Dr. Heather Adams sits down with Dr. Darla Cooper, Executive Director of The RP Group, to dig into the findings of previous and ongoing research aimed at identifying the barriers students face while navigating transfer pathways within the California Community College system.

About Our Guest

Dr. Darla M. Cooper currently serves as the Executive Director for the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group). She has worked in the California Community College system for over 20 years, having previously held institutional research director positions at Santa Barbara City College, Oxnard College, and Ohlone College. 

Dr. Cooper led Student Support (Re)defined, a landmark research project that examined what supports student success, and co-directed Through the Gate, a research study that examines what happens with students who appear ready to transfer, but do not. She recently served as one of the coaches for the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Pathways Project. Dr. Cooper has extensive experience serving as an external evaluator for several federal and private foundation grants and has worked on various other projects designed to promote student success including the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, and the RP Group’s Bridging Research Information and Culture (BRIC) initiative. 

Resources Mentioned

• Learn more about The RP Group and sign up for their newsletter
• Review The RP Group’s Through the Gate Initiative
• Review The RP Group’s African American Transfer Tipping Point Study 
• For information on all previous and ongoing initiatives, check out The RP Group’s project page 
• Media Recommendation: Abbott Elementary (on ABC & Hulu)
• Shout-outs: The RP Group team!!

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Show Credits

Host | Dr. Heather Adams

Guest | Dr. Darla Cooper

Producers | Sam Kaplan, Brandon Rodríguez

Sound Editing | Abraham Urias

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