Dr. Tadarrayl Starke is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. For over 20 years, Dr. Starke has been committed to student success, with an emphasis in serving students traditionally underrepresented in higher education like himself.
Dr. Starke has a Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education, Master of Science degree in Higher Education with a focus on Student Affairs, and Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in African American Studies. He also earned a Certificate in Institutional Research and a Certificate in College Teaching. Dr. Starke has over 15 years of work with retention and academic support programs for students in a higher educational setting, both at the community college and 4-year university levels. In total, he has over 20 years of programming experience in educational access, equity, and success in higher education.
While at Florida State University, Dr. Starke served as Director and Department Chair of the FSU Center for Academic Retention & Enhancement (CARE), leading many of FSU’s efforts to encourage enrollment and persistence in higher education for first-generation, low-income, minority, and other student populations traditionally underrepresented in higher education. In his role, Dr. Starke managed a team of over 300 staff members to coordinate efforts to facilitate student success and development initiatives for almost 1,800 first-generation and historically disadvantaged college students. He was also responsible for a portfolio of access and postsecondary success programs and services, which include federal TRIO programs, the Unconquered Scholars Program for students from foster care/homeless backgrounds, FSU’s 400+ student Summer Bridge Program, college academic advising and life coaching, financial literacy, graduate school preparation, academic support programming, the W.E.B. DuBois Honor Society, and the Hispanic Honor Society. During his time at FSU, Starke secured over $8 million in grants and external funding to support student success efforts at the institution and managed an annual budget of almost $3 million.
Prior to his role at FSU, Dr. Starke served as the Program Administrator & Director for Take Stock in Children and the College Reach-Out Program at Tallahassee Community College, working to support low-income and underrepresented students reach their dream of a college education. He has also served as a Pre-Collegiate Program Consultant for Florida A&M University and a Volunteer Coordinator for the City of Tallahassee Neighborhood, Parks, & Recreation Department.
Dr. Starke is supported by his wife of 14 years, Tiffany, and two daughters, Trinity and Tristen. As a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Starke sees his work to support student success as his purpose and works to develop and support initiatives and structures related to access, educational equity, persistence, and graduation for all students, with a particular focus on first-generation college students and those historically underserved in higher education.