Life-making among Black folx within higher education contexts through the following areas: liberatory masculinities among Black men; faith and spirituality; and love as an intervention in social justice praxis.

Christopher Steven Travers (he/him) is an Assistant Professor in the Higher Education, Student Affairs, International Education Policy (HESI) program at the University of Maryland, College Park. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Frostburg State University, master's degree in counseling psychology from Towson University, and PhD in higher education and student affairs from The Ohio State University. 
 

Concerned with the intersection of spirituality, race, and gender, his scholarship explores life-making among Black folx in higher education. His work has been published in several leading education journals, including the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, the Journal of College Student Development, Urban Education, the Journal of Higher Education, Equity & Excellence in Education, and the Journal of Negro Education. Christopher has also received several recognitions for his scholarship and work in higher education, including the 2025 ACPA Coalition on Men and Masculinities Outstanding Research Award, 2026 ACPA Emerging Scholars Award, and the 2026-2027 NASPA Faculty Leaders Academy recognition. 
 

Beyond his academic pursuits, Christopher also serves as the Executive Director of the Communion Collective, Foundation and architect of the Communion for Black Men community. 

ACPA—College Student Educators International 

Emerging Scholars Research Award

2026-2028

 

NASPA

Emerging Faculty Leaders Academy 

2026-2027 

 

ACPA—College Student Educators International 

Coalition on Men and Masculinities Outstanding Research Award

2025

 

ACPA—College Student Educators International

Coalition on Men and Masculinities Scholar-in-Residence

2021-2022

Travers, C. S., Park, J. J., McGuire, K. M., Palmer, R. T., Google, A. N., Barnes, M. E., & *Parham, V. I. (2025). Conflict or complementary: Black student perspectives on science and religion. The Journal of Higher Education, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2025.2590400

Travers, C. S., Breeden, R., Snipes, J. T., Ford, J., Wallace, J., & McCloud, L. (2025). Communal rest is resistance: A spiritual balm for Black faculty in academe. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000647

Travers, C. S., & Hicks, A. (2025). Socially but not spiritually distant: Narratives of Black graduate students in a virtual faith-affirming community. Journal of College Student Development 66(4), 385-400.

Travers, C. S. (2024). Healing love: Toward a theory of communion among Black men in higher education. Equity & Excellence in Education, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2024.2387559

Okello, W. & Travers, C. S. (2023). Love lifted me: Toward an anti-heteronormative love ethic. Journal of Negro Education, 92(4), 409-423.

HESI 771: The College Student

HESI 773-0101: Designing Qualitative Research in Counseling and Student Affairs Contexts

EDCP 741: Multicultural Practice in Student Affairs: Self, Education & Society

EDCP 798D: Data Analysis and Scholarly Writing