Trakenya Dobbins, Ph.D.
- Director PEAW First Year Experience
- Expertise
From North Little Rock, Arkansas, Trakenya Gordon Dobbins was the first in her family to attend college, and then to graduate with three degrees. She holds a doctorate in Adult Education/Workforce Development, a master’s degree in higher education, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administrative Management, all from the University of Arkansas. Dr. Dobbins is committed to fostering the first years of students’ collegiate experiences and assisting students to explore their passions, declare a major, and successfully graduate.
In addition to being first-generation, Dr. Dobbins was considered low-income and academically at-risk when entering college. Being academically at-risk in college, she visited tutoring labs and participated in the federally funded TRiO program, Student Support Services (SSS). Eventually, SSS is where she got her professional start after graduation, becoming one of the youngest TRiO directors in Arkansas! She has managed teams ranging from 4 to 18 and overseen budgets ranging from $50,000 to $1.5 million.