiative Program Assessment: Spring, 2011
• Report Part 2: Partnership to Strengthen Families: TANF Fatherhood Initiative Children’s Well-Being: Fall, 2011
• Family Resource Simulator: ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥; 64 Parishes: 2008-2010 in collaboration with Columbia University and the National Center for Children in Poverty.
• Tripod Report and Analysis: Fall 2009 in conjunction with Harvard University
• Coauthor: Journal of Applied Social Science: A Panel Analysis of Educational Attainment and Place Poverty in ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ Parishes, 1990-2000. Submitted: 2010
• Co-author: International Journal of Sociological Research: Does Education Solve the Problem of Poverty? Accepted: 2009
• Dissertation: An Examination of the Critical Psycho-Social Factors that Differentiate Academically Successful First Generation College Students From Academically Unsuccessful First Generation College Students Based Upon Narrative Self-Descriptions-Spring 2007
• Co-author: Commissioners of the FCC-1995
• Co-author: Journal of Broadcast Education-1994

GRANT APPLICATIONS:

• LS-LAMP: Submitted: Fall, 2011: Funded: $50k 
• Student Support Services: Submitted Fall 2010, Funded: $3.2M over 5 years
• Student Support Services STEM: Submitted Fall 2010, Funded: $1.1M over 5 years
• Student Support Services Teacher-Prep: Submitted Fall 2010: Funded: $1.1M over 5 yrs.
• Student Support Services-Disabilities: Submitted Fall 2010: Funded: $1.1M over 5 yrs.
• Contract Pending 11/30/10: Department of Children and Families: $150,000 
• Contract Pending 12/1/10: Head Start Program: $96,000
• Contract Pending12/8/10: FINS (Families in Need of Services)
• ACF Grant Co-PI: $343,385: Funded Fall 2009
• Ronald E. McNair: Submitted Fall 2006, Funded: $1.08M over 5 years
• Upward Bound I and II: Submitted Fall 2006, Funded: $2.4M over 5 years
• Veteran’s Upward Bound: Submitted Fall 2006, Funded: $1.7M over 5 years
• Talent Search I and II: Submitted Fall 2005, Funded: $2.3M over 5 years
• Student Support Services: Spring 2015:Funded: 3.2M 
• Student Support Services STEM: Spring 2015: 1.1M
• Student Support Services Teacher Prep: Spring 2015: 1.1M
• Student Support Services SSD: Spring 2015: 1.1M
• Student Support Services Veterans: Spring 21015: 1.1 M
• Educational Talent Search I: Spring 2016: Pending
• Educational Talent Search II: Spring 2016: Pending
• Educational Talent Search III: Spring 2016: Pending

• Christiana Smith Trailblazer Award: 2021
• Outstanding Alumni: 2019
• Women who Mean Business: 2017
• Outstanding Educator: National Association of University Women: 2015
• Woman of the Year: 1994
• Outstanding University Professional: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity: 1994
• Eucharistic Minister of the Year: St. Genevieve Catholic Church: 1993
• Lyceum Award: University of ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ at Lafayette: 1992
• Outstanding Graduate Student: Department of Communication: 198