Elizabeth City, N.C. — Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) graduate student Dasia Singleton has received the Distinguished Thesis Award from the Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools (CHBGS), one of the highest national honors recognizing outstanding graduate research among historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This is the first time in ECSU’s history that a student has earned this prestigious distinction. The award was presented at the 56th Annual CHBGS Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Feb. 18.
Singleton’s thesis, “A Multi-Method Evaluation of Mathematics Placement Testing: Integrating Classical and Machine Learning Analysis with Longitudinal Outcomes,” evaluates the effectiveness of mathematics placement testing at ECSU and its ability to predict student success in subsequent coursework. By combining statistical modeling, predictive analytics, machine learning and longitudinal data analysis, her research provides data-driven insights with direct implications for student retention, equitable placement practices and institutional decision-making.
Her work has also been accepted for publication in the Springer Nature International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence (CSCI) Proceedings, further underscoring the scholarly impact of her research.
Singleton completed her thesis under the advisement of Julian Allagan, director of graduate studies and professor of mathematics at ECSU. Her research reflects the integration of advanced mathematics, computational analysis and applied institutional research to address real-world challenges in higher education.
In addition to her academic excellence, Singleton serves as vice president of the re-chartered National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter at ECSU and vice president of the Graduate Student Association. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from ECSU in 2023 and is completing her Master of Science in Applied Mathematics.
ECSU congratulates Dasia Singleton on this historic achievement and celebrates her contributions to graduate research and academic leadership.