Samuel L. Hinton is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Hinton received his Bachelor of Arts degree in History from South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, SC; Master of Science in Post Secondary Education with a concentration in Higher Education Administration from Troy University, Troy, Alabama and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education Administration from Argosy University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Hinton is the co-founder of the Crawford-Hinton History scholarship along with Dr. Fashaad Crawford for History, History Education and Social Studies majors in the department of Political Science and History established on May 21, 2001 in the division of Institutional Advancement at South Carolina State University where he served in the capacity of Development Associate in the office of Development and Research. Dr. Hinton is the 2006 Minority Scholarship recipient from the Southern Association of Collegiate and Admission Officers to attend the annual conference for Registrars and Admissions officers in Lexington, Kentucky where he served in the capacity of Sr. Admissions Counselor and Recruiter at Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina. Dr. Hinton has served as a former member of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, which is a course of action, designed to address a specific issue critical to student learning which supports reaffirmation related to SACS (Southern Accreditation of Colleges and Schools) where he served in the capacity of Retention Specialist and Seminar Instructor. Dr. Hinton is a contributing author for the book “Setting a New Agenda for Student Engagement and Retention in Historically Black Colleges and Universities edited by Dr. Charles B.W. Prince, University of East London in London, UK and Dr. Rochelle Ford, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York. Dr. Hinton is also a published research writer with ProQuest Dissertations and Thesis. Dr. Hinton dissertation title is “Factors That Affect Retention Among Freshman Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Dr. Hinton is also an contributing author to the book “Critical Assessment and Strategies for Increased Student Retention” edited by Dr Ruth Black, California State University, Los Angeles, California which is scheduled for release fall 2017. Dr. Hinton formerly served as a Board member for the Garden City Preparatory Academy for Boys (2014-2016) in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Dr. Hinton currently serves as a member of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education and the Black Doctoral Network where he serves as a conference abstract reviewer. Dr Hinton is a 2017 epsilon fellow in the Higher Education Leadership Foundation Institute. Currently, Dr Hinton along with Dr. Antwon Woods are editors and authors of their upcoming book scheduled to be release late fall 2018 titled “Examining Student Retention and Engagement Strategies at Historically Black Colleges and Universities”. Dr. Hinton is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and the South Carolina State University Alumni Association as a Life Member and committee chair for public policy. Dr. Hinton a staunch advocate of HBCUs, with a passion for first-generation students, student success and retention, has over a decade of experiences in Higher Education and has served in various leadership capacities throughout his career. Dr. Hinton is highly motivated and result oriented professional with exceptional leadership and communication skills; Strong background in the development and delivery of high-impact presentations utilizing verbal acuity and technical proficiencies; experienced in leading and motivating both students and associates; dedicated to the advancement of students through the development and implementation of organized, engaging, and innovative programs with meaningful involvement. Dr. Hinton is skilled in recognizing individual student needs through assessing overall goals while enhancing success for the advancement of Higher Education.
Antwon D. Woods is the Assistant Professor at Belhaven University, and the Co-Founder/Chief Executive Officer for the Antwon and Constance Woods Family Foundation. Dr. Woods earned a Bachelors of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Jackson State University, a Masters of Science degree in Sport Management at Middle Tennessee State University, and earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University. Additionally, Dr. Woods is currently pursuing a Masters of Business Administration degree from Louisiana State University. Dr. Woods has published several journal articles on academic performance, student engagement, and retention. Along with his research opportunities, Dr. Woods is also a research development consultant with the Institute of Academic Research in Dallas, Texas. In 2017, he was appointed as a board member of three international and national scholarly journals, Journal of Education and Social Development, American Journal of Advanced Research, and the International Journal of Community College Research and Pedagogy. Additionally, he is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.