Collie Fulford, an associate professor of writing and rhetoric and director of the Writing Center, has won the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Outstanding Book Award for Insiders, Outliers: Centering Adult Student Writers at an HBCU.

According to the award citation: "Insiders, Outliers: Centering Adult Student Writers at an HBCU bridges higher education and writing studies by centering the experiences, intellectual strengths, and writing lives of adult learners. Employing both traditional and rhizomatic methodologies, Dr. Fulford challenges ageist institutional norms, redefines traditional notions of persistence, and rejects rigid school-to-work paradigms. Her groundbreaking research highlights the workforce expertise adult students bring to academia, offering vital insights into institutional equity, pedagogy, and student success. By illuminating the complex narratives of adult writers, Dr. Fulford’s scholarship urges instructional practices to honor non-traditional pathways."

The awards ceremony will be Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

ASHE is a national, interdisciplinary scholarly association, devoted to higher education as a field of study.