Ripsimé Bledsoe, PhD

Director of Academic Success

Ripsimé K. Bledsoe, Ph.D.

With close to two decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Bledsoe brings expertise in academic success, program development and faculty development in her role as Director of Academic Success at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences. In this position, she provides comprehensive academic support services to students and faculty, designs evidence-based interventions, manages peer tutoring and fosters student development through individualized coaching and mentorship.

Previously, Dr. Bledsoe served in various roles at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, including Senior Lecturer in First-Year Seminar and Coordinator of First-Year Experience and Faculty Fellow. In these roles, she developed and assessed academic success initiatives, mentored graduate students and led faculty development programs to enhance student retention and engagement. Her work has included integrating generative AI tools to support teaching and learning, designing curriculum templates to improve quantitative reasoning skills and implementing digital tools to boost career readiness. She has also held positions at Northwest Vista College, where she taught and supervised faculty, and at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she taught graduate courses and served as a Research Fellow, focusing on student success frameworks, educational psychology and promising practices in higher education.

Dr. Bledsoe is a published researcher, with recent works including “Harnessing the Power of Generative AI: A Call to Action for Educators” (Inside Higher Ed, 2024), which explores innovative applications of AI in education, and “From Setback to Success: A Restorative Momentum Model of Success for Students Returning from Academic Dismissal” (Community College Review, 2025), which provides an innovative momentum model for supporting student retention and recovery. She is committed to leveraging the latest technology and evidence-based practices to democratize education and support diverse learners.

Dr. Bledsoe earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Policy in Higher Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio, a Master of Education in Advanced Literacy from Concordia University Texas and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles.