Education:
Ph.D. Developmental Psychology, Howard University

M.S. Developmental Psychology, Howard University

B.A. Psychology, University of the Virgin Islands

Dr. Afiya Fredericks is an Associate Professor in the Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy at Morgan State University.  As a trained developmental psychologist and proud double HBCU alumnae, her work centers on advancing equity in education, particularly within Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).  

Prior to academia, Dr. Fredericks served as Director of Professional Learning, Implementation & Research at Mindset Works, a company co-founded by Dr. Carol Dweck, where she led mindset-based program implementations nationwide.  She continues to translate research into practice through partnerships that drive sustainable change.

She has held competitive fellowships, including appointments as a CASBS Institute on Diversity at Stanford University (2023 & 2025), a Donald D. Harrington Faculty Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin (2023–2024), a Quantitative Research Methods for STEM Education (QRM) Fellow at the University of Maryland, College Park (2021-2022) and as a Research Fellow with the Center for the Advancement of STEM Leadership (CASL, 2020–2025).

Dr. Fredericks brings her whole self to this work: scholar, teacher, mentor, learner. She is a proud US Virgin Islander who finds joy in returning to her home island of St. Croix, and in mentoring the next generation of equity-driven scholars.

Research Interests:

Dr. Frederick's research examines how beliefs about intelligence and ability shape faculty behavior, student motivation, and persistence in STEM, with a special focus on HBCU contexts.  She is the recipient of the prestigious NSF CAREER Award ($1.6 million) and has secured over $3 million in research funding to support work that focuses on inclusive learning environments and amplifies the voices and experiences of HBCU students, faculty, and institutions.

Selected Publications:

Porter, T., Molina, D., Cimpian, A., Roberts, S., Fredericks, A., Blackwell, L., & Trzesniewski, K. H. (2022). Growth mindset intervention delivered by teachers benefits middle school students’ achievement. Psychological Science, 33(7), 1086–1096

Molina, D., Porter, T., Oberle,^, C., Haghighat, M., Fredericks, A., Budd, K., Roberts, S., Blackwell, L., & Trzesniewski, K. H. (2022). How to measure quality of delivery: Focus on teaching practices that help students to develop proximal outcomes. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 15(4), 898-923

Fredericks, A., Engerman, K., & McKayle, C. (2021). Providing the Opportunity to Learn: Unpacking the Role of Mindsets and Leadership in Broadening Participation in STEM at HBCUs. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 10 (5) 110-119