Miles College Becomes First HBCU to Deploy MentorPRO’s Evidence-Based Platform
Miles College Becomes First HBCU to Deploy MentorPRO’s Evidence-Based Platform
Apr 09, 2025
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Miles College, in partnership with MentorPRO, announces a transformative initiative to roll out the MentorPRO platform across its student body. This partnership centers on Miles’ 2050 Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which will serve as the hub for integrating MentorPRO’s AI-driven tools with peer and alumni mentorship.
Dr. Jean Rhodes, Frank L. Boyden Professor and Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring at UMass Boston and MentorPRO’s co-Founder, emphasized the partnership’s potential: “By embedding rigorous research and AI innovation, we’re creating scalable solutions that uplift students historically underrepresented in tech and entrepreneurship.”
Miles College will serve as a testbed for MentorPRO’s NSF SBIR grant-funded AI tools, positioning the institution at the forefront of ethical AI development in student support. The collaboration also engages a broader network of HBCUs, whose students will contribute to user-centered design and beta-testing of new platform features. Students will also gain access to training modules and resources aligned with the 2050 Center’s mission to foster equitable innovation.
According to Erskine “Chuck Faush” 2150 Center for Innovation and Commercialization & Growth CEO, “This partnership exemplifies our commitment to blending tradition with transformation.By leveraging MentorPRO’s expertise in mentoring and AI, we’re equipping Miles students and soon the entire HBCU ecosystem to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy while ensuring their voices shape the future of educational technology.”
The initiative builds on Miles College’s leadership in experiential learning and MentorPRO’s decade of research-backed programming, which has demonstrated measurable impacts on retention, career readiness, and academic achievement.
